2015 is coming to an end, opening up the door for an entirely new year. In 2015, we predicted what would be the upcoming digital trends. And we’re going to do it again. While some of our predictions for 2015 will make the list again in 2016, there are also some newcomers on the list. So check out the Top 5 Digital Marketing Trends For 2016.
Digital Marketing Trends 1) Virtual Reality
Virtual Reality has grown tremendously in 2015. We have major players like Microsoft, Facebook, and HTC. As well as players like Google Cardboard. Google Cardboard has already begun to make an impact and will continue to change the game in 2016. We already see a lot of VR commercials. On top of that, YouTube Gaming has received a Google Cardboard mode. As VR continues to pick up steam, marketers will follow in its tracks.
Digital Marketing Trends 2) Mobile Wallet
The mobile wallet makes the list again because it’s a newbie when it comes to marketing. While adoption did increase in 2015, the mobile wallet has shown that it’s just getting started. In 2015, we saw events start pushing mobile tickets. In 2016, we are going to see the integration of mobile tickets and mobile coupons within mobile marketing. iOS 9 and iAd are big game changers when it comes to mobile wallet marketing integration. Making it extremely easy for marketers to share mobile wallet content within mobile ads. With mobile payments starting to take hold globally, mobile wallet marketing will soon become a necessity for all marketers. Get a head start here.
Digital Marketing Trends 3) Buy Buttons
As the demand for social media sites to monetize increases, so will the marketing opportunity. In 2015, we saw many social media sites such as Twitter, enter the ecommerce world. As I stated in my article about WeChat, in-app purchases and buy buttons can have a huge impact on marketing. Social media won’t be the only big player with buy buttons. Google also announced that they will be releasing their own buy button. Allowing people to purchase directly from the search results. I think the buy button will become one of the biggest marketing trends for 2016.
Digital Marketing Trends 4) Beacon Technology
I talk a lot about beacon technology both on the blog and on my video series, Let’s Get Physical With The Physical Web. Up to this point, beacons have seen minor adoption. 2016 is looking to change that. We now see major retailers such as Target and major sports teams such as the Milwaukee Bucks, add beacon technology to their marketing strategy. With the IoT still growing, it’s safe to say that beacons will continue to grow and become a powerful marketing tool throughout 2016. Learn more about beacons here.
Digital Marketing Trends 5) Personalization
Personalization is becoming more and more necessary as consumers become flooded with marketing messages. According to an Adobe Study, one-third of marketers see personalization as the most important capability to the future of marketing. An example of why personalization is about to take over comes from Google. In September 2015, Google released Customer Match, which allows marketers to upload a list of contacts and target these contacts through search. This feature will also become available on social media like Facebook and Twitter. And it will take over the way we target leads. Look to personalization as a major trend in 2016.
2016 is going to be a big year for these digital marketing trends
The future is looking good for digital marketers. All of these trends started picking up steam in 2015 and are not looking to slow down in 2016. So start the new year ahead of the pack and put these trends in your marketing strategy.
