13 marketing trends for 2013

13Marketing trendsFOr 2013

©2013 Sikich LLP. All Rights Reserved.

1. The ABC’s of the IMC ..................................................................................... 2

2. Visual Revolution ............................................................................................ 3

3. Inbound Marketing .......................................................................................... 4

4. Content is King ................................................................................................. 5

5. Unleashing the Power of Videos ................................................................ 6

6. Email Is Not Dead ............................................................................................ 7

7. You’ve Got (Direct) Mail! ................................................................................ 8

8. Responsive Web Design ................................................................................ 9

9. Mobile Madness ............................................................................................. 10

10. The Planet of the Apps .............................................................................. 11

11. Social Enterprise .......................................................................................... 12

12. New Roles Emerge ...................................................................................... 13

13. Our Good Pal, SEO ...................................................................................... 14

13 Marketing trends for 2013

13Marketing trendsFOr 2013

table of Contents

©2013 Sikich LLP. All Rights Reserved. 13 Marketing trends for 2013

Good day, fellow marketing enthusiasts!Maybe we made a quick judgment there. Perhaps you don’t even work in the marketing department at your organization but want to be knowledgeable for 2013. Wow, we love that! Regardless of your motive, thanks for stopping by!

We love marketing, so we are excited for this year. Why? Because we are going to be part of some awesome trends. We may have already seen some of these surface during 2012, but they will become vital to your organization’s success in this hectic and competitive year. This is not an exhaustive list, but a compilation of 13 trends that are going to be important for every organization, regardless of your industry. No matter how large or small your organization is, these ideas can be easily implemented, so give them a shot! What do you have to lose? We have included tips and tricks that will help you take each component to the next level. Are you up for the challenge? Great, let’s go!

Sit back, relax, grab an iced tea and take notes. We like questions, too. So, if you have any, our information is conveniently located on the last page. Happy reading!

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Hello!

13 Marketing trends for 2013 :: 2©2013 Sikich LLP. All Rights Reserved.

the aBC’s of the iMC An Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) plan is essential regardless if it’s 2003, 2013 or 2033.The American Marketing Association defines IMC as “a planning process designed to assure that all brand contacts received by a customer or prospect for a product, service, or organization are relevant to that person and consistent over time.” Make a point to always create a seamless experience for consumers with all modes of marketing communications using an IMC plan.

Why is this important? We get bombarded with advertisements from hundreds of brands on a daily basis to a point where we have become immune and uninterested. So, the only way organizations stand a chance in being noticed is through integration. That means displaying a consistent identity from message to message and medium to medium. All aspects of your marketing, including social media, public relations, direct marketing and online communications, should work together as a unified force and communicate one voice to the world that reinforces your brand’s core message.

Think about brands with taglines you can recall in less than a second, such as Nike, “Just do it,” and McDonald’s, “I’m lovin’ it.” You know these because they have used the same messaging for years and built a recognizable, unified brand. They have also used integration to form relationships with consumers through targeted marketing efforts. There’s something to be learned from these giants!

As you continue reading, think about how you can include each trend in your IMC plan with each part moving toward the same goal and staying true to your brand’s message.

!

1 www.theCMOsite.com

1.

Marketing Coca-Cola®

In an effort to meet their goal of doubling revenues by 2020, Coca-Cola® is investing in integrated marketing communications to set themselves apart from competitors like Pepsi. They plan to weave social media into their marketing mix to gain market share and awareness of the brand. Wendy Clark, SVP, Integrated Marketing Communications and Capabilities at The Coca-Cola Company says, “Leverage everything. Everything communicates.” Because of their seamless integration across all forms of media, their fans are taking notice and even contributing by producing fan videos, creating conversations and adding to the success of their Facebook page, which is one of the largest on Facebook. As a result, the Coca-Cola® message is spread like fire and continuously brings them closer to meeting their objectives.1


Visual storytelling is the wave of the future.If you can say it, you can show it. With infographics and photo-sharing and editing sites like Instagram, Pinterest, Flickr, Tumblr, SlideShare and the 800-pound gorilla, Facebook, 2013 is sure to be the year of the image.

