It’s that time of year again. A time to take what we’ve learned and figure out how to plan for big marketing wins in 2016. Since each year is different with a new set of challenges, we tapped into the world’s top industry leaders to tell you their own predictions for next year in helping you to think through your own marketing initiatives.
Please find the slideshare version of all predictions at the end of this blog.
Here are 69 predictions about content, social and digital media marketing in 2016 with just 2 questions:
Q1. In 3-5 sentences, what are your predictions in 2016 surrounding social media and content marketing?
Q2. What strategy or application are you going to test or go deep into in 2016, and why?
Here are my own answers:
Bryan Kramer @bryankramer President & CEO, PureMatter
A1. The marketing world has gone through a massive change, with the explosion of channels, devices and new formats creating new ways to market and converse with your customer or potential customer. Content and the way we consume it have changed human behavior and will continue to do so in 2016. While this expansion created more complexities, they haven’t even scratched the surface when TV and mobile video starts to combine truly social experiences with video. The arrival of virtual reality with a massive explosion of streaming will unleash a new age on how we digest our content. Even video on demand as we knew it will start to become antiquated. As all this starts to building momentum, using data to create better human responses in more traditional areas still matter such as email, text, and webinars.
A2. Media and content will still reigns supreme. The focus for my companies will continue to look deep into content trends through the noise and volume in all distribution (digitally speaking). As content continues to come in many flavors and we continue to build it on demand, the amount of content we’ve seen will double in the next year which I believe will bring back a true renaissance of much needed creativity. That said, I look forward to furthering my research in breaking down the genetics of how we consume content as humans. As well, we will be building learning systems for individuals and companies to further their skill sets in these areas.
Mike Allton @Mike_Allton SiteSell CMO
A1. I believe that we’ll finally begin to see real attrition in the social platform industry, as more and more networks fold or are acquired. We’re already hearing whispers of it, as we see companies like Yahoo! who have failed to make a social product work for them announce upcoming divestitures. Startups like Periscope, Meerkat and Blab will find it increasingly difficult to maintain positive growth in the face of developments from Facebook and Google. Whether the start ups fold or the existing platforms shutter or spin off unused parts, remains to be seen. Google is attempting to spin off parts of Google+ in an effort to make entirety of offerings stronger, but that might simply make it easier to close one area or another. Or acquire a startup like Meerkat and integrate with Hangouts. Regardless, it will be another interesting year of development and movement!
A2. I’ve been spending more time this year on Twitter and Email Marketing, and will be doubling-down on email marketing. To me, that means doing more and more to build up my list of targeted subscribers, and making sure that I’m offering them relevant content and offerings. I am continuing to test a variety of tools and techniques to assist with that. To that end, the real strategy I’m going to be testing is offering an online course or webinar. Self-guided education clearly will be a strong play for some time yet. It’s something that SiteSell has built their reputation on, and it’s something I need to bake into The Social Media Hat.
Fernando Anzures @fanzures CEO Liquid Thinking Group
A1. A)From Like to Buy Social is Now about Shopcial every social media network is a posibility not just to engage someone or start a conversation but to convert and create a transaction.
B) from Fan Pages to Brand Communties , its time for brands to go further and use social Influence to create real conversations between brands and ambassadors, cocreation at the center of social interaction
C) Social Media at the center of market research Moving from etnography to netnography every aspect of a brand will be observed and determined by monitoring Human behavior on social media.
A2. We Are going to work on Consumer panels based on social behavior. its easy to measure, easy to expand and scale. Very few competitors and a tremendous opportunity ahead.
Amber Armstrong @ambarmstrong Director Amplification, IBM Commerce & Social
A1: Thanks to the amazing targeting capabilities of social media platforms, we are going to see paid social become more effective than many other forms of paid advertising. Analytics will allow brands to finally put customers interests first and we’ll move from communicating out to providing personalized value on a 1:1 basis. I’m most excited about how cognitive technologies are going to enable marketers to really learn and predict customer wants and needs.
A2. My focus on 2016 is going to be entirely centered on two things – building strong, value-based communities for our social properties and tying social execution through to driving results for our business. We will use some very powerful analytics to understand exactly what is most valuable to our audiences and align our funding to meeting those needs.
Mark Babbitt @MarkSBabbitt President and Senior Partner
A1. In 2016, we’ll finally accept that social media is a digital introduction from one human to another. It won’t be a brand talking at us. There will be a brand champion – a person – working with us to solve problems and meet challenges. “More Social. Less Media.” My prediction: “collaboration” will overtake “authentic” and “transparent” as the top buzzword of 2016 – and deservedly so.
A2. I understand most people are leaning toward Blab, Periscope and video streaming in 2016. Me: I’m working with Nimble to make mutually-beneficial relationships more predictable, scalable and repeatable. There has to be a way to transition more social connections into human-centered relationships.
Jay Baer @jaybaer President of Convince & Convert and author of Hug Your Haters
A1. All signs point to video. Whether it’s Facebook Live, video on Twitter, Periscope, Blab, Instagram, Vine or the old standby YouTube, 2016 will be the year when video becomes a primary content marketing consideration for all brands – even B2B. Partially because customer appetite for video (even low-res, real-time video) is insatiable. And partially because video is the most efficient way to atomize content marketing. If you have video, you have audio. If you have video, you have text (via transcription). If you have video, you have photos. But it doesn’t work the other way around. In 2016, video will take its rightful place as the petri dish of great content marketing.
A2. I’m planning to do several new things with Blab in 2016.
Leslie Barber @lsbarber Small Business Engagement Officer, QuickBooks
A1. Small businesses are going mobile in 2016 – and they’re embracing social and sharing valuable knowledge content as a way to connect with their customers. This has been difficult for small business owners who often don’t have the time or expertise to do social well. In 2016, that all changes as small business owners leverage mobile to make it easy to stay connected to their customers online.
A2. In 2016, I’m going deep on human to human connections in our small business community, OWN IT. (ownit.com) Small business owners are craving connections, inspiration and conversations with others like themselves and with experts – communities, like OWN IT enable them to get questions answered and tips to move their businesses forward. I’m diving in!
Alan Berkson @berkson0 Director of Community Outreach, Freshdesk
A1. When we enter a new communication medium, the first wave of content is really just transliteration — you’re simply porting content to a new medium without regard to the unique, native qualities of the new medium, many of which are yet to be discovered. The first wave of television content was radio content that was merely transliterated — ported — to television. It took time for content creators to take advantage of the unique qualities of television as a medium. The same was true for digital/social, what I call engagement media. The old rules of broadcast have been applied to these new media. A native quality of digital media is the ability to have dialog — for content creators to co-create with their audience and have it evolve and be dynamic. We are just now starting to see the emergence of the tools and strategies necessary for brands and content creators to deliver native digital/social content. Look no further than the 2016 Presidential election. This will be the most “social” presidential election of all time. The Obama team only scratched the surface in 2008 and 2012 in terms of what it means to engage with the electorate in the age of social media.
