Top 5 Advertising Trends for 2016

Even though 2016 is almost over, that doesn’t mean its too late to change your advertising strategy and implement some of the hottest trends in digital advertising.  Plus, it’s not too early to start thinking about your 2017 strategy, and if you don’t want to fall behind, you have to make sure you 2016 trends are on point!

So what trends can you not afford to forego?

#1 – Start incorporating Video’s

The first (and what some may call most important) trend of 2016 is the use of video for digital advertising. A Cisco report concluded that by 2018, 69% of all Internet traffic will be video based. Companies that want to stay ahead and reach out to a captive and ready audience must incorporate video in their digital advertising campaigns.  With digital ad spending on video only increasing, video advertising is one trend advertisers cannot afford to go without.

#2– Mobile Everything

Since the introduction of smartphones, the rise in the use of mobile devices has stunned even the most optimistic analysts. Already in 2014, mobile use surpassed desktop, and by 2015, 51% of the time adults spent with digital devices was spent on a mobile phone.  As digital advertisers begin planning upcoming campaigns, it is important to plan them for mobile devices and only then for desktop, as opposed to the other way around. If your target audience is on the mobile device, it isn’t the mobile campaigns that need to be optimized from desktop ones, but the other way around.

#3– The rise of Gamified Apps

If Pokemon Go taught us anything, it’s that consumers are willing to go above and beyond for something they find engaging and entertaining (just think about the guy who lost 28 pounds in 20 days). Since games have yet to be exploited in terms of advertisement, it is an excellent place for digital advertisers to focus if they want to tap into a captive audience that has shown willingness to go above and beyond for points (or pokemon).

#4 – Programmatic Advertising

Improvements in technology and increased competition has led to nearly two thirds of all display advertising being purchased through programmatic software and tools.  As a digital advertiser, it is important to stay ahead of the competition – and that means finding a programmatic advertising solution that works for you!

#5 – Humanize Your Brand

As machines begin buying ads and consumers grow weary of traditional advertisements, brands have begun turning to storytelling and human connections in order to build a brand identity that consumers want to connect with. Today, consumers don’t just buy a product – they buy a story, a vision and a piece of something they want to be connected to. For a digital advertising strategy to succeed, brands must humanize their story and make it easier for consumers to connect to them.