9March-April, 2017Not to be outdone - and arguably the future of how we'll search--voice search is one of the fastest growing behaviors and technologies. The State of Inbound found more consumers adopting digital assistant technologies like Amazon's Alexa, Apple's Siri, and Microsoft's Cortana. And according to MindMeld, over 41 percent of voice search users started using voice search within just the last six months. What's important to remember is that the context of these searches differs by channel. What someone looks for might be best served on Facebook or through a chatbot. Fundamentally understanding the context for discovering data will be key to inbound marketing success in the future.Diversify Your Content ChannelsTen years ago, remarkable content meant a well written, well researched blog post. It was found on your website or on your blog. Today? Not only is the definition of content more nebulous, but written content specifically is no longer the only arrow in the quiver. In fact, there are more pointed arrows in the content arsenal.This year's State of Inbound report saw 43 percent of respondents who use a computer or laptop asking more social media posts-- edging out only slightly the 41 percent who asked for more video content. And for those who use mobile devices? Demand for more social media posts climbed to 52 percent, followed by 49 percent asking for more video content. In short: Marketers aren't creating the content consumers actually want. Organizations will need to diversify their content to adapt to these new customer behaviors. For those who have followed the principles of inbound for some time, the solution is simple. You likely already have a bevy of helpful content sitting in your blog. Leverage the highest-performing pieces by translating them contextually to off-site channels. Make Ads More Inbound People don't like ads. It's especially true for intrusive and obnoxious ones. And if human behavior has taught us anything, it's that an unwanted experience will ignite passionate rebellion.An overwhelming 91 percent of respondents feel ads are more intrusive today than two years ago. And online pop-up ads are the worst offender. Eighty-eight percent of respondents had a negative experience with online pop-up ads, and 73 percent outright dislike them. It's no surprise then that 500 million people have downloaded Adblock Plus to combat these experiences.Outbound tactics like online pop-up ads hurt brand perception, too. A staggering 70 percent of consumers saying they have a lower opinion of brands that use pop up ads.Consumers have far more power over ads than marketers do. But all is not lost. Sixty-eight percent of customers say they're fine with seeing ads--as long as those ads aren't annoying. A highly relevant and contextual ad experience has never been more important to consumers, and it'll continue to be in the years to come.It's sometimes easiest to look at the constants when we think about the future. One thing that's never going to change? People matter. They want to be respected, and they want their time to be valued. It's just as true today as it was 100 years ago, and it will be just as true 100 years from now. MTPeople matter. They want to be respected, and they want their time to be valuedFundamentally understanding the context for discovering data will be key to inbound marketing success in the future.the 41 percent who asked for more video content. And for those who use mobile devices? Demand for more social media posts climbed to 52 percent, followed by 49 percent asking for more video content. Kipp Bodnar
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