Just like any other industry, the marketing industry is full of fads that come and go quickly, and you don’t want to waste your time or money on marketing fads that aren’t going to make you any money and won’t be worth it in the long run. It is important that you spend time trying to figure out which trends you want to follow and which ones you’d rather pass on. Here are five marketing fads for the new year that your business should consider.
Live video streaming
In 2017, it is expected that live streaming will become more common. Facebook has added a feature allowing users to live stream anything they want at anytime. It made a huge impact on the election as candidates were able to live stream rallies and events making voters feel like they were there without having to leave the privacy of their own homes. This is a trend that is definitely on the uprise, and businesses are going to need to spend time preparing for live stream events with their customers.
See more native advertising
When talking about native advertising, we are talking about advertising that blends in with the platform you are on to make it look like it is part of the page. This might come in the form of search results that appear to be just another result even though they are really an ad or even in an article looking like it is part of the article but really being an advertisement. While this has been pretty common in previous years, it is anticipated to continue into the new year at a faster pace than before, according to Forbes.
Text marketing
While mobile marketing will be expanding in a variety of ways, the text marketing industry itself is anticipated to grow exponentially in the new year. Given the ability to use artificial intelligence and chatbots to respond to customers on a text platform, more companies will be able to offer two-way text communications, which is something many customers look forward to since self-help has become a big trend in the market.
360 video options
While not necessarily an asset to every business, many will begin using 360 video options to give users a better experience from their own homes. Augmented reality is the thing of the future, and while it might be a little too expensive to put that together for customers, a 360 degree video or picture can give customers a good idea of what they are getting before making a purchase. If you have a storefront, you can give them a picture of what it looks like to shop there, or if you own a resort, you can do 360 degree views of the rooms or the pool. The possibilities are endless and it will continue to be more common in the next year.
Short, to the point content
Many people only read headlines these days, and it is especially true when scrolling through social media. Even if they do take the time to come to your page, they will usually only skim the information available. Avoid lengthy, drawn-out faq pages and get to the point. In the next year, we’re going to see an increase in the quality of content available from businesses on the web and a possible decrease in the amount being pushed by businesses every day.
Source: Forbes