These sites are free, so determine which make sense for your organization and take advantage of them. They’re (fantastic!) avenues through which leads can be driven to your website. So, create accounts with these various websites and start sharing photos of events, product demos and sneak peeks of new products that will be coming out. Another idea is to start a contest with your clients to see who can capture the most creative shot of your product in action! Have you thought about creating infographics to replace static copy? The possibilities end only where your imagination does!

And let’s not forget search engine optimization (SEO) here. We’re going to mention this guy a lot – he’s kind of a big deal. Effective SEO will lead people to you. Images can be linked and optimized just as well as text and can lead people back to your site—which is where you want them!

0

20,000,000

December2010

Instagram’s User Growth

June2011

September2011

March2012

April2012

May2012

July2012

40,000,000

60,000,000

80,000,000

Source: ReadWriteWeb

Visual revolution2.


2013 is all about nurturing leads through relevant content, value-added offers and social media interaction.Inbound marketing is a permission-based methodology that focuses on driving relevant traffic to your website, converting traffic to leads and most importantly, converting those leads into sales. Relevant traffic is driven through blog posts, social media and effective SEO techniques. Unlike traditional forms of marketing, this method is much more affordable, targeted and as a result able to attract more qualified traffic.

You need to be prepared for when this traffic arrives to your site. That means you need attractive, free offers available in exchange for their information. In turn, you will know exactly what they are interested in and can secure their information without forcing them to use a disenchanting “contact us” button.

So, how does this work?Think of marketing and sales in terms of the sales pipeline. You want to get as many prospects into your sales funnel at the top and maximize the happy customers that come out at the bottom. To do this you need to:

Lead them to you using social media, your blog or other channels

Guide them to your website

Convert them (great landing pages and offers = a must!)

Analyze the results for future efforts

Start by determining what information your target market is seeking out, questions they may have and problems you could solve in the form of a newsletter, eBook, video, whitepaper or whichever delivery method you decide works best.

2 www.hubspot.com

Inbound marketing costs 62% less per lead than traditional, outbound marketing.2

FUN FACT!

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3

4

inbound Marketing3.

Analyze the results

Convert them

Guide them to your website

Lead them to you


Here’s some simple marketing math for you: (Relevant) Content = SEO = Traffic = SALES!Creating relevant content is the key to success in 2013. What’s the most important word in that sentence? RELEVANT. That means you need to specifically target your audience by creating buyer personas. And what are those? Buyer personas are key buyers of your products or services segmented by various factors such as demographics, job title, buying role, values, objectives, goals and more. If you haven’t mapped these out yet, mark it at the top of your to-do list. Otherwise, you are not connecting with or influencing the people who are important to your organization. And remember – this is not a one-time effort! Make a point to add new content as often as you can to add value to your audience and be seen as the expert in your field!

Next, create a channel plan. A channel plan will define the path your content will travel such as through social media or email to reach your target audience successfully. A multi-channel strategy allows you to track the behavior of your leads through analytics and to follow up accordingly based on the actions they take. If you post a free eBook to your website in exchange for a lead’s contact information, you automatically know what topics he/she is interested in and how you can reach this person. You can then follow up with an email that gives your leads more information on your products or services. Because email is easily tracked, you can view who clicked on which links in your email and follow up again based on those interests.

As important as it is to produce quality and interesting content, it is imperative that you know the purpose behind it. Know who you are trying to reach, what you are trying to make them do and give them a call to action! Content should link back to your website and give readers (since you know who they are and their needs) what they want! You’ll get what you want too—but you will have to earn it.

Need help getting your content marketing plan off the ground? Here are 12 questions to get you started.

The types of content you could produce are endless! Start with any of the following:

� Articles

� Blog posts

� Books or eBooks

� Brochures

� Case studies

� Demos

� Email

� Infographics

� Live streamed events

� Manuals

� Online courses

� Podcasts

� Product data sheets

� Presentations

� Press releases

� Surveys

� Radio/TV/Web TV

� Videos

� Webinars

� White papers!

