‘Tis the season to make ready to catapult out of the gate on January 2, 2015. Our team of busy prognosticators sees opportunity in these trends: 
- Go mobile or go home – This is not a fad. In our 24/7 world, there are more mobile users than desktop users. Smart phone apps will continue to proliferate, and more people will be using apps than accessing the web directly.
- It’s all about privacy – The current focus on toolkits and pledges will evolve into the development of real privacy standards, as protecting digital privacy becomes both a cultural and educational issue.
- Print is not dead – Print and digital will happily coexist in the K-20 education and special needs markets. Educators, schools, districts, and providers will find the balance that works best for them.
- Common Core – Rumors of its repeal have been greatly exaggerated. For all the controversy in the news, there are dozens of states successfully implementing Common Core with little or no resistance. Keep an eye on the states that have figured it out.
- Bigger is not necessarily better – Many schools and districts have tired of one-size-fits-all solutions. They feel trapped and unable to make changes when things don’t work out as planned. They are looking for more flexibility – so be flexible.
- Trade shows are still a good investment – Face-to-face meetings with your customers and the media are high-value opportunities to discover their needs, as well as gut-check your sales, marketing and service strategies.
And, finally, content marketing continues to grow in prominence in the education and special needs markets as providers establish better metrics of customer engagement, brand awareness, lead generation and sales.