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14

Dec

Key trends in digital marketing 2012

Written by Jeremy Webb

Category: Blog

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It's time to look forward to the New Year and predict some trends that will be important for on-line businesses in 2012.

I'll cut to the chase...

• Mobile. We are seeing sites attract over 20% of visitors from mobile devices. Consider how your site will look on the small screen - would an app or mobile version of your site help?
• Social networks. Where do I start? The pace of change is breakneck. In 2011 we saw the launch and rapid development of Google+, big announcements from Facebook at F8 on their roadmap, and the launch of Twitter Pages. Just keeping pace with change in 2012 is going to be a mission, but in 2012 every business must think carefully about their digital social strategy so they invest time and effort wisely.
• Schema. What? It's the return of the <meta tag>! Who'd have thought? A schema allows your to assign structure and meaning to your web content. Why is it important? Because in 2011 Google threw it's weight behind schema.org and Facebook announced the Open Graph. Sites that can give these heavyweights great information about their content AND connect this to social networks are going to win big.
• Hacking. In desperate times, people take desperate measures. 2012 is not going to be pretty economically, and crime will rise. Make sure your site is as secure as possible and make regular backups. Common hacks nowadays are not about defacing or taking down a site, but gaining some financial reward by using your site to propagate malware, or placing hidden links.
• QR codes - a bit of light relief! With the rise of smartphones has come the rise of QR codes, those funny little square barcodes you can scan with your phone. They are easy to make and customise and add a bit of fun, extra reach and traceability to your marketing. Why not!

Best wishes for a Happy Christmas and Prosperous New Year.