As with all trends and data analysis, these infographics and the conclusions within them can and should be taken with a pinch of salt, as numbers can always be interpreted in different ways resulting in varied conclusions. That said, they have been created by key players in the industry with credible sources, so worth paying attention to.
The infographics speak for themselves really, however below are my key summary takeouts from them all.
Multiple Platforms:
- More people (54% of Americans) are consuming content on multiple platforms (up 10% from 2012), yet only 20% of campaigns are utilising multi-screen campaigns = Opportunity.
- It is estimated that 36% of all search engine traffic in 2014 will be from mobile devices.
Responsive Design:
- Consider how your campaign can work across devices, and take heed from Google, the search masters, that all of your online properties should utilise responsive design.
Mobile Advertising:
- With the above in mind, smartphone and broadband connectivity continuing to rise, mobile ad-serving technology and analytics reporting are ever evolving, and more brands continue to get greater results and ROI from mobile marketing - it is of no surprise mobile advertising spends have increased dramatically.
- Mobile search advertising is expected to increase by 76%, and mobile banner advertising by 100% in 2014.
Content Marketing:
- If you are one of the few brands that do not have a content marketing plan, then you need to get involved. There are a number of business critical reasons for this.
- 90%+ of marketers in B2C and B2B used content marketing in 2013 - up by 5% year-on-year with 2012.
- Google tweaked their algorithm 15 times in 2013 (37 times in 2012!), a big part of this was to focus on quality of content. Webmasters can no longer mine Google Analytics to access keyword data insights - bit of a blow for traditional SEO houses. Content is king, make it interesting, fresh, relevant, and accessible to everyone.
- SEO isn't dead but it has changed dramatically, there is a lot of BS regarding this in the industry. Make sure your agency truly understands the situation.
- Content with video will attract three times the number of inbound links than plain text links (Caveat - quality of content, placement and relevance are major factors in engagement/success rates).
Marketing Automation:
- 78% of marketers who use marketing automation systems indicate these tools are more responsible for improving revenue contribution, and generate better quality of leads compared with activity that does not involve these automation systems.
- 63% of companies that are outgrowing their competitors use integrated marketing automation tools.
- If you don't use these tools or know what they are, learn about it as the facts are staggering.
Social Media:
- Social Media continues to grow dramatically in terms of users (1.15 billion on Facebook, 500 million on Twitter, 50 million on Google+, 230 million on Linkedin, 130 million on Instagram, and 70 million on Pinterest), engagement levels, technical capabilities, advertising dollars being spent on it, and availability of new and niche platforms.
See infographic #3 below for conclusive social media stats, and infographic #4 for an overview of key social media campaigns / stats by month in 2013.
#1 - Top Marketing Trends of 2013
Source: Uberflip
#2 - Marketing Predictions for 2014
Source: Marketing Tech Blog
#3 - Social Media stats for 2013
Source: Digital Buzz Feed
#4 - Key events in Social Media in 2013
Source: Infographic Promotion
#5 - Hottest words on Social Media in 2013
Source: Social Media Today
Here is to a successful and exciting year of marketing, I am really looking forward to it. I hope this post has been useful, and as always feel free to share your thoughts and feedback with me.