A2. For 2016 I plan to go deep on social listening. It’s easy to find the obvious conversations around your brand and topics related to your space. The challenge for me will be to go deeper to find what I call “adjacent conversations” where there is an opportunity to both learn more about topics related to my brand AND extend conversations beyond the usual suspects.
Chris Brogan @chrisbrogan CEO Owner Media Group Inc 
A1. Content marketing will evolve into a much bigger opportunity, provided companies work at making the content useful and pertinent to the people they hope to serve. Junk content will fall off as people see it’s failure to convert. And ultimately, I think more organizations will stop treating “social” like it’s an island and will tuck it into marketing, sales, and customer support where it belongs.
A2. I’m going to double down on email marketing and nurturing the community that feels like they are treated like they matter. I’ll work on pocket communities in Facebook Groups, Slack, and other apps that permit a much more personable interactions. I’ll work less and less in the “noisy open” of places like Twitter, because it’s not yielding as much value.
Jeff Bullas @jeffbullas The Rise of the Robots 
A1. There are 3 key trends to integrate into your digital marketing strategies in 2016. These are driven by the rising importance of the science of marketing in what was a world dominated my the creatives of the Madison Avenue “Mad Men” era. The art of marketing is now being disrupted by technology.
A2. Digital Marketing Automation – Cost effective digital marketing software for all size businesses is bringing the power to scale your marketing. This is essential with a splintered media ecosystem with many moving parts. Targeted and personalized paid social media advertising. – The reduction in the organic reach of Facebook has made paid social almost imperative. But don’t pay for advertising unless you can measure your results. Crowd sourced content marketing – Creating content on your own is a big task. Making sure that you tap into your fans and followers to help you is smart and efficient way to do that. Again, you need technology to assist you. Marketing in 2016 is moving from art to a science. Implement optimized digital marketing automation that converts traffic and attention from content into leads and sales.
Jonah Berger @j1berger Wharton Professor
A1: Better metrics. Moving away from passive measures like friends and followers to better measures of active engagement like shares and comments. Moving away from views (which don’t say much about engagement) to dwell time and share rate.
A2: Invisible influence and how others affect us without our awareness.
Tami Cannizzaro @Tamicann eBay Enterprise, Head of Marketing
A1. One of the biggest shifts I’m seeing right now is the segue from television, print and photo sharing to streaming video as the medium of choice for consumers. This year video will continue to build audience as THE medium of choice for both information and entertainment. From the early days of Periscope, Blab, Meerkat, live streaming will evolve into more professional live and taped broadcasts. Facebook Live and Instagram video will begin to build audience and brands will become more sophisticated at reaching consumer by creating serial shows in a way similar to the old television broadcast model. Content Marketing will continue to be the major driver of brand messages with the bar continuing to increase on quality with video maturing into a compelling platform for audiences of all shapes and sizes.
A2. In 2016, I’ll focus on refining our digital nurture strategy. We’re testing out content management applications to feed our new microsite and landing pages. We’re also implementing a new instance of Pardot that will support a targeted nurture strategy for new digital leads.
Brian Carter @briancarter EIEIO
A1. I predict bloggers will write tons of listicles full of theoretical tips that sound great but are not based in real world case studies. People will try to implement all of that, feel overwhelmed, and get mixed results. People will flock to shiny object new platforms, waste time, and generally be less effective than they might. Some marketers will accept the inevitability of Facebook advertising but not get any training and waste money making the same 5-10 mistakes I’ve seen everybody make with them. Marketers will listen to lots of podcasts and attend webinars and events because these give them hope but usually they will not come away with processes that help them achieve success more consistently. These somewhat pessimistic and firmly tongue-in-cheek predictions are based on the industry behavior I’ve seen over the last several years. They won’t change until people realize that what they’re doing isn’t working very well and start to look for an alternative. And that won’t happen until they start focusing more on the results and trying to get better results. Social media has produced leads and revenue, so in my opinion, we should try to hold it accountable for ROI as often as possible.
A2. I am focused on honing social media and content marketing processes that both forcefully grab the attention of the best possible prospect and help persuasively sell them… to get them closer to the buying decision without them necessarily realizing they are being sold. This will most certainly include blogging, video and Facebook advertising, and possibly webinars and podcasting, because those are the channels and media I’ve seen most consistently produce high ROI for us, our clients and other businesses we’ve talked to.
Robert Caruso @fondalo fondalo.com
A1. Today’s marketers are at a crossroads of the digital marketing age where the sheer amount of noise and content volume, changing consumer behaviors as well as a rapidly changing social landscape requires expertise, experience and continued consumption of the latest information if an organization is going to keep up, let alone make measurable progress online. The days of digital marketing silos that segment various marketing into stand alone functions are dying and brands are going to have to integrate all of their marketing efforts into a unified strategy to survive. The requirement to more frequently and consistently create great new content that is driven by data with an emphasis on building massive distribution will need to be the focus of small as well as large brands.
A2. 2016 is about total integration of marketing efforts for me and my clients. Increased volumes and unified funnels that build and leverage distribution is where I am squarely focused. Think of it as a laser focused shotgun approach that goes really wide but also deep.
Dorie Clark @dorieclark author, Stand Out & Reinventing You
A1. I think – sadly, because I’ve invested a lot of time and effort into it- that Twitter is going to become less and less relevant, and will continue to wither away in 2016. If you can’t grow the user base, you die, and that’s what’s happening. I also think that Periscope and Blab, the trends of the moment, will be somewhat fleeting. The overarching benefit of digital is that you can access info when you want it. Livestreaming is nice for concerts, but for random interviews? Meh.
A2. I’m going to spend the first part of 2016 doing interviews for my forthcoming book, so I’m doubling down on content gathering and research, rather than dissemination. The goal is that when the book comes out (in 2017 or so), I have a surfeit of interesting information to share in a million way. I think it’s important to take restorative time to make sure you have value to add on channels, rather than just maxing out on exposure and not having much to say.
Ian Cleary @iancleary Founder of RazorSocial
A1. I think that image recognition and analysis software will become more main stream. Imagery is such an important component of social media/content marketing we need the tools to search , analyze and act. 1. There will be an increasing number of acquisitions as companies demand moreintegrated social media/content marketing solutions. Less tools with more functionality. 2. An increase in content predictive analytics where you will be able to assess potential perormance of content before you publish.
