Approximate read time: 4 minutes

The New Year is almost upon us…

So it’s worth looking forward to spot opportunities.

I also work heavily in the marketing, and I get to see a lot that has happened and is currently happening in this industry.

Each year, I think about what the future looks like for marketing, particularly:

What will work in the next 12 months?; and
What will work in the next 5+ years?

Thinking about these answers will help you get ahead of your competitors.

There are some big shifts and trends occurring in marketing, and I outline areas that matter in your business and what you can take advantage of:

Let’s get started…

Predictions For Market Research

The following will become opportunities for smart marketers with their Market Research:

Machine Learning (that is, the replication of how humans learn) will allow brands to pre-emptive marketing and predict (without a search trigger) when a purchase will be made, even before the prospect consciously knows they will purchase;
Computer Vision (that is, visual and audible perception) will allow brands to monitor attention, monitor visual representations of their brand as well as monitor demographical information all in real time; and
Sensors and biometrics (that is tracking human functions) will allow brands to measure prospect attention, emotion and activity in real time.

Predictions For Marketing & Sales Pipelines

The following will become opportunities for smart marketers with their marketing pipelines:

Users Interfaces (as opposed to User Experience) will become more important for brands, as long as the Users Interface is consistent and congruent in its design with the brand perception; and
Marketing & Sales Pipelines will become more mixed, distributed and integrated.

Predictions For Marketing & Sales Communication

The following will become opportunities for smart marketers with their marketing and sales communication:

Facebook’s Messenger app will take over email communication for being the marketing and sales communication delivery tool of choice for consumers.

Predictions For Marketing Content

The following will become opportunities for smart marketers with their content marketing:

Vertical (unless on Snapchat), short video content that has the option of no sound and user controls will rise as a modality of choice for content consumption;
Likewise, image content will also rise as a modality of choice for content consumption;
Live and semi-live (Snapchat Snaps, Snapchat Stories, Facebook Stories, Instagram Stories) content rise as a modality of choice for content consumption;
Virtual and Augmented Reality content will start to become a viable modality for content by brands;
Brands will need to optimize all content for mobile;
Content will become more entertainment and experience-based;
Content will become more mixed, distributed and integrated; and
The free-line will move more to the free side and brands will need to think hard how they deliver and capture value based on that.

Predictions For Advertising

The following will become opportunities for smart marketers with their advertising:

Vertical (unless it’s on Snapchat), short video ads, that has the option of no sound and user controls will become a popular ad option for brands;
Likewise, image content will become a popular ad option for brands;
Virtual and Augmented Reality ads will start to become a viable ad option for brands;
Brands will need to optimize all ads for mobile;
Incentive-based and interactive ads will become popular for brands due to their increased user engagement;
Ads and content delivered by social media “Influencers” will become a popular ad option for brands;
Machine Learning will allow brands to dynamically serve targeted offers from a vault of ad creative at the right time to the right prospects based on real-time targeting criteria;
Drone ads will become a viable option for brands; and
Ad offer will work better if they are for content and land on content.

Predictions For Search Engine Optimization

The following will become opportunities for smart marketers with their search engine marketing:

Computer Vision will allow prospects real-time visual recognition of products and allow them to visually search for them via existing search engines, which will also recognize and index video content;
Speech recognition via Siri, Google Now, Google Home, Amazon Echo will allow prospects real-time interactive product search; and
Brands will need to adhere to Search Engine Optimization best practice for all product images and video content.

Predictions For Social Media Marketing

The following will become opportunities for smart marketers with their social media marketing:

Social media accounts will replace websites as the digital catalogue allowing users to stay native on the platform and platforms will reward brands for that retention by delivering more attention; and
Social Media distribution of content will take over as the dominant content distribution channel.

Predictions For Brand Sharing

The following will become opportunities for smart marketers with their Brand Sharing:

Incentivized, user-generated will become important for brands.

Predictions For Sales

The following will become opportunities for smart marketers with their Sales:

After the stabilization of volatility, Cryptocurrencies will again become a viable payment option;
1-on-1 and unique experiences will become vital for offline sales; and
The Internet Of Things will allow brands to pre-emptive marketing and predict when prospects needs arise.

Predictions For Marketing & Sales Engagement

The following will become opportunities for smart marketers with their marketing and sales engagement:

Online and offline will begin to be more integrated and seamless; and
Online will begin to replicate the offline User Experience.

Try these out over the next 12 months and let me know how they go for you…

You can get 21 printed lead generating Process Maps for free, here.

And if you’re serious about marketing and selling more, the logical next step is to contact me to help you do it yourself, have me do it with you, or have it all done for you.

This may be the momentum you need to get great marketing and sales results.

Or do you simply want more like this?

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