It’s the beginning of a new year which means everyone is busy working towards their resolutions. While you are likely focusing on your personal improvements don’t forget about your business resolutions. Maybe you want to expand your business, double your revenue, or revamp your marketing strategy. Knowing the upcoming digital trends in 2016 is an easy way to stay a step ahead of your competition.
Mobile Will Continue to Rise:
It must come as no surprise that people are spending more time on mobile devices than ever before. Mobile usage began a slow climb but has exploded in recent years and now has overtaken desktop computers when it comes to usage. While we have seen desktop/laptop usage fall to mobile, the new king, in the past few years, many people are predicting that the fall has slowed or stopped completely. While people are spending more time with their phones in front of their face, majority of users still need/use a computer for their job and in everyday life.
Video Dominance:
More people are beginning to cut the cord and get rid of traditional cable television while turning towards internet streaming video services. Companies like Hulu and Netflix are beginning to steal traditional TV eyeballs. In 2015, we saw Facebook ramp up its video efforts to compete with YouTube. Brands are desperately trying to keep up with the trend. 2016 will see a huge increase in the amount of ad spend when it comes to internet video services. Videos are one of the most engaging ways to connect with an audience. Marketers and advertisers are going to try to capitalize on the surge of internet video. I think we will see more brands sponsoring online video content or creating a unique online video presence of their own.
Increase in Digital Ad Spend:
Even though there was a huge increase in digital consumption in 2015, digital ad spend was lacking behind. Techcrunch reported that digital ad spend only made up 28% of all ad spend in 2015. As I mentioned above more users are spending far more time online than they ever have before, yet digital ad spend still isn’t up to par. The report does note that digital ad spend grew at a rate of 13% over the last year and I fully expect that number to increase even more. Most brands and advertisers aren’t going to leave traditional advertising hanging out to dry but we will definitely see a substantial increase in digital ad spend this year.
Rise in Native Advertising:
One way brands and marketers are going to use their digital ad budgets next year will be with native advertising. Native advertising is going to be woven into every content marketing plan in 2016. With the increase in popularity of ad blockers and users becoming more aware (and upset) when an ad is thrown in their face, native advertising is a great way to get your message to the audience who wants to engage with it. More brands are going to align with publishers and help build engaging content together that helps support the brand. If you want a few examples of native advertising at its finest, look no further than BuzzFeed. In the past few years they have taken the reigns when it comes to native advertising, but I fully expect more publishers to offer it as an ad package in 2016.
The above trends along with many others will certainly emerge throughout the year. Stay on top of these trends and learn how your business can take advantage. Be sure to follow Good Monster on social media so you can stay in the loop with all the marketing trends as they change throughout 2016.
