Display 2017 Predictions
It’s the end of the year, which means that it’s time for me to sum up my 2017 predictions for display, in between Christmas shopping and eating mince pies. Well, here’s what I think is going to be big next year, based on what’s happened this year.
#1 Voice search
I think this has been a prediction across both PPC and SEO before, but I’m sure this will be the year. Voice activated advertising is really changing how customers connect with brands, and it’s growing. There have been several new voice-activated devices that have been introduced this year, the Amazon Echo, Google Home and Microsoft HomeHub to name a few.
But what these devices represent is a new opportunity. This is a prime opportunity for brands to pay for voice advertising recommendations. For example, what brand wouldn’t want to pay for Alexa to recommend their product above others?
#2 Live video
Video streaming apps have been around for a while now – Periscope and the now deceased Meerkat were both launched in 2015. However, livestreaming really began to take off when Facebook launched their livestreaming product – Facebook Live Video.
Facebook Live Video has quickly become very popular with consumers and brands alike, allowing brands to have one-to-one conversations with their customers at scale. It’s really changed the way that brands interact with their customers.
Over the next year, we should expect to see this become more and more popular, as more brands work out how best to use it to their advantage.
#3 More social commerce
Social networks are the new online marketplaces, especially for millennials and gen Z-ers. Countless pieces of research show that shoppers are looking to Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest to make informed decisions about their next purchases.
Social commerce is definitely on the rise. Over the past year, we’ve seen multiple platforms introduce new advertising functions and features for social commerce. Snapchat, Instagram and Pinterest have all rolled out social commerce features.
Though it may seem very expensive now, you have to remember it is a new technology. Eventually, the price will drop in line with demand.
#4 Hyperlocal data
As someone who works with Display marketing, when Pokémon Go blew up – I couldn’t help but see a massive opportunity to use all that data. The amount of hyperlocal data that Niantic Labs (the makers of Pokemon Go) must have collected is insane. There are so many opportunities for us to use that data to analyse behaviour and better target customers.
(I think it’s interesting to note that Niantic Labs is an offshoot of Google, so who knows what they’re doing with all that data?)
We’ve already seen it work on platforms like Facebook, and location-based data is nothing new. But as we know, cookies don’t work that well on mobile devices. What Pokemon Go has the advantage of is knowing the UDID (Universal Device ID), which would allow us to serve up better retargeted ads.
This is really what I’d like to see more of in 2017. Hyperlocal targeting is very close to becoming the Next Big Thing for Display. Enhanced integration would really allow us to have outdoor display advertising that really works. Geo-targeting and localization of advertising on the tube and buses, for example, would have huge ramifications.
#5 The Year of Mobile
It seems like every year someone predicts that next year will be the Year of Mobile. But 2017 might finally be it. Mobile usage is a way of life for the generations that were born in the technology era, and those generations are finally growing up.
Millennials are shaping up to be the largest demographic group, so it’s important that businesses reflect this and offer seamless purchasing experiences. We need more to be done with HTML and more to be done with forms. Technology should be helping, allowing us to click-to-call or click-to-convert.
This is the kind of technology that 2017 will hopefully deliver. But what do you think? Am I right or wrong about what’s going to be big next year? Let me know in the comments below or @HarvestDigital.
