Recently I attended the Deloitte TMT Predictions 2016 at James Street South in Belfast and then a week later spoke at a Journey to Market event in Coleraine.

On one side we had high-level research, predictions and discussions concerning the evolution of digital and on the other, traders simply wanting to use whatever channel works best for them in the here and now.

Deloitte TMT Predictions

It was interesting going from top to bottom in Northern Ireland digital marketing and Deloitte produced an incredible report, for the fifteenth year in a row, with countless predictions but there were a few that stood out.

One notable point was that we are quickly entering the dawn of the gigabit Internet age. This means lighting fast internet (faster than fiber optic) will soon be widely available.

Another interesting point was the rise in people owning smartphones but never actually using the device to make calls. This group is known as “data exclusive” and is primarily composed of younger generations.

A final point, specifically on marketing and advertising, was that brands and businesses should focus more efforts on search engines as they are now and will continue to be the modern day equivalent of the Yellow Pages.

Interesting stuff – but is it of any use?

Journey to Market

Real world execution is the only way the research becomes valuable and that’s why I was delighted to be asked to speak at the recent Journey to Market workshop held by Causeway Coast and Glens council.

This was a chance to talk to traders about their digital needs whilst also remembering the points from the week before.

The traders, focusing on consumers, want to get their product or service out there and in front of eyes and ears as quickly as possible.

 With the growth of ultra-fast Internet it is clear that our attention (eyes and ears) will focus more and more on digital channels and right now traders should primarily focus on Facebook and Google.

Also, if we think back to the “data exclusive” group and the gigabit Internet age, traders need to ensure their websites are fully responsive and optimised for mobile use.