Nine trends in online marketing for 2016
Forecast 1: Old acquaintances shine in new splendor
In 2016, old digital acquaintances will shine in new splendor. Newsletters and email marketing will experience a renaissance. Newsletter tools will bring new functionalities and thus unprecedented opportunities in business intelligence and predictive marketing. The same applies to search engine optimization: those who have not yet understood the importance of technical SEO will finally lose out in 2016.
Forecast 2: Automation, automation, automation
More and more digital marketing processes are facing increasing cost pressure. Who can solve this dilemma? Automation! Those who make automation a top priority will hold all the trump cards. Companies that know how to use this strategic advantage in the coming year will gain a significant lead over their competitors.
Forecast 3: Technology will take the lead
IT departments will step into the marketing spotlight. Data security and technical processes are becoming increasingly important, and with them their importance in the corporate structure. Many companies are still using outdated and fragmented technical solutions and will change this. In the future, technology will be the basis for successful and omnipresent data availability and correct data analysis.
Forecast 4: Search Experience Optimization
Search engine optimization (SEO) will reinvent itself in 2016. The term "Search Experience Optimization" will be more accurate than the term "Search Engine Optimization". The key figures in SEO will increasingly change. Domain popularity, ranking and visibility have long been the dominant SEO KPIs. In 2016, the key figures are click-through rate, bounce rate, conversion rate and time on site.
Forecast 5: Link building and the search for solutions
In 2016, people will realize that you can't do without links. However, it will no longer be called "link building", but perhaps "linkearning" or even "content marketing". Anyone who still does link building by renting or buying will certainly be pushed back in the Google results.
Forecast 6: The new search
Internet searches via mobile devices and thus the "W questions" via voice search are continuing to grow strongly. Appropriate strategies need to be found and implemented quickly. Part of this development is that the use of apps will also increase. Google seems to take a similar view and is trying to use app indexing to become a mediator between providers and users. But it's not just Google. Other ranking systems such as Amazon and Tripadvisor work differently, but in some cases offer significantly greater potential. SEO will also (have to) deal with these systems in 2016.
Forecast 7: Social media
Social media is becoming more complex and professional. It is no longer enough to try to reach all target groups and goals with one social media channel. Integrated concepts must monitor and, if necessary, integrate a large number of existing and emerging new platforms. Without professional support, companies will not survive.
Forecast 8: Engagement is the new gold
Engagement is becoming the new gold of online marketing. How and how intensively the target group engages with my content will determine success or failure. Picking up the right target group with the right content at the right time on the right channel will be the all-important goal. Those who achieve it have the best chances.
Forecast 9: E-commerce goes mobile
E-commerce is becoming increasingly mobile in 2016. Mobile apps are no longer just a small version of a website or store, but an entity in their own right that are tailored to the mobile usage behavior of users. Those who solve this problem will achieve significant sales growth through mobile commerce.
