7 Digital Marketing Trends In 2017
Over the years, as the focus of marketing methods in the commercial sector has changed, Digital Marketing has gained a lot of popularity (along with criticism from those who can’t see it as an investment). I should know considering I run a digital marketing agency. The trend has definitely moved from touting products and services to online surfers to being the first to share information – preferably controversial pieces of empty information. Just take a look at news agencies, online artists, bloggers and politicians burning and churning the same information touting products and charging clients a bomb for a huge number of impressions that posts generate. So passé!
The idea in 2017 is to be first and to be unique. Let’s explore what the latter means, first. Businesses of all sizes and shapes are making their presence felt in various online communities by promoting their products and services in unique ways. Simply put, it means the sooner you strike a chord with your customers with getting 10 seconds of their attention, the farther you will go in promoting your products and services and the better it is for you and your brand.
I have chalked out a list of Digital Marketing trends to look out for in 2017:
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Content-centric:
Content is often referred to as the ‘king’ in Digital Marketing. With the progress in technology, our attention span has only degenerated. We spend hours and hours of our days scrolling through social media newsfeeds and our minds have grown immune to all the meagre information thrown at us. Hence one of the keys to grab more and more attention from people around the globe in 2017 is being able to present the readers with high quality and unique content that they can easily connect with. Make content speak to the audience. Therefore don’t try to be “trending”. Be blunt, be honest, be direct, be non-gimmicky and definitely be generous.
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Augmented Reality:
With the dynamic changes in virtual reality every single day, it is the thing to do in 2017. As the screen size increases to infinity, consumers seek real life experiences and hence augmented virtual reality will soon be considered as a marketing option. Pokémon Go gave us a great view about how Augmented Reality works, even if it was just the tip of the iceberg. The idea is to make the consumers feel they are a part of the experience. In 2017, we will see a lot of brands cashing in on Augmented Reality by creating games, ads and all sorts of things you can think of to market their brands. One word clue: Snapchat
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Wearable Technology:
Wearable technology is another trend that will redefine the way we interact with people and how we do business. One such device is Amazon Echo, which is a voice activated speaker but its applications can be endless if used properly. Another innovation to watch out for is Snapchat Glasses, which will create a whole new platform for advertising. These glasses can record up to 10 seconds of video that can be shared via Bluetooth or Snapchat. Video messaging apps like House Party, which is a simpler version of Google Hangouts, caters to young Snapchatters. House Party has a simpler interface comparatively and that is what makes it so popular with the millennials. The year 2017 will see more of such smart devices and innovations in wearable technology.
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Influencer Marketing:
Influencer marketing is one of the trends from 2016 that will be carried on to 2017 as well. However, the meaning of Influencer marketing will change. It is already changing. No longer do you need gimmicky influencers putting out a statement. You are the influencer dear brand creator. Be yourself and connect directly to the audience. It may take longer but it is surely a good way to promote your brand to a large number of people and it might even work better than advertising! Instagram influencers (those legitimately influential, you will find celebs following them) are the best these days. Since these REAL influencers have a good number of people following them religiously, they can create some really good content for various brands. No testimonials. Only features. The new age Influencer marketing is really a two way street where the influencer drop a hint about the product or service as part of their life story and not shamelessly promoting brands and pushing people to buy their products.
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Video Streaming:
As social media progresses and new websites keep popping up every single day, live video-streaming is something that will definitely take over the internet. Thanks to faster internet speed and abundance of devices, live video-streaming is becoming a trend of its own, more so after a lot of apps and social media platforms are giving their users some kind of “live streaming” functionality. Instagram, Facebook and of course Youtube videos are the best!
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Fight To Be On The Top:
Be choosy. Be on top. With new social media platforms emerging every other day, 2017 is going to see a fight between all the platforms to be on the top of the social media pyramid. Since more and more businesses are going social, they will choose only one platform that will offer them good exposure. While Facebook and Twitter ruled our hearts and minds in 2015 and 2016, we can only wait and see if there emerges a good enough candidate in 2017. Something tells me it might change unless Facebook changes their algorithm.
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Cognitive Computing:
Cognitive computing is the ability of software to understand unstructured data and interpret them through natural language. Cognitive computing is used by various chatbots and it is increasingly becoming a hot topic for customized interaction. Whether it is customer service or brand interactions chatbots will automate social media community management. Create your own bot. Its as simple as that.
2017 will see more spends by serious brands on social media campaigns. Regardless of who does it – be it an in-house team or an agency, the social trends will multiply for the end consumer to voraciously consume. No matter what trends come this year, the bottom line is that the marketing industry is changing rapidly. More and more brands are starting to recognize the importance of digital marketing and some may even say that digital marketing is more useful when it comes to grabbing the attention of customers, as compared to other types of marketing.
SunSTRATEGIC is a digital marketing agency based in Mumbai serving clients in India, UAE and USA. We promise market response, not magic. We produce content, creatives, animations, comics, and look into serious digital marketing. We are a start up creating content that generates consumer data patterns to help our clients better serve consumers. If you would like to reach me directly, I welcome your comments, suggestions and questions on sherina@sunstrategic.com nike air max 90 damen nike air max 90 damen nike air max 90 damen