We can all agree that 2016 was an interesting year. Of course, we mean interesting as the word in the Chinese curse, “May you live in interesting times”. So we can’t expect for 2017 to be anything less. Since we don’t want to ruin the festive mood and talk about Brexit, the US elections or any other man-made catastrophes, we will just skip ahead to our digital marketing predictions for 2017.

2017 will:

Be mobile

Yes, mobile content is here to stay. I know we said that last year, but this time it is happening. Smart Insights Mobile Marketing Trends found that 50 percent of searches are happening on mobile devices. To make mobile’s case even more convincing, 91 percent of Facebook use and Facebook advertising revenue came from mobile-exclusive marketing in 2016.
Currently, conversion rates are lower on smartphones so this gives companies a chance to improve their mobile business in 2017. Leading companies are trying adaptive mobile design approaches which serve more relevant, contextual content and reduce load times.

Let’s not forget that mobile is just a part of a multichannel strategy and should not be the sole focus of your 2017 marketing efforts.

Put ads in messaging

You thought you were safe in Viber and What’s App? Think again. The links that people share privately are getting more important to marketers. The paid media on messaging apps will be the hot trend for 2017 so be ready for more private web use instead of public. And get on Telegram.

Be streamed live

Video content, move over and make space for live video streaming. More and more social networks are offering live streaming content. Not to mention the platforms dedicated exclusively to live streaming. But hey, if Facebook is using something, you know it’s not going anywhere.

Live streaming can be used to build brand awareness and boost engagement. The good news is that B2B companies have not started using this new marketing tool so you can get ahead of your competition. Consider using live streaming company events, interviews, behind the scenes materials, announcements, or vlogs.

Be data-heavy

Advanced analytics will increase the amount of cognitive insights and will improve marketers’ understanding of users and will help predict digital behaviour. Data will lead to highly rewarding, personalized experiences, which in turn will bring customers to love the brand and make it more distinctive. Big Data will inform, but marketers must use it to improve what they offer.

All this data-centricity will increase the popularity of data visualization tools in 2017. Technology is finally helping out marketers process all the data they have accumulated and interpret it. There are data-visualization tools out there, but they will become more popular in 2017.

Be native

Native advertising will become even more popular. Brands have been using it for a while but they are getting more creative in their attempts to get natural-looking visibility. The good news is that this improves the quality of the offered content. As consumers keep away from most forms of advertising, native advertising becomes more effective and difficult to detect. Thus it gets consumer’s attention naturally. So stay tuned: 2017 will offer us new and improved forms of native advertising as more players join the game.

Augment reality

We are not saying you should go catch Pokemons. But after the success of Pokemon Go, marketers now know that users crave augmented reality experience and see the potential there. In 2017 we will see more brands coming out with games, apps, ads and other attempts to capitalize on augmented reality.

Target niche markets

How many times have you heard “There is an app for that”? More businesses are providing services for customers and are demanding their attention. Online marketing is becoming more and more crowded. So how do you deal with it? You target a specific niche. By appealing to a narrower range of demographics or a specific topic, you will get more targeted and personalized content and campaigns.

Be about influencers

As we already mentioned, ads are losing their powers. So how do you get the attention of your audience? You don’t. You find someone who already has it and ask them to review your product. Finding a lovable social media personality is something we will see more of in 2017. People tend to trust recommendations from people that have already attracted their interest. By choosing the right influencers, your brand will gain credibility and more brand awareness.

But essentially, 2017 will be all about YOU.

As a marketer, business owner or a consumer, 2017 will be your year.