2017 Digital Marketing Trends Your Small Business Needs to Know!

As a small business owner, you’re likely aware of the importance of staying on top of digital trends and providing customers with new and improved experiences. But what are some of the top trends to keep abreast of this year? Below, I share our top five 2017 digital marketing trends!

Snapchat & Instagram
If your business targets users 34 years old and under, it’s not enough to just be utilising Facebook; you also need to expand to Snapchat and Instagram. Both of these platforms have only continued to ascend in 2016, with Instagram reaching half a million advertisers by October, and forecasted to hit $2.81 billion in global mobile ad revenues in 2017.

Likewise, Snapchat has also grown to become much more than just a selfie-sharing app, with small businesses using the platform to advertise, drive campaigns through storytelling, and build trust through exclusivity. In October 2016, the brand was worth a whopping $16 million!  

So make it your new year resolution to start researching these two platforms, along with diversified marketing strategies for each one.

Tip: For more info on both of these platforms, check out our blogs on the Top 3 Ways for Brands to Stand Out on Snapchat, and ‘How Small Businesses Can Benefit from Instagram.’

Content Marketing

Did you know that 88% of B2B marketers relied on content marketing to grow their businesses in 2016? The truth is, whether or not you’re a fan of the term ‘content is king,’ fresh and diverse content is essential to the growth of your business – and it’s a trend that’s not going anywhere!

Even if you don’t have time to post multiple times per week, at least try to blog once or twice per month (ensure your content is high quality) – and make sure you include photos and videos. Whether it’s a funny meme shared on Facebook, some behind the scenes Instagram photos from a staff event, or a fun friday video, don’t neglect your audience! They want to be informed – not only of your product, service or industry, but also who the people are behind your brand.

Influencer Marketing

As seen through Google Trends, ‘Influencer Marketing’ is constantly rising. But what is it? Essentially, it’s a form of marketing where a key individual is targeted (as opposed to an entire target market) – giving those key individuals influence over your marketing success.

For example, an influencer may write a blog post/article about your business, promote you across their social media, or allow you to contribute a guest blog on their own website. All of these techniques – whether performed alone or together – give a person influence over the exposure of your brand.

With social media and other digital platforms becoming increasingly savvy all the time, expect influencer marketing to continue trending in 2017!

Wearable Technology

We’ve already seen wearable smart devices such as the Apple iWatch successfully dominate the market over the past few years, and with technology, artificial intelligence and virtual reality becoming increasingly smarter, wearable tech is certainly the future!

An example? While fitness trackers have been hugely popular, they’ve generally been confined to our wrists. Which let’s face it, is annoying! Thankfully, brands such as Hexoskin are now creating ‘wearable body metric shirts’; allowing you to track your blood pressure, step count, and heart and breathing rate all from your clothing!

Live Videos/Feeds

We all know that video is important, but what about live content? Since live video feeds such as Periscope and Meerkat first began taking off in 2015, this form of video has only continued to expand, with Facebook Live and Snapchat/Instagram Stories following suit.

Given Snapchat’s live stories ‘generate 10 to 20 million views per day,’ and people spend three times longer watching live Facebook videos than regular clips, it’s not hard to predict that this will be a continuing trend in 2017!

Tip: Consider using live video streaming to showcase new products, behind-the-scenes sneak peeks, or special moments.  

Looking to discover more about implementing content marketing, live videos, and social media management for your business? Give us a call on 1300 859 600!

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