2013 has been a banner year for internet marketing. Overall, the shift has dominantly swayed to content marketing, touting quality information shares over slick hard sells. Dozens of startups have helped shaped the future landscape, rendering marketers all the more powerful with newfound tools and stats. And, of course, Google continuously mixed things up to keep everyone on their toes.
It’s easy to list a myriad of inventions and innovations in the dynamic online marketing space; the hard part is deciding which trends will matter most in 2014. The list below looks into the proverbial crystal ball and thoughtfully seeks to predict the most relevant marketing advances in the coming year.
Back to Basics: Embracing Simplicity
In the world of big data and a seemingly endless barrage of consumer choices, many brands began rising above the noise in 2013 by embracing (or going back to) the art of simplicity.
According to a study done by the Future Foundation this year, 44% of women and 32% of men prefer to be connected to their mobile phones “at all times.” This is notable only when comparing it to the data from 2008, when 60% of women and 54% of men responded the same.
This is a normal progression in the adoption waves of technology. People jump on trends, get consumed, then fall back to a more simplified and balanced approach. Forward-thinking marketers have capitalized on this trend already.
More and more restaurants like New York’s Rice to Riches and Chicago-based The Meatloaf Bakery are sprouting up everywhere, and their claim to fame is they literally sell only one thing (in this case, rice pudding and meatloaf shaped cupcakes, respectively.) Travel companies like Mr. and Mrs. Smith are offering highly specialized services, like a listing that consists only of luxury romantic hotels. Design, marketing messages, product offerings – you name it, everything is getting simplified.
Why is this trend likely to continue? Because the selection of choices won’t be diminishing anytime soon, if ever. Jim Whyte, an analyst at design consultancy Fitch, breaks it down like this: “This sense of being overwhelmed is a symptom of the multiple messages, choices and responsibilities that people face today, For many brands a focus on simplicity is key to differentiating themselves from this noise.”
Alternative Currencies
It seems everybody and their financial advisor – even Ron Paul – is talking about alternative currencies; especially Bitcoin. Bitcoin is a decentralized digital currency that is starting to see significant adoption from online and even offline retailers and service providers. And boy is it growing in value. Just six months ago, 1 Bitcoin (btc) equaled about $98. Today, it’s worth well over $1,000.
Sites like the dating mecca OKCupid and the website building tool WordPress have been accepting Bitcoin for almost a year. Scores of nonprofits have started accepting Bitcoin as donations, including The Internet Archive. Countries like Canada and Sweden have even started installing Bitcoin ATMs.
The early adoption phase for Bitcoin and the many other alternative currencies is far from over. Innovative and adventurous companies are adopting this trend in droves, and then weaving the usage into whip-smart marketing campaigns.
People are paying big bucks to acquire these businesses, too. Gambling website SatoshiDICE sold for 11.5 million in 2013, proving that this financial revolution is likely here to stay.
The New Mobile Domination
Mobile domination is hardly a new trend, but its expansion into new marketing frontiers continues into 2014. More and more businesses will not only have a prominent small-scene presence, but increasingly, many will solely operate in the mobile space.
Is it really time to go small-screen specific? It is. It really is. A 2012 Pew Internet survey revealed that 55 percent of Americans have used a smartphone to access the web, and a staggering 31 percent say it’s their primary means. That was 12 long months ago; you better believe the 2013 results are going nowhere but up.
More poignant to marketers and business owners in the next year is focusing on mobile-only campaigns and SEO efforts. If your business is in the least bit prominent on small screens, gear up to market solely to those users and attempt to engage them all the more. Furthermore, it will become increasingly necessary to adapt your homepage and purchase pages to a mobile-centric experience. Finally, consider launching a full-on mobile SEO strategy, with targeted keywords and content crafted specifically for mobile users.
Remarketing Has Its Day
The term “remarketing” is becoming all the rage in the latter part of 2013, and for good reason. It references campaigns with target customers who have showed an interest in your product or company, but who have not yet purchased. Because it’s far more effective to convert almost-customers to brand new recruits, this trend is likely to see a dramatic surge in 2014.
Remarketing campaigns can take any shape or form. They are highly popular in the paid search space, with some agencies offering remarketing packages that go after customers who abandoned a website before completing the purchase or sign-up step. They are also employed in various other ways, as the focus on retention marketing overall gains momentum over the traditional acquisition strategies. Check your metrics to see how many folks you could reach out to that have visited your site without converting; chances are you have droves of semi-interested parties that, with the right incentive, could become bona fide customers.
These are just a few of the trends that are likely to continue to blaze a trail in 2014. Which tactics did you employ this year that you will include in next year’s strategy?
resource: http://www.sitepronews.com/2013/12/12/top-2013-marketing-trends-will-thrive-2014/
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