Metia 2013 Marketing Trends Report

7/29/2019 Metia 2013 Marketing Trends Report

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SOCIAL MEDIA MOBILECOMMENDATION CULTUR

T E C H N O L O G Y , D E V E L O P M E NA N D E N G A G E M E NMESSAGING UX AND DESIGN SEO AND ANALYT

Annual Predictions for

Ever-Changing Landscape of Digital Market

METIA2 0 1 3I N S I G H T S

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SOCIAL MEDIA


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The NetworksWe can all nally agree that social media is here to stay. Its also a

highly dynamic eld where new channels pop up just as others die

away. Most marketers are aware of Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and

YouTube. Pinterest, Instagram, and Tumblr continue to gain footing.

There are also emerging social networks for specic groups of people,

such as JustFamily.com, which is a social network for family members

only, and proprietary B2B networks like Yammer.

Say Goodbye to Google+ and FourSquareGoogle+ simply didnt take off. This is not Googles rst failed attempt

at launching a social channel, and it probably wont be its last. There

were aspects to G+ that were well-liked, and there will denitely

continue to be Google+ users through 2013, but the fact is that G+

s not gaining momentum and its not producing signicant results forbrands (outside of SEO). Its harmless to keep it in your mix, but when

marketers are making tough choices about resources, Google+ has a

hard time justifying a place at the front of the line.

n this age of digital Darwinism, social channels must constantly

adapt to users and opportunities. Only a year ago, it seemed that

FourSquare was the dominant new social channel (after beating also-

ans like GoWalla). However, its offering was easily replicated and

users found similar benets from Groupon and Facebook Places. Bye

Bye, FourSquare.

Are You Normal?Fortune 500 social stats:

73% now use Twitter (have an ofcial corporate account with tweet

activity in the previous month), up 11 percentage points (or 17.7%)

from the 62% that did so in 2011.

66% have a corporate Facebook page, up 8 points (or 13.8%) from

the 58% that did so a year earlier.

28% have a corporate public-facing blog from the primary

corporation with posts in the previous 12 months, up 5 points (or

21.7%) from the 23% that did so in 2011.

The Fortune 500 companies with Twitter accounts come from a cross-

section of industries. Banking continues to lag behind other industries,

in large part because of the intense legal restrictions that are spec

to the banking, nance, and insurance industries.

The food consumer products industry has the highest Twitterpenetration with 93%, followed by the specialty retail and aeros

industries, each with 86%.

A partial list (below) shows those industries with the greatest

presence on Twitter:

Enterprise NetworksLots of businesses want to foster a social community, but they wa

do it in a closed and managed environment. Thats where enterpr

social networks come into play. What can we learn from Microsoft

and Yammer? Yammer is Microsofts new internal social network,

and it is seeing higher adoption and satisfaction rates than previou

attempts by Microsoft. Its not just because of the platform its al

because of internal communication and incentives such as ties to

career development goals. If weve learned one thing from the vas

wasteland of failed intranets, its that internal communication tools

need a lot of support to succeed. The same holds true for enterpri

social networks.

SocIAL medIA

Corporate Twitter Accounts by Industry

Industry #of companies w/ %Twitter accounts

Aerospace & Defense 12/14 86%

Chemicals 13/17 76%Commercial Banks 15/20 75%

Food Consumer Products 13/14 93%

Insurance: Property &

Casualty 13/16 81%

Motor Vehicles & Parts 7/16 44%

Specialty Retailers 24/28 86%

Telecommunications 12/15 80%

Utilities: Gas & Electric 16/22 73%

FACEBOOK66%USE

TWITTER73%USE CORPORATE

PUBLIC BLOG28% have a

Fortune 500 social stats


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SocIAL medIA

Paid Content PromotionWith 60 million status updates on Facebook and 200 million tweets per

day, brands need tools to cut through the clutter, and social networks

need money to operate. In 2012, these factors have inspired Facebook

and Twitter to offer content promotion products such as Facebooks

sponsored posts and Twitters promoted tweets. Both of these pseudo

ad inventories have cost-per-click (CPC) rates that are similar to other

social ad formats but they appear in-line with other, non-paid content.

