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Marketers are always scrambling to keep up with the latest trends in digital, content, and social media marketing. And when social media platforms are always changing their algorithms and updating their options for brands, it’s definitely hard to keep up!
To help you stay ahead in the new year, here are the top 5 marketing predictions for 2016.
1. Social Media Will Expand Publishing Options
According to a recent Nielsen report, consumers spend over 37 hours interacting with mobile applications.
As a result of this trend, social media platforms are making it even easier for users to consume content inside the apps they’re already using.
We’re expecting to see major successes from Facebook’s instant articles, which launched in early May 2015. When Instant Articles debuted, they were limited to a set of 9 publishing partners, including outlets like The New York Times, National Geographic, and The Atlantic.
Since then, Facebook Instant Articles has expanded to include many more publishers, and we expect the platform to become more accessible by brands in the coming year.
2. Brands Will Use Data to Deliver Personalized Content
According to a report by research firm Gartner, up to 20 percent of businesses will rely on robots to create content by 2019.
While this thought may make some of us nervous — especially those of us in the content marketing world — it actually could be good news for marketers.
That’s because authentic, personalized content is on the rise, and it requires a few things that robots can’t do as well. Marketers have to track user behavior, gather data, and predict how users will interact with their content on social media.
In the coming year, we predict that the most successful marketing campaigns will be supported by extensive data and research.
3. Search on Social Media Will Become More Sophisticated
We’re all accustomed to googling questions whenever we have them, but data shows social media is giving search engines a run for their money.
People are increasingly depending on social media as an alternative to generic search engines. Consumers are smart, and they know standard search engines can be clouded with paid advertisements and overly promotional content.
For this reason, users are turning to social media because they know they’ll find more visual content, such as videos and photos. Consumers also know that social media is more reliable for uncovering authentic conversations held by people just like them.
With this in mind, we predict that all social media platforms will improve their search engines and make it easier for consumers to discover engaging, more interesting content.
4. Native Advertising Will Become More Valuable
We’re all sick of being bombarded by pop-up ads and commercials, and as a result, Adblockers are on the rise. Brands are realizing how important it is to deliver ads that are less disruptive to the user experience. Advertising in the upcoming year will be all about delivering targeted ads that appear right within consumers’ social feeds.
To keep up with this trend, social media giants like Snapchat, Instagram and Pinterest are rolling out more options for native advertising.
Many brands have already started experimenting with Instagram’s sponsored posts, such as this example below from PayPal.
Snapchat stories are a great channel for brands to interact with consumers, and we expect that more brands will use Snapchat to target younger generations. We’re excited to see how other social platforms take advantage of this exciting new opportunity.
5. Digital Content Management Will Become a Necessity
With so much pressure to create useful, high-quality content, its essential to keep it all organized.
Marketers will turn to digital asset management systems to host all of their content, including stock photos, eBooks, and design files, in one location.
For content marketers looking to build influencer partnerships through guest posting and shared content, DAM will be especially useful. Whenever partners or PR professionals make requests for logos, documents, and images, you can send them to your DAM — a one-stop-shop where they’ll find everything they need.
Adopting Marketing Trends in 2016
Trends will come and go, and no matter which ones you adopt, it’s important to always choose what’s right for your brand.
Here’s a set of key themes marketing trends in 2016 will follow:
- Personalized content targeted towards the consumer journey is highly valuable.
- Advertisers and publishers will create content that engages users within the apps they’re already using.
- Social media will become a more sophisticated tool for searching and consuming content.
The best way to say up-to-date with current trends is to build a brand that’s flexible and adaptable, so you can change with your audience instead of trying to keep up with them.
Looking for a way to manage your digital content? Let us build you a custom, complimentary quote – just click below!
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