The online marketing world is always changing – year-on-year and even month-on-month, it seems – and it’s always best for businesses to be early adopters of new methods and new tech. First of all, though, businesses need to be able to predict which new methods are likely to prove most popular with the audience.
The early bird catches the worm:
Early adopters get more attention – they have the X factor with their audience and look like market and industry leaders and innovators. Staying alert to new online marketing methods and adopting them ahead of competitors, rather than waiting until they become mainstream, is what separates the leaders from the rest.
Video ads
Not exactly a new thing – we have YouTube, Facebook, Bing and Vimeo allowing businesses to use video advertising already, but big boy Google is getting in on the act with in-SERP video ads, giving companies another platform to promote themselves through pop-ups.
Mobilise your advertising
2015 was the year that mobile traffic overtook desktop traffic in 10 important markets. Google has altered its algorithm to favour mobile-friendly websites so there’s really no excuse for not investing in an optimised site now.
Of course, mobile-optimisation isn’t enough on its own to drive traffic to your site, or even away from the desktops. However, it does look likely that Google is turning its attention to the small screen and that the desktop will become a thing of the past, leaving all the marketing opportunities in the mobile arena.
The future’s virtually
Loads of new virtual reality devices will be hitting the streets in 2016 and 2017, some of them for everyday use, not just for gaming. Chief of these is set to be the Oculus Rift, which comes out early next year and this device, along with the others, will give us a whole new medium to get busy with.
Wear it well
The Apple Watch will face some serious competition next year, with other smartwatches and the like coming out. Yet another channel for ads and for communicating with the audience!
Whether you have been actively marketing your business online, or you are just dipping your toe into the world of online marketing, I’d love to talk to you.
