DIGITAL MARKETING TRENDS FOR 2017
It’s 2017, and best practices in digital marketing are changing fast. There are endless articles, interviews, and reports out there to tell you what to do. But it can be overwhelming to try and distil that information into relevant steps to integrate into your own marketing efforts.
With this in mind, here are our our top five recommendations for your digital strategy in 2017.
CONTENT
They say content is king, and it’s still true—even more so in the New Year. It is essential for brands to have a solid content marketing plan as part of your digital marketing strategy. Furthermore, the marketplace is becoming more competitive as more and more brands catch on to the value of content creation, curation, and distribution. Creating unique, original, high-quality content that your audience can connect with is now more important than ever.
This article offers two great ways to up your content game: post density and niche topics.
DENSITY
Attention spans have shortened, the average attention span online is now eight seconds or less. We often find ourselves endlessly scrolling our saturated news feeds and inboxes. This has forced us to filter out the majority of content we come across in order to process what we really want to pay attention to. In an environment where your audience is skipping posts and skimming articles, every word counts.
NICHE
As online marketing is becoming crowded, and companies are moving towards more personalized content and experiential marketing campaigns. Targeting a specific audience with a narrow topic allows marketers to reach the audience that will engage and respond best to their messaging. As a result, there is a growing demand for niche-based writers who possess knowledge and expertise in their subject matter.
VIDEO
From 360-degree videos to Facebook Live, 2016 saw a huge increase in video content. The accommodation of videos on social media platforms is only going to expand in 2017. According to Entrepreneur, 51.9% of marketers worldwide named video as the type of content giving them the best ROI. 43% of people want to see more video content from marketers.
Video is a great way to combat those short attention spans. It makes content more interactive and visual. HubSpot stated recently, “If you don’t already have a video marketing strategy in place for your website and social media, you’re missing a tremendous opportunity to reach and engage with your audience” – we absolutely agree.
MOBILE
The ‘mobile first’ trend is making it onto every list, and rightfully so. 2016 was a big year for mobile marketing. Mobile traffic has officially overtaken desktop in terms of Internet search and daily usage. Google has virtually phased-out all websites not optimized for mobile. The increase in usage of handheld devices along with the decrease in desktop traffic indicates that mobile search and optimization should be a top priority for digital marketers in 2017.
ALGORITHM CHANGES
On Search Engines and Facebook alike, algorithms are going to change – again. Yes, feel free to groan. But really, it’s a good thing! We’ve seen it happening already with content failing to reach nearly as many people without putting money behind it. The enormous volume of information added to platforms such as Google, Facebook, and Instagram every second is staggering. Search engines will keep updating their algorithms to correctly filter this content. Priority is given to the websites and platform users that take quality, authenticity, and technically sound communication seriously. The most successful content will be original, informative, and helpful to your audience.
INFLUENCER MARKETING
A recent survey revealed 84% of marketers plan on executing at least one influencer marketing campaign during the next 12 months. Influencer marketing has come in handy for brands that want to extend their reach in the most authentic way possible. The practice isn’t new by any means, but it will mature in 2017. Brands are partnering with digitally savvy ambassadors and co-creating original content that can’t be found anywhere else.
Remember, care must be taken when choosing who you want to represent your company. As Forbes points out, “The best influencers work to integrate their branded campaigns into their unique stories without skipping a beat. They know their audiences are fickle and can quickly leave, so they treat each and every post with care.” Establishing a strong relationship with your influencers can be one of the best and most cost-effective ways to generate buzz about your brand.
What are your thoughts on how digital marketing will change in the New Year? We want to hear them! Leave a comment on our Facebook page.
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