8 digital marketing trends to watch out for in 2016

2016 is just a few days away now. Internet Marketing consultants are talking about how it is going to be for the online marketing community? Few questions of 2015 are still unanswered. For example, when Google will update the Penguin algorithm? How mobile algorithm and App Indexing is going to affect search results in coming days? etc. But, here we have discussed some of the techniques that will be decisive for the digital marketing success in 2016. These eight online marketing techniques will not only help you boost your online visibility but also help you generate more online revenues in 2016.

Business will focus more on ROI than ranking

SEO and Online Marketing have radically changed over the past few months. Businesses are getting smarter nowadays and it seems like all businesses have shifted their focus from getting top ranking to get better conversions. Be it SEO, Content Marketing, Paid Media or Video Advertising; businesses are looking to adopt the marketing techniques that will give a better return on their investment. If you are a marketing consultant, you also need to think from that perspective only. Getting top ranking for certain key terms will not be enough in 2016. You have to think out of the box to strategize the online marketing campaign that can drive better leads and conversions. Video advertising and video marketing will become very important in the process.

Think global Act local

Location based optimization will be dominant in 2016 even if you are targeting the global audience. Google prioritizes location optimized search result to provide the best search experience to the searchers. Local business optimization doesn’t stop with listing your business in Google Places. There is a lot to do when it comes to local business optimization. Facebook has started showing places tips to the in-store users. Google AdWords also shows the nearby ads to the mobile searchers. And it is just the beginning; Google and all search engines try to provide personalized search experience based on searcher’s current location. This makes location targeting and optimization, even more important. So, ‘Think global, Act local’ will be the mantra for the digital marketing success in 2016, especially for the local storeowners.

Personalized content will be the key

The time has arrived when every customer is looking for the personalized services. This has made the brands think about the hyper-personalized marketing and advertising approach. Gone are the days when you blast broadly personalized SMS or Emails and get the conversions. A very few companies have adopted the hyper-personalized online marketing approach yet. But it is going to be the game-changing marketing strategy in 2016. Your approach of targeting the audience becomes crucial in such scenario. Interactive content production can be the key element to your strategy. You need to identify what kind of content your targeting audience is expecting or liking and produce the content based on that. When the number of mobile searchers is significantly increasing, content that will encourage the mobile audience to take actions will become essential.

Mobile will be the first screen

According to Google, they have recorded more than 50% search queries happening from mobile devices. This proves that 2015 have been the year of mobile optimization. Google has started prioritizing mobile optimized web pages in the search result and it will improve a lot to please the mobile users. The last thing that you want in 2016 is a desktop only website. If you still don’t have the mobile-optimized version of the website, get it at the earliest. Small screen devices were considered as the second screen so far. But the scenario is changed now. Mobile has become the main source of Internet interaction nowadays. Make sure you have creatively designed your app/web page that is convenient to use from small screen devices. How you optimize the mobile call to action will become the deciding factor in successful mobile optimization strategy in 2016.

Influencer marketing – The next big thing

Every brand needs a brand ambassador to promote them in the huge digital world. Many brands approach celebrities and athletes to give voice to their product. Just like Nike pays Tiger Woods and many other celebrities. Using this marketing tactic help brands targeting the right audience. It is not the case of big brands only. Lots of startups and medium-sized businesses are moving towards Influencer Marketing. It is going to be the emergent marketing solution in 2016. You can find the online influencers and niche bloggers in your industry and ask them to help you reach your targeted audience. This could be done in both organically and paid manner. It totally depends on the industry and the influencer reach you are dealing with. If you are yet to explore this area of online marketing, this is just the perfect time to prepare yourself for Influencer Marketing in 2016.

Pay to play approach of social media marketing

Gone are the days when social media was considered as a free channel. Social media marketing has changed a lot in today’s digital marketing world. It is not easy to reach your targeted audience on social media organically. Social media marketing works on pay to play model nowadays. You must opt for the paid promotion on social media platforms to enhance the audience reach. Facebook has generated highest revenue from the advertising in 2015. And it is not just Facebook, all other social media platforms like Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest etc. are in the race of generating revenue from paid advertising. Every social media platform has their own e-commerce alternatives. You can purchase the product directly from ‘Facebook Buy’ button without leaving the platform. Same is in the case of Pinterest’s buyable pins and other social networks as well. All these changes suggest that the paid social media will be crucial in 2016.

App Indexing – App for every business

Mobile search has completely dominated the desktop search in 2015. And the things won’t change in 2016. Google and Bing app indexing algorithms have changed the scenario. We are already seeing lots of apps getting the place in mobile search results. Many big brands have started taking advantage of developing the dedicated mobile application for their business. It will take at least few years for mobile apps to completely take over mobile websites, but 2016 will be the start of the transition.  The cost of mobile application development has also significantly dropped over the time. And it will become even economical in 2016. Dedicated mobile applications do exactly the same what mobile website does for users. But it is more easy and convenient to use apps for mobile users. Dedicated mobile app for the business will be the key element to take the business to the next level in 2016.

Refined search experience through digital assistance

SEO and PPC have been the key strategies to generate traffic to your website so far. With the cutting-edge evolution of digital marketing techniques, you can add two more techniques in the list i.e. ‘Digital Assistance’ and ‘Wearable Technologies’. Digital assistance like Siri, Cortana, and OK Google has just changed the way people search on mobile devices. Marketers need to focus on making the online business information easily accessible by the digital assistance services to respond the voice search queries. Apple has launched the first generation Apple Watch this year. There are many other wearable devices intended to launch in 2016 as well. According to HubSpot, the adoption rate of wearable devices will be 28% in 2016. Small screen devices like the Smartwatch will be challenge for online marketers to include in their marketing process. Digital assistance and evolution of wearable technology will be the most advanced and effective marketing techniques in 2016.

So, these are the eight essential marketing strategies and predictions that will help you craft the digital marketing success in 2016. Apart from all these, Video advertising and Mobile commerce will also become crucial. The web is the ever-evolving industry. There are hundreds of tricks and techniques that emerge every day. When businesses are getting ROI focused and marketers are focusing on strategic conversions, you need to plan the strategy and work on your plans to get online success. If you are an online marketing agency you must adopt the ROI-driven strategies and take the tactical decisions to measure the marketing success. Marketing without measurement won’t work in 2016. Adoption of the right marketing tools, application of the strategies and success measurement will be the key for the online marketing success in 2016.

What are the other marketing techniques that will be crucial in 2016 according to you? Share your ideas in the comment box below.

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