Digital marketing is an ever-evolving sector, and to sit on your laurels is to be left behind in a whirl of updates, releases and developments. So we had a look at the plethora of 2017 digital marketing articles stacked in SERPs, and decided to make a concise list of the most important digital marketing tips and trends that we feel you’ll need to succeed in 2017.
Mobile SEO Marketing
Mobile marketing is certainly not new but thanks to Google’s mobile algorithm changes last year, there is a definite need for businesses to ensure that their mobile site pages are up to scratch.
This means that your mobile site needs to have an adaptive mobile design that doesn’t compromise on image quality, or site load times, to keep your users happy.
Now you may be thinking ‘but that’s common sense, everyone already does this’ and you would be right, it is on everyone’s radar but as smartphone conversion rates are still well below desktop stats, there seems to still be a whole heap of work to be done to improve this.
AMP’s (accelerated mobile pages) are also fast on the rise thanks to their user friendliness, so optimising your mobile site with this feature would be a huge benefit to you and your clients.
Strategic Content Marketing
Content marketing has been the button to keep your marketing digits on for a while, and this isn’t set to change any time soon. But more specific than just content marketing, strategic marketing is where it’s at.
Content marketing is a crowded and varied bubble, filled with all the types of quality, topic and format you can imagine. Due to this, 40% of companies in 2016 took a far more strategic approach to their content, and achieved higher levels of conversion on their sites.
Where some companies produce content purely for the sake of having content on their sites, this data shows that by developing a solid, structured content strategy companies engage and convert far better than those who do not.
Visual Marketing
The internet is awash with visuals, and now more than ever is the time to head into the future by utilising their full potential. Social media platforms like Instagram and Pinterest are more consumer focused than ever, and in order to drive users to their sites, marketers need to understand how to engage their audience in order to drive them to their site.
Understanding your users is paramount here, as a whopping 42% of 18-29 year olds visit Instagram at least 5 times a day, which means an awful lot of scrolling, liking and sharing. Knowing your user base’s preferences, most visited sites and trends will allow you to communicate with them on these platforms, and encourage user growth and content sharing.
With so many brands and companies out there with Instagram accounts, sometimes it can feel pointless posting a picture or three. But the key here is to build long-term awareness and create a ‘community’ of loyal and engaged users. One particular skill needed here is high-quality image creation – this doesn’t strictly apply to static images either, with GIFs and short videos (vines) proving hugely popular with younger audiences.
Real-time videos platforms, such as Facebook Live, Instagram Stories and Snapchat are also growing in their popularity and marketeers need to take note of this. People like to feel connected to one another, and creating engaging, consumer focused content, motion or still image, is a sure way to grab their attention.
Data Visualisation
To be on the top of your game you need to have the hard data, but often the deconstruction of sector research papers and user analysis can be hard to digest, let alone understand. Which is why 2017 is the year of data visualisation.
When it comes to big data, visualisation allows for complete understanding and transparency for both your content users and your team, which can only be a good thing. For example, with regards to user research concerning the sites they visit, their social platform preferences and rates of engagement, visualisation takes the sting out of a screen full of numbers, lines and percentages.
A company doing this very well in 2017 is Tableau. They offer a free service which is simple and very easy to use, and gives you a medium to communicate with your users in a way they can understand.
Niche Consumer Targeting
You can’t say digital marketing isn’t a crowded a sector, and it’s a battle to get your voice heard amongst the throng. As a result of this, we will see more businesses and companies opting for a more niche targeting strategy, engaging with a smaller yet more engaged and convertible user base.
You can see which areas you’re currently missing with your content strategy by doing some research into who your competitors are targeting and their biggest content users and influencers. This is a prime opportunity to mine for some user gold, because it’s definitely there, you just need to be the one to find it!
In conclusion, 2017 looks to be the year for visuals in a big way. In short, that’s high-quality, well-optimised, shareable and engaging content that gets the right reactions from your users. But remember that the digital marketing sector is amazing because it is ever changing, so when looking for your first (or even your fifth) step into the digital marketing job sector, staying on top of industry news and developments is key to the process.
Take a look at our digital marketing jobs page and see if your skills are a match with any one of our multi-discipline marketing vacancies.
Citations;
Forbes
Smart Insights
Smart Insights #2
Marketing Tech News