Last year mobile marketing took off like a rocket, Facebook’s audience matured and Google’s Panda update decimated junky websites. 2012 looks set to be another year of big change in the marketing world. Here are bda’s predictions for what the next twelve months have in store:
A frantic rush to optimise for mobile – After many false dawns, the era of mobile has finally arrived. What does this mean for your business? You need to ensure that when people arrive on your website it doesn’t look as though it’s been pushed through a mangle. How? You’ll find some tips on creating a mobile optimised website in this post.
More digital activity on tablets – Apple will see plenty of challengers to its iPad this year. With tablets set to flood people’s homes, it’s important to ensure your website can grow or shrink as necessary to fit on a variety of screens. This can be achieved through ‘responsive website design’ which you can conveniently read about in this post.
Google+ plays its ace card to attract brands (users remain confused) – People still seem to be scratching their heads wondering what to do with Google’s social network. But should Google choose to flick one of their magic switches and make Google+ votes a key factor in deciding search rankings, you can expect to see brands and businesses rushing to get pages set up and asking for votes like its election day. Whether users will follow remains to be seen, as Facebook seems to be upping its game.
Make or break for QR codes – QR codes were popping up on TV, in printed ads and even on instore displays throughout 2011. The question is whether marketers will continue to be creative in ways they can be used or slapped on everything in replacement of a URL. 2012 could be the year in which QR codes either boom or bust.
Niche marketing continues to grow – If you’ve a special ‘niche’ interest it’s never been easier to indulge, with a wealth of podcasts, blogs and other digital content at your fingertips. Seth Godin predicted in his book ‘We Are All Weird’ that we are entering an era when people spend more time consuming niche content and less on mass media. We tend to agree. So if you’ve got a niche product, there’s never been an easier time to promote it and reach an audience with useful, informative content.
Smarter use of analytics – With tools like Google Website Optimizer and Google Analytics available for free, there really is no excuse for not measuring what works and what doesn’t on your website. We think the use of analytics will become more sophisticated in 2012, as marketers seek to bridge the gaps in the pipeline between Likes, Tweets and SEO with the results they can expect on their website. Knowledge is power, so get prepared to watch those stats in 2012.
The bricks and mortar world adopts digital practices – With reputations built and broken online last year, real world stores are likely to be more forward in asking for positive reviews, Likes and mentions when you next write about them online. Reputation management should now be on every marketer’s agenda (if it isn’t already).
So there you have it – a lot of trends to watch out for this year. Others which deserve a mention include gamification, social advertising, augmented reality and tablet apps.
It looks set to be another busy and, dare we say it, exciting year in this fast-paced marketing world of ours.
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bda (Buckingham Design Associates) blog – real people giving real opinions, and a complete lack of agency waffle. Award winners bda delivers an exciting blend of design and creative marketing for the Oxford, Milton Keynes, Northampton and London region