Content is king4.

http://www.sikich.com/blog/post/2013/01/08/Improve-targeting-by-creating-buyer-personas-(Part-1).aspx

http://www.sikich.com/blog/post/2012/11/26/12-questions-to-get-your-content-marketing-plan-started.aspx


According to ComScore, in December 2012, 182 million U.S. internet users watched 38.7 billion content videos online.That’s in only one month! With this many views, it would be foolish to ignore this hot medium! Videos can give your audience a choice as to how they would like to receive information and learn about your organization. Watching a two minute how-to video may be more interesting than reading a five-page guide on a topic. People love choices!

But it’s not all about them. Back to us. What do we love? SEO. With a great title, description, tags and transcript, your video is a dynamite way to drive traffic back to your website. Make sure you always input that information to make the most out of YouTube.

You could have these videos professionally done. For case studies and testimonials, for example, this might be a good idea. You could use these high-quality videos for years. However, for shorter videos, such as product descriptions or even invites to events (you’ll think of great ways to use videos!), you can use the assets that you already have. Windows MovieMaker, Camtasia Studio and other free and easy-to-use programs will do the trick!

Tips to get you started on YouTube:

1. Brand your YouTube channel

2. Make a catchy, informative video

3. Make it searchable: include a title, description, tags and transcript

4. Use annotations to include links or a subscribe option

5. YouTube ads

6. Share it on other social media channels

7. Use YouTube Insights to analyze effectiveness

the Power of Videos5.YouTube is the most searched

site behind Google.

http://www.sikich.com/insights-resources/success-stories/case-studies/vela-insurance-services


…but the batch and blast method is. Ditch it, move on and never go back.

A study done by Marketing Sherpa3 shows that organic search is the top source for volume and quality of website traffic – but that email marketing comes in closely as second – being the second most important conversion driver for organizations. Told you it’s not dead!

FUN FACT!

email is nOt dead…6.

Subject: Secret Email Marketing Tips To: Marketing Fan From: [email protected]

No one will open your email, not to mention click on your links, if you aren’t directly relating to them. Our inboxes are full – we have many distractions and we are too busy to read things that may possibly pertain to us, but probably don’t. You already know what buyer personas are and that you should create them. Use these for all your marketing efforts and watch the numbers change – for the better.

Hone in on your audience’s most granular needs (and maybe even needs they don’t realize they have), to condense your list and see better results! Thoughtfully segment your list and design a campaign that includes a number of emails that will flow from one to the next in a way that nurtures your leads through the sales funnel.

Another effective way to target readers is to personalize your emails. One way to do this is to use the person’s first name in the subject line or greeting. Also, whenever it makes sense, insert personalized information in the email. Since you have collected rich data on your leads, this is a great opportunity to relate to them and address their specific needs. Email will allow you to use dynamic content to relay this information and make it more specific to your reader.

With Regards,

The Sikich Marketing Team

3 http://www.marketingsherpa.com/article/chart/effective-website-traffic-sources


AdAge reports that $51.5 billion will be spent on direct mail marketing in 2013.

FUN FACT!

You’ve got (direct) Mail!7.Direct mail isn’t dead either. If anything, it’s coming back in a big way! Unlike our email inboxes, our work mailboxes are pretty desolate these days. Be where your competition isn’t and stand out with unconventional and eye-catching direct mail.

OK, so this might involve a bit more thinking outside of the box considering direct mail can get a bit expensive. We know that. But, you may have audiences that you want to reach differently or for whom you don’t have email addresses. Got it! What’s more, the evolution of digital printing makes it possible to personalize your message like never before. Remember relevant content? Nothing says relevance like your recipients’ names spelled out in the actual design of the piece! A tip to save some money: come up with a campaign theme, batch produce six different pieces at once, then send them out every other month for a year. Don’t forget to add an explicit call to action! Make sure it is direct and urgent so your readers know exactly what you want them to do.

In 2013, find creative ways to link what you do to unique forms of direct marketing. And if you think this is beyond the scope of possibilities at your firm or you don’t have the graphic design capabilities, you can always come knocking on our door! Sorry, shameless plug. Sometimes we just can’t help ourselves!


Hello Four-Screen World! We really do tend to complicate things. Now we have to design our web pages with four screens in mind, including TVs, desktops, tablets and mobile phones. To make sure our information is displayed correctly with easy navigation, we use responsive web design.

