It’s no longer sufficient to play nice with search engines. The rise of the machine has evolved.
For the first time entrepreneurs have solid evidence that online marketers must think mobile-first. In May, Google casually announced that mobile search traffic surpassed desktop.
This is a Mega Big Deal. Having a website merely mobile-optimized is no longer good enough. Your advertising has to be mobile-friendly, too. How do your CTAs show up on a phone? You have to be sure that the field to sign up for your newsletter is as easily accessible on a phone as a laptop, that your social media buttons are clickable from any format, that the big, beautiful image on your landing page doesn’t overwhelm on a small screen. And what does your newsletter look like on a phone or a tiny smartwatch? If it’s inaccessible, difficult to read or too long, then this direct advertising method you’ve cultivated for years will become irrelevant. Make 2016 the year you develop digital advertising (not just your website!) suitable for all devices.
The next challenge in digital marketing has to do with the increased availability and adoption of the Digital Assistant. Major players include the apps Siri for Apple mobile products, Google Now for Android, iOS and Chrome browser, Cortana for Windows mobile and desktop, and Amazon Echo’s “Alexa” which is a digital assistant device itself. What is the likely staying power of the digital assistant? High. The oldest, Siri, is already 5 years old and growing stronger with every update.
Digital Assistants are going to change search engine use as we know it. They allow for voice command searches in addition to text, and reply with succinct answers. Your prospective customers are literally saying to their device, “Hey Siri, where is the nearest store that sells cookie cutters?” and Siri responds with the nearest Bulk Barn or Michaels craft store location. Note that that says “or” not “and” because the answer is succinct and limited to what the app decides is the best answer they can find, also based on previous searches and satisfied answers of their human commander from previous searches. Yes, the digital assistant both researches and learns. This does not bode well for your vast array of Batman cookie cutters in your online novelty cookie cutter shop because you are not at the top of Google, and you are not the nearest place.
To prepare for the Digital Assistant invasion you’ve got to make your online content conversational. Really think about what questions your customers ask and use those questions to form your content. Digital Assistants aren’t going to eliminate search engine results in the next year, but adapting to this technology now will keep your business relevant when that time comes, and won’t break the bank.
Now you’re hip to the new ways your potential customers will find you in 2016. Consider making your New Year’s resolution to book a consultation with The Marketing Multi-tool to keep your digital marketing strategy competitive.
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