As we said last week, we’re excited for the next year in marketing. From social media becoming even bigger and more integrated into other marketing channels, to harnessing big data into manageable sets for more data-driven marketing, things are looking up.
But every marketer is different, from their preferences to their job duties, so I didn’t see a point in writing an entire post on why I’m looking forward to becoming a better marketer this year. I want to know what you think.
Last week we showed you a few other marketer’s opinions, and here are a few more:
“The marketing automation landscape is filled with high-value solutions but they also come at a high cost and so are out of reach for smaller businesses, which is a shame. Most analysts agree that if marketing automation is done well, it can increase revenues between 20-30%. For most smaller companies though, the costs would outweigh the advantage. In 2014, I believe we’ll see more solutions designed from the ground up for small businesses and priced so that they can finally take hold of the opportunity they offer.” – Stewart Rogers, Head of Product at Salesformics
“I’m looking forward to an increase in companies sponsoring events as a form of advertising. I think that consumers are starting to become more numb to the ads that we’re bombarded with on a daily basis, and for companies to find a way to get their message out, they’ll need to create an interactive brand experience for consumers.” – Adam Bruk, Account Manager at Digital Third Coast
“The most exciting news to date is effective embedded marketing tools. Being able to launch a campaign in one click from a website or to engage with thousands of interested like-minded constituents on an ongoing basis without draining your work day. These sizzling tech tools are a delight.” – Michele Fisher, Director of Marketing at ICAST USA
“One of the things that I am most excited about is the future of visual marketing. Even within this past year, the amount of content that has become visual through infographics, videos, and even pictures or memes is astonishing. With the huge increase of success in Pinterest, Vine, and Instagram within the social media world, it’s just a quick glimpse into the way individuals are leaning towards visualization. Take heed marketers: 2014 is a year of aesthetics and visual marketing – prepare to get on board.” – James Williams, Social Media Specialist at Articulon
“I’m really excited for the marketing industry to move away from building links for search rankings and onto developing content for brand exposure. Content will always be king when it comes to digital marketing and the shift towards content marketing has taken a major step in that direction over the previous year and I predict will shift even greater towards it in 2014. Good on-site content creates a more engaging experience for your users and helps to create trust in your brand.” – Matthew Zajechowski, Outreach Manager at Digital Third Coast
“I’m most excited about Google Authorship. Google will be developing this over the coming months and years. You will be able to build up your authority as a writer. To measure this, Google will probably take into account social signals, search behavior, and the authority of your blog, etc. With good personal authority, you will be at an advantage for any new websites or blogs you start up. It won’t be like starting from scratch.” – Jon Rhodes, AffiliateHelp
“We’re excited for content marketing to continue to evolve towards something that is of great value to the audience. A lot of organizations are trying their hand at content marketing, but they’re not doing too well. The problem is they can’t shake the muscle memory of talking about their own services and products. In 2014, the shift towards more journalistic, audience-focused content will continue.” – John Miller, President of Scribewise
What are you most excited for? Leave your marketing optimism in the comments below or tweet them to @eZangaInc!