According to Thomas Oppong of AllTopStartups.com, there are a few emerging trends ahead for startups in 2016. He predicts that in the coming year a few waves will hit. Some startups will ride those waves to success, others will drown in them. . These trends and opportunities include:
- big data,
- data privacy,
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better analytical,
- content marketing,
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greater use of freelance entrepreneurs versus full-time staff and,
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increasing alternative payment options.
Not only will there be more startups in these specializations and sectors, startups in all industries need to evaluate their business and marketing plans for the 2016 business cycle to see if they are positioned to optimize these trends.
1. Big Data or Bust?
Once upon a time, only the big boys could afford to take advantage of big data. Recently, however, the cat is out of the bag and a growing number of businesses and companies are capturing and selling data at prices that even the boys can get into. Part of this trend stems from how open people are on social media sites and profiles, and willing to interact with ads and promotional platforms.
Sophisticated and specific data can eliminate the guessing games in demographics and target markets. Although the population has rampant suspicions about how data is collected, most people can easily recognize and understand that big data has some quite practical benefits. What can you put in play for your business in 2016?
2. Better Safe Than Sorry
2015 saw a lot of data security breaches, not only for startups but also for established players. Things will probably be as hard in 2016. As more companies invest in cloud and cloud-hybrid technologies, there will probably be continued growth in this industry. What are your biggest data security risks? Or will your startup be the one to capitalize on the opportunity to provide premium security features?
3. Build better Dashboards
Until now, most analytical dashboards are active and dynamic, requiring the user to manipulate the data to find what they are looking for. Soon, these dashboards will become more passive. Instead of sitting and operating the platform, your platform will work on autopilot in the background and alert you when significant changes occur in the metrics you are measuring. This will give you greater control over your information in a more real-time fashion. In fact, this trend towards automation will show itself in other areas as well – with a strong concentration in marketing functions.
Manipulating dashboards? Ain’t nobody got time for that.
4. Content marketing is here to stay
Content marketing was the buzzword of 2015. Buzzzzzz. Don’t expect things to change in 2016. Content marketing is a key component of the trend towards inbound marketing, which is effective not only to produce more leads, but also to make it cheaper than traditional outbound marketing and of advertising such as television, radio and advertising. press. In fact, HubSpot reports that inbound marketing brings in about 54% more leads than traditional paid marketing and saves the average company $20,000 in annual advertising costs! Smaditional traditional.
Which brings us to the next trend of 2016…
5. Just-In-Time Work
Startups are always pressed for resources, and a significant part of them end up in the human resources department. As traditional advertising outlets are left by the wayside, so are many more traditional workforce models. Salaries are a huge expense. So are the benefits and other perks.
Today, startups tend to invest as much as possible in building the best founding team and then turn to contract, freelance workforce to fill the gaps, if necessary. Virtual assistants are just as effective as receptionists. Content marketing doesn’t require you to write every blog post – there are freelance sites to buy steady sources of content at surprisingly affordable prices.
What positions in your startup could be supplemented with a freelance team versus a traditional staff? It is estimated that 33% of the American workforce is now moonlighting and freelancing. Business Insider predicts that number will grow to 40% by 2020.
6. Shall we take what?
Bitcoin, and other cryptocurrencies, have revolutionized the concept of digital payments and other major players decided to get in on the act. Mobile payments are still growing and even Dollar General has installed payment systems in their stores that allow you to pay directly from your PayPal account. Gone are the days where just any merchant account will do. Today, there is a greater need for diversity. Look out for all-in-one payment systems that update regularly so you can say yes, no matter what alternative payment system clients throw at you!