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5 Integrated Marketing Trends for 2014

As we move into a new year, you might be searching for new ways to creatively reach your customers and prospects. Here are my top 5 Integrated Marketing Trends for 2014 to help you build your plan:

  1. Clearly defining and drilling down key target markets will become even more essential to success. What’s It Mean to You? Build Ideal Customer Profiles based on marketing intel and data then focus your marketing efforts accordingly.
  2. Small and midsize businesses must expand their online presence. Some have ignored social media while others have dabbled in it. The winners in 2014 will make a meaningful commitment. What’s It Mean to You? Invest in creating a true social media and online strategy. Stop hoping it will go away or going through the motions.
  3. Multi Screen Marketing moves to “must do” status. Mobile traffic will overtake desktop in 2014. The majority of shoppers have a smart phone, tablet or both. Your messaging needs to be tailored for multiple screens. What’s It Mean to You? Your website better look (and work) as good on a mobile device as it does on a desktop or laptop. Right now, most don’t.  Make the customer experience universal regardless of device.
  4. Content will finally drive “The New SEO.” For years, we’ve heard that “content is king.”  Yet traditional SEO tactics like keyword usage or links to other sites made as much of an impact as content. But as Google continues to change search, quality content increases in value. What’s It Mean to You? Create content for your target markets. Make it about them in blog posts, videos and other types of media that can be shared.
  5. Video will be the undisputed format of choice. Social Media sites like SnapChat and Vine understand video is the quickest, most memorable way to tell and share stories. What’s It Mean to You? Embrace one to three minute long explainer videos that present your products or services in a simplified manner. Utilize different types of production. Some video should still be produced at a high quality but other video can be produced quickly and a modest cost.

I hope these tips help you build an Integrated Marketing Plan that leads to a successful and happy 2014.