A2. We have built a framework for generating sales through social media and content marketing. It’s called PRISM.
P=People – You need to build an audience
R= Relationships
I = Inbound Traffic
S=Subscribers and Social Retargeting
M=Monetization.
Through a combination of content, tools and processes you build your PRISM. Generating sales through social media and content marketing is strongly demanded by industry and PRISM will help fulfill this demand.
Joel Comm @joelcomm CEO of Joel Comm, Inc.
A1. There’s nothing moresocial than face-to-face engagement. So with the addition of easy-to-use mobile live streaming apps like Periscope and Blab.im, we’re going to see more content marketers delivering their message across these channels. What this means for brands is they now have an opportunity to go beyond sharing a message to creating live experiences for their customers and fans. Engagement is the root metric for ROI and profit, so smart marketers will develop a strategy for building and nurturing a base of raving fans who feel more connected to their favorite brand than ever before.
A2. My strategy for 2016 is two-fold. I’m starting a high-level mastermind for already-successful business owners who understand the value of being a part of a peer group to help them multiply their success exponentially. Secondly, as an influencer I’ll be working with a variety of brands to leverage live-streaming technology and social media to help drive engagement. 2016 is going to be a great year!
Dave Delaney @davedelaney Speaker, Author and Consultant at Futureforth.com
A1. Smart companies will hire social media professionals in pairs. One part content and social, the other part analytical and strategic. Social and content can’t be left to one person alone. Businesses are starting to understand this.
A2. I just launched davedelaney.me. I have been dying to start blogging more personally again, but I procrastinated. 2016 is about more transparency and a deeper connection with my readers.
Gini Dietrich @ginidietrich Wind Beneath My Wings (or CEO)
A1. I’m going to sound like a broken record, but measurement, measurement, measurement. Content marketing is one of the easiest things to measure and yet… We must do better as an industry and as professionals to show the true effectiveness of our work.
A2. I’m going to be digging into semantic search and how it might affect content marketing and influencer relations. I’m really fascinated by how the science behind the art of content works to avoid content exhaustion and build a brand.
John Lee Dumas @johnleedumas Founder and host of EOFire
A1. In 2016, we’re going to see a HEAVY shift into live video streaming. There will be a lot of competitors joining Periscope and Blab.im, and the ones who succeed will be those who provide the most seamless integration of chat and video, leading to ‘Engagement that matters’.
A2. I’ll be creating a consistent production schedule that will allow my audience to get into a flow of where and when I’ll be available to them, LIVE. ‘Engagement that matters’ is my touchstone in 2016, and I can’t wait!
Marc Ensign @MarcEnsign All Around Do-Gooder
A1. We’re going to see the pendulum swing in 2016. With it being an election year and negativity and cynicism at an all time high, there will be a big demand for content that has a purpose. Content that inspires us. Content that has meaning. Content that matters. Attempts to play it safe or just continue to regurgitate information again and again will go unnoticed. Organizations will have to be bold and take a stand for something if they want attention.
A2. I’m going old school. I plan on spending more of 2016 connecting the dots and blurring the lines between social media and the real world. There is too much of a gap between who we are and who we’ve created.
Emeric Ernoult @eernoult Founder & CEO
A1. Social Media is still considered as a necessary evil by most businesses. They’re on Social Media because they “have to”, not because they see real value. This will have an impact on the Social networks themselves and the vendors around them as they will have to start helping businesses see more and more value in using their platforms. As for content marketing, there’s way too much content being produced out there, and way to few that’s really good and valuable. The future of content marketing is less content but much better quality content. Like 10 times better. Otherwise, it will become a wast of time to create content.
A2. The strategy that has always – and will always – produce the best results in the long run: talk to our customers, as much as we can. And all the tools we can find that help us do that at scale.
Susan Etlinger @setlinger Industry Analyst
A1. We’re seeing a convergence of a few trends. One is that social continues to be seen as part of digital strategy, and as part of the marketing mix. But that belief ignores the fact that digital strategy isn’t just digital marketing; digital transformation encompasses all facets of business, from HR to legal to sales to service to strategic planning. The other trend I’m seeing is a refocus on social data and how to make sense of it, particularly in the context of other enterprise data. So data strategy must be part of an overall digital transformation strategy. Finally, all of these themes–digital, social and content–need to be organized and planned across organizational boundaries. So change management will be even more crucial in 2016.
A2. I’m interested in exploring visual content: images, video, 360-degree video, emoji and, as they become more prevalent, augmented and virtual reality. We’re still learning how to interpret human language; how will we make sense of images?
Brian Fanzo @iSocialFanz Change Evangelist
A1. Live Streaming not as a FOMO tool rather a staple in all brands social & content strategy from small businesses to enterprises! Transparency & Authenticity growth thanks to live streaming will force more executives and brands to take a new look at personal branding and how they tell their stories and empower their employees! Paid Social & Content Marketing strategy will be driven by community engagement & conversations that happen on live streaming and community based events. Brands will need to focus more on building a community not followers on a network…
A2. Linking paid social to live streaming technologies for enterprise brands to target those who engage in live streaming content or social video with similar content of value therefore supplying brands with a “higher” qualified lead than those generated from social today. Sentiment analysis within video content and how that can be leveraged and integrated to not only better understand the consumer and value of content but to predict and better understand the mindset and personalities of those on the videos.
Peg Fitzpatrick @PegFitzpatrick Social media strategist and co-author The Art of Social Media
A1. Visual marketing will continue to expand with live-streaming and video content growing more momentum. I think that everyone will need to up their game with better visuals paired with video content. Being comfortable in front of a camera and creating content while live-streaming on Facebook Live video, Blab, or Periscope is social currency these days. People want to see who you are and hear what you’re about which is a connection that successful YouTubers have made and was lacking with social media influencers on Facebook or Twitter. Finding ways to connect whether it’s a quick Twitter or Instagram video or a longer live-streamed event shows transparency and creates a more intimate context with your social community. Packaging your video content with great branded visuals is essential to successful video content. Tweet graphics, Instagram posts, Facebook ads, video thumbnails, and more are the crumbs that lead people to your content. Visual marketing and video for 2016 is my call.
A2. I’m going to work on my video content since it hasn’t been my strongest element but it’s super important going forward.
Janet Fouts @jfouts Social Strategist
A1. We will see a thinning out of the number of social platforms brands are present on as they hone in on where a nd how their customer wants to communicate. Social media overload is a thing, and as people abandon networks to move toward new tools and networks that work better for them, brands will move with them. Sponsored shows on Blab, Meerkat and Periscope will be as good as TV, richly interactive with guests the stars of the show, instead of the brands themselves.
