Here is my second post from being a guest in December on the #SocialPoWow 
Twitter Chat about Marketing Trends & Predictions in 2016. See my predictions below:
The questions are from #SocialPowWow Chat Host @ancitasatija & co-host @KDHungerford. “The question everyone has been waiting for: Give us your digital marketing trend predictions for 2016! #SocialPowWow”
2016 Marketing Prediction #1: The trend to consider or think about mobile 1st – before other marketing considerations – will continue to grow & begin to work better. More people have fancier smart phones & tablets, plus some wearables. But let’s not forget that we live in a multi-screen world . People often use multiple screens to research a purchase or t look for information – phone, tablet AND computer (desk / laptop) https://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/infographics/multi-screen-world-infographic.html.
2016 Marketing Prediction #2: Video & especially mobile video, short & to the point, will become more frequent & effective. Micro-moments are a new way to think about customer interactions or “touches,” videos and brand interactions that are under 30 seconds. More on Micro moments from @Google & @Forbes: http://www.forbes.com/sites/onmarketing/2015/04/09/googles-micro-moment-why-its-a-game-changer-for-cmos/
2016 Marketing Prediction #3: Big brands will continue to chase the millennials, but if they go too far, they may lose out in attracting other demographics. My mom is very intelligent, but misses out on 30% of the subtext of commercials – as she does not know or care about the cultural references – the music, the band, the social site, the actor used in the commercial. If your product has broad appeal – try not to lose your existing customer base while you try to win the millennials.
2016 Marketing Prediction #4: For many marketers…it’s all about “the list”…all about getting the person to sign up to get your stuff in their email box. That can be great if you can get them to opt-in and balance giving them good info/targeted content, without overdoing it. But inboxes are being deluged w/ crap. Do it poorly in 2016 & they will unsubscribe. Email is great, as you control it, versus lack of control on social sites, but since email is direct to the consumer, THEY have the ultimate control to say yes or no to your content, pitches and product or services.
Take away tip: to learn more about trends facing your business, here is a link to my Twitter list of resources to research trends – marketing, demographics, technology, business trends, studies and information: https://twitter.com/CathyWebSavvyPR/lists/research-n-trends
Bonus predictions for those who can find a clever way to capitalize on them:
Bonus 2016 Marketing Prediction A: Mobile ecommerce growth. Mobile transactions are expected to grow from $115 Billion in 2015 to $142 billion in 2016.
Bonus 2016 Marketing Prediction B: Digital Video replacing trad. TV – Nexflix, Hulu, Roku, Apple TV, Amazon TV etc – can marketers connect thru these services.
Bonus 2016 Marketing Prediction C: Gaming is also capturing former Trad’l TV time – can marketers sneak in there as well, if their audience is there. From a recent Pew study: About half of American adults (49%) “… play video games on a computer, TV, game console, or portable device like a cellphone,” and 10% consider themselves to be “gamers.” And the video game population is about evenly split between men and women, despite that more people believe that more men game.
Bonus 2016 Marketing Prediction D: Podcasting seems to be growing in listenership in 2015 – this trend will continue to increase. Poscasting was fairly new in 2007, and finally seems to becoming a mature, robust product in 2016, at least in the U.S. I tend to think the ease of listening on our smartphones, wifi linked cars and more apps for tablets cotributes to the growth of this trend: http://www.journalism.org/2015/04/29/podcasting-fact-sheet/.
If you missed my first post inspired by the #SocialPowWow chat, click here to check out my take on 2015 marketing trends and where they are going in 2016.
