As 2012 draws to a close, businesses are looking ahead to the new year.
Looking ahead to 2013, there are several key marketing trends that
should be on the radar of small businesses. Here are three trends small
businesses should be aware of that will decidedly impact how people do
business in 2013:
- Person-to-person connection: With the growth of social media
marketing, consumers increasingly have quicker and more personal access
to companies. Regardless of technological advances, connecting with
people is key to the future success of one's business. Social media
networks such as Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest will become the small
business owner's best friend in reaching out to consumers, providing
instant feedback, and delivering better customer service.
- Mobile-friendly websites will be the new norm: 85% of mobile devices
will be web-enabled by next year. Now more than ever, it is important
to make sure your website is readable on a smartphone or other mobile
device. Load time, readability, and images often show up differently on a
smaller screen. If your website is less functional when viewed on a
mobile device versus a regular PC or laptop, many mobile users will
simply leave your site and you will lose a potential customer. Google notes that 60% of users expect a site to load on their smartphones or tablets in three seconds or less.
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| Source: Savidtech.com |
- Visual content will become more desirable than written content: The
Information Age is starting to take its toll on consumers who are
bombarded with a multitude of direct mail, e-mail, and Internet
advertisements. Less is more will be key in 2013. Moving forward, small
businesses will need to think in terms of visual content and let the
images tell the story and convey the message. Data visualization will
become a renewed art form. One need look no further than Pinterest, a
hybrid of Facebook and Google, to understand just exactly what the
acronym K.I.S. means (Keep It Simple, by the way). Valuable content must
include images, and filtering should be a central practice in order to
help customers get what they need when they need it.
There is no doubt that as the millennial generation gets older and
becomes an ever-increasing power in terms of spending dollars,
businesses will need to adapt their marketing campaigns to suit the
behaviors of these consumers. Millennials want to feel a connection to
the companies with whom they do business. They also want to be able to
access websites from their mobile devices and they want to see what they
are buying before they buy it. Small businesses have an opportunity to
capitalize on the marketing trends for 2013 by connecting with consumers
in more personal and visual ways than in previous years.
I really enjoyed reading about the key marketing trends for 2013. I think that social media has been on the rise for quite some time but as emerging social media networks become more popular, such as Pinterest, organizations must find ways to interact with their target audiences via these platforms. Social media is a great way to build relationships with customers; it creates a sense of community instead of coming off as another sales pitch. When done right, social media creates conversation with customers who have given permission to be marketed to. Social media is something that customers must opt-in to when they ‘follow’ or ‘like’ a retailer. These are the best customers, they willingly want to hear from the retailer and engage in conversation.
ReplyDeleteRegarding mobile-friendly websites, it is helpful to be reminded that as technology changes, we must assure that our websites are able to be viewed across multiple platforms. If it is not easily viewed on desktops, tablets, smartphones, etc. we cannot promote a product because the content is lost. Mobile-friendly websites should be a priority to organizations so that they can interact with their target audience.