One of the most exciting aspects of INBOUND 2016 is that it serves as a platform to discuss the future of inbound marketing. Many of the biggest names in the field have weighed in on what is changing in the field, giving insight into where they think marketing will look like a year from now, two years from now, and even 10 or more years from now.
Here is a look at some of the biggest trends and technologies on the horizon:
Virtual Assistants
Technologies such as Amazon Echo, Siri from Apple, and now Google Home have ushered in a new way for people to search for information. Suddenly, you don’t need to look at a screen to get information off the internet. Instead, you can simply speak a question to get the information you need. New tools will help marketers utilize these platforms. HubSpot’s co-founder, Dharmesh Shah, also predicts that written blog posts will eventually be auto-converted into audio.
Bots
GrowthBot, which allows marketers to ask a variety of different questions and get the right answers back. You could use this tool for competitor research, campaign analysis, and a variety of other marketing tasks. OutBrain’s co-founder, Yaron Galai, also talked about his company’s new bot: Outbrain for Chat. This exciting tool allows marketers to promote content via WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and other messaging apps.
Native Advertising
No longer the new kid on the block, native advertising has grown exponentially to become one of the dominant types of marketing. Sharethrough Founder Dan Greenberg provided some insight into this today, showing how native ads are the preferred advertising method for millennials. Greenberg suggests that as technology continues to become more personal, it will also need to become less intrusive. With more and more prospects turning to mobile, native advertising will continue to grow in importance.
That’s it for Day 2. Be sure to revisit our blog for more industry insight from Inbound 2016!
