Effective marketing strategies are ever-changing. They constantly need to be modified based on the changes and development in media and communication. Considering 2013 is quickly coming to an end, make the most of your business in 2014 by taking into consideration a few trends.
Social Media will be a MUST.
Social media will move from “maybe” to “definitely” in 2014. It will no longer be considered just a free promotional tool. It’s becoming increasingly important to incorporate social media into a company’s overall marketing strategy. It helps broadcast the message, keeps customers engaged and allows for a well rounded relationship between a business and customer. When developing a marketing strategy for 2014, social media will help strengthen your relationships but it will also give you direct access to notify your fans about events, rewards, perks, etc. We’ve seen this year that social media is a conversational marketing tool that if used correctly, can take your brand to a whole new level.
Mobile Madness
We all know that people use their phones all day long. Over 1.2 billion people access the web from their mobile devices. They email, text, post, search and more. With this being said, the chances of someone stumbling on your site through a mobile device are very likely. According to Google Insights, 77% of mobile searches are done in a location, work or home, in which a computer is readily available and 61% of people have a better opinion of brands when they offer a good mobile experience . These statistics prove how crucial it is to make sure your site is mobile friendly.
Think images
Consumers respond well to engaging visuals. The consistent trend in 2013 of sharing images (and video) has been growing and visual content is becoming an increasingly important part of any solid content strategy. Image-based social media sites like Pinterest and Tumblr are likely to grow requiring businesses to become more savvy about sharing photos on their websites and blogs. The number one concern is to consider what your consumers respond to as we move into 2014.
Think video
Video is key when developing a marketing strategy. It’s the easiest way to deliver your message to a enormous amount of people for a small amount of money. With all the social sites catching onto the video trend, micro video will continue to rise in popularity. We’re seeing more movement toward user generated video sharing through smartphones.
Cisco predicts 85% of all internet traffic in 2015 will be video so it’s safe to say video and social media will continue to grow. As far as brand videos go, engagement is the main concern. Number of views is always important but the focus is shifting away from that number and more towards the levels of engagement with the viewers. Brands are now concerned more with whether or not their messages are impacting their consumers positively after they’ve viewed it rather than being focused only on the number of those who have seen it.
What are you changing moving into 2014? Let us know in the comment section below!