This trend toward blurring the lines between paid and non-paid content

will continue in 2013 and will require marketing departments to pay in

order to reach more than 510% of their Facebook fans.

Content Is Still (and Will Always Be) Kingf social media does one thing for marketers, it brings the content

strategy (or lack thereof) to light. Social media should be used asa platform to support the content strategy, and marketers who are

winging it will quickly recognize that the absence of a content

strategy results in the presence of a problem. Content creation is

an ongoing challenge for marketers, and the daily content creation

demands of channels like Twitter and Facebook will nally drive

marketers to formalize content plans and initiate content calendars,

strategies, and assignments.

Social happens faster than real-time, and marketers must be

esponsive and proactive. Theyve also got to eliminate barriers such

as legal review and arduous internal processes that stand in the way

of engagement.

Pin ThisPinterest took brands by storm and became the third most-popular

social networking site in the U.S. in 2012, according to Experian.

Marketers experimented with ways to engage fans on Pinterest,

ncluding contests (like the one from Guess pictured above) puzzles,

and visual hacks. Pinterest is still rening its offerings for brand

marketers, and it continues to fall short on critical analytics, promo

and advertising offerings. But it would be foolish to ignore the

popularity of the platform.

Get RealThe personal narrative is more important than ever. Social channe

have become personal libraries of lifes details and detritus. Pinter

has released private pages, Facebook is integrating Instagram, an

all of these channels are cross-pollinating the digital prole of use

around the world. Branded content that successfully resonates witusers as authentic, personal, and relevant is able to coexist with u

generated content as personal as engagements, lovers quarrels,

photos of family members. Marketers who are not skilled at produ

content that feels personal and relevant to users will fail to take

advantage of social opportunities. Users have very little tolerance

uninspired social content.

Smart brands are behaving less like generic spokespeople and m

like people youd want to hang out with. When Richard Neill made

a casual and humorous comment on the Bodyform Facebook pag

the company quickly responded with a tongue-in-cheek YouTube

video dispelling a variety of myths. As of the date of publishing, thvideo has gotten more than 3 million views on YouTube and has b

featured on several inuential social and news media sites.

Similar exchanges have taken place between the brand Twitter

accounts and customers, including O2, Old Spice, Taco Bell, Oreo

and AMC Theatres.

Social happens faster than

realtime, and mareters

must be responsive and

proactive.


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SocIAL medIA

MemesSavvy marketers will take advantage of memes and use them as an

opportunity to insert their brands in popular online conversations --

and pick up a little press.

Pictures Perform Better Than WordsData from Buddy Media shows that photo posts receive 39% higher

nteraction rates than average on Facebook. Pinterest and Instagram

were wildly popular in 2012, and the impact of visual social content

will continue to rise.

Humble Bragst has become common for brands to thank followers when they hit

big milestones. Just because its a trend doesnt mean its a great

dea. Yes, thank your brand loyalists for helping to achieve a goal,but marketers need to consider whether announcing that youve hit

0,000 likes is of value to your followers.

f you do engage in a little humble bragging, make it good. After hitting

5 million Facebook fans, Old Navy made a complexly choreographed

video that offered a coupon for 30% off at the end. AT&T made 500

customized YouTube videos thanking fans in song after it surpassed 2

million fans on Facebook in May, and Febreze gathered hundreds of

eam members to utter thank you to fans 1 million times over a video

vestream in June.

Crowdfunding Leads to Earned MediaKickstarter is more than a platform for crowdfunding its also an

effective way to grab the medias attention and market a product

ahead of its launch. Marketers will increasingly take advantage of

buzzworthy social channels, cause marketing, and other unique

strategies that build brand hype.

