5 Digital Marketing Trends That You Need To Be Prepared For In 2017

• Monday, November 14th, 2016
• Blog
• 2 responses

“A marketer is forever a student”, one of my professors used to say referring to the fact that when you change the industry you’re working in, you need to learn all there is to know about another one. Today, this bears more truth than ever: as a digital marketer you don’t only have to be an expert in your industry; you also need to keep up with the constantly changing trends and evolving technology. Let’s take a look at those trends that will have the biggest influence on your 2017 strategy:

1. Live videos

We already knew that the video is taking over as the content form that yields the most engagement and the best ROI, but live videos are a completely different discussion: Facebook is promoting them massively (you get a notification every time a friend or a brand you follow goes live, so that’s a major opportunity), Twitter bought Periscope, live streaming on YouTube is already old news, so it’s obvious that there’s no going back.

2. Predictive analysis and data usage in marketing campaign are on the rise

From Google Analytics to advanced social media targeting and the cookies we use to track our visitors’ online behavior, marketers are increasingly relying on data to fuel effective strategies. Predictive analysis, for instance, can give you data on what your visitors have searched online so that you can know exactly what they would like to buy. While this sounds like a great tool, be advised that it also comes with a challenge of its own: we are flooded with data, so it takes a really savvy marketer to separate the noise from the truly relevant information.

3. Mobile is even more important

Yes, I know, this is a trend that has appeared in predictions for the past few years. But the most recent data shows that not only can you not afford to ignore mobile users, but you should focus primarily on them. According to Smart Insights:

• More than 50% of searches are done from a mobile device
• 91% of the daily active Facebook users are from a mobile device
• Facebook gets 80% of its ads revenue from mobile

So, your digital marketing strategy should move from mobile responsiveness to mobile-centric.

4. Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality and Artificial Intelligence become digital marketing tools

You can no longer plan an effective digital marketing strategy without taking VR and AR into consideration. The “big players” are already creating immersive reality and virtual reality ads and chat bots and other forms of artificial intelligence are already used to sparkle online conversations or to offer support.

5. Inbound marketing is on the rise

With ad blockers usage skyrocketing, people are no longer clicking on “classic” ads. In 2017, if you want to draw their attention, you need to get creative about your content and make sure that it speaks to your audience, entertains them or helps them solve a real problem.

Want to learn more about the digital marketing trends of 2017? Check out our in-depth analysis on social media and content marketing trends.

Adriana Tica

Adriana Tica is an expert marketer and copywriter, with 10 years in the field, most of which were spent marketing tech companies. She is the Owner and Founder of Idunn. In October 2019, she also launched Copywritech, a digital marketing agency that provides copywriting, SEO content writing, and strategy services to companies in the tech industry.