Online marketing is continually evolving, so it’s important for companies to keep up with trends so they can optimize their online marketing strategy and stay ahead of the opportunities that arise. As 2015 comes to an end, here are five digital trends to watch out for in 2016.
Video Ads Are on the Rise
With an average click-thru rate of 1.84%, the highest click-thru rate of all digital formats, video ads aren’t going away anytime soon. People are finally used to seeing online ads, and their effectiveness has become apparent to businesses. Video ads will be even more dominant in 2016 with Facebook and Bing offering video options for advertisers and Google now including video content in their search engine algorithm.
Apps, Apps, Apps
Apps are going to be adopted more and more by business owners in 2016. And why wouldn’t they be? People use them for just about everything – from communicating with doctors to checking their balances on their checking accounts. Apps are simply more responsive to individual users and are much more convenient to use. Plus, Google uses indexed apps as a factor for search rankings. So although mobile websites aren’t going away just yet and will continue to dominate desktop traffic, we are going to start seeing the shift towards the adoption of mobile apps.
Virtual Assistant
Looking on the web is no longer the only way people can get information…they can simply ask their phones. In 2016, businesses are going to want to ensure that their details can be found through virtual assistance as well as are listed on the web. So marketing plans will not only include SEO and PPC, but also incorporate virtual assistance.
Wearable Technology
Consumer use of wearable technology is expected to grow 35% per year between 2015 and 2019. It’s amazing what these gadgets can do – tell you your heart rate, inform your doctor of your vitals and/or if you’ve fallen, even read your glucose levels through the use of a contact lens from Google. Although smart watches will be the leading product category, we can’t lose sight of all the wearable technology that will be available to consumers, especially in the health and fitness categories. It will be important for online marketers to understand how this technology works so they can figure out the best way to communicate with consumers through these devices.
Increase in Advertising Budget
With all these emerging factors taking place in the online world, it’s no surprise that companies will be increasing their marketing spending in 2016. This has been an ongoing trend the past few years, and, in 2016, it is expected that companies will spend 13.5% more on all areas of digital marketing than in 2015 and surpassing TV ad spend by the end of 2017.
There are many more trends that we’ll see in 2016, but these five are definitely ones to keep an eye out for and stay ahead of. If you need any assistance in putting together your digital strategy, contact Anderson Direct & Digital.
References:
http://marketingland.com/online-vs-tv-72-agencies-say-online-video-ads-effective-effective-tv-survey-118854
http://www.businessinsider.com/digital-video-ad-rise-2014-8
http://www.industryweek.com/information-technology/age-apps-evolution-mobile-application-infographic
http://www.apptentive.com/blog/evolution-mobile-app-landscape/
http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/249377
http://searchenginewatch.com/sew/opinion/2353616/mobile-now-exceeds-pc-the-biggest-shift-since-the-internet-began#
http://www.businessinsider.com/the-wearable-computing-market-report-2014-10
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/07/business/media/digital-ad-spending-expected-to-soon-surpass-tv.html?_r=0
http://www.allbusiness.com/6-technology-trends-that-will-take-over-the-consumer-market-in-2016-101405-1.html
https://www.wearable-technologies.com/2015/04/wearables-in-healthcare/