“What’s that?” you ask?Responsive web design allows a developer to create a single website that will adapt its layout to the device on which it is being viewed. A site built with responsive web design automatically resizes for all different devices, sometimes drastically changing how navigation works and how content is laid out.

If your target market can’t find your information, or gets lost and frustrated on your page, you could miss out on some great opportunities.

! Think of how many different “screens” you use every day. Very few people only use their desktops! Make a point to include responsive web design on your 2013 to-do list. This is not going away!

A majority of our daily media interactions are screen-based!

On average, we spend4.4 hoursof our leisure time in front of screenseach day

90%

10%

of all media interactionsare screen-based.

of all media interactionsare non screen-based.

Television

Radio

Newspaper

Magazine

Laptopor PC

Tablet

SmartPhone

4

4 http://services.google.com

responsive Web design8.


Web traffic is transforming with the numerous gadgets people are using to view their information. In the past, traffic mainly came from desktops but with the many options available now, we are seeing almost one-third coming from tablets and mobile phones. According to eMarketer, time spent on mobile devices is expected to be even with desktops in the next two years.

This means you will need a mobile content strategy.

You already know that responsive web design plays a key role in displaying your information effectively via mobile phones. However, because the screen size is so small, evaluating and restructuring content is just as important.

Here are four tips to get your site mobile-ready in 2013!1 Display a clear call to action. You have limited real estate

– make your message stand out. 2 Keep things short and sweet – make your message heard by

keeping your content short and to the point as many mobile users may be on your site while on-the-go!

3 Make sharing quick and easy with either larger buttons or alternate menu options.

4 Limit the number of images used – this will make your site look less cluttered and make it easier to get answers quickly.

Web Traf�c in North America, by Device June 2012 (% of total)

Desktop

71.5%

Smartphone

20.3%

Tablet

7.1%

Note: Data generated on last day of period, based on the previous 24 hours; numbers may not add up to 100% due to rounding.

5

5 Chitika Internet Access Platform Tracker, June 30, 2012

Mobile Madness9.


Don’t forget:� Social sharing links

� Short forms� Push notifications

� Feedback system

� One-touch contact info

In October 2012, ComScore6 reported that 54.5% of mobile subscribers used downloaded applications. The number of apps available is constantly increasing. Organizations are reaping the benefits of always being at their customers’ fingertips and having them one click away from their website. Creating apps is not the cheapest endeavor in marketing, but if you can make yours convenient and indispensable to users, it will be worthwhile.

Now, this is no easy feat. Figure out which problems you can solve for your customers and which tasks you could make easier or more convenient for them. Unless you are in the mobile development business, it would be wise to offer these for free. Apps should augment your business model, not be your business model.

App development is also a great way to differentiate your organization from others after the same audience. It’s just another way to stay in front of your customers and also raise awareness. Be omnipresent. Yes, it’s possible!

To begin your thinking and planning process:Ask yourself: “If I were the customer, what would I want? What’s in it for me?”

Figure out what goals you want to achieve. Don’t think solely from a marketing perspective but consider other business functions that benefit from this. This is a great mechanism for gathering information on customers through market research, customer service and customer relationship management (CRM).

Research how many of your website visitors are using a mobile device to access your website.

Develop a plan as to how you would keep content fresh and updated.

Determine if this fits your budget.

6 www.comscore.com

Here are a few ways to use apps to benefit your business:

� Location-based deals and discounts

� Rewards program exclusively for app users

� Mobile payments� Social media interactions� Add value – example: a dog food company providing an app to find nearby dog parks

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3

4

5

the Planet of the apps10.


It’s becoming increasingly obvious how critical of a function marketing is to an organization. As you’ve read the previous rising trends, you have probably realized that each point takes some time to master. Because marketing is evolving quickly, entering new spheres and becoming more specialized, new roles are emerging. Yay, jobs! Another important trend to note is the merging of technology and marketing. To effectively create and measure our campaigns, we rely heavily on various software and tools. As a result of these new technologies and processes, new job positions are opening up and creating opportunities in the workforce.

