Digital Marketing Horoscope 2017

Digital Horoscope 2017

After an emotional rollercoaster of a year, we’ve finally reached a point where we can start looking forward.

Having blown the 2016 dust off the JBH crystal ball, we’ve matched a dozen digital marketing trend predictions with the signs of the zodiac.

Discover the influencers you share a star sign with and who you should be following to stay up to date in the industry.

Aries – ‘The Ram’

March 21 – April 19

Traits: Creative, insightful, spontaneous, ambitious

Trend: Augmented Reality

Pokémon Go was one of the biggest success stories of 2016, with marketers now recognising the opportunities augmented reality presents. Don’t be surprised if 2017 is the year where we see AR games and ads enter the mainstream. This is a rallying call to all those creative Rams out there.

Influencer: Shelly Kramer (@ShellyKramer) – April 4

Digital transformation brand strategist and CEO of V3 Broadsuite

Taurus – ‘The Bull’

April 20 – May 20

Traits: Stubborn, committed, strong-willed, sympathetic

Trend: Rich answers and snippets

The prevalence of rich answers and snippets at the top of Google’s SERP has doubled in the past two years. So, brands must focus on structured data mark-up to ensure their content gets seen before competing sites, something stubborn and strong-willed Taureans should excel at.

Influencer: Shama Hyder (@Shama) – April 25

Founder and CEO of Marketing Zen, keynote speaker, and bestselling author

Gemini – ‘The Twins’

May 21 – June 20

Traits: Flexible, inspirational, adaptable, supportive

Trend: Mobile overtaking desktop

2017 is the year when mobile will overtake desktop. More than 50 percent of searches are on mobile, while 90 percent of mobile media time is spent on apps. This means the digital marketing activity and efforts of adaptable Gemini need to put mobile in a position of prominence.

Influencer: Josh Steimle (@joshsteimle) – May 28

Agency CEO, TEDx speaker, and author of Chief Marketing Officers at Work

Cancer – ‘The Crab’

June 21 – July 22

Traits: Traditional, retrospective, loyal, sympathetic

Trend: Personalised, niche marketing

A crowded marketplace means brands need to hone in on the right audience. This means narrower demographics, niche subjects, and a personable tone. Perfect for the traditional and loyal Crab, this means going back to basics and having a greater focus on the individual.

Influencer: Rand Fishkin (@randfish) – July 10, 1979

Founder of Moz, TAGFEE evangelist, and inbound marketer

Leo – ‘The Lion’

July 23 – August 22

Traits: Analytical, powerful, intuitive, brave

Trend: Data visualisation

Even the analytical minds of lionhearted Leos struggle with vast quantities of numerical information from time to time. Never fear, a number of ingenious data visualisation tools are emerging to help brands understand everything from buyer personas to distribution channels in comprehensive yet consumable detail.

Influencer: Mari Smith (@MariSmith) – August 12

Social media thought leader, top Facebook marketing expert, and global speaker

Virgo – ‘The Virgin’

August 23 – September 22

Traits: Charming, inquisitive, intuitive, talkative

Trend: Influencer marketing

While influencer outreach has always been a viable tactic, it is now more potent than ever. Consumers are actively rejecting other voices in the media. Online influencers with loyal fan bases on social media could well be won over by all you charming Virgos out there.

Influencer: Aleyda Solís (@aleyda) – August 30

International SEO and ASO Consultant and Speaker

Libra – ‘The Scales’

September 23 – October 22

Traits: Moral, caring, balanced, understanding

Trend: Immersive content marketing

Virtual reality (VR) might not be a an everyday marketing tool just yet, but there are other ways for caring Librans to give audiences immersive content. 360 videos make them feel as though they are right there with you, while live webinars enable more meaningful interactions than anything pre-recorded.

Influencer: Danny Sullivan (@dannysullivan) – September 26

Founding editor of Marketing Land and Search Engine Land, chief content officer of Third Door Media

Scorpio – ‘The Scorpion’

October 23 – November 21

Traits: Bold, focused, confident, controlled

Trend: Expiring content

Some content has an expiration date. Platforms like Snapchat and Instagram Stories are placing ever more emphasis on urgency, forcing brands to come up with content that has immediate appeal. A tall order for some, but bold and confident Scorpions can pull it off.

Influencer: Ann Handley (@MarketingProfs) – November 3

Author of WSJ bestseller ‘Everybody Writes’ and Chief Content Officer of MarketingProfs

Sagittarius – ‘The Archer’

November 22 – December 21

Traits: Intense, results-driven, focused, philosophical

Trend: Native advertising

Now that consumers have started to reject conventional forms of advertising, there is every chance native advertising will flourish in 2017. Designed in a way that makes sense for the platform, this one is perfect for impatient Sagittarians wanting fast results.

Influencer: Leonard Kim (@MrLeonardKim) – December 21

Personal branding expert and keynote speaker. Named Top Marketing Influencer by Forbes.

Capricorn – ‘The Goat’

December 22 – January 19

Traits: Intelligent, practical, organised, systematic

Trend: Live video streaming

The omnipresence of devices combined with fast and readilly available internet means that live video streaming is both possible and increasingly popular, especially among social media users. Intelligent Capricorns have just the right organisational skill set to make live video streaming both effective and influential.

Influencer: Missy Ward (@MissyWard) – January 10

Co-founder of Affiliate Summit Corporation and author of ‘Make Money With Your WordPress Blog’

Aquarius  – ‘The Water Bearer’

January 20 – February 18

Traits: Humanitarian, caring, sympathetic, philanthropic

Trend: Automated customer service chatbots are now being used on Facebook and Twitter to simulate intelligent conversations and improve real-time engagement. This will come as welcome news to caring Aquarians wanting to improve the online experience of their audience while maintaining a (seemingly) personal touch.

Influencer: Branden Hampton (@CEO) – February 13

CEO of several marketing organisations and Forbes No. 1 rated social media influencer in the world with over 33 million followers.

Pisces – ‘The Fish’

February 19 – March 20

Traits: Honest, passionate, knowledgeable, trustworthy

Trend: Cross-channel marketing

In a world of wearable tech and smart devices, cross-channel marketing can give brands a  consistent presence across multiple platforms. Users can move seamlessly between devices and platforms to see targeted ads and make purchases. This requires the knowledge and passion of trustworthy Pisceans.

Influencer: Richard Lorenzen (@rlorenzen) – February 28

CEO of Fifth Avenue Brands, investor, and speaker