It’s an exciting time for any company. The New Year is upon us and the possibilities are endless. Businesses have the opportunity to try new strategies, roll out new products and generally improve on last year’s efforts. Your marketing tactics are no exception.There are plenty of new crazes set to take the marketing world by storm beyond social media.

Let’s take a look.

STEP AWAY FROMTHE PHONES

You’ve heard the accusations about what technology has done to the social skills of humans. We are disconnected with reality, in dire need of a digital detox. Whether you buy into this rhetoric or not, there will be distinct marketing efforts focused on stepping away from mobile technology, explained Business 2 Community. There are restaurants that are already using this trend to their advantage. Business 2 Community pointed to an LA dining spot that offers discounts to diners who ditch their phones at the door. Keep an eye on this trend when mapping out your marketing efforts for the New Year.

WELL, NOT TOO FARWhile ditching the mobile phones for some quality face-to-face time is a cool marketing concept, it does not mean your company should abandon their mobile efforts entirely. In fact, mobility will also continue to be a big trend in 2016, according to Chief Marketer. This extends to email marketing efforts, business apps and mobile advertisements. There will be a specific focus on the creation of apps in 2016 though, explained Chief Marketer, due to the brand loyalty generally tied to app users. Consumers spend up to three hours a day scrolling through mobile apps on their smartphones, making app creation a smart investment in the New Year.

CREATELONG-LASTING RELATIONSHIPS

As of late there has been a big buzz surrounding the concepts of brand loyalty and customer engagement. Increasingly, companies have focused on using their marketing efforts to create dedicated customers and brand advocates, reported HubSpot. The term for these types of efforts is “relationship marketing.” Businesses should utilize data to create personalized marketing materials for different consumer bases. These personalized efforts help create a more intimate experience with your brand. In 2016, mass-target marketing will no longer cut it. Break down the numbers and craft more personal messages in order to create strong relationships and better marketing materials.

DEPLOY PARADES OF DRONES & SELF-DRIVING CARS?!

What a time to be alive. Marty McFly and Doc. Brown would be jumping out of their seats at the idea of marketing drones and self-driving cars - yet here we are. According to Business 2 Community, both of these high-tech devices should be on marketers’ radars in 2016. The potential here is very interesting, from drone customer delivery to parades of self-driving cars promoting local attractions. This trend may be a little far-fetched but it’s worth watching for the entertainment value alone.

VIDEOS, VIDEOS, VIDEOS.

They are rapidly becoming the most preferred form of content for marketers. From their ability to tell quick and enticing stories to the high customer engagement rates, in 2016 video content will be a no-brainer for any marketing strategy. Chief Marketer reported that native videos are increasingly becoming highly sought-after content. A native video is a piece of video content that “seeks to enhance the consumer’s experience by complementing the content and design of a website,” explained Chief Marketer. Marketers should focus on implementing these materials throughout their online presence. For businesses without the technological savvy to create high quality videos, there are plenty of marketing agencies that can help out with production.

Obviously, marketers should keep an eye on their social media efforts as well. Platforms like Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn are great channels to reach large audiences in a quick and effective manner. As your business enters the New Year, keep these emerging trends in mind to stay ahead of the marketing game.

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