80/20 Strategies for Web Marketing, Business Systems, & Personal Productivity
I’m thinking ahead to 2010 today and wondering what next year will hold for online marketing trends. I certainly don’t mean to be a prophet here, but I do think it’s a good exercise to try and see the future (even if you’re dead wrong). There are several areas of the web that show signs of change and even major shifts on the road up ahead. And we all know how quickly things can change online. We should always be thinking at least a few steps ahead of where we are today. As they say, in business you’re either growing or you’re dying. So let’s consider the road ahead to be sure we can avoid disaster.
The 2010 Online Experience Transformed
If you’re marketing to your customers online, you really do have to think about user experience. As the web has become increasingly central to people’s lives, the environment itself has become incredibly dynamic. The idea of “getting online” in 2009 was very different than 10 years ago, no doubt. But it was also very different than we experienced in 2008.
In the world of marketing, the name of the game is to go where your customers are. Obvious point, right? Let’s consider the landscape for 2010 and try to predict where most customers are likely to be found.
Facebook Takes Over the World
Yes, this is the big buzz in web marketing circles. Facebook has made MySpace look pathetic. Twitter has proven that monetization is not everything. And everyone’s little brother has the next big idea for a social media network that will be even bigger, better, and bolder!
It’s true – the social media world is incredibly powerful. Just ask Zuckerberg. But is it really worth your time to spend all day updating your Facebook status or tweeting about that tasty burrito you had for lunch? Probably not.
What I would suggest is learning more from social media experts and considering setting up a social media plan for your current projects. Whether you want to do it yourself or hire a consultant, either way there’s a lot to learn. Trust me.
It is a very good idea to start learning about Facebook fan pages and Facebook advertising. It’s a totally different world, so don’t expect the same results you typically get in Google Adwords or Yahoo Search Pay Per Click Marketing. Still, if you don’t take time to learn about the power of this intricate social media world, you may get left in the dust.
Pay Per Click Always Makes or Breaks You
Speaking of PPC advertising, let’s give a big shout out to Google, Yahoo, and even Bing for keeping it rolling in 2010. Yup, as far as I’m concerned, Pay Per Click Marketing is still the make-or-break factor in e-business. PPC always answers the key questions about a new venture – does the market exist? will my website convert sales? and what is the price tag on every customer’s head?
The very best thing about PPC marketing is the testability elements. Google Adwords is still king in this department. Split-testing ads, clearly defined click-through rates, and highly targeted direct-to-consumer marketing.
While the social media world will be great for promoting and building community around your products and services, there’s no use in building a community around something you can’t sell. In 2010, Pay Per Click will still sort out the pros from the amateurs.
Big Brother is Watching You
My final prediction for 2010 has more to do with mobile phones than the web itself, though the online world is very quickly becoming a mobile experience. Today’s smartphones are very good at figuring out one important thing — they always know exactly where you are. Big brother’ish? Yes, I know. But apparently most consumers have no problem giving up this information. After all, they spend hours each day sharing their personal lives via social media.
Geo-targeting is huge and it’s just going to get bigger. With application-based phones in more and more hands, it’s just a click and a push before you know exactly where your customers are and you can reach out to them at exactly the right time.
This geo-location stuff is going to be much more critical for local restaurants, services, and similar operations than for more typical online business product sales and services. Still, it’s important to keep up with the trends and think about how you can leverage this technology to advance your business too.
The Final Analysis
2010 is going to be a great year, but the competition will continue to rise. More people are getting online, more marketing services are bringing your competitors out of their parochial closets, and more businesses are Tweeting and Facebooking like never before! Education is critical to business success, especially when we’re talking about marketing. But remember this: learning new tricks and tools and methods is about much more than just understanding — it’s also about trying new things out and putting them into action!
Related posts:
Oh, next year predictions are fun! I think facebook will just get bigger too, but there will probably be just many more of them.
[Reply]
I also promote some of my affiliate links on Facebook by making Facebook fan pages and also by advertising on Facebook.,.*
[Reply]