Top Trends In Digital Marketing
With so many marketing channels available today, it can be challenging to understand the benefits, downsides, and quirks of them all. It seems like every month there is a new trend – what’s hot today is not tomorrow. Trying to stay on top of all the new developments in the digital space can be overwhelming for marketers.
If this sounds like you, remember to take a step back and focus on your message first and the medium second. Don’t “do” social media because everyone’s talking about it. Don’t create a QR code (or fall for their myths) because it’s the cool thing to do. Know your audience, their habits, and where they spend their time. Then choose the right medium.
With that said, we wanted to take a moment to step back to review the top trends in digital marketing. If you’re serious about generating demand and marketing products online, consider the following channels. These should be your building blocks of a digital marketing program.
Paid Search
Marketers invest more money in paid search than any other digital channel. Over 40% of all online advertising dollars goes to buying ads on search engines. It’s no surprise. Paid search is cost effective, measurable, highly targeted, and drives immediate results. We advised one client to stop buying Yellow Page ads and buy Google AdWords instead. They’re now getting far more traffic to their website at a much cheaper cost.
Online Video
Online video is the fastest growing online channel in the U.S. Online video is quickly becoming one of the hottest trends in digital marketing. It’s a great way for businesses to create a more personal interaction with their customers. Producing an online video is also affordable. The right combination of humor, surprise, timing, and luck can create a viral sensation, with people sharing your video with their friends. Online videos can also help with SEO efforts. Videos on YouTube show up well on Google searches.
Social
People spend more time on Facebook than any other website. In the past year, Facebook has surpassed each of the top three largest web properties – Google, Yahoo, and MSN – in time spent interacting on the site. Pretty impressive. Furthermore, Nielsen reports 55% of U.S. adults have at least one or more social networking profiles. The popularity of social networking is expected to increase.
Mobile
The number of people owning smartphones in the US continues to climb. At the end of last year, 27% of U.S. cell phones owners had a smartphone. People nowadays are using their phones beyond just talking – they’re texting, watching videos, searching, and surfing the web. If you don’t have a mobile version of your website, you should think about creating one. At PWB, we have a mobile version of our website specifically designed for the smaller screens of a cell phone and optimized to load up to 6 times faster than our regular website.
What do you think of these stats? Do you think the rise of social networking will continue? What trends do you see with mobile marketing? Have you had success with paid search? Leave your comments below.