A2. I’ll be diving more deeply into Blab this year, setting up a regular video/audio podcast series. This is an amazing way to engage my audience and hear what they want to know about.
Kim Garst @kimgarst CEO Boom Social
A1. Live streaming is going to be a huge part of the social space in 2016. I think, as a culture, we are all ready for a bit of reality! Live streaming humanizes people and brands in a way images and recorded video can’t. What you see is what you get, and there are no do overs. It is a fantastic way to connect, bring value and serve a community in a personalized way.
A2. I am planning to go deep in the live streaming video space; Periscope, Facebook Live and Blab. It is the best way I have found to get face to face with my existing customers and prospective customers in a way that is personal and value based. I am also planning to focus on targeted paid media such as Facebook and Instagram ads.
Glen Gilmore @GlenGilmore Strategist and Instructor of Digital Marketing at Rutgers University School of Business, Executive Programs
A1. 2016 content marketing will be dominated by videos, live streaming and virtual reality with social sharing. Wearables and virtual reality will both move into the mainstream and become content marketing playgrounds. Smart marketers will need to become much more creative, techie and social, learning how to tap into the opportunities of new platforms and predictive analytics to deliver more personalized and timely consumer experiences. The dominance of connected devices, i.e., “the Internet of Things”, will challenge marketers to apply new technologies to deepen brand awareness and loyalty through more seamless and helpful user experiences.
A2. With live-streaming and virtual reality, the visual web and the internet of ” now” will bring content marketing to a new level where consumers are brought into immersive experiences. Content marketers will need to hone their skills to become savvy directors of short videos and engaging hosts of live broadcasts, to deliver consumers powerful, fresh content. Though the platforms have changed, the strategy will remain the same: develop and deepen a sense of community through creative content and engagement.
Kieran Hannon @kieranhannon Chief Marketing Officer
A1. Story telling is now more important that ever, whether bite sized for that immediate User need, or longer format for even deeper relevancy utilizing multi-media assets that are fully mobile optimized. Once such example is attention to vertical rather than just horizontal video formats. These “mobile moments” are the new engagement model for brands in the “all encompassing” connected era.
A2. We have a number of initiatives underway, some highly foundational such as a new Marketing Resource Management (MRM) and Digital Asset Management (DAM) implementation, an important platform to underpin our global marketing initiatives. In the Consumer Electronics space consumer reviews are an extremely valuable currency, some might say an essential content form. In this mode, we are testing programs that encourage original User reviews, along with a syndication component for our eTail partner sites.
Karen Hayward @HaywardKG Managing Partner & CMO at Chief Outsiders
A1. 2016 will be the year of social amplification. Marketers will focus on getting their content to work harder. Beyond distributing content across all platforms, amplification will come from “Influencer Marketing” Every business has its E.F. Hutton… Finding the fewest number of people with the greatest relevant audiences and following, engaging, sharing and communicating with them will take social results to the next level. Influencer marketing is the new viral for B2B businesses.
A2. I will be focused on developing and deploying an Influencer Marketing plan. The focus will be on 3 specific target areas: industry analysts with whom I have established relationships, Management journalists like Tom Stewart who are relevant to my target audience and business experts like Seth Godin. Leveraging the power of video, the application I will be testing is Blab, a live-streaming video platform that lets you host and record your own live video show or conference with up to four people engaging at the same time.
Chris Heuer @chrisheuer Founder, Will Someone
A1. In reading the usual suspects of the annual trends pieces, it seems everyone is feeding from the same PR trough, which is unfortunate because they don’t realize they are all eating soycial green, and its made of social media experts! More video, buy buttons everywhere, used for awareness building, more platforms, less platforms, whatever your view, its more of the same fro most of the same people. A bunch of insights wholly separated from business value and needs. In truth, social media has gone full monty into traditional marketing mindsets and away from the authenticity and relationships that made it unique and gave us change agents hope in a better future. It’s become more about filling the funnel in support of traditional marketing then it is its own thing. So my prediction is that social media will continue to be used improperly by many practitioners, leading to its declining effectiveness which will accelerate the commodification of the content, decreasing trust of social media by companies as a whole. This in turn will validate the traditional marketing crowd’s belief that social is just another way of aggregating eyeballs and spending money to reach the market. Of course, done properly this wouldn’t be the case, but it is how its being done by an array of lazy marketers who aren’t putting in the effort to do it properly.
A2. Being helpful to customers is still an excellent strategy for competitive differentiation. So for the year ahead, we are going to heed our own advice and design customer experiences that make it easier for customer’s to get things done. While everyone else is leaning on content to inexpensively scale social marketing, we are doubling down on creating REAL Relationships.
Brian Honigman @BrianHonigman Content Marketing Consultant, Contributor WSJ & Forbes, Adjunct Professor at NYU
A1. With the addition of more content creators from both individuals and brands alike every day, it is going to be increasingly difficult to have your messaging stand out. As a reaction, brands and content creators will scale back their efforts a bit to focus on generating results with a few channels as opposed to being everywhere. For example, General Electric is active on every major social network, but which drive the most results for them? In 2016, my hope is that organizations like GE will start to take a serious look at what they are doing and start to say no more often.
A2. Focusing more thoughtfully on connecting my email list building efforts across social media and through the use of giving away free premium content to my community. I’ve built my email list from 0 to 1,000, now it’s time to get serious in 2016 and build an engaged, quality list.
Shep Hyken @Hyken Customer Service & Experience Expert
A1. We are still in a growth mode regarding social media and content marketing, so expect more of the same – just better. Social media allows brands to interact with their customers when they aren’t in the stores or online doing business. Brands are proactively engaging with their customers, versus just reacting to their customer’s comments. And, the brands are doing their engaging with value added content. (Funny how social media and content marketing are working together so well.) Brands know what gets their customers excited. It’s not about blatant promotion, but instead about valuable information that customers appreciate. The best companies will be combining their social media and content marketing strategies into one seamless effort.
A2. I will continue to go deep in content creation. The difference will be that I may incorporate tools, such as Periscope, to have more personal and “in the moment” engagement with my community. It’s great to put content out there on a steady basis. Creating “conversations” around the content means engaging with the community. With apps like Periscope, you can go to the next level and impact and interact with your community in real time.
Jason Keath @jasonkeath CEO of Social Fresh Conference
A1. Less Traffic, More Trust. Major investments of time and money in 2016 will focus on Trust Content, media that allows you to spend more time and more meaningful moments with an audience.This includes podcasting, live-streaming, Facebook video, Snapchat and more. These channels are more authentic, they put individuals front and center, and they allow you to spend more minutes with your audience on a regular basis. Brands are worrying less about traffic and reach and more about time spent with the right audience, and the quality of that time.
