10 Advertising and Marketing Trends to Watch in 2013 

In the past few years we’ve seen social media, blogging, mobile devices, and more change the way businesses advertise, and while you may wish for things to slow down a bit to allow you to catch your breath — don’t count on it. 2013 promises even more creative and innovative marketing trends, and the more you embrace them the better chance you have of staying relevant to your customers.

As you plan your year’s campaigns, consider these upcoming trends:

“Underground” marketing

Whether using traditional or online marketing, advertising budgets are tight all around, which will cause many to look for more creative and alternative forms of advertising, such as private events, exclusive parties, unusual sponsorships, and other grass roots endeavors. Besides being new and different, such campaigns tend to have a bit of a “cool” factor that consumers want to be a part of.

Growth of Augmented Reality

Augmented reality may seems like something out of a science-fiction movie, but innovations over the last year have made this form of advertisement ready for the masses. If you’re unfamiliar, augmented reality involves blending things in the physical world with digital enhancements. More specifically, consumers can scan a real-life object (picture, building, sign, doll, etc.) with their mobile device and in return get additional content relating to the item.

For example, your customers can scan a picture of, say, a shoe in a magazine and then virtually lift the shoe off the page and turn it 360 degrees to view it from all angles. Consumers could even scan the outside of a restaurant to get the day’s lunch specials or scan a book to bring up animations that go along with the story — the possibilities are endless.

Focus on “SoLoMo” marketing

Although SoLoMo (short for social, local, and mobile marketing) isn’t exactly new, it’s still catching on among advertisers and consumers alike and should continue to grow over 2013. What makes it so worthwhile is it genuinely benefits both consumers and businesses (especially small businesses), as it connects local businesses with people who are looking for their particular products or services at that very moment.

For instance, consumers who are out shopping may decide to get a bite to eat and turn to their smartphones for help. By using a SoLoMo app, they can quickly find restaurants nearby, find coupons or discounts, and see recommendations from their friends. With a “check-in” app they might even discover where their friends are dining and decide to join them.

Demise of single-channel marketing

Once upon a time, a small business might think it enough to post an ad in the yellow pages or send monthly mailers to attract customers, but, although they still have their place, those types of single-channel marketing strategies simply aren’t enough anymore. And this applies to digital channels as well — you can’t have just a website or only a social page and expect to thrive.

Today’s consumers get their information and interact with businesses in varied ways, so you must meet them on their turf, so to speak. Try to diversify your marketing efforts as much as your able by doing things like participating in social media, having a website, offering valuable content, having mobile-friendly sites, and even implementing traditional, real-world strategies. Also, get the most out of your efforts by overlapping your channels somewhat, so they all enhance each other.

Content marketing is here to stay

Content marketing is unique because, unlike many other forms of advertising, its purpose isn’t to sell something directly or to promote your brand. Instead, it’s used to attract and engage customers by providing them with useful, relevant information. In other words, it’s based on the idea that if you consistently give customers valuable content they will grow to trust and feel connected to your brand and consequently reward you with their business and loyalty.

Nearly every successful brand uses some type of content marketing, and it’s a trend that continues to grow. Essentially, it gives people an excuse to stay engaged with your brand.

Increase in valuable videos

As much as everyone loves a good viral video, they are very much here today, gone tomorrow. From a marketing standpoint this can result in short-lived results, which immediately leave you scrambling to create something else that’s viral-worthy (easier said than done).

Thus, many advertisers are focusing more on providing videos with long-term value, such as a tutorial, that different people may discover and find of use for months or even years in the future.

This isn’t to say entertainment won’t be a factor, but the combination of entertainment and learning will become the ultimate goal.

Personalized ads

With such comprehensive analytic tools available, it’s easier than ever for marketers to learn in-depth information about their customers. Armed with this knowledge, more and more companies are creating personalized messages/campaigns that appeal to particular niches within their overall audience.

For example, if one group in your target audience is driven by low prices and another group is motivated by eco-friendliness, and your product meets both their needs, you may design different sets of ads to appeal to each group or manage two separate blogs for each theme.

Image-focused marketing

If nothing else, Pinterest’s boom in 2012 showed us how well people respond to image-based mediums. Businesses everywhere are flocking to the social network to get pictures of their brand on as many people’s virtual pinboards as possible, and many websites are even mimicking the look of Pinterest by making picture tiles the focus of their own pages.

Pictures instantly evoke emotions, tell a story, and help viewers recall information, so whether using Pinterest or another website, expect to see and use more images than ever before.

Less reliance on email

With social media, instant messaging, and project management applications making communication so streamlined and inclusive, advertisers will use email less and less for having conversations with both their customers and team members.

You may have already noticed some websites where there is an option to “chat with a representative” as opposed to sending an email and waiting for a reply. Not only does this allow speedy service, but younger generations, who grew up instant messaging, may prefer this type of communication over email or even making a phone call.

Also, social networking makes marketing emails obsolete in many ways, as businesses can share most messages on their social page and count on their loyal followers to help spread the word. Additionally, businesses will rely on video chat and other collaborative tools that make communication much more effective.

Greater focus on inbound marketing

In the coming year, you’ll see more advertisers, who formerly depended solely on outbound marketing, start to include or even put greater effort into inbound marketing. Yes, traditional mediums, like TV, print ads, and mailers, can still work, but they are usually more expensive than web-based strategies, and they are often hit or miss. On the other hand, inbound marketing makes it possible for interested customers to find you (instead of the other way around), which creates a greater chance of conversions. And through analytics you can better track your campaign to ensure every advertising dollar is used efficiently.

What marketing trends do you predict for 2013?