Marketers have to deal with change on an almost daily basis. One of the main reasons for this is the fact that their jobs are so closely tied with technology, and as should be obvious, technology is always on the move. That makes marketers’ jobs a challenging yet rewarding one as they seek to utilize new technological breakthroughs to reach out to audiences and gain more attention for their companies. 2016 won’t be any different from any other year when looked at from that angle. Technologies will still change and evolve, of course, but what won’t change is the need for marketers to adapt with the times. The following are just a few of the technologies marketers had better get used to if they want to see success during this year and in the years to come.
In some cases, the technologies that will rise to prominence in 2016 are ones that have already been available, only they were around in limited quantities. Take the concept of social purchasing, for example. Social purchasing could be seen in the likes of buyable pins on Pinterest and Facebook ads to some degree, but it would probably be more accurate to look at those as an experiment for social media networks. Social media has already proven to be effective at getting attention for a brand, and social purchasing may take that idea and mold it into something more in tune with the e-commerce world. This will have an effect on the world of content marketing in particular, as social media may end up being a platform used for sales rather than for consumable content. That’s the reality of using social media for paid opportunities, and it remains to be seen how regular social media users will react to these changes.
One exciting new technology that is certainly turning some heads (in some cases literally) is that of virtual reality. While VR technology is an idea that’s been discussed and imagined in the scientific community for decades, 2016 might be the year it truly becomes a workable consumer concept. Already, devices like Oculus Rift, Project Morpheus, Samsung Gear VR, and more are preparing to be released to the mainstream market. While much has been made of their application in gaming, marketers are salivating at the opportunity to use VR technology to run their own marketing campaigns. Imagine being able to take prospective customers on a tour of a restaurant before they head out to eat, or perhaps give them a taste of what it’s like traveling through Yellowstone as they plan a vacation. That’s just a small taste of what VR could offer when put in the right marketing hands. Many of the best ideas have likely not even been created yet. VR opens up incredible opportunities for marketers, effectively changing how things are done in an exciting and revolutionary way.
One technology that is sure to change a lot, not just in marketing, is the Internet of Things (IoT). It involves embedding devices and other objects with internet-connected sensors, all designed to collect and transmit data while also communicating with users and other objects. In other words, it’s a fully connected world where everything we use is something we can communicate with. Marketers believe the IoT will have a significant impact in 2016 as it represents a new way to reach people. Now, thanks to the big data collected from users, marketers will be able to figure out more details about what motivates people, what activities they participate in, and how they go about their day. From that information will come more tailored advertising that can be sent directly to the devices an individual may have on them. For example, a person walking downtown could get an alert that a nearby restaurant is having a special. That alert could come at the exact time that individual is usually hungry. The IoT represents an incredible level of interactivity. All marketers need to do is clean up the dirty data collected by the devices, and they’ll be ready to fully utilize that information.
Using these technologies will require the adoption of other technology — things like converged infrastructure and software defined storage. Once everything is in place, however, marketers will be prepared to take advantage of the new breakthroughs that are happening at a rapid pace. The marketing world is changing, and while that’s not necessarily new, those within the industry had better be ready to embrace those changes or risk getting left behind.
