With 2011 behind us, marketing continues to expand its horizons.With that said, here are a few of our predictions for marketing in 2012.
APs ARE KING ON THE ONLINE INTERFACE
With the explosion of smartphones and tablets in 2011 came the explosion of Applications. I'm not talking about Social Media aps like
Facebook or
Twitter. I'm talking about aps that not only make our lives simpler but derive from the corporate and retail sectors as well. More and more people are using Aps over regular internet for their consumer needs. What does that mean for wedding professionals? Consider Aps that will make your clients' lives much easier in the planning process. Whether it's for sharing or categorizing photos from their photographer to budget applications for Planners.
iwedding was one of the first that we saw to grab onto the Aps phenomenon and run with it - offering everything from vendor directories to seating plans.
CONTENT MARKETING IS EVEN MORE IMPORTANT THAN EVER
I've mentioned over and over that when it comes to marketing, content is king. There's a favourite example that I like to use when discussing content marketing. "No one gives a damn that you had a ham sandwich. Share where you got that sandwich and their web site and you've provided relevant content". Well, in 2012 content marketing is going to be even more important to drive web traffic -- specifically blogs. With social media being a staple in consumer's lives, wedding professionals need to give their Facebook Fans or twitter followers a reason to go back over and over and realize that you are the professional for them.
EMAIL MARKETING RISES FROM THE DEAD
There was a rumor that Email Marketing was on it's last legs as far as marketing was concerned. With the latest Spam-filters being tighter than Obama's security team and the new expectation of including the opt-out option with marketing emails and newsletters, many thought that Email Marketing had reached it's end. Not so. In fact, consumer purchases will continue to purchase through email marketing by 10% over the next few years according to Forrester. What's changed to bring Email Marketing back from the dead? Smarter Marketing. Using mediums like Google Analytics to target our Email campaigns is what will make email marketing more profitable and more successful over 2012.
MOBILE MARKETING HITS AN ALL TIME COMPETITIVE EDGE
In 2011,
I had predicted that Mobile Marketing was going to be one of the top marketing tactics to watch for. Much like Aps are quickly becoming king in the court of marketing, mobile marketing is giving companies a competitive edge. With the ability to reach consumers locally and in real time, mobile marketing hasn't just gained in speed but has taken leaps and bounds as well. Here's an example: According to the
New York Times companies were using mobile advertising to lure customers away from competitors while the customers were waiting in lines to make purchases on Black Friday. If that doesn't show the power of Mobile Marketing I don't know what will.
'BIG DATA' THE MOST IMPORTANT INGREDIENT FOR SUCCESSFUL CAMPAIGNS
The term "big data" has been thrown around over and over and it's exact meaning has never been quite clear with different companies using different definitions. Here's our take: "big data" refers to the collection of consumer and client data -- particularly listening to conversations and feedback regarding their brand, learning about where their brand is being discovered and how, who is searching for their brand, etc. In other words, using market research not just in general terms but brand-specific research and data collection to propel their marketing efforts is the secret ingredient to a successful marketing recipe.
STAGING REINING OVER REAL WEDDINGS
We predicted back in 2010 that Staging would see an increase in usage as marketing ploys in 2011. Boy were we ever on the mark. I remember the days when Real Weddings were the only way to get your talent noticed by potential clients and media alike. Today staging or 'style shoots' -- the art of styling, staging and photographing tabletop designs, theme decor, food and more in classic 'high-fashion' style -- have become one of the most utilized forms by wedding professionals to showcase their talent for design and detail in their portfolios, blogs and as a gateway to media attention. Real Weddings? They still exist in the realm of marketing, whether it's print, online or social media. But it's taken a back seat to style shoots in the eyes of many a wedding professional. After all, staging is controlled, it's directly derived from the imagination of the wedding professional, it's a way to network and experience vendors' talents.... staging has become so prominent in the media and in advertising that one has to wonder if Real Weddings will one day become an endangered marketing ploy. Equally so, we have to ask ourselves if style shoots are what Brides and Grooms want to see or is it the real, nitty-gritty of the professionals "real" client work that is important to them...this is what will determine the fates of these equally talent-based marketing forms.
LINE BETWEEN SOCIAL MEDIA AND TRADITIONAL MARKETING BLURS
Once upon a time there was Marketing and then there was Social Media Marketing. With Social Media here to stay, no longer are the two separate. Social Media has earned it's stripes over the years and proved it's power and that said, it has now earned a spot on the holy Marketing Plan. After all, Social Media is what has been driving sales for the majority of companies out there. With the ability to spread branding messages quickly and across numerous platforms, the number of people utilizing Social Media and the opportunity for consumers to receive real-time reviews from a company's customers, Social Media is no longer just another way to market your business but is one of
the
