The Future of Online Marketing

In under 20 years online marketing has gone from something that was not even considered by marketers to being so important that ignoring it is not an option for most businesses. Not only has online marketing changed the face of the marketing industry, the marketing tactics used have evolved much more rapidly than traditional marketing techniques. Where will we be 20 years from now? What great marketing innovations are in store for us? Below are some things we might have to look forward to.

•  Digital content marketing: Companies are starting to understand that often traditional ads just aren't as effective in the online world. Instead, companies will begin to offer more free, branded content that users can download, share, and interact with while still getting their message across. 
• Social Commerce: Imaging this, you open up your web browser and are brought to your Facebook page as your homepage. After checking your notifications, you decide you need to order a new pair of shoes. You search shoes in the search bar, and a list of retailers who are on Facebook who sell shoes appear. You click on one. On their page you can see all their information, products  and reviews, including reviews that your Facebook friends have posted. You can also see what your friends have purchased from this vendor. After scrolling through their products you find a pair of shoes you like. You click on them and are brought to the store's checkout page and order your shoes all without leaving Facebook. Some companies are already experimenting with retailing directly from their social media platforms.
• Location Based Advertising: As smartphones become more and more prevalent, marketers will be able to tailor ads depending on were people are at any given moment. If someone is walking down the street surfing the web on their smartphone, ads for local businesses within a 2 block radius might appear based on what you are surfing. Looking up the latest movie reviews? Ads for the movie theater around the corner may be displayed.