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From Search to Searchers: Six for ‘16 predictions

This article first appeared in Campaign

New technology that blurs the line between what's real and what's computer-generated by enhancing what we see, hear, feel and smell. Marketing performed "on-the-fly" to determine an appropriate or optimal approach to a particular customer at a particular time and place. Making a unique product offering for each customer. The creation and sharing of media and publishing content in order to acquire and retain customers. The development and integration of marketing concepts with other approaches to influence behaviours that benefit individuals and communities for the greater social good…

In 2015 you voted with your searches on what interests you professionally which allowed us to compile the top five industry buzzwords:

Marketingbuzzwords

Based on your searches alongside insights from conversations with our customers and partners we predict the following six trends for 2016:

1. Search media spend will surpass TV in 2016.

Search accounted for the second highest digital adspend channel in 2015 – 22% of all digital media spend (IAB). As the industry sector is predicted to grow, 2016 will see search surpass TV budgets in 2016.

To stay competitive, understanding how best to utilise search within the marketing mix and leveraging insights from this channel will be vital.

2.  Search goes far beyond the box:

2016 will see marketers recognise the ubiquitous nature of search. Search will permeate more devices and services than ever before, becoming smarter and more important as a source of consumer engagement and comprehension.

3.  Mobile is not solely about mobility:

Mobile will no longer be part of the marketing strategy, it will be the marketing strategy. Consumers prefer to use their mobile device even when not on the move because their digital experience is convenient and more personalised than on the desktop. Marketers should consider how desktop supplements the mobile experience, not the other way round.

Cross device attribution is important in understanding how the two mediums work hand in hand to operate effectively.

4.  Voice search drives new behaviour and understanding for marketers:

The adoption of voice recognition and gesture control demonstrates that consumers today don’t want to rely on typing; they expect to interact with information in more natural ways. As a result, 2016 will see new search behaviours emerge, focused on the conversational nature that voice search supports. With digital personal assistants already in pockets, we’re bound to see wider audiences adapting behaviour to utilise this new technology.

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5.  Marketing strategies driven by search intelligence:

2016 will see search data deliver valuable business intelligence from the spectrum of online interactions to inform marketing strategies. It’s about understanding intent and being empowered to seed the right message, to the right audience, at the right time. This can be taken a step further by using this intelligence to inform wider business strategy. Unlock the potential of search data.

6.  Using data to predict outcome:

Search engines are the database of intent. And social networks are the depository of sentiments. Search engines have developed the ability to process, analyse and understand these two information sets together in order to predict intent for future events. 

2016 will see industry leading companies using data to not only understand consumer behaviour now, but intent for the future. This will enable more meaningful connections across platforms.