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January 23, 2012
As we kick off a new year, one of our favorite things to do at North Star is to research marketing and communication trend predictions for the year to come. It's exciting for us to paint a picture of the marketing landscape that we can expect and prepare ourselves for.
Looking at the challenges and opportunities ahead, we've put together a few smart marketing goals-and tools we're hearing about that could help you achieve those goals-that are sure to keep you ahead of the marketing game in 2012.
- You need a mobile web strategy. For the first time in the history of computing, tablet sales have surpassed desktop sales. By 2015, more people will access the web via a mobile device than through traditional desktop internet access. You must optimize your website for viewing on an iPhone or other mobile devices or risk your brand going unnoticed. Also keep an ear out for mobile-friendly features that could be relevant for your company, like Foursquare and QR Codes, to make your brand more accessible.
- Get in the interactive age. We have been hearing great things about an interactive presentation service picking up steam called Prezi . It is a cloud-based presentation software and storytelling tool for exploring and sharing ideas upon a virtual canvas. You can use it to turn your next sales pitch or staff meeting into a fun and engaging video presentation that is sure to make people take notice. We're planning to test out Prezi soon at North Star, so we will keep you posted on its success.
- Open up your social media platforms. In 2012 social media will play an even larger role in a company's online ranking. Instead of search engine optimization just weighing the relevance and frequency of keywords from a company site, it takes into consideration their social influence as well. E.g., a purple shutter company with 400 Facebook likes ranks higher than a purple shutter company with no social media presence. It's becoming more and more important that your social media strategy gets everyone in your company socially enabled and acting as a brand ambassador, getting them out there and participating in the conversation.
These recommendations involve tools and technologies that center around three of the major trends we have seen throughout predictions for marketing in 2012-convenience, conversation and fun. With those on the forefront of marketers' minds, it sounds like it will be a good year!
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