2017 Online Marketing Trends | What to Look For…

Grab your crystal ball, because effective marketing is all about foreseeing the future. Don’t own a crystal ball? Good news – you’re not alone. But, in order to be the best of the best in this industry, you do need to understand the marketing options that are at your disposal, and then USE those trends before your competitors do.

The online marketing industry has shown no signs of slowing down. So, to help you keep up, here are the top four trends for 2017 that should be included in your strategies for the upcoming year:

AUGMENTED REALITY IS THE NEW REALITY

Have you heard of Pokémon Go? Chances are good that you have. In 2016, this trend captivated people as they searched high and low for digital interaction. And, though the trend has slowed since its peak, at one point it was earning $10 million per day in revenue.

The popularity of this app has had two main effects on the online marketing community. First, it demonstrated that consumers are ready for augmented reality (AR) experiences. Second, marketers got a solid understanding of the earning potential that this interactive experience offers.

2017 will bring more of the same. Expect to see more brands coming out with AR games and ads in order to monopolize on the trend.

LIVE VIDEO STREAMING WILL BE EVERYWHERE YOU TURN

Immediate gratification is the flavor of the world right now, and social media users are challenging its creators to provide more “in-the-moment” content. Consumers want to be immersed in experiences. So, thanks to the increased speed of the internet and the omnipresence of mobile devices, live video streaming has become a trend in and of itself.

In 2017, the production of live video streaming will continue to soar in terms of popularity. More brands and individuals will, predictably, utilize live streaming as apps and platforms continue to provide live streaming capabilities.

DATA VISUALIZATION TOOLS ARE A NECESSARY MEANS TO THE END

Where would marketers be without data?  Lost in a sea of great ideas that never get noticed….

Quantitative information is great at giving us the what, when, why, and how on which strategies are most effective for online marketing. But, the human brain is not naturally wired to process tremendous amounts of raw numerical data – and, that is where data visualization comes into play.

There are numerous data visualization tools on the market, and 2017 is expected to see an increase in the number of businesses who want to start using them. The choice to not use data visualization will leave you chasing the pack. Data will only continue to become more sophisticated, and, as that happens, the need for data analysis will grow exponentially.

NATIVE ADVERTISING’S RESURGENCE IS REAL

Native advertising… one of the oldest tricks in the online marketing book. But, don’t be so quick to dismiss it. Native advertising, which aims to provide a more natural-looking ad within a publication, is once again on the rise as consumers tire of traditional advertising.

Native advertising is the less obvious way for advertisers to get their consumer’s attention. We may even see an uptick in newer, improved forms of native advertising offered by major publishers or brands who have declined to use this tool in the past.