Last year we witnessed more innovation in the marketing industry than ever before. Apps steadily became an expectation for consumers rather than a desirable, but unnecessary feature to have. And not just on mobile devices. They’re now available and expected on smart TVs and as native web applications. We also saw a surge in the use of interactive content with better technology software available. It meant that people were getting more creative and not just at producing static content. This played a significant part in reshaping the approach to building a marketing strategy.
What game changers do we expect to see in 2017?
Video
Marketing experts anticipate that the use of video marketing will go from strength to strength. Last year we saw the introduction of 360 degree videos, so looking at the hotel you were thinking about booking went from looking at photos that only tell half of the story, to a whole new 3D experience that gives the viewer a much better idea of what the hotel is actually like. Marketers know that they only have a short time to get information across to an audience before they’re off and onto something else, so video is the best way to cram a good deal of information into a quick bite size snippet. Video enables and allows you to create engaging content. Expect video to take on even more importance in 2017.
Mobile First
According to the Office for National Statistics, the percentage of adults that accessed the Internet using a mobile phone or smartphone increased from 66% (2015) to 70% (2016). With more people using their phones to access the Internet this trend should continue throughout the year. Expect to see significant progress in marketing strategies to prioritize mobile friendly content.
Email Marketing
While some people wrongly consider email marketing to be a thing of the past, 2017 will challenge these sentiments as business owners look to improve their email campaign strategy. Digital marketing expert Eric Samson recently wrote a post for Forbes on how he anticipates a shift in how people use email and offered some tips on how to improve their current email marketing plans. In his post he reflects on the importance of tailoring email campaigns, rather than going for the ‘one size fits all’ approach and uses Pinterest’s change of tactic in 2016 as a blueprint for success.
Interactive Content
We already mentioned this as one of the emerging trends of 2016, but it hasn’t slowed down, and it looks like it will bulldoze its way through 2017 as well. Now that people are catching on to the potential of using interactive content and are becoming more familiar with how to create it, there will be a surge in its use. Static content is old news, interactive is the future.
