Top marketing trends to watch in 2017: stay focused with admitad

The world of digital marketing is constantly evolving. In order to remain relevant and competitive in the industry, marketers must stay on top of the latest marketing trends and predict what strategies will be effective and on-trend in the future. We dug into some of the biggest digital marketing trends you should paying attention to. This list of trends comes from experts across the entire spectrum of digital marketing – it is certainly non-exhaustive, but a comprehensive one and remains important to take into account for the modern marketer.

Influencer Marketing is on the rise because people tend to trust recommendations from people they see as thought leaders. According to a Nielsen study, 92% of people trust recommendations from individuals, regardless of their relationship to them, over brands. In 2017, we will see that marketing and advertising will be relying more and more on industry influencers and less on traditional channels to reach customers. Learn more about Influencer Marketing from our previous post  – https://blog.admitad.com/en/?p=896

Another area not likely to diminish any time soon, video content is an essential tool in your digital marketing arsenal. Videos receive higher engagement from your audience, are highly flexible when it comes to squeezing additional types of content out of them, and allow marketers to send powerful messages through storytelling. YouTube is the second most used search engine (after Google) and offers vast opportunities to capture the attention of the viewer. Digital video provides an array of other formats as well, including webinars, videos made for Instagram, and 360-degree videos. Plus, live streaming is becoming more and more prevalent, so honing in on your video strategy is increasingly important. Bonus: through the use of live video chat interactions, companies can increase customer satisfaction by engaging with customers in real-time. By the way, take a look at our recent video from our 5th-anniversary Admitad Lounge 2017 – youtube.com

Interactive content marketing. There’s content you can read, and then there’s content you can interact with. The second variety tends to be more popular. Interactive content can include assessments (such as the classic Cosmo Quiz setup), polls, surveys, infographics, brackets, and contests. Interactive content is a way to have a conversation with your audience. Interactivity brings the dynamism and persuasive power of an in-person interaction to a landing page, blog, email, paid media ad – or anywhere else you might find your audience. Interactive content is going to get more targeted and useful for customers at all stages of the buying process. There are enormous benefits for brands that use this type of content ranging from the attention-getting aspect, to the user’s retention of the brand information. More brands will be allocating budgets to this trend and developing the expertise to build interactive tools for users.

Trusted Testimonials. Testimonials may not be a new concept, but in 2017 business owners must think outside of the “traditional testimonial” box. It is no longer adequate to simply gather reviews in local directories. The more reviews you have on your website, the more prominently placed your site is likely to be in search engine results.

Mobile domination. The future is mobile. Internet traffic is now coming more from mobile devices than desktops, and we expect this trend to continue. With more than half of Google’s ad revenue coming from mobile ads last year, it’s clear that the smartphone has become the gateway to the majority of consumer’s attention.  If you’re not catering your content, ads, and online experience to a mobile user, then you are missing a massive opportunity. And remember: it’s not just about “optimizing” for mobile – it’s also about making sure that piece of content gets integrated with a user’s lifestyle on the go. It should come as no surprise, then, that including a mobile strategy in your digital marketing plan is a must.

Native content. Native advertising means integrating your advertising efforts into content that already provides value to readers and viewers. For this reason, it tends to be more effective.This genius blend of an advertisement and an editorial features sponsored content on a website that looks and feels like an editorial piece. Native ads fit the style of the website on which they are hosted, but typically include a call-to-action within the content that links you to the sponsor’s website. With ad blockers becoming more advanced, native advertising is designed to blend into the scenery of the content. We recommend our clients invest in native ads because they engage readers and aid in link building for search engine optimization (SEO). Herewith, check out the article “How Affiliate Networks Are Making It Easier Than Ever To Make Money Online” on the Huffington Post.

Virtual Reality (VR). Though still very new, and possibly a little early for adoption in some cases, virtual reality is more than a technology to watch—it’s a marketing opportunity that will soon be impossible to ignore. By creating virtual narratives that resonate with their target audiences, companies can leverage the mysticism of VR to drive sales and build customer relationships.

The most dominating force of today’s market is Performance marketing; performance marketing is a marketplace where advertisers and publishers come together to generate revenue through an ad network. This trend appears to be eye-catching. As a result, the affiliate model has become increasingly international and many professional affiliates now are based overseas. Global affiliates now can constitute more than 50% of a brand’s business. Expect international affiliate commerce to continue to rise as disruptive technology providers accelerate the trend. To find out more insights about affiliate marketing – follow our website admitad.com

In the ever-changing world of digital marketing, these are only 8 trends of many that are bound to make 2017 better than 2016. Which growth channel are you using in 2017? Would love to hear your views in the comments below.