7 Online Marketing Trends

If you're like me, you were "thankful" to get through 2008, felt "a little better" about 2009, and with 2010 already underway, are "cautiously optimistic" about the year ahead. Here's the bad news: while the "recovery" is said to be occurring, don't expect a rush of new customers knocking at your door.

For most small and mid-sized businesses, while 2010 will be a year of improvement, it won't be easy. And it won't come as a result of the same sales and marketing tactics that served you well in the past. The game has changed. To achieve success in the new decade you too must change the way you engage prospects and customers. You may have tried a selection of online marketing tactics over the past few years – the proverbial "toe in the water." This is the year that you will look at online marketing as more than a series of clever marketing maneuvers, but rather as a comprehensive strategy that will drive new sales opportunities to your business, each and every day.

The following seven online marketing trends spent much of the last few years in the "exploratory" phases; 2010 is the year I predict they come of age. We're actively engaged in each category. You should be too.

1. Social Media as a Fully Integrated New Business Tool

Over the past several weeks, I have been inundated with email about the usage of social media, seminars on social media and how to be more effective with social media. And whereas social media really “arrived” in 2009, I predict that this will be the year when small and middle market companies really get serious about social media. We've had a few years to “play with” the tool set, and now it’s time either to get serious with implementing realistic, well thought out social media strategies for business growth or take it out of your consideration set altogether. With new opportunities to better segment audiences by gender, age, education, income, and a variety of other parameters, now you can really pinpoint the direction of your online marketing initiatives.

But just like any other marketing tactic, you need a plan. What social media platforms make the most sense for your business? Which ones will most likely engage your customers? What is your social media strategy? And who will be responsible for implementing it, and measuring its effectiveness? These are the questions that are already coming up among the businesses we're working and speaking with.

2. Mobile Media Now Part of the Mix

As mobile devices morph from simple talk and text devices to “always have it with me” mobile computers, online marketing is all about targeting the mobile user where they are and when they want to hear from you; that’s not always when they’re sitting in front of their computers. While big companies have been putting together effective mobile media efforts for some time, 2010 is the year that more pockets of small and mid-sized companies will be reaching out through this medium as well.

3. Regional Online Marketing to Pinpoint Regional Opportunities

A number of small and middle market companies have begun to develop and deploy region-specific organic and paid search online marketing programs. As online search has become more geographically targeted, you no longer have to be the small fish in the big pond. You can execute online programs by state, city, town and even zip code to minimize waste and maximize effectiveness in reaching precise regional audiences with your message.

4. Managing and Deploying Effective Content

When it comes to your online presence, the days of a "set it and forget it" website have long passed us by. With the commercialization of blogs, social media presence, online PR and more dynamic web content, companies will begin to realize that an ongoing Content Strategy is required to effectively manage and execute online presence. The expression, "content is king," is very real when it comes to achieving high positioning in organic search. And while "do it yourself" tactics will continue to be available for all of these activities, companies are starting to once again question whether writing to the corporate blog or tinkering with SEO or pay-per-click is truly a core competency of the company and the best way for upper management to spend their day.

The bottom line here? In order to have effective content, you need a content strategy. More companies will come to realize that the most efficient way to manage all the channels of online content is through an outsourced partner.

5. Online Presence Monitoring

This is really about reputation management and using analytics. Small and middle market companies are becoming more accustomed to “following the numbers,” when it comes to website activity, traffic generation, and conversions. In 2010, we'll see more companies establishing real benchmarks for improving their site's ability to create new business opportunities, using dashboards, and establishing KPIs for online activity as part of their regular corporate reporting.

6. Video

This year will probably see video remaining in the exploration phase. But as we are able to cite more companies making effective use of viral YouTube videos, more will step out and try to be creative with video, the accessibility of video production and consumption for online use will continue to increase, and ultimately, video will have to become part of a your company’s content mix.

7. Traditional/Print Marketing

The death knell for newsprint and other print media will continue to sound, but it’s certainly my hope, more than a prediction, that the powers that be will begin to spin the wheels of reinvention and maybe even start to align with mobile devices like Amazon’s Kindle to stay relevant in a world that’s increasingly “plugged in” and no longer reading. In 2010, we'll continue to see the migration of small and mid-sized companies moving away from traditional offline print-based media, and more into online marketing for cost-efficiencies, faster deployment, and more flexibility with targeted messaging to specific target audience groups.

These are really exciting times for online marketing and, in order to stay in the game and stay relevant, small and middle market companies must address these trends as fundamental components of an overall online marketing strategy.

So, what do you think? I’d be interested to hear your opinions on these and any other online marketing trends you’re considering on your “short list” this year.