2012 Marketing Tips
Each year brings with it new marketing trends that present challenges and opportunities and 2012 is no different. Most small businesses will already have marketing plans drawn up, but even so, all businesses would do well to review plans with the key trends for 2012 in mind. Many trends rely on new technology and you may think they’re not for you. But barriers to entry into these marketing channels are often lower than you think and a small investment – in building an app for example – can deliver great rewards.
Here are five trends we think it’s worth keeping your eye on. If you’re not familiar with them yet, get yourself up to speed and then ask yourself if they could work for you and what’s stopping you grabbing a piece of the action.
1.Mobile marketing
With 59% of UK consumers now in possession of a smartphone and 18% owning a tablet device (Source: EPiServer), mobile marketing is a trend businesses can’t ignore. A third of smartphone owners use their devices to buy products directly, not just get information, so there has never been a better time to get a mobile presence and tap into the mobile market. If you are one of those businesses who can make the leap to mobile in 2012, then you’ll benefit from an ever increasing potential customer base that browses and spends on the move.
2. Digital wallets
According to a 2011 survey by Barclays, two-thirds of UK shoppers say cash is inconvenient. This simple fact coupled with the growing smart phone market make it likely that contactless payment devices such as near-field communication (NFC) and QR codes will enter the mainstream in 2012. These are already used in Japan for example, where mobile phones are used as payment devices – you scan the QR code and your phone picks up the bill. When used in smartphones they encourage customers to merge their wallet with their mobile phones. Data from surveys like the one Barclays have done suggest the public is ready to embrace this trend and to stay ahead of the crowd, so should you. Step one is to integrate your QR codes with your customer facing marketing.
3. Green Trends
Sustainable living is becoming more of a pressing issue each day, which in turn is pushing ‘green trends’ into the mainstream. Re-commerce are those brands and companies that help consumers recycle by taking back all old items and then doing something constructive with them. These programs leave consumers no excuse not to recycle, increase brand awareness and build a positive reputation with the public and customers alike. Leaders in this growing trend have been the electronics market following the EU legislation that demands that all member states process 85% of their electronic waste by 2016. How can your business demonstrate its green credentials and help your customers go green? Why not look at proactive approaches to sustainability that cover your own consumption and carbon footprint and also help your customers do better themselves.
4. DIY Health
Mobile trends just keep on coming and there are now countless new apps targeting the huge DIY health market. Apple’s App Store alone currently offers 9,000 mobile health apps and by mid-2012, this number is expected reach 13,000 (Source: MobiHealthNews, September 2011). Technavio has predicted the global mobile health applications market will reach USD 4.1 billion by 2014. Even the motor firmFord are getting on the band wagon – they are providing mobile apps to keep track of chronic conditions such as diabetes, asthma and hay fever. Building an app is not as hard as you might think. You need an idea and developers to build it for you so it will require a capital investment. However, if your app is successful you could find yourself with a steady income stream.
5. Location Based Marketing
The Internet is constantly becoming more competitive. As more and more businesses jump online to start building their presence, those who focus locally in their SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) and PPC (Pay Per Click) efforts, will see better and faster results in their campaign responses. Marketing using global-positioning technology to send geographic-specific business offers to consumers is a large and growing opportunity for businesses of all sizes. FourSquare is a social media platform that exploits positioning technology and offers a range of commercial opportunities for advertising and sharing.
