2012 predictions
I’ve been looking through a few digital marketing predictions for 2012. All in all, it’s going to be a very busy year! A few stand out though and are shared across most of the blogs.
MOBILE. Yes, all caps. As I mentioned in my blog on last years web summit, mobile is becoming increasingly important when it comes to both search and purchasing. It is the most convenient to use and is always with you and always on. The development of HTML5 is also helping improve the functionality and usability of mobile web sites. It’s rumoured that both Amazon and Facebook are currently developing their own Smartphone devices to launch in 2012/13. It’s not going to be long before every pocket has a smartphone in it and brands should start planning now on how this will impact their marketing strategies.
Better Targeting and Analysis. With the amount of consumer information growing exponentially, 2012 will see the software to analyse this information and target users becoming smarter, cheaper and easier to use. A good example of this is Facebook Open Graph.
Social Media will continue to be important in 2012, but how it’s used is becoming more sophisticated. Which is important given the push-back from users from the brand onslaught they experienced over recent years. Brands are realizing that one must combine great content with social media activity in order to bring about success. Just being in the space is no longer enough. There will also be an increase in how brands interact with their customers through Social Media, from collaboration through to concept testing and launch.
Peer rating. So Google + didn’t quite take off as expected in 2011. But the experts all agree that Peer rating will become increasingly important, not just for consumers, but also for Facebook and Google’s revenue streams.
These are just the tip of the digital iceberg. 2012 is going to be a very exciting year for digital marketing. Other things to keep an eye on… how will Facebook use the large cash injection they’ll receive this year from their IPO to further their plans for world domination? And how will HTML5 (and similar) change the Mobile Apps v Mobile Websites battle?
