As you begin to plan your marketing for 2014, it’s important to try to anticipate some of the big trends for next year and incorporate them into your plan. Here’s a look at 10 trends that you should definitely consider for your marketing efforts in 2014.
1. Google+ & SlideShare Will Become Big Players.
2013 was the year B2B marketers took advantage of social media and began promoting their content. Google+ is now the second-largest social network with over 359 million monthly users, which is why for 2014, B2B marketers are expected to take that to the next level and use Google+ and SlideShare as daily tools for content dissemination and social sharing.
2. Location-based Content Marketing.
This mobile technology already exists, but you should expect 2014 to be the year tech-savvy businesses will capitalize on location-based marketing. For those who might not be familiar with this form of marketing, location-based marketing allows you to deliver multimedia directly to the user of a mobile device dependent upon their location via GPS technology. This is a growing trend due to the fact that 91 percent of adults have their mobile phones within arm’s reach 24/7.
3. Content Marketing.
Yes, content. The importance of content isn’t changing and will be bigger than ever in 2014. According to Social Media B2B, companies that blog generate 67 percent more leads per month than those who don’t. Expect it to continue to be the most effective way of establishing authority and gaining trust with your customers. You’ll need to make sure you have a solid content marketing strategy that will ensure that you are continually creating valuable content through a variety of channels.
4. Social Media Diversity.
Ninety-three percent of marketers already say they use social media for business, but during the past year, we have seen new social media networks like Pinterest and Instagram surge in popularity and become a part of everyday life. For 2014, it will be essential for businesses to explore and establish their brands on multiple networks in order to stay in contention for their customers’ attention and business.
5. Pictures, Pictures and More Pictures.
Instagram & Pinterest proved that an image can be a powerful thing and in 2014 that trend will be even more apparent. With articles that include an image seeing 94 percent more views, including a picture in a post can greatly increase the chances of it gaining attention. Not only is an image good for grabbing attention, it’s also a great way to give your SEO a boost by using relevant alt and meta tags with each image.
6. Taking a Minimalistic Approach.
The daily life of the average person is hectic enough, which is why simplistic marketing messages instead of in-depth messages are becoming the norm. People don’t want all the clutter and overabundant amounts of information. All they want is the essential information that they will either use or throw away. Brands like Apple and Google have perfected this method with their simplistic ads and website designs.
7. Mobile Accessible Content.
This has been a trend for the past two years, so if you haven’t already taken this into consideration, then you need to start getting prepared or risk falling behind. Mobile devices are now a part of everyday life, which means you need to make sure your website provides a positive experience for those users browsing via a mobile device. If your information doesn’t display properly on mobile devices, you can easily lose customers to competitors who have already adapted to this trend.
8. Social Media Investment.
For many years, social media was a thing you just did, but now it’s a necessary thing that you need to invest in. Social networks like Facebook and LinkedIn allow you to use paid advertising to get your message in front of your audience, so you need to take advantage. Begin investing time and money into these resources and you can improve brand awareness, social signals and reach.
9. Remarketing Services.
Since only 2 percent of web traffic converts on the first visit, ad retargeting has become increasingly popular among businesses looking to increase conversion rates. Remarketing services now let you target those customers that have previously visited your website by displaying your ads on sites they visit in the future. AdRoll, a popular remarketing service provider, was again ranked as one of the fastest growing companies in the country for 2013. I don’t expect this trend to fizzle out any time soon, so if you haven’t looked into remarketing this year, plan on doing so come 2014.
10. Video.
It began with Vine and has emerged as one of the most popular forms of media out there. Now social sites like Instagram and Snapchat include video options in their apps due to the increasing demand for video. These bite-sized pieces of content have grown in popularity, and brands are now using them for short, 3 to 15-second ads. For 2014, you should test the waters and see how you can take advantage of video marketing.
Matt Benedetti, Digital Marketing Specialist, Insivia. Contact Matt at 216/373-1080 or [email protected]. Insivia is an integrated marketing agency in Cleveland, Ohio dedicated to implementing strategies that win and get results. Visit www.Insivia.com to learn how.