A2. Snapchat. The brilliance of Snapchat is it’s focus on content creation and the ephemeral nature of that content. Combined this creates a ton of content that I describe as the “in between moments” of life, compared to the highlights we share on other channels. As a social network Snapchat will be one of the top 3 or 4 platforms by the end of 2016 for marketers. And at a minimum, using Snapchat to tell stories on a regular basis is great training for any marketer.
Kathy Klotz-Guest @kathyklotzguest Founder, Keeping it Human
A1. We’re going to see a focus on quality over quantity when it comes to content! We’ll also see leading companies create more meaningful storytelling. That’s what all customers, not just Millennials, want. Additionally, smart companies will continue to scale storytelling to include stories from employees, communities and customers. This is a great thing – it means more more authentic stories, and a human way to scale beyond the usual brand and resource constraints (think GoPro!). Here’s to more human marketing in 2016.
A2. Headline: I am going deep on storytelling and playful co-created content I am co-writing a book on the future of business storytelling, and I am the sole author on one on improvisation in business, so I will be “doubling down” on great storytelling that is co-created and fun. That means more storytelling in fun, visual, experimental (and experiential) ways – like live brainstorming sessions using improvisation to generate content marketing ideas as I’ve already done, more video hangouts, Blabs, and Periscope!
Michael Krigsman @mkrigsman Founder, cxotalk.com
A1. In 2016, we will see the breakdown of media based purely on page views and click-based advertising. This will require content creators to do a better job writing insightful, compelling material – truly considering what their audience care about. Along with this, we will see further blurring of the lines between authentic content and so-called native advertising (AKA infomercials). As audiences become increasingly savvy, brands will struggle to create content that brings readers based on its merits, rather than playing subtle tricks to convince the audience to read marketing materials masquerading as genuine though leadership.
A2. For cxotalk.com, it’s all about the endless quest to create the best video content possible. This means quality information and superb production values. Hard work and endlessly trying your best — persistence, in other words — are cornerstones of great content creation.
Vincenzo Landino @vincenzolandino CMO, Fifty 2 Creative
A1. In 2016 we will finally see brands and businesses focusing on real-time content. Only a handful of daring brands jumped on board with live streaming in 2015, we will see more brands embracing this trend along with other forms of in-the-moment media. With Facebook releasing a live streaming function and Snapchat getting tons of big brand attention, look for sub-30 second, real-time video to reign supreme.
A2. At Fifty 2 Creative, we are going to be all in on getting our clients to create excitement around hyperlocal, real-time content. We will go head-long into micro-content (like Snapchat) and utilize the power of Facebook audience targeting for our clients looking to make deeper connections with their audience. We are in a trust economy, and these platforms are allowing businesses to connect like never before with their fans, creating extremely loyal advocates.
Aaron Lee @askaaronlee Social Media & Blogger at Post Planner
A1. 2016 will be the year for Instagram. 2015 was a huge year for Instagram. Their user base grew to over 400 million users and it’s still growing. Not only do Instagram have a lot of users, they are also very engaged on the platform with over 80 million photos uploaded to the website daily. I wouldn’t be surprised if they added more functionality to aid with social commerce on Instagram.
A2. Originality will be the key. I’ll be testing a lot of original content to help my photos stand out more. The reason Instagram works is because they have a lot of content that isn’t found elsewhere. People get a lot of behind the scenes content and a lot of ‘influencers takeover’ where brand ambassadors for their brand takes over their Instagram account and show their lifestyle with the brand.Businesses will need to figure out how they can apply this to their marketing too.
Daniel Lemin @daniellemin Author, ManipuRATED and Senior Strategist, Convince & Convert
A1. In short, I see 2016 as a year of attrition. The industry has made tons of advances in the last 2-3 years with lots of outstanding new technology and new platforms. Not all of them are viable long-term, something you’re even seeing with some of the heartburn at Twitter. 2016 will be a make-or-break year for many platforms – those that cannot demonstrate in a tangible and reproducible way their value will be the target of M&A activity.
A2. Personally, I’m going deep on podcasting in 2016 with the launch of the podcast for my book. If that goes well I have some other ideas for podcasts that I think would work well. From a client perspective, I’m looking forward to digging in on live video in 2016 – things like Blab and Periscope. I believe it’s a natural evolution.
Ari Lightman @alightman Professor and Director
A1. We will begin to understand the psychology around content consumption. That is assembly of words makes content, how it is phrased makes up the messaging, how it is directed (frequency, placement, channel) to specific target consumers drives action or behavior. Different combinations including link behavior can be coded to assess impact. All this can be measured, analyzed and optimized. Content will be consumed in a myriad of different ways that will register with different segments. The entire digital marketing funnel from awareness to action will be better understood and visualized so that marketers can assess attribution.
A2. Incorporate more sensor based data into marketing content analysis. Apply different data analysis techniques e.g burst analysis, event horizon to identify cause and effect relationships that impact marketing. What subsequent events occur and in what time interval from a primary stressor.
Tamara McCleary @tamaramccleary Expert in Relationships & Social Business
A1. I see a recognition by brands of the importance of social media and the need to not only grow but to train the staff in their social media department to engage with their customers. In addition, organizations have a great understanding of the power of employee advocacy in the social media sphere. While 2016 won’t usher in a direct understanding of the impact of social on ROI, we will see a greater use of analytics to understand the power of influencers and their true engagement value.
A2. This year I will actually be using more live events to drive increased quality engagement of social my social tribe to create a truer feeling of community and connection.
Chris Mikulin @cmikulin Owner of CLYW Inc.
A1. In 2016 I expect to see more growth from Snapchat, including a decrease in entry level advertising costs and the addition of more ways for them to monetize the platform (ex: purchase emojis). To get more advertisers to invest I think we’ll start to see better analytics coming directly from Snapchat as well. Facebook will continue to kick butt and will probably tighten up their newsfeed algorithm again, and I think this is the year we’ll see the addition of an algorithm for Twitter. I’m hoping that Instagram opens up the ability to create carousel posts for regular profiles.
A2. For CLYW I think we’re going start testing out live-streaming more and maybe try Blab for hosting a show. It’s something that’s really missing in the yo-yo industry.
Jason Miller @JasonMillerCA Group Manager, Global Content and Social Media Marketing, LinkedIn Marketing Solutions
A1. I think the theme of 2016 for content marketers will be amplification and personalization. Most of us have gotten pretty good and content creation, but are we getting the most value out of every piece of content that we produce? I think not. Paid will become the norm, organic will be deemphasized even more, and better targeting and personalization will be critical for driving results.