Ready, Shoot, AimThe connection between content, result, and value of social media

so strong that you cannot talk about one without the others. Markecannot afford to ail around social channels any longer. It simply ta

too much time and effort if the ROI is hard to understand or track.

Marketers will up the strategy ante in 2013.

Data/TargetingWhy do Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram do well with

brands? Because they have the most signicant and relevant data

owing into them. Trust is the only thing that can compete with dat

protectionism, and the fear of Big Brother has gotten in line behind

the desire for personalized content. The free exchange of data for

personalized ad is on the rise. Social media channels that underst

how to promote highly targeted and personalized ads will be the b

partners for the marketers and will succeed in 2013.

Cross-Functional Social Media TeamsAs companies continue to embrace social media and move to a m

comprehensive approach, the architecture of their social media tea

is changing. Cross-functional social media teams (both internal an

external) will replace ad-hoc and rogue social media initiatives to

manage all aspects of social media (job postings, customer service

paid advertising, campaigns, content promotion, analytics, etc.). W

some companies will struggle with which department owns their so

media channels, companies that are successful with social media develop teams of social media professionals that work across mult

departments.

Email and Social Converge for the Sake ofAdvertisingFacebook has made it possible to target ads at social users based

on their email address (assuming that the address that you have is

associated with the users Facebook account). The integration of

Why do people retweet?

Celebrity status

Personal connection

Retweet request

Humor

Interesting content

Incentive

92%

21%

26%32%

84%

66%

Trust is the only thing thacan compete ith data

protectionism.


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SocIAL medIA

social behavior with email addresses has obvious implications for

CRM systems, and it will also be relevant for content strategies.

The interplay of social content and email marketing will be stronger

han ever.

At the time of publishing, the metrics provided by Facebook for email

argeted messaging were still buggy. By this t ime next year, we expect

o see even greater integration of email data and social marketing.

There are legal implications for this sort of advertising, and there isnt

anything on the law books now that directly addresses the issue of

email-targeted marketing on social channels like there is for email

marketing (such as anti-spam laws).

Laws may go into effect for sharing PII and receiving an ad on your

social page. We dont think that the laws will stop email-targeted social

ads any more than theyve stopped cookie-based tracking. Consumers

may never know that an ad was targeted to them based on their email

address, because the ads dont make it clear that they were targeted

at all, let alone what the source of their data was.

Advertising Alliances and StreamlinedAnalyticsSocial networks will increasingly play well together. Weve already

seen social networks using Facebooks APIs to manage user accounts

and logins. Facebooks biggest advertising partner, Buddy Media, was

ecently purchased by Salesforce. Facebooks advertisements fromBuddy Media can now be integrated with Salesforce, along with any

online mentions received. This can give sales teams greater visibility

nto the social impact of advertising on a B2B prospect.

Salesforce also purchased Radian6, a social listening and

engagement platform, to help aggregate reach and other campaign

data across multiple channels. Having all this data in one dashboard

gives marketing professionals a unique real-time perspective on the

health and ROI of their programs.

MeasurementFacebook Likes dont necessarily have bottom-line implications. Sohow will you know if your social channel is working for you?

Social ROI tracking is still in its infancy, but several recent

announcements signal major changes ahead. In November 2012,

Facebook began rolling out a new tool that allows online retailers to

rack purchases made by people who viewed their ads. According

o Facebooks ads product manager, Measuring ad effectiveness

and outcomes is absolutely crucial to all types of businesses and

marketers, and their new conversion measurement tool has

been a top customer request for a long time. Conversion tracking

nothing new, but Facebook is the rst social network to offer it as

complimentary service.

In the past, social medias impact has proved difcult to measure,

and many marketers arent seeing the ROI that they had envisione

when the world demanded that they get on Facebook. As analyt

teams grow and bring social media data into the mix, there is huge

opportunity to optimize social media efforts based on ROI. In addi

predictive analytics can be used to speculate on the outcomes fro

various advertising strategies.

