These blog posts are among the most fun to write.

2012, oh where did yee go? Since the year is officially past, it is a perfect time for some marketing observations…

First the obvious statement of the day: time moves so quickly in the marketing industry – basically everything is on warp speed. Based on everything we’ve observed in the past year, we are taking a stab at a top 10 list of what really stands out in our minds as we look at 2013 and think about where things are headed in 2013.  Please jump in and join the discussion; you likely have some different observations that should be a part of the discussion.

So here it goes:
1. Facebook isn’t going away – but it will continue to change. Yes, we likely all agree the sponsored posts are annoying, advertising is becoming more prevalent, and we know that Facebook users are not seeing all of the posts in their feeds (there are many algorhthms that we can only guess what they are…).  But Facebook is still very widely used.  And will be through 2013.
2. FourSquare – my interest has really plummeted. And I don’t see many of my peers checking into locations like they used to. That said, I love to use it for travel to keep track of my trip, but day to day, what is the point??
3. Twitter – still important, still relevant.  Great way to connect with people virtually, and then move the connection to in-person if appropriate.
4. Pinterest – love it, but have to admit that it is harder to find time for it.  When it first came out and I came on board, I spent plenty of time there.  Now…..it still is very relevant but because time is limited I have to work hard to remember to visit.
5. Google+ – wait…..what is that one again??  (This is a channel with a limited audience.  I have to admid I don’t spend much time here at all.)
6. Video – certainly a medium growing and growing in relevance. There is no better way to tell a story.  YouTube is king – will Vimeo grow and start to catch up?
7. Tablets and mobile devices – even those decades older than me are jumping on the bandwagon and getting these new technologies. They are crucial to reaching target audiences.
8. Blogs – still important, and for so many clients, blogs are a great way to tap into new ways to partake in PR activities.  It’s not just about blogging on a regular basis – it is about connecting with other bloggers who you can connect with and who can help tell your story.  Yes, that is simplifying it a great deal, but hopefully you start to get the picture.
9. Email marketing – still vitally important. I’ve said it before and I will say it again – a database is one of an organization’s best assets.  You need to think through how you use it.  But if you can figure that out, and can reach people’s inboxes with relevant, interesting content, you can go places.
10. Branding – one can NEVER underestimate the importance of preserving a brand, following the brand consistency rule, and ensuring everyone on the team is true to it in every which way possible.

These are MMC’s top 10 points.  There are certainly many things that could easily make a top 10 list.  What do you have add?  Do you disagree with any of the observations here?

And, since Facebook isn’t going anywhere, we invite you to join the discussion with MMC on Facebook  - we talk about a lot of interesting topics!

Filed under: Audience, Branding, Emerging medias, General Business, Industry Info, Marketing Campaigns, Messaging, Social Media, Strategic marketing on January 3rd, 2013