4 Internet Marketing Trends to Watch in 2013

  

Time flies and with it, the years go by. A good number of businesses are already looking forward to what 2013 has in store. Budgets are being allocated, strategies are being drawn up, and trends are being monitored. On the trends front, there are several being looked at as potentially powerful drivers in the digital world. Here are four that could shake things up in the internet marketing arena.


4 Internet Marketing Trends to Watch in 2013

1. Mobile Integration

The mobile channel continues to expand, and as it grows, so does the potential it offers to marketers. Mobile ends up being a hot trend to keep an on every year, but 2013 could be the year that internet marketers buckle down and get more focused than ever. Where will they focus those efforts? Here are a few areas that will likely receive extra attention.

                                                                       

Smartphones. Mobile devices are amassed by a wide variety of devices, but smartphones are by far and away the biggest segment. Research shows that smartphones account for more than 50% of new mobile device purchases, a trend that is expected to continually soar throughout next year. Marketers who want to get the most from mobile will need to plan for smartphones.

Email. People use their mobile devices to do a lot beyond holding phone conversations, and reading emails consistently ranks high on the list. According to a recent study, mobile users spend an average of more than 11 minutes per day handling email. Optimizing newsletters and other email content will be a top priority for marketers looking to connect on the go.

Mobile payments. Technologies such as NFC are leading the charge in the mobile payment revolution. Google Wallet and other payment solutions are not only empowering consumers, but creating opportunities for marketers as well. With more companies expected to hop onboard, this trend will be one to watch, for sure.

2. Crowdsourcing

Although the concept predates the modern internet, crowdsourcing owes most of its current buzz to the internet era of today. With the help of various third-party services, businesses are learning that crowdsourcing can be an effective way to raise funds, gather feedback, and much more. Outsourcing services such as elance and Guru provide convenient access to the talent, while platforms like Facebook and LinkedIn add a social element that gives this fast growing phenomenon even more potential. Will 2013 be the year you embrace the crowdsourcing craze?

3. Visual Content

Instagram and Pinterest made 2012 the year of visual content. It sort of came out of left field, but in 2013, savvy internet marketers will be prepared — or at least they’d better be. Services mimicking the Instagrams and Pinterests of the web are already springing up. The playing field will look even more attractive next year. Marketers who are able to capitalize on the power of visual content will stand to make out huge.

4. Integrated Intel

Having access to big data becomes a bigger deal the more channels marketers travels across. The increase in touch points and activity has in turn, created more intellect to work with. Unfortunately, handling all that data can be a challenge, and actually putting it to good use even harder. Marketers need systems that enable them to have a holistic view of their impact. Look for more vendors to step up with solutions designed to provide an integrated snapshot of data from social interactions to mobile transactions.

Predictions can be tough to make, but it doesn’t take a crystal ball to get a feel for how the internet marketing landscape is trending. As you may have noticed, many trends are on repeat, showing up in some form or another each year. Some even fade out while opening the door for others. Keep your eyes on the trends that will your internet marketing game strong through 2013 and beyond.

Sources

Marketing Trends

Author Bio

Francis Santos is a writer for Benchmark Email, a best practices event marketing company.