Future Inbound

The Future of Inbound Marketing in 2016 and Beyond

Future Inbound2015 is almost over and we cannot believe it. As we look back at the year that was, we can clearly see that marketing has changed. It’s changed drastically over the past couple of years, and it will continue to evolve as new technology is introduced and buyers’ habits change.

If the thought of even more change to inbound marketing frightens you, take heart. We’ll talk you through how you can thrive in 2016 just by being aware of what’s to come. Here are some marketing trends expected in 2016:

Mobile

In 2016, 2 billion users across the world are expected to have a smartphone. This growth has occurred year after year to the point that Google is now rating websites negatively if they’re not optimized for mobile use.

People are buying more and more products and services on their mobile phones because of the convenience. This trend will continue to increase in 2016 as more and more mobile users integrate their phones into the buying process. We’ve already seen how millennials use mobile phones to buy properties, so we’ll likely see this trend continue to grow and take shape.

A Search Engine to Rival Google?

Mark Zuckerberg and the Facebook team are creating a search engine, which may not overpower Google, but they’re certainly going to try to give it a run for its money. With search becoming an integral part of marketing, Zuckerberg wants to get in on it, too. He’s created one of the most popular and successful social networks to date, so it’ll be interesting to see the search engine Facebook rolls out.

Tougher Competition

The inbound marketing revolution will continue to grow in 2016, making the competition for peoples’ attention even tougher. With more and more companies blogging, there will be tougher competition for page rank, keywords, etc., which means companies have to get smarter about the content they create. It’s predicted that longer-form, more unique content will be more valuable than other types of content in 2016.

Interactive Content: Video and Virtual Reality

The use of video content is growing at a rapid pace. It’s becoming an even more popular form of connecting with your audience and sharing content. Check out these statistics:

  • When the word ‘video’ is used in an email subject line, open rates increase by 19%, click-through rates increase by 65%, and unsubscribe rates decrease by 26%.
  • Business-to-business and business-to-consumer marketers say that video is among their top 3 most effective social media marketing techniques.
  • 93% of marketers incorporate video into their sales, communication, and marketing techniques.
  • 52% of marketers say that video content has the best return on investment.

Video is becoming a huge aspect of marketing, and it will continue to grow. Many predict that video will eventually expand into interactive content and eventually virtual reality until consumers and users are able to have a 360 degree experience with a brand.

As 2015 comes to a close and you begin to think about 2016, keep these trends in mind. Will these trends impact your strategies going forward? Will knowledge of them help you make decisions that allow your business to thrive rather than merely survive?

If you’re ready to start implementing some smarter, tech savvy strategies for 2016, learn more about our offerings by visiting our What We Do’ page. We’d love to partner with you.

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