What can you expect for your digital marketing in 2013?
Here’s my take on the trends…
Downgrade of Facebook
I predict that Facebook will become less important to businesses that don’t already have high consumer engagement. (For high consumer engagement, think brands such as Coca-Cola and Carters. Facebook’s changes probably won’t impact them too much.)
Facebook is known for making frequent updates, but the ones coming out now tend to hinder, not help, social media marketers.
Paid promotion… limiting exposure of linked posts… these tactics are designed to drive revenue for Facebook, not facilitate marketers. They make the return on investment too low for the average business. Why put so much time into messages that may or may not be seen?
Think I’m wrong? Take a look at this post from Google+:
Or how about this post by Digiday: The End of the Facebook Like Bubble, by Josh Sternberg. It’s just a matter of time before businesses find a better platform for building their fan base.
The truth is, we don’t own our real estate on Facebook, so we don’t have control over if or how that space fulfills our business objectives. We think of social media as free advertising space, but on Facebook, terms are changing.
Rise of LinkedIn and Twitter
Pinterest has already begun to dominate social media marketing. In 2013, more businesses will try it out to see if it works for their brand.
LinkedIn and Twitter will grow in popularity among social media marketers, and Google+ will grow, but more slowly.
This is because strategies for Twitter and LinkedIn are already well established. Marketers are still learning how to utilize Google+ for maximum engagement.
Not only that, for most businesses, there aren’t enough people in the target audience using Google+, which means, at least for now, the return on investment isn’t much better than Facebook.
That said, as businesses look for alternatives to Facebook, Google+ may begin to gain popularity. The trick will be how soon they’re able to connect with their fans and followers there.
Mobile will separate the pack in email marketing
Take a look at these stats:
- 76% of smartphone owners send or receive email via their mobile device (Pew Internet and American Life, January 2012).
- In 2013, the majority of email messages will be read on mobile devices (Return Path, 2012).
- In 2011, there were 90.1 million smartphone users; in 2012, that number is projected to reach 106.7 million; by 2015, that number is expected to increase to 148.6 million, representing 58% of mobile phone users (eMarketer, U.S. Digital Usage Report, 2012).
As more marketers adopt mobile-friendly layout in their emails, people will become less patient with those that don’t. Businesses that don’t create emails that render well on any device will lose readership.
More businesses will adopt content marketing
Since content is rising in importance as an SEO tactic, content marketing will be adopted by businesses that have previously been on the fence.
This influx of new content marketers — and content creators who may not be doing it for the right reasons — could lower the overall quality of online content.
This will do two things: it will separate great content marketers from the pack as they consistently deliver valuable, actionable information, and it will make people less likely to click on links from businesses they don’t already know or recognize.
It will become increasingly important to think about quality, not just quantity, when creating content.
How can you stay ahead of the trends?
Social media
Continue to use all the social media channels that currently work for you.
In Facebook, focus more on building relationship than promoting your businesses. When you post links, try disabling the thumbnail for better reach.
Build your audience in Twitter and, if you’re a B2B company, LinkedIn. Post regularly in Google+ and dedicate time to finding and engaging with your ideal customers there.
Email marketing
Make sure your emails are easy to read on mobile devices. If your email provider has a template that automatically adopts the correct format for the device, use it.
If your email provider doesn’t, consider MailChimp. Their new mobile-friendly template is flexible and easy to use. (I converted my newsletter in just a few minutes.)
Content
Integrate your website, social media and content. Make sure you deliver a consistent message across all channels. Be sure to create content is useful and valuable to your target audience.
Continue to test results to find out what ideas and topics connect with people. These are the subjects you need to create more content for.
What’s your forecast?
This is what I see coming. What about you? Share your ideas in the comments below.
Image by jeltovski