A2. B2B marketers need to crack the code on high quality, scalable video on a budget. I don’t think anyone has done that yet. Secondly, going beyond the PDF for content. The PDF has not evolved and does not lead to good experience across all mobile, tablet, and desktop. In 2015 my team created an eBook in a mobile responsive format and we plan on doing more of that moving forward.
Margaret Molloy @margaretmolloy CMO
A1. Since brand is the sum of a customer’s experience with an organization, then every touchpoint and channel is an opportunity to deliver a powerful brand experience. In 2016 enlighten brands will adopt the following strategies on social: entertain before they sell; be mindful of the reason why people are on specific platforms and get noticed but don’t disrupt; and more deeply explore social media for customer service. A new Siegel+Gale study sheds light on this http://simplicityindex.com
A2. We plan to build on our two YouTube video series: BrandMatters and Simplifiers.
Brian. Moran @BrianMoran CEO
A1. Given my focus on the SMB market, I have two predictions in this area. First, I predict that the number of SMB companies using social media and content marketing for business purposes will jump significantly. For those companies still on the sidelines, 2016 will be the “now or never” year for them.
My second prediction is that the quality of the content being produced by SMB companies will also significantly increase. They will finally understand that content is part of the engagement process with customers, and it not simply touting their wares. Quality matters! 2016 will be an impact year for SMBs and social media/content marketing.
A2. I’ve always been hesitant to use video as an engagement tool. In 2016, I am committing myself to using video tools such as Blab, Periscope and the video tools within Snapchat and Instagram. Video is a very convenient and often preferred method for communications. Next year I am taking the plunge.
Heather Newman @heddanewman CMO & Co-Founder of Content Panda
A1. In 2016, I predict that mobile commerce and connection optimizing both search and responsiveness will continue to be important for marketers. With video and live broadcasts being more and more prevalent, marketers have to think mobile first and wearable technology – how to convert on the “small screen”. The big social media companies keep changing the game with new offerings, ad platforms, and new startups are pushing the envelope – marketers simply need to keep up. If we lose the ability to measure any of these we lose the ability to justify spend. Platforms that help us organize and track are more important than ever. I predict continued consolidation in the social media space and digital marketing. The big three – Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn are looking for differentiators and marketers want the holy grail of a “one stop shop” for all sending, tracking, inbound, CRM, advertising. This space is HOT, I expect to see a lot of announcements and motion this next year of mergers and acquisitions.
A2. Next year I will be testing more video and live broadcast customer centric content – Periscope, Meerkat, Blab and video advertising are going to be a focus for all my campaigns with Content Panda and with clients. Building stronger relationships between your brand and your existing customer is always the goal and to convert new leads from a lookieloo to an actual client. With everyone’s life being so busy giving a customer an interactive and educational experience on-demand and when they want it is crucial. In-app, in-context, on-demand, are all now part of how customers want content – on their terms. I’m building moments, micro moments, and telling stories – ones that clients want to hear, want to be a part of… We are in the new world of the one tap purchase decision. Marketers must connect quickly, but connect deeply – the time is now to build your base and own these new platforms and keep your customers coming for more.
Kerry O’Shea Gorgone @KerryGorgone Host, Marketing Smarts Podcast, MarketingProfs
A1. Marketers will integrate more video content in 2016, but not using Meerkat. Periscope, Blab and other newcomers have given marketers more enticing optipns for live streaming video, so Meerkat will bow out of the game.
A2. I’d love to see marketers do more to delight their audiences. Knowing what people want has never been easier, so why not deliver the goods? 2016 should be all about data-driven customer experience.
Joe Pulizzi @JoePulizzi Founder, Content Marketing Institute
A1. In 2016, more enterprises will take a serious look at whether they should build a content brand OR buy one. You’ll see some innovative moves next year with a number of organizations actively analyzing and purchasing media sites and events as a shortcut to building a subscriber base. Enterprises lack patience and have hoards of cash. The only issue right now is that they aren’t thinking of this as an opportunity.
A2. Believe it or not, print media and in-person events are some of our top performers. There is simply less competition and more opportunity to make an impact and build an audience. We are doubling down in those areas.
Stan Phelps @9inchmarketing Founder of 9 INCH marketing
A1. 2016 will be the year of the MVP (mobile, video and purpose).
M – Most companies talk about a mobile-first approach to content and social. This will be the year where agencies and brands will be forced to walk the talk.
V – If a picture is worth a thousand words, brands will begin to wake up to the fact that a minute of video at 24 frames per second is worth almost 1.5 million words.
P – Accentuating purpose will be take main stage in 2016. Social and content will need to demonstrate the values and purpose of a brand.
A2. Blab – I’m going to test the waters with Blab. I like the interactivity and accessibility of the app.
Stewart Rogers @TheRealSJR Director, Marketing Technology at VentureBeat
A1. All my research for VB Insight throughout 2015 pointed to the same, sorry state of affairs in social media. Almost 70% of big brands use social media as a broadcast channel. Almost 40% of big brands ignore social media complaints, and the retail industry is even worse; 80% of retailers never answer questions posed to them on social channels. That is over 289 million unanswered complaints per year in the US alone, and many of those are being indexed by Google! Yet the case studies make it clear. I know a sample of one isn’t significant, but KLM generate $25 million in additional revenue each year through 150 social support reps. That’s $167k per employee. And they aren’t the only success story. My analysis shows that the travel industry, and some telco companies, are doing a great job of interacting daily – sometimes 1,000 times per day – with their customers. I predict that, in 2016, more brands will get their act together and we’ll see real growth in “social listening” tools, and better human-oriented processes, that put the “social” back in “social media.”
A2. Thanks to my role at VentureBeat, I get to see a lot of technologies way ahead of release. Unfortunately, that also means I can’t spend too long diving into each tool. Having said that, I can already see that 2016 will see some really interesting developments in personalized marketing, especially in the ethical, responsible use of public social media data. Of course, personalized marketing is a privacy minefield, so marketers have a responsibility take the right approach when adopting such tactics, but there is so much we can do to increase the value to the consumer.
Robert Rose @Robert_Rose Chief strategy officer
A1. 2016 is a pivot year for content, marketing and social media. I predict we’ll see exponential growth in the re-organization of sales, marketing and technology departments around terms like “customer experience”, “innovation” and “content”. As social media comes more of a paid media strategy, companies will begin flowing much more money into differentiated customer experiences as a way to capture and hold attention.
