And just like that, another year is gone, and we're standing tall and facing a virtual clean slate. I'm like everyone else this time of the year; I'm
The year 2013 was a significant one in digital marketing. It was the year that a lot of the people and businesses who had resisted utilizing social media sites finally admitted that it wasn't going anywhere. Unfortunately for a lot of those folks, the price they're paying for waiting is that they've given up a lot of traction that those who were early adopters benefited from.
So what are the trends for 2014, and what can you expect to see happen? In my opinion—a lot is going to happen, and it's going to happen at a very quick pace. Here are the things that I believe you'll see this year and tips for optimizing your presence:
Facebook: If you're not spending money on some form of ads or promotion, you're not going to be seen. At all. I predicted 3 years ago that Facebook would eventually be a "pay to play" spot for brands and business owners, and this year was that year. We started noticing a decline in "engagement" several months ago, and a couple of months ago, Facebook changed their algorithms (again), and it became VERY clear that the only pages that were being seen were the ones that had ads running and even those weren't guaranteed. In addition to putting ad dollars into your budget, I recommend that you start turning your attention to other sites (if you haven't already) such as Google+, Pinterest, etc. In addition to that, you should focus on your own website and blog.
Google+: I know a lot of you either fight this one or possibly aren't even aware that it exists. I think 2014 will be the year that Google+ really rises to the frontline of many more users and companies. Why? It's Google and if you're marketing your brand online and not using Google+, you're missing a huge opportunity to increase your SEO and Google rankings. You aren't nearly as limited to what you can do there, and (for now) it's still free. You can join and create communities that are related to your company, tag topics, and so much more.
Promoted Tweets/Posts/Ads: Something you'll see a lot more of in 2014 are these items. We've had great success with promoted posts and ads and will continue to use them on Facebook (remember... you almost have to spend $$ there now...) as well as onTwitter. Google+ is slowly rolling out +Post ads, and Q4 saw sponsored posts on Instagram show up for select brands. The good news about putting money into your budget for these kinds of ad buys is that you'll gain more views, and you'll be able to have a definitive ROI.
Niche Sites: Instagram and Pinterest aren't so niche anymore, they're mainstream. If you are a B2C business and not using these sites, you're getting left behind. More and more people are using their smart phones and tablets more frequently than their laptops and desktops, and these sites dominate. I've never been a fan of Facebook's mobile site/app (in my opinion one of the primary reasons the 13-25 crowd don't use it), and these sites have done a bang- up job of creating a very pleasing user experience. People are busy and on the go and thus, want their information in quick sound bites that they can see now and read later. These sites offer that.
Which leads me to my last point... visually appealing posts. If you're not using a lot of imagery in your marketing and communications, you need to start. Think of all the information that is thrown at YOU in any given day (or hour). What makes you stop? Images. I'm not saying to fill your streams with memes of Grumpy Cat, but with sites like Google+, Instagram,and Pinterest, images are critical. I still find that straight text works best for Facebook. You should also always have an image in your blog posts and double bonus points if those images are "pinnable."
What plans are you putting into place this year? Will you add any new sites to your marketing toolbox?
