It seems that a majority of brand marketers are behind the times or living in the past when it comes to social networks. – Neal Schaffer
Neal Schaffer is a recognized by the likes of Forbes and CMO.com as an innovative leader in the world of business social media. A global social media keynote speaker who has appeared on 4 continents, Neal is the author of three social media books, including the definitive book on social media strategy Maximize Your Social.
In addition to speaking and consulting, Neal also teaches social media marketing at Rutgers University and the Irish Management Institute. We’re excited to feature his expertise for you today. Here’s what Neal had to say about marketing in 2016.
What role do you see Influencer Marketing playing in brand marketing strategies in 2016?
I believe Influencer Marketing will play an even larger role in brand marketing strategies in 2016. Influence has become democratized to a certain extent with the advent of social media, so it is only natural that brand marketers will continue to leverage and expand upon current influencer marketing initiatives.
What is the most widespread mistake you’ve seen brand marketers make in 2015 that you hope they learn from in 2016?
Not adapting to newer channels. It seems that a majority of brand marketers are behind the times or living in the past when it comes to social networks. Whether its Pinterest, Instagram, Snapchat, YouTube or smaller networks like Tumblr, Vine, or Periscope, there’s a lot more to social media marketing than just Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.
What word do you hope is officially banned from marketing vernacular in 2016?
In all honesty, there’s no word in marketing vernacular that I don’t like. There are some that are overused, but we live in a multicultural society where diversity of perspective and vernacular only adds value to the marketing industry, so I’m OK with marketer’s vocabularies in 2015 😉
What marketing events are you most looking forward to in 2016?
In addition to the 2nd year of the Social Tools Summit, which I co-founded, I always look forward to presenting at the Social Media Marketing World, the largest social media conference. This year I also look forward to speaking for the first time at the Content Marketing Conference in Las Vegas in May.