Brands are seeing improvements in customer service and support

even as incoming leads and sales hold steady. The struggle to

measure social ROI and predict outcomes will continue in 2013 as

marketers move out of the experimentation phase of social media

and into the more mature next step of predicting value and manag

outcomes.

Targeting and PrivacySocial media has put a face on the Internet, and people have shift

from using computers to just nd data to using them to connect

with other people. Marketers should pay attention to the personal

relationships that are represented by data points and produce con

that feels personal, human, and relevant. Marketers need to use e

addresses, phone numbers, cookies, and demographic data to de

advertising and messaging that is intended for individuals rather th

market segments.

Measuring ad

effectiveness and

outcomes is absolutely

crucial to all types of

businesses and mareter- faks as pru anar


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MOBILE


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mobILe

The Mobile EnterpriseAs more employees conduct business on smartphones, businesses

will need to update intranets to be mobile-friendly. Juniper Research

predicts that 350 million workers worldwide will use personal mobile

devices at work by 2014, more than double todays gures. Its been

are for an intranet to be developed with mobile use in mind, and this

year companies will see a drop in intranet adoption for those sites that

are not phone-friendly. SalesForce has been leading the charge in

mobile-friendly enterprise software for their customers, who are highly

mobilized sales professionals.

Speaking of salespeople, marketers need to keep mobile sharing in

mind as well. Any demos, customer-facing applications, and sales

ools should be designed and developed for smartphones and tablets.

Consumerization will mean enterprises cant force users to give up

heir iPads or Windows 8 tablets without giving them something

comparable. Enterprises will need to support a greater variety of

devices, and let go of standardization for tablet hardware.

SocialWhen Facebook led documents around its public offering, the

company stated that mobile presented the biggest opportunity and

hreat to its business. This mobile-momentum inspired Facebooks

decision to purchase Instagram along with a hiring push to bring

n bright minds in mobile UX and development to the extent that

Google had to start giving bonuses to employees who resisted the

ecruiting onslaught from Facebook. In 2013, were going to seemore changes to the Facebook interface as they iterate on the

mobile experience and look for ways to keep mobile users engaged

especially with advertisers).

This doesnt just affect marketers in the U.S. More than 600 million

people around the world use Facebook on their mobile devices, and

as smartphone adoption and Internet access becomes more reliable

n the second and third world, adoption of social media will rise with it.

And its not just smartphones Facebook is big on feature phones in

other countries, and thats where Facebook anticipates fastest growth

in the short-medium term. International Facebook advertisers will

to take text-based feature phone advertising into consideration in to succeed.

Better ToolsTheres no silver bullet yet for simplifying multiplatform application

development, but the tools are improving. Developing for multiple

devices has gotten easier, and well see more cross-platform mob

solutions in 2013. Gone are the days of having an iPhone app and

having the same app available on Android and Windows Phone.

Development for multiple mobile platforms is also made simpler

because of development frameworks, which nally got the spit andpolish they needed in 2012. There are software packages and libr

that streamline mobile development across platforms (PhoneGap

Appcelerator, Corona, MonoTouch/MonoDroid, Sencha, Cordova,

and Widgetbox). Developers can write code in a known programm

language and deploy it to a native app.

Mobile Device BattlesGartner predicts that by 2013 mobile phones will overtake PCs as

the most common web access device worldwide and that by 2015

more than 80 percent of the handsets sold in mature markets will

smartphones. By 2015, media tablet shipments will reach about 5

percent of laptop shipments and Windows 8 will likely be in third p

behind Googles Android and Apple iOS operating systems. Wind

8 is Microsofts big bet and Windows 8 platform styles should be

evaluated to get a better idea of how they might perform in real-wo

environments as well as how users will respond.

