Top Marketing Trends for 2013

As 2012 draws to a close, we look forward to 2013 in anticipation of more exciting changes in the marketing industry! As people's habits change and evolve, marketing needs to adapt as well. That's part of the fun of working in this industry; there are always new ways to reach customers, especially in the digital scene.

So what will 2013 bring? I don't own a crystal ball, but there are strong indications about trends that will continue and some new ones that have potential for growth.

Here's my take on the Top Marketing Trends for 2013!

Content Creation

Content creation, such as business blogging, is not new, but it's definitely been talked about a lot in 2012 and will continue to become a popular way for businesses to market. With proof that blogging and new content boost traffic and leads (ie. Companies with 51-100 pages generate 48% more traffic than companies with 1-50 pages), we'll see more and more companies using this tactic.

Video

Video is still hot going into 2013. People like to watch a short video as a way to take in information. (Humorous or entertaining videos also work really well!) You can publish on your blog, like we've done with our How to Create a Pinterest Business Profile video and How to Save Time with Message Scheduling for Social Media video. These videos provide step-by-step instructions on how to do something that is valuable to our audience. What does your audience want to know about? Create a short video with some explanations or 'how-to' and post it on your blog and YouTube channel.

Mobile

Mobile marketing has started to gain some traction among marketers. It's especially useful for teenagers and young adults who grow up using a smartphone (and get their own phones at a young age!) Of the 4 billion mobile phones in use worldwide, 3 billion are SMS enabled. SMS messages have endless marketing capabilities as it goes far beyond its use for personal communication ' it is also an ideal medium for delivering a promotional message. This application-to-person type of messaging has undeniable potential and is very easy to apply.

Social Media

Social media will definitely continue as a marketing trend in 2013, but I think we'll start to see some shifts in the ways businesses use it and what platforms they invest time and energy into. Pinterest has really become a high source of traffic for many companies and I think we'll see some growth here. With Facebook's recent changes to their algorithms and what content they display on news feeds, I anticipate many businesses will become frustrated that most of their followers aren't seeing their content unless they pay for a sponsored placement. Perhaps we'll see a resurgence of Myspace?

Print

Don't underestimate the power of print. Sure, social media, blogging, and other forms of digital marketing are the rage (see above), however, because of our fixation on all things digital, our interaction with print becomes more valuable. However, companies using print as part of their marketing mix will need to ensure a high quality product or else it will be overlooked.

Multi-Channel Convergence

Social media was like the shiny new toy at the beginning of 2012. Companies quickly jumped on board and created accounts without much strategy or links to their other marketing tactics. There has been a slight shift over the course of the year towards more integration between 'traditional media' and social media. I expect this to continue and deepen as businesses realize the benefits of integrated campaigns, where multiple marketing channels work together towards a common goal.

Measurable Results

What to measure? How to measure? Can we even measure? For a while, businesses were using social media without any concern about return on investment. The tools are (generally) free to use, but the time and effort it takes to engage with followers has a cost. The C-Suite and business owners started to question the value of these tools and questioned the ROI. And it makes sense. It beneficial for companies to know where their leads come from, what type of content drives online conversion, what percentage of leads turn into sales, how engaged is your online community, and so on. With software such as HubSpot or HootSuite, it becomes a lot easier to measure the results.

If you aren't sure how to implement these trends for your business, contact us! We'll be happy to start a conversation with you about how you can use marketing to see company growth for 2013!

What are you planning for 2013? What trends are you currently implementing? What will you add this coming year?