The dawn of the digital age has ushered in forms of marketing that consumers won’t (necessarily) hate and things seem to be going well. Businesses and brands of all shapes and sizes have been getting to grips with online platforms that have also opened up the world of digital marketing for companies at the smallest end of the scale.
In 2012, there was a great deal of consolidation among marketers as they devoted more resources to conquering the brave new worlds of social media and online engagement, but what does 2013 hold for these areas?
Media-Rich Content is King
Regular content seems to be in danger of being usurped in 2013, as the trend towards media-rich posts grows. Statistics seem to support this trend, with Hubspot finding that photos on Facebook generate over 50 per cent more likes than regular posts.
Similarly, video engagement has seen massive growth throughout 2012. A Sysomos breakdown of figures on bloggers and video services found that YouTube was the most favoured on the internet and that young men tend to engage the most with such content.
Video also seems to be one of most effective for brands, with users both clicking on more ads and visiting more brand pages after viewing the relevant ad.
Mobile
The first quarter of 2012 saw the global smartphone market leap by more than 40 per cent, contributing to 36.4 per cent year-on-year growth in the sector for 2012.
Given this exponential growth, it seems it’s well worth focusing on the mobile experience when planning your online marketing activities. Indeed, research from the Internet Advertising Bureau found that mobile-optimised sites enjoy two minutes more of dwell time than those that aren’t.
G+ is Go
Google+ has shrugged off its status as a newcomer and exploded in popularity throughout 2012. A new report from Global Web Index found that G+ was the second most active social network last month – outperforming stalwarts like Twitter, YouTube and LinkedIn.
Marketers are also keen to jump on the bandwagon, with more than 40 per cent of respondents to a Hubspot survey describing it was “useful to critical” for their brand. Google’s not content to rest on its laurels, however, and has consistently pushed out new features (some of which are especially beneficial for brand pages).
The Developing Digital Domain
The internet now reaches an estimated 30 per cent of the global population, racking up more than two billion users across the world. North America is a leader in terms of penetration and 41 per cent of people claim they “need the internet in their everyday life”.
While conversing with friends and family is still a priority for most, chatting to friends via Facebook and browsing blogs are also among the most popular activities. Similarly, social networks reach 22 per cent of people on the planet, with North America again emerging as a leader in this regard.
These trends paint an interesting picture of how 2013 is shaping up for digital marketers. While many seem to go hand-in-hand with improving technology, some seem to be the result of growing savvy in the consumer base.
How marketers address the opportunities and challenges presented by such trends will define the sector in 2013, while those who are reluctant to get stuck in to these exciting new areas are likely to be unceremoniously left behind by competitors that do.
About the Author: This article was brought to you by Gerald Heneghan on behalf of Custard, an online PR agency offering a range of tailored services.