New Trends in Online Marketing

What will digital media marketing bring in 2010? Learn about this year’s hottest new online marketing trends.

2010 looks to be the biggest year ever for online marketing. With more and more marketers demanding results-based advertising, it is no wonder that digital marketing through online means is becoming one of the fastest-growing trends. Here is a look at some online marketing trends for 2010 that you can expect to see this year.

Promising Economic Outlook

Most of the online marketing trends noted throughout this article are based on research published by the Society of Digital Agencies (SoDA) in their SoDA 2010 Digital Marketing Outlook. This study is the result of surveys completed by senior executives from digital agencies and traditional businesses.

Some of the economic trends look quite promising. Two-thirds of those polled said they plan to spend the same or more on digital marketing in 2010. 81 percent of top brand executives plan to increase spending on digital marketing projects. And 50 percent of all pollsters said they will be shifting marketing funds from traditional advertising to digital media advertising.

Social Networking

The 2009 holiday season was huge for online marketing through social media sites. Websites such as Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn saw both large and small businesses marketing their products and providing loyal followers with super deals and discount notifications.

In 2010, it looks like even more small to large businesses will join the social media fray. In the SoDA report, 45 percent of respondents declared that social media advertising will be their “top priority.” 42 percent more said it will be an “important” advertising issue.

With these numbers, expect to see more businesses of every size post a fan page on Facebook or create a Twitter account and start gathering followers. But in addition to free business accounts on social media, expect to see an increase in paid advertising, up to 35 percent to 65 percent, on social sites as well.

From Viral to Storytelling

According to the SoDA report, marketers are steering away from viral campaigns. In the past, viral marketing efforts have shown to produce spotty results. Rather than trying to create something “viral” that may or may not get the marketing word out, new online marketing trends will be more aimed at storytelling.

According to the executive director of SoDA, marketers have a need to start “engaging consumers with relevant dialog.” Marketers will likely be choosing advertising that draws the consumer into the medium rather than simply putting advertising medium out to face the consumer.

Interactive storytelling, or getting the consumer involved with the marketing message, is another way to engage the consumer. This can be done with interactive social media messages and even through new apps on mobile devices. “Disruptive” advertising, such as television commercials, no longer meets the needs of the mass consumer.

Reaching out to the consumer, engaging them, and making them part of the marketing message will likely be the biggest paradigm shifts in online marketing trends in 2010. This new decade calls for a reinvention of the advertising wheel, and we are certain to see these changes start this very year.

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