1. Website Optimization For Multi-Screen Use
We might be beating a dead horse on this one, but every website needs to be optimized for mobile and tablet use. Nielson reported that 61% of mobile phone users now use smart phones, so having a mobile-friendly site needs to be your top priority. Additionally, 54% of people who frequently make purchases online own a tablet, so you can’t afford not to have a site that’s accessible across multiple screens.
2. Image-Based Content Will Dominate
Consumers are hit with a ridiculous amount of ads every day, so your content needs to be quickly and easily digestible in order to break through the clutter. The rapidly growing success of Instagram and Pinterest are a testament to the power of image-centric content. Not to mention, everybody and their mother uses Facebook, and photos get shared at least twice as much as text posts. That’s not to say that written content is dead, but having images to complement it can be beneficial for your online marketing. Infographics are a good example of combining images with text in order to provide important info or data to your customers.
3. Targeted Emails Will Increase Sales
Consumers are more likely to purchase from a brand they feel connected with. Don’t just send out mass emails and hope that someone responds, provide your customers with custom content based on their behavior. Many email marketing platforms allow you to see how customers have interacted with previous email campaigns, such as who opened them, unsubscribed, or clicked provided links. Use this information to your advantage! The more you pay attention to the success of your email campaigns, the more knowledge you gain about consumer behaviors and trends.
4. Video Consumption Will Increase
We all know that video has been around way longer than smart phones, tablets, and social media, but now it’s actually becoming more relevant to online marketing than ever. Whether it’s fun or educational, consumers are looking at video content to learn about your business. It’s also an easy way to create a relationship between you and your customers – hello, video customer service! Not to mention, videos are also shared 12 times more than text or link posts on social media, giving your content a better shot at going viral.
5. Sponsored Social Advertising Will Rise
Thanks to increasingly sophisticated targeting tools, paid social advertising allows you to place relevant content directly in front of your target audience. According to Adroll, Facebook news feed ads are 49 times more likely to be clicked on than right-side ads. The success of right-side and banner ads has been driven into the ground because they are grossly overused—but this has made way for a new type of social advertising. The success of sponsored Facebook posts will only accelerate this trend as other social platforms like Pinterest, Twitter, and Instagram jump on the bandwagon.