Here at DigitalGroundUp, we spend a lot of time thinking about online marketing. As we prepare for the end of the year and the beginning of 2014, it seems time to reflect back on the trends and key topics that 2013 has brought to digital marketing. Where so much can change in such a short time, a year can make a big difference. After reflecting on the past year, this is what we think were the 5 biggest digital marketing game changers of 2013:
1. Paid Social Advertising Expands – It used to be that social media didn’t necessarily require a portion of marketing spend beyond time and personnel, but that’s now much less likely to be the case. As Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare, and Pinterest all roll out paid ads, both integrating them more into the interface and user experience, and making them more user-friendly from an advertising perspective, knowing how and when to spend money on social media is becoming more and more crucial. Even on Facebook, where advertising has existed for several years, the options have increased dramatically. Remember to keep an eye on metrics – with anything new, testing and keeping an eye on results is always key.
2. Google Enhanced Campaigns – Google made enhanced campaigns mandatory on AdWords over the summer. With this change came many new things — new and expanded ad extensions, more targeting options, more columns of data, and interface changes are some of the few that initially come to mind. As the year has continued more features keep being added — anyone who uses AdWords should be sure to keep an ear to the ground, take some time to explore the new interface, read closely any announcements that come out, and, above all, talk to any Google reps you come across. A lot of exciting changes are in store (and some have already happened) — but they have been surprisingly easy to miss.
3. Multi-Channel Attribution – Metrics, metrics, metrics have been the name of the digital marketing game for some time now, but while 2012 was the year of quantifying social media data, 2013 has been much more about quantifying multi-channel attribution, whether it’s to a purchase or to a visitor. Consumers interact with a product or service from all angles – and changes to Google Analytics, AdWords, and several other channels have attempted to better quantify the many points of contact a user may have. 3rd party services have also made great strides. Multi-channel attribution has been the billion dollar question, so expect more progress in 2014 too.
4. Content is Really King – The saying, “Content is king,” has been around for awhile, but 2013 saw the emphasis on content take on a whole new meaning across several channels. Whether it was the latest Google algorithm release, Hummingbird, the expansion of “native advertising,” or the growth of “content discovery” engines, content has become more important than ever. New services like Taboola and Outbrain are joining the ranks of Stumbleupon and Reddit in making it easy for Internet users to discover new content on the strength and appeal of the content alone. Other options have brought branded advertising into the photos we share online, Tagkast being a good example. Again, it’s not that the emphasis on content wasn’t around before 2013. But 2013 brought more opportunities for good content to get the word out.
5. People Like to Make Things – Over the past year, we’ve heard several talks emphasizing the “maker culture” that has emerged globally this year. Whether it’s people selling their things on Etsy or eBay, customizing products on Vistaprint or a 3D printing site, or contributing content to sites like Reddit and Medium, users want to be a part of the Internet and their online experiences. The more opportunities that exist for users to truly get involved, interact, and share, the better a site is often able to do. Personalization is now an expectation. Let your users be a part of what you’re creating.
We can’t wait to see what 2014 has in store!
