Time is running out on 2015. New Years is around the corner, and soon the intense focus on holiday marketing will end and marketers will turn their attention to tackling the challenges of 2016. The fluid nature of digital marketing brings new trends and challenges to adapt with each year. As we close in on the end of 2015, what trends are set to shape your company’s marketing approach in 2016?
Mobile Growth Highlights Decline of Desktop
In recent years, the trend of mobile’s emerging power in online searching and shopping makes the list of “things to look for in the year ahead.” However, up until now that conversation has centered around the concept of mobile taking away more and more of desktop’s share in the realm of online search. For 2016, mobile is no longer a trend, but instead is an established pillar in online search.
Google announced in 2015 that mobile surpassed desktop, and now marketers face the challenge known as “mobilegeddon,” a term used to reference the algorithm change forcing SEOs to optimize sites for mobile at break-neck speeds.
Read More: How to Optimize Your Mobile Ads Campaigns
More than Just Mobile’s Growth
The coming year isn’t just about a new king sitting on the throne of online search. Mobile’s growth is reflective of changing behavior in consumers. People are increasingly connected to their devices, with 87% of the new digital generation admitting to never (NEVER) being without their phone. More importantly, modern consumers expect more from mobile sites because of their dependence on quick, on-the-go access. 86% of millennials form an opinion of a brand based upon good mobile functionality. It cannot be stated enough that your company needs an effective, strong mobile presence.
Content Is King
To this end, your mobile presence requires the development of quality content in order to win the day. Content marketing provides relevant information to both current customers and potential consumers. It is a means of building trust and developing your brand presence. The Content Marketing Institute notes that 86% of B2B organizations already have a specific and strategic content marketing approach. You need look no further than the statistics to prove its worth:
- 80% of business consumers prefer a series of articles over advertisements to disseminate information.
- 90% of consumers find content useful, and 78% of them view organizations with quality content in a favorable light.
- Content marking is affordable too, costing 62% less than traditional outbound marketing.
Read More: Understanding The Power of Content Marketing
Pay Per Call Has A Big Role to Play
Digital marketing and content marketing are just pieces of the puzzle. A puzzle that includes the booming Pay Per Call industry. In fact, mobile’s rise is directly tied to the reemergence in recent years of Pay Per Call. Nearly 45% of total call volume in 2015 came from mobile search. Forrester’s, an industry analytic group, expects companies to increase marketing spend on Pay Per Call in 2016 to the tune of $4.5 billion in new spending compared to 2011.
More than just spending and call volume, mobile is driving search-based connections for businesses over the phone and not just the web. 52% of people who connect with a business following a mobile search do so by calling the company directly. Pay Per Call, like mobile, is here to stay folks. Adopt in and perfect it in 2016, or risk losing out!