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Digital Marketing Trends to watch out for in 2017

With 2016 but a distant memory, 2017 is now in full swing. We are certain it is going to be another exciting and unpredictable year…and that is just for digital marketing.  From chatbots to video marketing, with lots in between, the industry is awash with talk about this year’s most important trends.  Here we’ve rounded up some of our favourites and why you need to be watching out for them in 2017.

1.Live streaming
We saw the buzz of live streaming first-hand last year with the US Presidential election, but it’s set to get even bigger in 2017. Most recently, Instagram has followed in the steps of Facebook and launched a live streaming service on its story feature. Virgin Media also received high praise for its live TV ad, which was created by piecing together live footage from 18 locations into a 60 second feature. Not only does live streaming allow brands to get creative, but it can also be more cost-friendly and allows consumers to interact on an even deeper level.

2.Chatbots
Chatbots are set to be the next big thing in messaging app technology and will reshape the way we communicate with consumers. Companies such as Google, Facebook and Amazon have already started using them, so we’re sure many other businesses will follow suit.  While some are still unsure about chatbots, many argue that they’ll increase both sales and communication.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3.Video marketing
From Android’s ‘Friends Furever’ to Always’ #LikeAGirl campaign, video content is gaining ever more popularity amongst both consumers and marketers. While creating video content can be daunting, when done right it can be extremely effective. Videos generate 1200% more shares than text and images combined and it’s predicted that 74% of online content will be video by the end of the year.

4.Further personalisation
In a survey carried out by Swirl Network in 2015, it was found that 88% of shoppers were more likely to shop with retailers who offered personalised experiences.  From emails, to your homepage, personalisation can be done easily and effectively.  Research has also found that customers spend up to 48% more when their experience is personalised, which is revenue that no business can afford to lose.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5.Influencer marketing
Influencer marketing has been around for a while now; however, businesses are now moving towards what are known as “micro-influencers”. These people may not have millions of followers, but they have the niche audiences businesses are looking for. You no longer have to be a big business either to use influencers; smaller businesses are constantly using them to bring about brand awareness, making it a useful marketing strategy for businesses of all sizes.

#MarketingTitbits – 2016 Business Trends, 10 New Year’s Resolutions, #Twitter10K

trends-resolutions-twitter1. 2016 trends: what will impact your business this year
New Year, new business? Marketing Week has put together a list of key issues to keep an eye out for in 2016. Other than pricing, will brands find something new to go to war on?

Mobile messaging is about to transform the way consumers interact with brands. Not only will this be for customer service issues, but also to manage appointments and make bookings. Hitting the #2 spot is mobile-friendly apps, where the UK will see the launch of Atom Bank – the first mobile-only bank. Same-day delivery services will also be top priority for businesses.

To view the 2016 trends in full, click here.

2. 10 New Year’s Resolutions entrepreneurs should make every year

Have you still kept to your New Year’s resolutions? If you are guilty of making unreasonable and unrealistic New Year’s resolutions, this could be for you. New goals being set at the beginning of each year can be a valuable assist in determining long-term success for businesses, and is something that entrepreneurs should consider seriously.

One of the top resolutions that every entrepreneur should make, is to commit to understanding one’s finances better, meaning familiarising oneself with accounting basics better. Being able to effectively run a business is an exhausting job; therefore improving health is another vital resolution. Keeping up on current events can also be important when looking to open conversations and build new relationships.

Were any of these on your list? If you’d like to see the full list, click here.

3. #Twitter1K: possibility of 10,000 character limit creates big buzz

As you probably already know, Twitter has some big changes in store for this year, and it’s created a huge buzz. Having to change words such as “you” to “u” will no longer be an issue, as there’s a strong possibility that the character limit will be extended.

In response to the proposed changes, many have shared their thoughts by using the hashtag #Twitter10K. Stephen Murdoch, Vice President at Enterprise Canada, shared “#Twitter10K. If someone can’t articulate their thoughts in 140 characters, it’s probably not worth reading”. On the other hand, Danny Gonzalez asks, “Why don’t people want the character limit to increase? I think it’s awesome. #Twitter10K”. What do you think and what will it do to Twitter’s appeal?

See what others thought by clicking here.

#MarketingTitbits – Twitter, Alzheimer’s, advertising

twitter-alzheimers-advertising-smaller1. Tips to help your business gain more followers on Twitter
 If you’re using Twitter the chances are you will be tweeting content as often as you can – and if you’re not you really should be. With this in mind, you don’t want to be tweeting to an absent audience; no one wants their tweets to get lost somewhere in cyberspace.

