Digital C4 2013 Digital Marketing Insights

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Digital C4
2013 Digital Marketing Insights
Last year we provided you with our first Digital Insights
– a look into the year ahead in Digital Marketing. Some
predictions we got right; some we didn’t, but we hope
that our thoughts helped you plan for the year ahead.
Again this year, we’ve outlined 12 things to consider
as you plan your strategies for the New Year.
www.digitalc4.com
Digital C4 LLC
4804 NW Bethany Blvd, STE i2140
Portland, Oregon 97229
Digital Marketing Insights - 2013 503.351.8995

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General Thoughts

Last year we talked about how PULL marketing was
replacing – or at least seriously augmenting – PUSH
marketing. Social media, fed by well-written,
optimized content, helps buyers make decisions, and
brands that understand this and participate will reap
the benefits.

2013 We don’t think much has changed this year. In fact, content will
continue to play a large role in online brand visibility. Content goes
beyond the written word – especially this year – to include video,
SlideShare, and other interactive formats. So hold on to your
hats… Big Data is going to get even bigger!

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Search Engine Marketing

Bing will make serious inroads into
Google’s share of search marketing.
Microsoft is spending over $100 million on the launch of its new Windows 8
operating system, and while sales have been a little sluggish out of the gates,
they are seeing success. As more people opt for Windows 8 cross-device
integration – computer, tablet, phone – more people will jump on board. Since
Windows 8 provides search functionality via Bing, it stands to reason that
they’ll take some market share from Google. I mean come on… Google has
such a dominant share this isn’t a huge prediction. The key though is how
much share, and what that does to SEO best practices.

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Link building as we know it will disappear,
becoming a real link building effort based
in sweat and equity.
SEO providers have long included link building as a strategic tactic, yet it
hasn’t been that strategic. Links from sites with Page rank of 0, 1 or 2 was
long the norm, but not any longer. Now, building links will become more
difficult but rewarding if done right. Developing relationships with relevant
bloggers, aligning strategic partnerships with online publications will become
part of a strategic link building effort that if done right will pay dividends. Still
employing the old tactics? You may see some penalties!

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Mobile search will become a more
important strategy as portable device
sales overtake desktops.
It’s already happening… mobile devices and tablets are overtaking PC sales
for the first time ever. This is not a fad, but a trend that signals people are
mobile. Combined with BYOD, the need to include mobile search into your
search marketing mix will become increasingly important. Those that do not
will begin to lose organic traffic to those that do. Time to get ready!

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Count on more and more Google changes
that focus on the importance of CONTENT.
No going out on a limb here… Google made 10’s of changes in their
algorithm surrounding content alone, so I wouldn’t expect them to stop now.
I’d be prepared (if I were you) to increase your stream of well-written content.
It’s what people are searching for; it’s what Google wants to present. Blogs,
articles, SlideShares, videos, forums/communities… it has to be focused,
relevant, optimized, and well-written and or produced. If done right, however,
good content can help small brands compete with larger brands for online
share of search.

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Content Creation & Blogging

Think outside the blog.

Blogs are the obvious content outlet, and will always play a role as a content
marketing outlet, but 2013 – with everyone understanding the importance of
content – will trigger the need for differentiation. Videos… sure, makes sense.
SlideShares… yup… still relevant. Those companies that think even more out
of the box, however, will benefit the most. Think gamification and other
disruptive avenues.

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Blogs will play a more prominent role in
lead generation.
With HubSpot and the Content Marketing Institute’s recent research that
showed blogs playing a major role in lead generation efforts, more companies
will employ a blog in their marketing strategy. This will mean that more blogs
need to take steps to differentiate themselves from their competition. So the
question becomes… where in the sales cycle will a blog play a role? The
answer depends on the industry, target audience, and length of sales cycle…
are you ready?

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Traditional PR agencies will focus on
content well beyond the press release.
This trend has already begun, but in 2013 there won’t really be a PR agency.
There will be a content marketing agency that helps move the public relations
needle. Press releases – in the traditional sense – will really become an
extension of blogs and other content that companies will need to take part in
social media conversations.

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Big Data will (at least for larger
companies) begin to drive content
creation.
Big Data may finally pay dividends. The sheer amount of data that companies
are accumulating and that individuals are creating is astronomical! But unless
it’s being analyzed, dissected and used to make decisions it’s essentially
useless. 2013 will signal the year that companies make use of this data to
create content, position their brands based on the consumption of data.
Unfortunately this will be costly leaving smaller organization forced to play a
waiting game until analytics options become less expensive.

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Social Media

Marketing automation will play a
greater role in social media.

Most of marketing automation to date has been all about drip, email
marketing. In 2013, marketing automation will become more involved in social
media conversation. Not sure this will be well-received or not, but it’s bound
to happen since social media will continue to play a greater role in movement
through the sales cycle. Will buyers call foul? Will social media lose its
genuineness? Time will tell…

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Social Media

Channel convergence will separate the
players from the played.
Facebook is the gold standard for B2C social media marketing. LinkedIn,
likewise, is the standard for B2B. So where does that leave other social
platforms? Pinterest has a niche… as does Twitter. But what about Google +?
And then there are the countless smaller social media platforms that continue to
pepper our inboxes with updates that frankly we ignore and delete. We think
2013 ushers these smaller, insignificant players out the back door. Bye XING…
logged on once or twice. You’ll be missed?

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Social Media

Facebook growth will stagnate, prompting
significant changes (for the better?)
Facebook is huge! One in seven on the planet is on the social media platform,
so it only stands to reason that its growth will slow and stagnate some. But
now that it’s public and revenues are a focus, it’ll be forced to make changes
that will make some unhappy. Recently a friend said he found a McDonald’s
sponsored post in his personal timeline. Rumors are also flying that video ads
are coming to the timeline. Ready for those Audi commercials? If you “like”
Audi then you’ll probably see them. Not sure about you but certainly
something that would make most not too happy!

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Social Media

Companies will finally give in and realize
that social media isn’t going away,
resulting in budget line-items.
No matter the size of the company, 2013 will mark the year that companies
realize social media isn’t going away. They will be forced to consider, budget,
and plan for how to accommodate social media as it WILL play a role in their
marketing mix. So what will it be? Small toe in the water? Or make a big
splash with a ‘cannon ball coming’ all-in social media push?

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Questions?

Got a question about any of
these insights? Got some
insights of your own you’d
care to share? Email us at
Insights@DigitalC4.com.

Digital C4 LLC

Digital C4 2013 Digital Marketing Insights

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