2017 Will Be the Year of Video and Influencer Marketing

Internet marketing has been a part of almost every business’s marketing efforts over the past few years, producing results through effective campaigns and lowering the overall costs of marketing in general. Internet marketing has also made it possible for small and home businesses to reach thousands – even millions – of potential customers without the high price tag of a mass media buy.
As we get closer to the end of 2016, there are two big trends shaping up in the market: video marketing and influencer marketing. Experts believe that these two internet marketing instruments will be the ones businesses must turn to in 2017.
The Era of Video Content
Video marketing is not that much different than content marketing. The basic principles are very similar: produce high-quality content that the audience finds valuable and add key messages about the brand, products or services into the content in a more indirect way.
Video marketing is considered to be a big hit for two main reasons. First, the video content we have today is considered more effective than written content. Video can attract more user engagement and can convey messages better due to its visual nature.
The second reason is infrastructure. Thanks to high-speed data connectivity, it is now easier for users to stream videos than it was a few years ago. The fast data connection speed, the availability of Wi-Fi hotspots and the penetration of mobile devices are turning video marketing into a very effective internet marketing instrument.
Influencers and Their Crowds
Influencer marketing, on the other hand, is a trend sparked by the rise of social media. Businesses used to turn to celebrities and athletes for endorsements and advertising campaigns. Today, the most influential people on the internet – the influencers – are actually teenagers, stay-at-home moms, and next-door neighbors; it can be anyone with an audience on social media.
Internet influencers are those who can develop quality content and attract a specific audience group. Through these influencers, you can convey brand-related messages in the form of native content the viewers are already familiar with.
It is worth noting that recent reports from the Social Times stated that today’s best influencers have more influence than real-life celebrities. When Felix Kjellberg, famously known as PewDiePie, talks about a game on his YouTube channel, for example, it is not uncommon for that game to receive thousands of new downloads in a matter of hours.
The Future of Internet Marketing
Both video marketing and influencer marketing will certainly be huge in 2017. Brands and small businesses alike are beginning to realize the importance of publishing high-quality video content and building a strong audience base. On the other hand, companies such as NeoReach are offering platforms that make influencer marketing very accessible and easy to do.
Brands can focus more on developing campaigns, creating valuable contents and working with influencers in reaching a wider audience while a self-service influencer marketing platform like NeoReach provides all the tools and resources needed to run the campaigns smoothly and successfully.