2016 has passed and 2017 is here. A new year typically heralds changes of some form or another. These can be in the form of personal resolutions to make changes to better yourself, or it can be changes in trends in fashion or business. When it comes to business, many of the changes in trends can be seen in marketing efforts, with new strategies being developed and becoming popular and older strategies becoming outdated or obsolete, or even some strategies remaining popular or growing in popularity. 2017 can bring with it any or all of these trends in marketing. Some of the top marketing trends to keep an eye out for in 2017 include.
Interactive Content:
Being able to engage with your customers and target audience is becoming a big deal to businesses. Providing them with interactive content can go a long way in making the customers and target audience feel involved and entertained, and can help give them a positive view of the company. Interactive content can take many forms, from fun quizzes to polls, surveys, contests, infographics, and more.
Video:
Video has practically been the king of the internet for the last few years, and that doesn’t appear to be changing any time soon. Everyone loves to watch videos online, be it funny cat videos, streaming TV shows, or something else. And much of the viral content shared online has been videos since it is attention-grabbing. Video will likely continue to reign supreme, and advances in online video will likely be seen as well, including the growth of live streaming, such as Facebook Live, increased use of 360 videos, and even videos in e-mails.
Content marketing:
Aside from all the hype over the video, there are some other trends in content marketing to watch for, as well. Look for a rise in Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) content. Also look for a focus on storytelling in content and an increase in user-generated content, since that is a way to engage with customers and help them to feel more valued and involved with the company.
Mobile:
With the growing use of mobile devices for internet usage and shopping, companies are realizing the importance of not only reaching out to their customers and target audience on mobile devices but also making sure their content is optimized for mobile devices to give them a better user experience. In 2017, the trend will be for a greater focus on mobile devices and how better to reach customers and give them the optimal mobile experience.
Influencer marketing:
This was beginning to gain popularity in 2016 and it will continue to do so in 2017. Having a reputable person with influence in the industry speak highly of a company and/or its product on social media or elsewhere online is a great boost for a brand’s credibility and can do even more than a good ad for selling products.
These are just a few of the many marketing trends that are predicted for 2017. No one can say for sure what will happen in the coming year, and some surprises could be seen. But there is a good chance these trends and many of the others will come to pass.
