I am a guest today on the Twitter Chat #SocialPoWow on Marketing Trends & Predictions in 2016. Check back here shortly after the chat for a blog post after our discussion….More to come shortly!
For an instant takeaway: Here is my Twitter list of resources to help you research trends in – demographics, technology, marketing, business etc :https://twitter.com/CathyWebSavvyPR/lists/research-n-trends
I’ll paraphrase the questions from #SocialPowWow Chat host @ancitasatija & co-host @KDHungerford
Question: Where did marketers get it right in 2015, and where did we get it wrong:
Marketers are finally “getting” that mobile is very important . The use of images & video increased in 2015 and will continue to grow. By 2020, according to a Forbes article, there will be 80 billion connected devices worldwide.
However, we shouldn’t lose site that good, solid content connected to the right audience still CAN work, although some marketers are overdoing content. Quality content trumps quantity every time.
One thing we’re NOT doing right: storytelling, too many marketers use the term “storytelling” to replace other old old jargon terms without substance to back it up. True strategic brand storytelling is something deeper. Knowing at a core level what brand stories yr audience will respond to. And building that into the DNA of your brand, employees, content and THEN into yr marketing
Question: What are likely places that marketers will spend their 2016 marketing time & budgets?
Marketers in 2016 will be $pending on mobile, video & pay to play – paid will continue to annoy us, that is, sites that used to allow access to their customers for free will continue to find ways to make money – via ads or like Facebook’s algorithm which only allows certain people who liked your page to see your content.
Video “micro moments” will begin to grow in use – since Google is pushing them – https://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/collections/micromoments.html.
Smart Marketers will also reserve some $$ for organic/earned & engagement – that’s NOT a passing fad in my book.
Question: Will wearable technology / smart devices gaining traction in 2016?
I think wearables will still be in their infancy in 2016. @Fitbit @jawbone etc have larger share than smart watches, so that category is definitely growing and hitting a broader share of consumers. For the right customer, cutting edge tech is the rage, but still too much $$ for the masses. Still a Fad, not a fashion to my mind, at least in 2016. Wearables that do 1 thing well & do a few other useful things WILL continue to grow, esp. w/ fitness crowd like Fitbit and Jawbone.
Question: Some marketers say organic growth is dead. How will paid vs organic evolve in 2016?
Paid is taking over, despite what marketers want. To me, organic still has the long tail. A paid ONLY strategy is not only expensive, but equals short term thinking. Paid is unfortunately more important as social sites are finding ways to make us pay for what used to be free. But ad blocking software in also increasing – so organic has another reason to be in the mix. Some sites use adds, others algorithms, both are hard to navigate well. Smart marketers will find the balance between paid, earned and organic that works for THEIR customers. And as @KDHungerford said during the chat -so you mean paid may get them to your campaign, but organic keeps them there? I added yes, organic content and engagement builds that trust, loyalty and paves the way to may purchases easier.
What shifts in measurement and analytics do you see coming in 2016?
In 2016, Management / CEOs /t he boss will want more actionable data. Looking for Data to equal better insight & next step actions. Data for big biz is a strong part of the mix already, for smaller companies, gathering data is working, but sifting, sorting and moving into action from data is still expensive and difficult for many.
Hopefully tools and opportunities to do it better will increase in 2016. Marketers would love to see a reasonably priced product that breaks down data silos into one dashboard.
I think marketers will Improve tracking – use more UTMs (unique tracking markers) on campaigns – get granular to see what works – that is something most companies CAN do.
Will 2016 be the year when businesses finally value customers over marketing tactics?
One can always hope that valuing customers will trump tactics, but w/ so many competing forces, it’s hard to do well. Truly connecting with the customer, building a relationship, nurturing that connection is crucial to do well. Marketing tactics not connected to the customer’s needs & interests will continue to fall flat.
I’ll be following this post with my actual Digital Marketing 2016 predictions in a separate post, click here to see my 2016 Digital Marketing Trends and Predictions. In the interest of keeping this post shorter LOL.
For a recap of the #SocialPowWow chat – including discussions with other marketers – click here.
