With the end of the year in sight, this is the time that many businesses begin to look at their marketing plans for the upcoming year. This is when it may also be a good time to look at all the trends that will work to drive local media, as well as marketing programs, in the coming year.
Some of the most important trends to be aware of are highlighted here.
1. Dependency on Mobile Usage
As much as 35 percent of all aggregate web traffic in the United States originates from tablets and mobile phones. This means that it is essential that you connect with potential consumers through their mobile devices. This is no longer a small portion of a digital strategy and should instead be a primary focus.
2. Payments via Mobile Devices
It is predicted that in 2015 the amount spent via mobile devices will continue to increase by a significant amount. Consumers are starting to use more and more different services and apps in order to pay with their phone, including Znap, GoogleWallet, GoWallet, LevelUp, Dwolla, Square, Passbook, Isis Mobile Wallet, MPayMe and O2 Wallet.
Additionally, Apple Pay is now expected to be a leader in the transition when it is launched. It is important that local advertisers and businesses are aware of the products and that they carefully consider including them in their advertising efforts.
3. Connection of Offline and Online Worlds with New Tools
There are a number of new tools that are going to be prominent during 2015, allowing businesses to keep up with what is going on and help them to fine tune their strategies to ensure what they are doing is affecting their bottom line in a positive manner.
4. Better Customer Leads from Location Based Targeting
Businesses and local advertisers will be able to improve their ad relevance and the resulting ROI they see when location targeting services and tools are utilized. The display ads that are created can be customized with the demographic data in order to appeal to different audiences in different locations.
5. The Popularity of Wearable Devices
Interactions with customers are being completely transformed by wearable devices. It is predicted that this is another area that Apple is going to dominate and see widespread adoption.
6. The Increasing Influence of Social Media
There is no question that social media is a contributing factor when it comes to purchasing decisions. This means that local businesses and advertisers need to make sure that they have a social media presence that is engaging and consistent, and that promotes services and products in a positive manner.
7. Use of Digital Personal Assistants
Cortana, Google Now and Siri are all personal digital assistants that have become increasingly popular among consumers. You need to be sure that your business and what you have to offer is searchable through these popular personal assistants.
8. Provide Seamless Communication and Integration on all Devices
Consumers are using more and more “smart” gadgets every month. From watches and cars to phones and textiles, it is something businesses have to consider. You have to be sure that your product and business will be accessible no matter the type of device being used.
9. Consider Using Transactional and Operational Services
There are a number of different companies that offer different operational services for businesses. These services assist with payments and invoices, appointment scheduling and more.
10. Resource Sharing Services and Products and Crowdsourcing Are Popular with Consumers
There are a number of companies that have developed to help consumers capitalize when they have some type of extra resources. There are even resources that let you rent your home while on vacation.
As time passes, marketing efforts evolve, which means that yours must as well. If you fail to keep up with what your customers are doing, chances are your bottom line will feel the adverse effects.
