Internet Marketing is ever-changing. What once worked well for your business a few months ago may not be working for you at all any longer. Competitors eventually learn the same tricks, enter the same channels, and the cost per customer acquisition goes higher. Much higher. That’s why it’s important to know what’s coming, in order to hopefully get a jump on your competition. Here is what we see as important trends for you to watch:
1) Search gets competitive- It used to be that you could thrive with just a solid search engine marketing strategy alone. Nowadays, if you want to effectively compete online, it appears you will have to extend your reach beyond search engine marketing. Everyone has gotten into the search game and what that means to you is that you now have to compete with a lot more businesses for the same traffic - in the same limited space. Expect higher cost per click prices and a lot more time (and effort) involved in obtaining and sustaining a first page ranking. To counter, consider ad network marketing as a lower-cost alternative. Ad networks allow for behavioral and demographic targeting and costs are much lower than PPC.
2) Local Search Booms- For most San Diego businesses, the search engines alone will not be enough. Instead being listed in local directory sites like Local.com, YellowPages.com, and Yahoo! Local will be essentials. In San Diego, businesses can get listings on sites like SanDiego.com and should. Expect new and improved local search sites and great opportunities locally to be seen.
3) Social Media Marketing Grows Some More - Before Facebook there was MySpace. Before MySpace there was Friendster. Now there is Twitter, LinkedIn, Tagged, Plaxo, Merchant Circle, Yelp, etc. Where is one to go? The short answer, much the chagrin of people trying to keep up, is everywhere. Each one has their pros and cons yet all share the same desire – to connect you to people. Expect many new sites and many interations of old sites. Like it or not…Social media is here to stay and your participation is required.
Keep your eye on these emerging trends and buckle up. Change is here to stay!
