It’s hard to believe that 2016 is almost over. During the course of the year, we’ve elected a twittering
president, welcomed Pokémon back into our lives and said goodbye to Vine. What will next year bring?
To help you prepare for 2017, CB&A has identified key trends that will impact marketing, social media and public relations strategies throughout the year.
Analytics
Measuring the impact of PR and marketing efforts is a challenge. But with increased capabilities on analytics platforms, your team can come closer to tying your campaigns to website traffic, conversions and customer retention. With more marketing and PR professionals turning to analytics tools, demonstrating the return on your 2017 investment will be more crucial than ever.
Influencer Marketing
According to recent research by Twitter, 40 percent of users say they’ve made a purchasing decision based on a tweet from an influencer. Marketers can take advantage of this purchasing behavior by tapping into the trust consumers place in social media influencers.
Personalization
Personalization strategies aim to create a customer experience that targets an individual’s specific preferences or needs. When web experiences are personalized, marketers see an average sales increase of 20 percent. In 2017, data and analytics can help your marketing efforts focus on your customers’ interests more precisely
Real-Time Engagement
Social media has quickly become an avenue for customer service, and consumers expect responses faster than many business leaders realize. Thirty-nine percent of consumers who expect feedback to a query want it to happen within an hour. To meet this expectation, social media strategists will have to place even more focus on engaging in real time.
Temporary Social Content
This year, we were introduced to Instagram Stories. In addition to creating another platform for expiring content, Instagram Stories enabled many brands to become more comfortable with this form of social media. Instagram is especially brand-friendly because consumers can find accounts through a simple search, rather than needing to know a Snapchat username, as is the case with Snapchat.
Mobile
We’ve said it before, but if you’re not mobile friendly yet, 2017 is the year to make it happen. Adults spend more than half of their Internet time on a handheld device. Mobile experience plays a critical role in how customers perceive your brand.
Specialty PR
Who doesn’t love the idea of their brand making it into The New York Times? We certainly view placements in large consumer outlets as a powerful media win—but the expansion of online coverage has made specialty PR a necessity for visibility among target audiences. Niche trade outlets and blogs drive website traffic from the people you want to embrace your social presence, and raise awareness among those with the greatest potential of becoming long-term customers.
As your team begins to prep for 2017, keep these trends in mind to make the biggest splash among your audience. The best way to attract, and keep customers, is to focus on visibility and brand loyalty, and to make your appeal as personable as possible.
