Digital marketing is one area where it pays to stay current. The Web is changing at a lightning pace, and business owners cannot afford to be left behind. There is a flip 
side to this rate of change, though. If you spend too much time paying close attention to the flitting changes in digital marketing, you can easily miss the forest for the trees. Business owners must learn to identify trends that are here to stay, and trends that could be the “next big thing”.
Those that can balance the current with the tried and true have the most chance of success in the long term. Fellow social media gurus like Brian Ferdinand of Liquid Holdings and Rick Mulready of RickMulready.com understand that, in the end, it still comes down to principles like content, simplicity and measurement.
5 digital trends you cannot ignore
The following five trends keep basic principles in mind, yet are continually adapting to changing technologies and the shifting needs of customers.
1. Content Rules
People can smell a blatant advertisement a mile away, and while it is possible to create a catchy ad, creating quality content is still the key to web dominance. Entrepreneur showed how even a swimming pool business could dominate search results, and ultimately area business, by producing honest, quality content. People want a relationship with you. Be straightforward in your content, do what you can to deliver value and make it shareable.
2. Distilled info
Pinterest has seen record growth during the past year, and it is worth noting for any serious business. Pinterest shares pictures – an example of how consumers expect information in the most distilled form possible, says BusinessesGrow.com. Written content made way for infographics, then pictures. The more you can distill your content, the easier customers will consume it across a range of devices.
3. Multi Screen
People are using their mobile devices as second screens while watching television, and it is opening up a whole new realm of user-specific marketing. They may be looking up info on a show, or even using broadcaster generated apps to see new content related to what they are watching. Companies that can integrate with popular shows – shows that are relevant to your business – through a second screen, will have a whole new audience.
4. Attribution Measurement
As you branch your business marketing efforts into multiple channels, it is important to measure the results you obtain from each channel. Google, which offers its own attribution modeling service, indicates that 72 percent of marketers agree that such attribution improves budgeting. When you are using paid search, display ads, email, mobile placements and more, it pays to know what is doing what.
5. Embrace Mobile
There is no longer any doubt that mobile will rule the future. Pew Internet indicates that a whopping 89 percent of adults are accessing the Internet using smartphones or tablets. This is not an area you can afford to ignore.
Make your website and all online offerings as accessible from a mobile device as from a standard computer. Any web design service worth using will give you this option, and you should take advantage of it.
Stay aware, use what works
Your digital marketing efforts must balance current trends with what actually works. You can only do this by staying aware of both what is working, and what industry professionals predict will work in the future. Take it all with a grain of salt, and incorporate ideas like these to maximize your online presence.
