As inventive as 2011 was in the worlds of social media, digital marketing and branding, 2012 looks to be one that will take web users and company marketers to new heights.
We’ve gathered a few snapshots below from well-known web prognosticators around anticipated trends in social media marketing, digital branding and mobile-local search. If you’re a local business using social media marketing to further your growth, you should definitely check these key points below.
Clearly, the most exciting trend is the one that has consumers going mobile. CNET writes that ‘Mobile social networking means good news for new social startups’ and notes that more than half of US consumers will have smartphones in 2012. CNET also notes that Facebook and Twitter will still matter greatly, yet tips its hat to Twitter for “its simplicity and effectiveness, especially with the upcoming Super Bowl 2012 and the US political election year on the horizon.
Social Media Today (a great daily read, btw) offers its take on 2012 trends by suggesting three big surges – ‘Go Mobile’, ‘Go Cross-Platform’ and ‘Get in the Cloud’ – that businesses should be on the watch.
“Stay ahead of the curve in 2012 and interact with your on-the-go audience in fun and unique ways,” Social Media writes. “Utilize check-ins, instant offers or coupons to engage your audience in real-time. Think about using QR codes, which are underused and often misunderstood; when used properly they can help drive consumer behavior and can be a great compliment to a promotion such as a sweepstakes.”
Using these tools described above for localized search opportunities is very exciting. At Mint Social, we’re committed to helping businesses with their localized search optimization – we’ve even coined it as ‘GeoSomo’ for geographically targeted mobile social media marketing. Recent numbers show that Mobile search clicks are now expected to hit 20% in 2012, and that half of all local searches will be done on mobile devices. We expect to see and learn more about advances in mobile search, mobile payments, mobile advertising initiatives and using mobile to connect with your users, customers and social media fans, quickly and (mostly) effortlessly.
You will also see social media budgets rise in 2012, as everything the brand and company does from a public perspective can now rightly be categorized under social media. More than 1/3 of all US businesses have upped their budgets for digital marketing by 50% for 2012. This makes sense for the C-suite, as social media will help to increase sales, by being integrated into company web sites and into its very business fabric on all new projects and endeavors. Social media will feed the company’s businesses, and the company’s business will feed its social media.
It’s an exciting time to be a digital marketer – if your business needs guidance in navigating online social networking, get in touch with us at Mint Social. We may have answers you’re seeking.
