2017 has already brought some interesting new trends in the area of marketing technology (or MarTech), and this is likely to continue throughout the year. The average marketer has more technology than ever, but it’s up to them to use it effectively.
Here’s what marketers are going to need to know moving forward:
- The War Continues Between Publishers and Ad Blocking
- Digital Video Is Becoming the next Big Thing
- Chatbots Will Be Used to Increase Engagement
- Mobile Ad Spending Is Going Sky High
Now, let’s delve into each of these trends a little further.
1. The War Continues Between Publishers and Ad Blocking
26% of users on desktop computers currently use ad blockers. In 2016, 69.8 million Americans will use an ad blocker, a jump of 34.4% over last year. 2016 and the beginning of 2017 saw a rise in publishing systems that are able to detect ad blockers and request that their users turn them off. Many of these sites decline to offer functionality altogether unless ad blocking is turned off, essentially refusing service. Many of these sites also appeal to the good nature of their users, pointing out that it is this income that allows them to provide content.
Unfortunately, this casts advertising in a different light: something that the user has to tolerate in order to access their content. Users are driven to reveal ads not to view them or engage with them, but simply to access their site content. Ad blocking has also pushed some types of advertising, such as banner advertising, towards mobile platforms. Though MarTech may now be focusing on detecting ad blocking and defeating it, marketers may need to develop other long-term strategies.
2. Digital Video Is Becoming the next Big Thing
Content marketing is most definitely switching to video, as marketers realize that it’s quality rather than quantity that’s going to be moving forward. Though video is more expensive to produce and edit, it’s also many times more engaging than other types of media.
The past few years have seen many marketers simply throwing content at the wall and seeing what would stick. Looking into the global growth rates of video usage in advertising since 2013, Sizmek’s study showed that EMEA (Europe, the Middle East, and Africa) got the highest figures at 160%. 2017 is going to see marketers buckling down, getting focused, and producing valuable content that is going to last. Video is going to play a critical role in this.
3. Chatbots Will Be Used to Increase Engagement
Machine learning is being used throughout many industries now, and marketing is no exception. Chatbots are now being used by major brands to provide customer service and user support without significant overhead. 3 billion people use instant messaging platforms. Machine learning and AI have developed to the point where these chatbots are able to provide very consistent and detailed results to customer service inquiries. For the most part, it’s been discovered that many users want to be able to find answers on their own, as long as you give them the tools with which to do it.
4. Mobile Ad Spending Is Going Sky High
Mobile ad spending is finally surpassing desktop spending, and it’s easy to understand why. More and more people are accessing the Internet and their services through mobile devices while on the go. As noted, mobile ads are also more difficult to ignore than traditional desktop advertising, which also makes them a little more valuable. This past quarter, ad revenue from mobile accounted for 23% of Facebook’s total ad revenue, compared to 14% in the previous quarter. Many of the trends that were initially developed for desktop use — such as flashing banners, interstitials, and pop-ups — are now being moved to the mobile arena.
2017 is going to be the year of machine learning, mobile development, and video. Marketers who want to develop creative and engaging campaigns are going to need to get on board. At the same time, some users are still fighting back against advertising within their content channels, and marketers will need to work a little harder to develop a relationship with them. Video and chat content will allow marketers to connect with users on a level that they desire, providing for more effective advertising overall.
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