Affiliate marketing has changed the face of online marketing. As its influence continues to grow, the affiliate marketing industry has witnessed substantial changes over the years. In order to take advantage of this powerful online marketing medium to the fullest, it’s necessary to be aware of these changing trends. The following are some major trends that key players need to look out for in the year 2016:
Mobile marketing
Mobile plays a dominant role in the age of digital marketing. As the number of mobile phone users keeps on rising, it’s safe to say that there will be a rise in affiliate sales via mobile phones. In fact, smart phones accounted for 36 percent of affiliate sales in January 2015.
Therefore, affiliate marketers should focus on creating mobile-optimized sites in order to reach out to their target audiences. Not to mention, this will also benefit the business by enhancing its webpage rank among Google’s search engine results.
Content
Content will still be king this year. Good content matters because it establishes a brand’s credibility and leaves a lasting impression on prospective customers. It educates and informs audiences about the product. And most importantly, effective content builds relationships between customers and companies and ultimately generates web traffic and enhances the conversion rates.
Therefore, affiliate marketers should focus on developing engaging content that represents their brand. Equally important is to sync content well with social media platforms, SEO and blogging.
Consumer
When it comes to online marketing, it’s crucial to address consumer needs. Today’s consumers are smart and enlightened. They want more than an advertisement selling them a product or service. They seek relevant information about it.
Brands and affiliates need to provide relevant, compelling information to consumers, which is easy to understand. They need to demonstrate how their product can improve an individual’s life. The best way to do so is by focusing on niche markets.
Global markets
Affiliate marketing has a growing international presence. Asian markets are witnessing a tremendous growth, with the number of Internet users in China alone exceeding 600 million.
This reveals a growth in the number of international advertisers, publishers, offers and customers. There’s no doubt that affiliate marketers will have to comprehend these changing trends to stay competitive.
Growth
With its manifold benefits to publishers, affiliates and consumers, affiliate marketing will witness unlimited growth. In fact, the industry is estimated to grow to $6.8 billion over the next five years. These figures indicate a bright future for the affiliate industry.
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