Positions such as marketing developer, content strategist, chief content officer, data scientist, social business manager and digital marketing specialist are becoming more common. So, if you didn’t think content marketing, digital marketing or social media were important before, do you see it now?

Organizations invest in these functions for a reason. And they should. You don’t have to go bang on HR’s door to hurry and hire these people as soon as possible, but you should know that their roles are important. You can provide training for the people you already have or hire a firm that specializes in marketing to do it for you. Whatever you decide, be aware that as marketing is transforming, new job positions are springing up and opportunities in marketing are blossoming. Get excited!

From Art & Copy

ToCode & Data

cloud

users

data

Starting in 2013, after the CMO realizes that he/she does not have the skill sets in place for data analytics proficiency, 50% of new marketing hires will have technical backgrounds.7

FUN FACT!

7 www.idc.com

new roles emerge11.

The Evolution of Marketing


social enterprise12.

8 eMarketer, August 2012

We have a misunderstanding. If you think social media is a marketing function, you are only partially right. It is a business function. Social media has proven to be a great source of leads and has generated business for many organizations that have utilized it correctly. Also, many people use social media to research companies to see if they are legitimate. Years ago, websites were used as the main source to check the credibility of organizations, but now we investigate Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn too.

So, herein lies the misunderstanding.Social media isn’t just for your social media or marketing communications specialist— it’s for the whole organization. So, make a point to get everyone involved. Leverage the expertise each employee in your organization possesses! They are your thought leaders. They can share their insights and new content, and contribute to discussions. This will help you establish credibility in your industry and show that your organization walks the talk!

OK, so we don’t all have a LinkedIn account and what’s a hashtag anyway? Social media isn’t favored by all, but it is becoming more and more important for organizations. In 2013, consider holding a short training in your organization on using Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn for business. Your colleagues may not understand the importance of it so you will have to teach them.

Watch your

organization

grow with

social media

US Companies Using Social Networksfor Marketing Purposes8: 2009-2014% of total

2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

57%72%

81% 88% 91% 92%

Note: Companies with 100+ employees; includes use of any of the proprietary public-facing social network tools for marketing purposes.


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seO13.Search Engine Optimization (SEO) didn’t make it to the bottom of the list because he got picked last in gym class or because he is not important. SEO is lucky number 13 because it should be the common thread woven in every aspect of marketing. If you don’t know enough about it, grab a book or start reading reliable blogs to learn the basics. The importance of SEO cannot be overstated. It is also changing. All. The. Time. So, if you don’t constantly make an effort to stay up to date, you will be left behind before you even realize it.

Here are some great ways to begin incorporating SEO on your website:

Create original content!

Repurpose content – take that PDF with your “top tips” and create a video out of it too.

Create an eBook (like this!), guide, newsletter or whitepaper and offer it for free in exchange for email or contact information.

Optimize titles, URLs, image file names and H1 tags.

Gather powerful links – SEO is all about links! Back links (referring sites) add to your credibility by showing your content is valuable to others

Start using Google+. Google seems to love it…go figure!

And all other social media platforms! Remember omnipresence?


You made it! After reading what’s ahead in marketing for 2013, you might feel a little overwhelmed. Sure, it’s going to involve quite a bit of work. But, we are certain that if you adapt to these trends and follow some (and hopefully all) of our suggestions, you will be well ahead of the rest.

Last words of wisdom?Don’t forget to always stay original, relevant, consistent and optimized!

And like we said, our door is always open. We know you have questions. Flip to the next page to learn how to get in touch with us.

Happy Marketing in 2013!

Conclusion

©2013 Sikich LLP. All Rights Reserved.

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ContactMike Dockum, Account ExecutiveMarketing & Communications, Sikich LLP P: [email protected]

About SikichSikich LLP, a leading accounting, advisory, investment banking, technology and managed services firm, has more than 400 employees throughout the country. Founded in 1982, Sikich now ranks as one of the country’s Top 50 Certified Public Accounting firms and is among the top 1% of all enterprise resource planning solution partners in the world. From corporations and non-profits to state and local governments, Sikich clients can use a broad spectrum of services and products that help them reach long-term, strategic goals.

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13 marketing trends for 2013

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