2015 was a big year for Marketers.

Social media platforms update weekly and continue to weigh more and more for consumer marketing. On the other adblockers went mobile and keeps converting users, which will lead to an inevitable shift to towards native advertising and content distribution. But while our marketing objectives keep growing, we need to anticipate future trends and always be looking out for new ways to approach our targets. So we put together a list of the top marketing trends to watch out for in 2016, to help you get ready to tackle the challenges ahead.

A new position for Snapchat

Where we grow up, all we have known before can appear outmoded, obsolete. This is the risk that Facebook, Twitter and Linkedin are facing. For the moment, they are present in everyone’s minds, available on every device, but in 2016 Snapchat will be the new contender as a marketing platform. Brands must also communicate on Instagram to attract the new generation (20–30 years old). Indeed, this generation represents around 80% of their audience and is really engaged on social networks. A recent study made by eMarketer shows the power of Instagram as a communication platform. Some companies such as Land Rover have already launched an advertising campaign on Instagram to reach and seduce a younger public.

Virtual Reality

With Samsung releasing its first consumer virtual reality headset in november — and competitors headset to be released in 2016 by Oculus, Sony, HTC and many others — 2016 will be remembered as the year when virtual reality came true.

This is a huge opportunity for brands to produce unique experiences around this new medium, which can transport the user in a virtual world. Some brands already have started creating content for the platform, like Redbull placing customers into a airplane race simulator, or Marriot and others, transporting customers into dream destinations through what is now called virtual travelling. But these were experienced during events or shows. Soon, consumers will be able to consume this new kind of content at home or anywhere else with portable VR headsets powered by smartphones like the galaxy gear VR. Even Facebook and YouTube started producing 360° videos, anticipating to distribute the content on their platforms.

The revolution of search engine

Will search engines ever become obsolete? It’s a great question especially if we think about Google, Yahoo or Bing. Indeed, Facebook is already working on a new search engine, with better search capabilities. Its effects on the visibility of companies are obvious. This could lead to an all-in-one type of platform where it will be possible to search for and make purchases, to chat and share thoughts with friends about what was bought. It’s a new way to make e-commerce. Social networks will be increasingly important in the future, making efforts to replace search engines, e-commerce and online advertising platforms, therefore becoming essential to every marketing strategy.

Episodic content

Considered a “must-have” in 2016, episodic content must be part of your next digital marketing project. In TV advertising, we begin to see some of brands using this concept in their advertisement such as Coca Cola, Nike or Ikea. Game publishers also begin to make video content in the form of episodes. But what are the benefits of episodic content? First, short videos catch the public’s attention because we are all curious and fan of suspense. They trigger emotional reactions and leave the viewer craving to know what happens next. Currently, the majority of content marketers don’t play with the effects of suspense on people. The emergence of episodic content could change the way we create content. Consider this when defining your content strategy, as it could increase customer loyalty for your brand.

Internet of Things (IoT)

Another challenge for marketers is to leverage the Internet of Things. Indeed, according to Juniper Research study, the smart wearable market could generate $53 billion hardware revenues by 2019. It represented only $4.5 billion in 2014. Surveys have also shown that more than 40% of consumers are ready to buy wearable technology like smart watches or smart glasses. IoT is a really powerful tool but some key issues must be solved like the question of data privacy and security.

These new devices have multiple applications for marketing. Gathering data, provide content and, or become new products entirely. The technology is still limiting the possibilities, but the pace at which innovations are coming is increasing. Keep an eye out for opportunities in your niche.

These are the top 5 trends we think will matter in 2016, but there are many other things to lookout for. The different projects to connect Africa to internet, the new formats to load internet pages faster on mobile, adblockers rise and new ways to work around it, and much much more. Let me know what you think will be the big marketing challenges for 2016 in the comments below.