Happy New Year! If you’re back at the grind like we are, you’ve already started thinking about what 2017 will mean for your business. This year, we hope you’ll focus a bit of that entrepreneurial energy on your digital marketing game plan. Keeping your website and digital marketing programs caught up with today’s world isn’t that easy – unless, of course, you have a few expert friends in the business. That’s where we come in. Here are the digital marketing trends you’re bound to see in the coming year. If you’re smart, you’ll be integrating them into your marketing plan (we can help with that).

More live videos – much more

This past year, you’ve seen live videos trending, well everywhere. Instagram debuted a new live video feature this year, and Facebook has been recently touting a live video feature as well. Of course, Twitter and YouTube have also gone live. So what’s in it for your business to start streaming live videos? Well, for one thing, you’re bound to get some eyeballs. This isn’t just because the world is a little bit fascinated with real-time video content. It also helps that these platforms are doing everything they can to make sure users are noticing and consuming this live video content. That means you’ll get a promotional boost on your live content simply due to the novelty of it. What’s next for live videos? It’s likely you’ll start seeing product placement and maybe even sponsorships within this content. Think on that a while.

Personalization

This proves that marketing can be your best friend. Today, more than ever, digital marketing is becoming more personalized to the end user. If you think you haven’t experienced this personalization so far, just got into your Netflix or Amazon account and marvel at the “coincidence” that that fascinating documentary or those perfect boots are greeting you on your home page. How does all this personalization take place? Well, it’s all about data. The more you invest in data and analytics, the more you’ll be able to tailor your marketing directly to your customer.

Native advertising is ticking up

There’s nothing particularly novel about pay-for-play advertising, but native advertising is actually a relatively novel concept. Rather than buying up banner ads on websites or in publications, advertisers are sponsoring content that users actually want to read. This is particularly smart due to the fact that today’s ad blockers and social preferences have made traditional digital advertising more difficult to deliver to the people you want to see it.

Mobile is everything

This is nothing new from 2016 – or even the last decade – but since mobile use continues to surge, this deserves a spot on any digital marketing trends list. What’s important about 2017 is that now, for the first time, mobile traffic has actually overtaking desktop for internet usage. That’s an incredible fact that your business can’t afford to ignore. If your site is not optimized for mobile traffic, you could be losing the majority of your customers. Think about that this year.

Everything is connected

If you’ve never heard the term “Internet of Things,” you probably will in 2017. Internet of Things is the term that refers to the connectivity of everything. Think about the fact that the internet allows you to program your DVR remotely, turn on your heat or air conditioning, monitor your front porch, order more laundry detergent by speaking and even track your calories by wearing a small device. So what does that mean for marketers? It means that people are looking for products and services that blend seamlessly into their lifestyles – and need marketing that allows them to see how they will do just that.