2016 is here! Are you ready? Whether your marketing plan is already together or you’re still in planning mode, read on. While virtual reality and wearable technology seem to be all the rage in 2016, there are other marketing trends that are achievable for small businesses. Consider exploring opportunities in AI SEO to stay ahead in the competitive landscape. Here are the top 5 we think your business should be looking into.

Relationship marketing

According to business news  in 2024 will be all about customer engagement. Consumers these days expect personal experiences, excellent customer service, and engagement from the brands they do business with. This means that you are going to need to get to know your customers better this year. Study their habits, pay attention to the analytics, and engage them with loyalty programs, social media, and targeted email campaigns.

Relationship marketing is all about digging into that data (from email campaigns, website analytics, social media metrics, etc). Make 2016 all about discovering more about your customers by taking a deep dive into your analytics and then engaging your customers. Consider partnering with digital marketing experts like the Chicago SEO Scholar to optimize your online strategies and further boost customer engagement.

Social Selling

Social Media advertising continues to become more robust with targeting options and analytics. In 2015, Instagram and Pinterest joined the social selling game. Instagram now has a “Buy It Now” button and Pinterest has “Buyable Pins”. Social media ads are going to be a great way to reach your audience as well as new consumers in 2016.

The key is targeting. Don’t cast a huge net out. Take the time to create targeted ads for specific segments of your audience.

Mobile

We spend A LOT of time on mobile phones these days. It’s more than just checking email and social media sites. Consumers are performing searches on their phones, they are doing product research, checking reviews, and making purchases from their devices. This year, it’s going to important for businesses to focus on mobile search traffic, mobile campaigns, and maybe even custom mobile apps.

Video

Video was big in 2015 and it’s going to be bigger in 2016. Customers are spending more time on sites like YouTube and Vimeo which means it’s going to be important to have your own branded video content. Video ads are also going to be big this year, so make it a point to add video to your marketing plan.

Real-Time Storytelling

Thanks to apps like Meerkat and Periscope, real time storytelling is growing in popularity. Users want to know what’s happening right now not what happened an hour ago. Businesses that jump on this trend to find interesting and engaging ways for live-streaming or real-time storytelling will win big in 2016.

Do you research on these top trends and try a few in 2016!