Ted Rubin @TedRubin Social Marketing Strategist, Keynote Speaker, Brand Evangelist and Acting CMO Brand Innovators
A1. For marketers thinking about approaching social media from a networking and community building aspect rather than a marketing and sales aspect can be very difficult. Brands need to attract customers, but breaking through the clutter is challenging. Every day brands and marketers are spending millions trying to get you to use, keep using, and share that you love their brands. But why aren’t they doing everything they can, and using some of those millions to do it (probably way less that they are spending on those marketing campaigns), making experiences with their brand remarkable. Opportunities to do this are given to brands each and every day and they simply, turn their heads, rave about their latest and great “campaign’ as if it were a military conquest, and pass up ways to really create customers for life.
We are not there yet, but my prediction for 2016 is that Brands will start to realize that they will Standout by “Liking” them before they “Like” you.
A2. 2016 needs to be the year of doing what I call… Looking People in the Eye Digitally. The last few decades of marketing tactics have made us lazy communicators and I’ve had just about enough. Most often we don’t even pay attention to who we are talking to other than via the data we collect (and even that’s a maybe). In order to fix this and really start to benefit from social relationships (both as individuals and as companies), we need to start looking people in the eye digitally.’ We don’t need to fit our world to social, we need to fit social to our world.
In addition, Marketers need to wake up and realize Millennials are not all that different from everyone else, it’s not genetics but environment, and recognize the need to change the way they communicate. Brands are from Mars and Consumers are from Venus… Brand need to start changing the way they communicate.
This will all take hold much more effectively when the C-Suite realizes they need to embrace social communication and outreach, and start following the lead of ahead of the curve leaders like Richard Branson, Doug Conant, and Sheryl Adkins-Green.
Mark Schaefer @markwschaefer Author of The Content Code
A1. The most overwhelming factor by far is learning how to deal the explosion of content on the web. Finding a way to overcome the overwhelming information density coming at us will affect our budgets, strategies, and even our organizations. It will forge new platforms, new content types and new ways to measure value.
A2. There is a widely-held rule of thumb that we cannot build our content presence “on rented land,” (meaning Facebook). With their transformation to a publishing platform, I don’t think we will have any choice but to submit to Facebook and publish (instead of link) on this platform. LinkedIn — same thing.
Robert Scoble @Scobleizer Futurist
A1. Virtual Reality will gain steam all year, and you’ll see lots of brands try their hands at 360-degree video. Why? Absolute Vodka handed out thousands of Google Cardboard-style branded devices and found that recipients spent 19 minutes watching a live 360-degree music event in them. Great content will matter even more as filters get better and as flows get higher.
A2. I’m going to do even more live video, aka Facebook Live or Periscope, in 2016, along with more 360-degree video as more VR headsets deliver.
Brian Solis @briansolis Author of X: The Experience When Business Meets Design
A1. Quite honestly, we’ll see more of the same patterns we’ve seen in previous predictions…new platforms, new ways to engage, new data sources and tools to improve accuracy, metrics, frequency and reach. My prediction is more of a clarion call for marketers to take a step back and learn more about the role marketing can play in shaping the customer experience in every moment of truth. There’s marketing as we know it (broadcasting, a lot of talking, shiny object chasing, vanity metrics, etc.) and marketing as a form of engagement and community building (listening, learning, context, culture, targeting, collaboration, co-creation, etc). Brands don’t mean what they used to mean. They’re now experiential. Customers need to be reminded why they should care about brands throughout the journey and the lifecycle. That means more specific content that answers questions and provides answers in the ways and networks they’re relevant and needed. That means understanding people, interest graphs and behaviors/preferences. That means conversations that yield mutually beneficial results. That means social engagement and overall efforts that improve the experience and the affinity in every relationship.
Courtney Smith Kramer @cshasarrived Executive Creative Director/Co-founder, PureMatter
A1. 2016 will be the year of the “connect the data dots” across multiple platforms and social networks, in an effort to deepen their relationship with its community individuals.
I see Google ramping up to buy Twitter, which would change the data game, being able to connect Tweets to people to Google and YouTube search results, to live video Periscopes, to locations.
This individual triangulation data will make it possible for brands to finally serve 1:1 real time “micro-marketing” offers cross-platform, and enrich the IoT as more devices become connected.
A2. Brands will begin the slow shift away from “pushing” out their own messaging, to becoming a “pliable” brand that’s flexible and strong, where employees, customers and influencers tell the brand story together in real time with equal voices.
Mari Smith @marismith Top Facebook Business Development Expert
A1. 2016 is the breakout year for highly creative Facebook and Instagram video and animated content for businesses. Now that Facebook Pages support animated gifs, we’ll see more use of cinemagraphs in the news feed, both organic and paid placement. As 360 video grows in popularity in the business world, these will become ad products before long. Facebook is testing a dedicated video news feed on mobile and this will help create a nice big spike in video ads. It’s all about the movement in the news feed, catching the attention of your target audience and drawing them in for more.
A2. I’m excited to partner with many app and tool companies and major brands to help increase the reach and consumption of excellent products. We are focusing on creating micro video content – delivering short, powerful Facebook and social media marketing tips in bite size videos. I’m working with Business.com to shoot a series of #MariMinute video tips that we’ll distribute and repurpose across all social networks. In addition, I’m partnering with Adobe in the release of their exciting new mobile design app!
Michael Stelzner @Mike_Stelzner Founder & CEO at Social Media Examiner
A1. 360 Degree Live Video Experiences: The year 2015 started an era of live casting with the introduction of new technology such as Periscope, Facebook Live and Blab. 2016 will take some of these live broadcasts to an entirely new level with the introduction of live 360 degree broadcasts that will allow people to move their mobile phones and experience the action as if they were actually present and moving their heads.
A2. We’ll see the wide scale adoption of cost effective virtual reality devices that will enable fully immersive 3D experiences that are live. Much of this will be enabled by low cost 360 cameras like the Ricoh Theta combined with economical devices like Google Paper that transform the smart phones everyone already owns into a virtual reality device. This represents an entirely new opportunity for marketers to give factory tours and any other form in-person experience the mind can imagine.
Viveka von Rosen @LinkedInExpert Founder, Linked Into Business
A1. My source over at Oracle was telling me that all the giant companies like Apple, Yahoo and Google are moving into a “pay as you go” microdelivery model. That’s nothing new… we’ve seen the subscription model go crazy this year! I mean, you almost can’t buy software anymore without paying for it monthly. But he was talking about micro installments. Literally paying for space/data/ cloud a nanobyte at a time. So how does this apply to the social media and content marketer? (After all, my average client is not Amazon corporate!) I expect as people get more particular about how they spend their money, they will demand more customized payment options, only paying for what they need or use. And since these megaliths will be creating the software to manage micro-delivery, I am (hoping) the smaller user (like me) will get access to this delivery system. Of course systems like this already exist (choose funnel of choice) but I’m thinking they will get WAY more sophisticated with more user-friendly UI’s (user interfaces). Keeping an eye on big boy trends may give us indicators for what’s in the works for smaller marketing businesses like ours. Those to jump on early might see the best pay-offs.
