Online, Digital and Social Media Marketing have struggled to create a cohesive synergy between each channel. In 2013, predictions suggest that not only will these three channels be key initiatives for companies, but together will also create a better brand equity and ROI. Futhermore, according to the melbourne social media agency social strategies will be used to develop targeted campaigns, leverage data and implement emerging technologies and tools as drivers for success.

As businesses are planning for 2013, they will find themselves facing questions concerning the social impact of the business and brand.  Winnie Hart and Lorrie Lee from TwinEngine share 13 in 2013 – Social Media Marketing trends that will take flight.

1. Social Media Marketing gains impact as key marketing tactic
– Companies see the importance of building brand equity through social media
– Engagement grows and companies seek ways to leverage data
– Evolution of engagement is accelerated by empowered consumers
– Social platforms consumers use to interact with companies continues to multiply
– Need for social media marketing strategy and systems are key

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2. Marketing turns upside down
– We are all marketers now
– Evolution from ‘all about us’ to ‘all about them’
– Two-way marketing strategies support social shift – monolog to dialog marketing
– Agencies are challenged to develop new models
– Campaigns are no longer flat – need for integrated strategy and plan
– More targeted, more relevant, more effective

3. Social influence moves beyond ‘like’ to incentive driven recommendations
– Consumers will market to consumers
– Marketers reward consumers for marketing
– Move beyond ‘Like’ to incentives
– Micro-targeting gains impact

4. Marketing grows enterprise wide and can no longer sustain being a ‘department’
– Marketing is no longer a department
– Social strategies will be utilized internally to maximize productivity and communication
– Social Media Manager role will emerge

5. Discounts and giveaways will incentivize social sharing of branding content
– Brands will build sharable marketing strategies
– Shift from viral marketing to sharable marketing strategies

6. Social media impacts business infrastructures – siloed communication systems are challenged
– Transformational changes – social impacts business infrastructures
– Siloed communication systems are challenged
– Knowledge-sharing cultures will emerge

7. Social channels integrate and align
– Social channels align and new channels emerge
– Top five channels remain – Blogs, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube
– Blogs – targeted, keyword focused searchable content feeds into social channels
– Facebook – Gifts will transform Facebook. Paid ads shift to paid content. Facebook moves into social search
– LinkedIn – evolves and grows from HR focus to brand building for companies
– Twitter – the newsroom of the future
– YouTube – gains reputation as key search tool
– Pinterest – will lead in social shopping
– Social gaming – will go mainstream and begin to be cross-platform
– Google+ – sharing to targeted lists is on the rise
– Monitoring tools, ROI measurement and analytic solutions will improve
– Google supports content hierarchy. Premium links remain key performers

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