Website Marketing Trends for 2012
The year is almost at an end, and what a crazy year it has been! Amongst the highlights are: The launch of Google+, the revamp of Facebook, search algorithms being updated left and right, and many more astonishing changes came in 2011.
Are you ready for 2012? There are many trends emerging for 2012, with many more ideas sprouting every day. With thousands of ideas and trends being brought to light, how can you possibly choose the right strategy? By recognizing the trends and making sure you choose a strategy that puts you in front of your target audience, no matter when or which way the marketing winds blow.
2012 looks to be an exciting year for internet marketing, so let’s take a look at the predictions for 2012.
Mobile Web Increases in Market share
The rising trend of increasing mobile viewers is going to continue growing through 2012. With new tablets coming out every week, this prediction is a safe bet for any internet marketer. Keep in mind that the amount of PayPal mobile purchases increased on Black Friday by 516% compared to last year, so make sure your mobile strategy comes complete with online payment in order to reap the most revenue from your website.
Video Marketing through YouTube
If your website has not implemented this strategy already, then you may really want to consider taking on video marketing through YouTube. Whether it is webinars or straight promotional videos, make sure you carve out your own slice of the 2 billion views a day YouTube receives. Bloggers need not fear though; you can’t search a video for specific information through Google. At least not yet.
Organic Search Increases in Importance
You may be asking yourself: “How can Organic Search become more important?” The reason is: “Because Google is focused on improving their search.”
Google has made some huge changes including the latest algorithm change that makes content updating important. Ever Since the Google Panda Update on April 11, 2011, Organic Search has been increasing in important ever since. So what does this mean? This means that your website must adapt quickly in 2012 to whatever Google will throw at you. Stay on top of the changes, and optimize the best you can for the keyword phrases that best describe your content.
Social Media Wars
This year has seen the launch of Google+, the revision of Facebook, and now the remodeling of Twitter with their latest Brand Pages. Klout now has something like 10 different ways to connect and show your social media prowess. Foursquare lets you check in everywhere. Stumble on a story, reddit, and then digg it if you found the content deli.co.us. So on, and on, and on.
The point I am trying to make is that 2011 marks the major players (and some minor ones) in the Social Media universe. The social mediasphere is now flooded. The Google tidal wave that consumes all that opposes its reign has set its sight on social media. This means that as a business make sure you choose the one (or ones) that will survive.
Ok, so I am being a little dramatic with my prediction, but the simple truth is that the social media market share can only be split so many ways. At some point in business, somebody has to lose for others to win.
Engagement
To put it into one word. One way advertising is falling in popularity every year, and now potential clients expect more human engagement in their daily consumption of social media advertising. The next year is going to see some major improvements in social media engagement. Engage with your customers, and then they will engage with others. Once your campaign goes viral, you have hit the big time. Sounds easy, but nothing is harder to achieve in social media than this strategy.
If you are struggling with social media engagement, examine the 7 levels of social media engagement and start planning your strategy because “If you build it, they will come” can’t be farther from the truth in 2012.
So, what do you think? Do you have any prediction(s) you would bet your money on for 2012? I would love to hear your thoughts.