But do not fret, there are a few things you can do to help your business gain new followers. Ensuring that you have some personality is a great way to entice people into following you, tweeting Christmas party images and news about the team is a great way to make things a bit more personal! Searching for people in your industry is another great way to find relevant Twitter followers – not only are they more likely to follow you, they’re more likely to retweet and favourite your posts.

To have a look at more tips for helping your business to gain new followers on Twitter, click here.

 

2. The Facebook campaign that simulated Alzheimer’s disease

 If you’ve ever had anyone close to you suffer the misfortune of Alzheimer’s disease, you might have a better understanding of how terrifying it is to lose your memory of where you’ve been, who you’ve been with or even who the people are around you.

However, it can still be hard to understand what it really is like for those suffering. For that reason Alzheimer Nederland set up a Facebook campaign to give people a taster of what it can be like for Alzheimer’s suffers. They created images of people, who hadn’t even liked their Facebook page, in places where they had never been and tagged them in the images. The image captions read “Confusing right? You’re now experiencing what it’s like to have Alzheimer’s disease” and then prompted the Facebook user to send the app to a friend.

To have a look at the heart-warming campaign, click here.

 

3. Six trends in advertising you need to know for 2014

Are you ready for the New Year ahead and the trends that have been predicted for advertising? If not, we’ve found a great article that highlights the six key trends that are likely to affect advertising this year, predicted by the Chief Executive of Econsultacy, Ashley Friedlein.

From real time bidding trends, video advertising and mobile advertising, to read the full article, click here.

#MarketingTitbits – Snapchat, Christmas, trends

snapchat-xmas-trends-smaller1. The brands that are rocking Snapchat
Over the last few years we have seen an increase in the number of video and photo sharing apps and social networking sites. You are probably already familiar with the likes of Instagram and Pinterest but apps such as Vine and Snapchat are being widely used by people all over the world and if you’re not already using them, you should consider it. We found a great article from Mashable to give you some inspiration that showcases 8 brands that are doing Snapchat really well. To have a look, click here.

2. Christmas Marketing: the best of 2013

Each year, for many people, the beginning of the run up to Christmas is marked by the first time they see the Coca-Cola ‘Holidays are coming’ advert on the television. More recently, the release of the John Lewis Christmas Advert seems to have become an integral part of the festive traditions. Whether you love it or hate it, Christmas inspires some creative and inspirational marketing campaigns. Have a look at some of the best Christmas marketing of 2013.

3. The biggest trends of 2013 – as announced by Facebook

Every year Facebook reveal the biggest trends of that year by gathering data, which is measured by the number of posts that mention a topic, including related hashtags. The worldwide top 10 for this year is as follows:

10. Nelson Mandela

9. Tour de France

8. Boston Marathon

7. Miley Cyrus

6. Flood

5. Harlem Shake

4. Typhoon

3. Royal Baby

2. Election

1. Pope Francis

This looks very different to the top trends of 2013 for the UK. In the number one spot came Andy Murray, with the computer game Grand Theft Auto 5 coming in at number 10.

#MarketingTitbits – Pizza Hut, shopping, Twitter

pizza-shopping-twitter-smaller1. Pizza Hut’s new Xbox 360 app
 In April 2013 Pizza Hut released a new app for the Xbox 360. The app allowed Xbox 360 users to order and pay for pizzas and sides to be delivered to their home, without even having to move from the sofa. In the first 4 months of app’s release Pizza Hut sold $1million worth of pizza, but have still not stated whether they will bring the app to other consoles.

To read more, click here.

 

2. 17 things shops do to make you spend more money

 Have you ever been shopping and returned home with much more than you intended? Despite you not planning on the impulse buys, the shop you bought them from probably did. Whether it was a supermarket or clothing shop, there are many things that shops do to encourage you to spend more money.

Supermarkets tend to place essential items such as milk and eggs near the back of the shop, this is so that you have to walk past all the other items before you reach them, making you more likely to pick something up you don’t really want or need. Not only do shops use sales to entice you, they also use limited-time offers to increase your sense of urgency when making a purchase.

To have a look at the other 15, click here.

 

3. Top 10 UK Twitter trends of 2013

 At this time each year, not only are the biggest trends of the previous year discussed and brought to light, there is also much speculation about what the coming year’s top trends will be.

On Twitter last year, in Britain, 8 out of the 10 most talked about topics were discussions about sporting events. In number one spot on 5th March was Real Madrid beating Manchester United 2-1, knocking them out of the Champions League. Unsurprisingly it was another footballing event in at number 10 on 15th October; England beat Poland 2-0 to qualify for the Brazil 2014 World Cup.

To have a look at numbers 2-9, click here.