Today, I’m giving a talk on Digital Trends for 2017. As part of my preparation, I always like to research what other experts are forecasting and predicting. Their information usually validates my thoughts and offers more data on the why’s behind the findings.

What’s Trending:

1. Millennials are moving away from public social networks to private ones. Think Facebook Messenger, What’s App, GroupMe. Micro-sharing information and links.
2. Live video isn’t a maybe strategy. It’s a must have to boost engagement. Plus, there’s limited competition.
3. Digital Assistants are here to stay. Have a question? Ask Siri, Alexa, OK Google or Cortana.
4. Customers are using multiple devices to make up their minds to try products and services.
5. Keywords are more conversational as voice dominates.
6. Google’s new algorithms are putting more emphasis on local search.
7. Native advertising is on the rise. More content-like but still sneaky.
8. SEO and Paid Media spending will grow up to 24% of a marketing budget by 2022.
9. Brands are creating an “immersive experience” to increase engagement.
10. Becoming more instant is definitely the way to go.

These are top picks, but there’s always more.

And why are these trends important?

Dense marketing is yesterday’s news. Spend time and money where your target market is. Improve your video marketing and use it to grab attention. Repurpose content in ways it will be seen and shared. And finally, engage with your prospects and customers live. At workshops, events, on video.

Show the real you.

Special thanks to contributors Blair Nicole Nastasi, Corey Austin, Lindsay Hutter, Dave Chaffey and Jayson DeMers for their collective insights.