As digital marketing continues to change the way that we interact, connect and do business, adoption rates have never been as high as they are in 2017. In South Africa alone, businesses of all sizes are investing in online marketing. Internet Live Stats puts South Africa at 25th place in its list of global internet users. With some 28,580,290 internet users, the penetration rate in 2016 was 52%.
It’s safe to say that digital marketing is set to grow even further over the next few years. A look at some of the trends that are driving the digital space shows which areas are worth focusing on for those investing in digital strategies.
The state of digital marketing in 2017
Which digital marketing trends are worth noting in 2017? The following offer some idea of where to focus your marketing spend for the remainder of the year.
- Content marketing. Research done by Smart Insights and HubSpot within the last few months shows that 40% more businesses are using a strategic approach to content. Rich content and personalisation are both contributing towards the continued growth of content marketing.
- Big Data. Including market and customer insight, as well as predictive analytics, Big Data aims to boost sales and drive conversion. Data is mined to identify conversion opportunities that are determined by customer characteristics and behaviour.
- Marketing automation. From CRM all the way to behavioral marketing, lead nurturing, market segmentation and web personalisation, automation is paving the way for omnichannel marketing on a deeper level.
- Mobile marketing. Advertising, site development and app development are all still showing huge signs of growth in the mobile space. Responsive design has become the norm, while search marketing is also picking up in the mobile marketing space.
- Social media marketing. Social media continues to grow, branching out into social CRM, social customer care, digital branding and other channels that utilise the power of social.
- Search Engine Optimisation. Organic search shows no sign of slowing down. As Google continues to fine-tune its algorithms, while introducing its mobile index and AMP, online businesses are certainly kept on their toes.
- Paid search marketing. SEM is also continuing its slow and steady growth. Google’s Mobile First strategy will certainly keep Google AdWords at the top of its game.
- Digital PR. Online reputation, influencer outreach, digital branding and other similar strategies are also on the rise, as more people begin to realise the importance of a positive digital footprint.
As an experienced full service digital marketing agency with expertise in all of these areas, we offer comprehensive consulting designed to help you thrive in the often competitive digital space. To learn more about getting started with digital marketing, simply contact us today or leave a comment below.