A2. Having bit the bullet, I am now using Infusionsoft and will be doing a deep dive into offering and testing micro-delivery of content. Sharing only what people need (a la carte) AND large program pricing. We’ll see what does better. (What was old is new again?) And hey, if Amazon creates a micro-delivery platform of some sort, I’m certainly willing to take it for a spin!
Chris Voss @ChrisVoss CEO/Editor
A1. In 2016 we’ll see more video marketing embrace targeting to the 360 degree video and Virtual Reality markets. Brands will be trying to figure out how to tap into these new mediums and make them work.
A2. More video content thats mobile aligned: Facebook Mentions, Periscope, Meerkat.
DJ Waldow @djwaldow Director of Marketing at Zignal Labs
A1. More human. More visual.
Social media and content marketing provide the perfect opportunity to create more engaging, human, conversations. Pepper in video and other visuals and you can begin to speak WITH — not AT — your community. Be. More. Human.
A2. Video. Video. Video.
Short form. Long form. (Medium form).
Funny. Serious. Actionable. Measurable.
Live and unscripted. Planned and rehearsed.
In 2016 Zignal Labs will communicate with customers, advocates, and future customers based on how they engage with our videos.
Why video? Simple. Video is the next best thing to face to face.
Mark Waxman @mwaxmantoo Chief Marketing Officer
A1. 2016 will finally be the year of social ROI – where marketers really have meaningful measurable social data that relates directly to revenue and the KPIs that truly matter to the C suite. Think of it as the year when data analytics, marketing automation and social finally work together. Content will continue to totally overwhelm everyone, which means marketing content will have to be even shorter, more visual, more personal and more interactive than ever.
A2. Predictive analytics wins this by a landslide. Harnessing our own data and supplementing it with external signals to better predict behavior. Why? It’s like turbocharging our marketing: every single tool or tactic that we use, from lead generation to close ratio, will be instantly that much more successful when operating with predictive knowledge of buyer behavior.
Nick Westergaard @NickWestergaard Brand Driven Digital, Host of the On Brand Podcast and Social Brand Forum
A1. As we continue to see the ripple effects of “content shock” (we have too much content!) an increasing number of marketers will realize that more isn’t always better. Sometimes more is just more. Instead, we’ll see smart marketers drilling deep on creating content unlike the rest of the market place and aligned with a narrow subset of their market.
A2. This may sound boring but I am going to work to hone my email game. I know it’s not 2006 but email still delivers the very best ROI dollar for dollar and yet too few focus on creating better, more relevant email. Again, that’s not always done by sending more email. It’s accomplished by focusing on how you can be of service to your audience.
Todd Wilms @toddmwilms VP, Marketing
A1. There will be a backlash against the Sharing Economy as the market becomes flooded with an array of services and apps that enable conveniences before a need from the consumer is identified. Consumer will feel over-inundated by these experiences and come to rest firmly on a few well established brands, but will reject the rest. This fatigue will drive the next wave of experiences to be more thoughtful in their approach and to be based on market need.
Travis Wright @Teedubya Chief Marketing Technologist
A1. Many companies are mature when it comes to social marketing, however many haven’t adopted all pillars of social business, yet. More companies will not only do social marketing and content marketing, but also other divisions will become more sophisticated in social selling, social recruiting, and social advertising. The companies that tie it all together with a solid strategic plan and knock down the company silos will be the winners.
A2. Account based marketing works really well. When you create awesome content targeting your ideal customers and then micro-target them via workplace, location, and job title, followed by retargeting strategies… You can close HUGE deals for minimum spend. We helped a client close a $670,000 for $438 in account-based targeted ad spend. We’ll be doing much more of that.
Denise Lee Yohn @deniseleeyohn author, What Great Brands Do
A1. The Presidential election will dominate the news cycle and it will get pretty ugly. We’ll see a lot negative/attack content as well as over-the-top hype and promos in social media and marketing. Twitter will have a “come to Jesus” moment, deciding either to become yet another social network like Facebook or get back to Jack Dorsey’s original vision of an “information news network. We’ll (hopefully) see more/better tools to help address content marketing fragmentation and overload. If marketers can streamline the process of content planning, content syndication and audience engagement and can optimize content targeting, content will regain its usefulness and value.
A2. Use video — in multiple formats and apps — to make more personal, emotional connections with my content.
Mark Yolton @markyolton Independent Digital / Marketing Executive
A1. Expect more personalized, targeted, and customized-to-an-audience-of-one (me!) content — so that: more and more, the messages and content will be more relevant to us individually. Expect a multi-channel user experience that aggregates and connects our personas across various websites, social media channels, and apps so that a consistent flow of messages and conversations can evolve over time and start to forge actual ‘relationships’ between brands or products and individuals. Expect smaller chunks of content (re-used or re-cast according to their target) with an emphasis on real-time or just-in-time, that adjusts to the user’s context (where are they? with whom? when? what else is nearby? what have they just completed? …), and with a strong rise in mobile access and interactions.
A2. Mobile. Connected profiles across platforms. Privacy and user-managed personas. Metrics and analytics that can get beyond “last touch attribution” to measure / predict / recommend the optimal mix of influences and marketing actions across multiple channels.
Dennis Yu @dennisyu Chief Technology Officer
A1. Social/content marketing is evolving from mass posting to laser-targeted marketing automation sequences. The same logic that powers email delivery will power social, since the channels will be the same.
Also watch for content to get more sophisticated– instead of e-books, watch for true learning management courses and quizzes backed by certifications. Legitimacy is ever important for customers that are drowning in content promotions.
A2. We believe advanced content marketers will learn social, paid, email, and PR at the same time. That means we all must learn even more tools, especially in the LMS (learning management system) category, which is our partially secret weapon.
Sue B. Zimmerman @suebzimmerman The Instagram Expert
A1. Being real, raw and transparent in your business and the content you share is paramount to attracting your ideal client or customer.
I think video is the most important way to Connect Here are my top 4 platforms: You get 15 secs in Instagram, 10 seconds on Snapchat, endless time on Periscope & Blab to teach, empower, educate and entertain. There is an instant connection when people see your eyes, your smile and feel your passion. I call it Trust.
A2. Snapchat
