Written by Jim Hennessey
It’s already April and I wanted to ask – Is your 2016 digital marketing plan still on trend?
It may seem like there’s a new marketing trend every day – and while it can be daunting to stay on top of what’s new, it’s important to realize which trends appeal to your target audiences. After all, they’re the ones you are trying to reach.
Here are a couple trends that we are keeping an eye on in 2016.
- More Mobile – In 2016, people will engage more on mobile devices than on desktop for the first time ever. A “responsive” or “mobile friendly” approach isn’t enough. You should be thinking about a “mobile first” approach for all your digital efforts – especially websites and email.
- Be LIVE – Live-streaming apps like Periscope and Meerkat have made it easier for your audiences to connect with your events and organization. And the trend is growing. Facebook has introduced Facebook Live for verified brand accounts. Your digital strategy should include live video – especially on-event. Videos can be short and sweet, and best of all, you only have to have a cell phone or tablet to create and share them.
- Battle the Blockers – Ad blockers continue to be an issue for digital advertising. There is no easy answer on the subject, since the avalanche of ad blocker products seems never ending. The key point on this – make sure you are creating audience-centric ads and avoid any digital tricks or products that might cause your display advertising to be blocked.
- What to wear – Wearables (watches, fitness trackers, etc.) continue to gain momentum. Because the devices’ screens are so small, web and app content should be shorter, favoring a “listicle” format over a traditional format. Wearables also require you to think about how to best provide “on-the-go” information, as well as create content that is easily searchable via voice commands.
- That’s the question – People love taking and sharing quizzes across social media sites and the web, and they are a great way to engage with audiences. More than 96% of people who start a BuzzFeed quiz finish it! That’s a huge number. Twitter recently added a poll feature to their widgets.
It’s important to always be thinking about “what’s next” in digital marketing and having a marketing strategy that is agile enough to react to the trends when they happen.
Jim Hennessey (LinkedIn, Twitter), is the Director, Consumer Marketing at Event 360. He leads the marketing and social media strategy for MuckFest® MS and works with other organizations with digital marketing programs to support their peer to peer events and fundraising. Jim lives in Chicago.
