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Here are 6 trends (and a host of opportunities) that are likely to change the landscape of online marketing: 1. Syndication platforms (Blogs, RSS and Podcasts) Penetration of these and other consumer-generated communication tools among web users will grow rapidly. RSS, which means “real simple syndication”, is a programming language that allows for delivery of content from Web sites to your desktop. Just as you receive emails in your “inbox” you can receive RSS feed content in your “RSS Reader”. RSS will become as important to a Web site as metatags. As we know, a primary branding driver is word-of-mouth which accounts for 30-50% of all brand switching. Blogs are becoming more and more popular and can fuel this word-of-mouth (which can be either positive or negative!). Many companies including General Electronic Corp, Hewlett-Packard Co, IBM and Oracle are now using blogs, podcasts and RSS in their marketing programs, and are planning to expand their use of these platforms in 2006. For example, on the Oracle website you can read blogs published by customers and business partners talking about how they use the vendor’s technology. 2. Search marketing Search marketing will become even more targeted in 2006 as publishers provide opportunities for marketers to reach segmented audiences through vertical search engines. They are aimed only at people interested in a particular area, and deliver a narrow and focused audience to the companies that advertise on them. For example, there are search engines for veterinarians, doctors, patients, job seekers, house hunters, recruiters, travelers and corporate purchasers. Some publishers that have recently launched vertical search engines include Advanstar Communications (www.dentalproducts.net), MediaTec Publishing (certmag.com) and Reed Business Information (www.reedlink.com). SearchChannel builds custom search engines for publishers to enable them to become the go-to resource for information in their niche, and having a dedicated, focused search engine is the way to do that. For many marketers, a vertical search engine makes a lot of sense as it enables targeted online advertising. 3. Permission based marketing New software applications have make it even easier for annoyed consumers to skip, delete or bypass unwanted ads such as spam and pop-ups. By going out of your way to obtain permission to deliver the right messages to the right people at the desired time and place, you will increase the success of reaching your customers. While this is somewhat ‘old’ practice in the fast-paced online marketing world, it’s worth reminding marketers to be cognisant of the spam legislation, as well as online ‘netiquette’, which, if not followed, does nothing to promote you except perhaps damage your company or brand reputation. 4. Marketing on the move Mobile marketing and advertising spending will increase in 2006. Armed with BlackBerries, mobile phones, iPods and other mobile devices, consumers are increasingly taking their content wherever they go. Ring tones are already being replaced with downloaded music from wireless providers. 5. Video over the internet Broadband will enable us to reach consumers with TV-like messages, product demos and case studies. While the entire online advertising market is likely to increase, rich media advertising will also be significant. B-2-B marketers are embracing online video ads as the technology improves and formats become standardised. At&T, IBM and Intel Corp are just a few of the companies that have used online video ads. Intel has run Web extensions of its TV commercials on sites including ESPN, and Yahoo! has created unique online content. 6. Measuring New Media Along with new media opportunities comes the need to measure the return on investment they are generating. Some marketers have developed in-house systems to track performance of new media such as blogs, podcasts and search, while others are turning to third-party vendors to provide measurement. Oracle has developed its own system to measure ROI for blogs, podcasts and RSS, using metrics such as page views, frequency and user interactions. Other third party vendors that measure blog performance include Buzzmetrics, intelliseek and Umbria. Google has introduced Google Analytics, a free search analytics service, and Web analytics companies such as Omniture, WebSideStory and WebTrends are rolling out search analytic products as well. What we’re seeing is a shift to a more diverse set of media choices for marketers. A year ago, rich media B-to-B advertising was still somewhat a novelty. Marketers used it as a visual disturbance-something different than the static e-mails and banner ads that populated their world. Today, rich media, and other methods of reaching the web savvy customer has become the norm. Each of these trends is already here in one form or another, and while some may not be fully developed, they are here and they are going to change the way in which we manage our brands and engage with our partners, stakeholders and customers
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Marketers are facing an increasingly complex set of challenges, from media fragmentation to a sharp upturn in CEO turnover, to ongoing pressure to prove their return on investment and contribution to the bottom line. Added to this is the rise of broadband connectivity and community-based platforms which are significant forces changing the internet in 2006 and beyond.