It’s January and businesses the world over are putting new plans and campaigns to work. Our digital director, René, gives a rundown on developments in the digital space and comments on the impact for b2b marketers.
Big digital trends for 2012
Lots of experts have been busy writing their predictions for digital channels and technology in 2012. Some predict the decline of the desktop PC in the face of mounting pressure from the smartphone and tablet markets. Others predict various social network tie-ups, with Facebook and Twitter the most likely to join forces. At BDB, we’re particularly interested in the content and discussion around new platforms or technologies. Good, useful content will always find a way through. Of the pick of the trends articles, we liked the points made about owned and earned content, social integration and marketing automation in this piece from BtoB Magazine. These will be essential in delivering value to customers over the coming months and years.
Learning content marketing from Coca Cola
Almost in validation of the point above, we revisited Coca Cola’s Content 2020 strategy recently. Originally released in August last year, it gained fresh traction this month when it went viral on Twitter. This seven minutes of ‘liquid’ story telling gold paints a picture of how content marketing can pay dividends to businesses and brands. An extension of multimedia and PR, content marketing is, in our view, a way to capitalise on the best techniques and technologies available to drive interest in, and traction for, your business.
How Google ranks websites – the importance of search engine visibility
Often when businesses are new to digital, talk of search engines and optimisation can leave them feeling overwhelmed. Here’s a video that explains how Google search works, outlining the factors considered in ranking sites for search results. Top tip: don’t spend a fortune on promotional campaigns without giving some thought about where you send people!
LinkedIn on the rise
LinkedIn dominates our thoughts at BDB as we seek out opportunities for clients to both join and lead discussions and debates. Some interesting statistics were released earlier this month detailing demographic, geographic, sector and professional splits around the world. Powerful stuff.
Twitter power
Not strictly business, but President Obama’s recent State of the Union address illustrated the power Twitter has in mobilising and connecting groups of people with common interests. This infographic demonstrates the scale of engagement during a 90 minute time period. The key learning for business? If you’re using Twitter, target interested parties, know where they are and use relevant hashtags to bind them together.
That’s my pick for January. What digital marketing developments have made an impact on you over the last month? Share them below. And if you want to talk digital, drop me a line.