Theres no silver bullet

yet for simplifying

multiplatform application

development.

of U.S. adults on

a smartphone


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mobILe

Mobile Applications and HTML5n 2013, the only reason to build an app is if it requires device support,

such as the camera or location-based GPS, or the need to store data

on the device. Historically, the trend was to develop apps rather than

sites in order to exert tighter control over design and UX, but this is not

necessary anymore because mobile sites are able to detect the device

ype, and HTML5 can access GPS.

The market for tools to create consumer and enterprise-facing apps

s complex, with well over 100 potential tool vendors. There is no

clear leader in the tool vendor arena yet. Best practices are still

being shaken out as tool partners come and go. For the next few

years, no single tool will be optimal for all types of mobile application,

so expect to employ several. Currently, Gartner separates mobile

development tools into several categories. Six mobile architectures

native, special, hybrid, HTML5, Message, and No Client will rem

popular. However, there will be a long-term shift away from native

apps to hybrid apps (web apps running in an OS-specic wrapper

straight web apps as HTML5 becomes more capable. Nevertheles

native apps wont disappear. Developers will also need to develop

new design skills to deliver touch-optimized mobile applications th

operate across a range of devices in a coordinated fashion.

Device-Based PersonasIt will be important for marketers to understand how customers int

with content when using different devices. Those different interact

inform design and UX decisions to increase adoption. When creat

UX personas, marketers should develop both desktop and mobile

personas and identify the different user goals for each device.

Mobile uses

Casually browsehe Internet

Use a searchengine

Look for work-related info

Read news articles Visit brand ormanufacturerwebsites

Search for informawhen not in front odesktop computer other Internet-enadevice

81%77%

32%56%

25%

65%


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RECOMMENDATION CULTURE


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RecommeNdAtIoN cULtURe

The Rise of the Online RecommendationCultureThe way that people consume content has shifted, and the desire

or a customer perspective is on the rise. Case studies are joined

by customer quotes, testimonial videos, and social engagement.

Specically, video and social media are the big front-runners in 2013.

Customer Advocacy: You Have a ProgramEven If You Dont Have a ProgramMany marketers are performing customer reference activities without

ealizing it. These activities may include the management of an online

community, introducing customers to prospects, gathering client

quotes, and publishing customer case studies on YouTube. Another

example can be found within sales teams, as salespeople alwayshave their own cadre of clients that they return to time and again. By

ormalizing this program and building a strong alliance between sales

and marketing, marketers can deliver a stronger outcome.

Sales teams rely on marketers to arm them with information that will

speed time-to-revenue and build trust with prospective customers.

Prospects will also expect to engage with your customers earlier in the

sales process.

References and RevenueThe C-suite will have high expectations regarding the measurement

of customer reference programs and their impact on revenue. Large

companies started earnestly investing in ROI-tracking tools in 2012,

and we predict a continuation of this trend in 2013. A reference

manager can simply track deals where their references

were used, as well as whether the deal was eventually won.

Lower Legal FeesIn some industries, marketing content often requires legal review

particularly if it includes details about a client or case study. This i

changing, and the change is picking up pace for 2013; there is a p

to eliminate the cumbersome legal approval process for marketing

content. Finding ways to simplify the process is increasingly impo

as organizations grow.

COPE: Create Once, Publish EverywhereMore channels means there are a lot more places to publish conte

A critical factor for successful content marketing is to have conten

suitable for these different channels. Marketers are spending more

time up front, gathering details from customers that can be leverag

for multiple forms of content. For example, when shooting a video

detailed call sheet outlining different shoots for different deliverabl

will get enough content for multiple videos from a one-day shoot.

That content can be used on blogs, YouTube, Vimeo, Facebook,

and Twitter, as well as in press materials, presentations, sales-rea

materials, and more.

Where Do Customers Find

Recommendations?If you want to inuence a buying decision you need to start by ask

where buyers go for information. 87% of buyers seek advice befor

choosing a product or solution. Social media plays a role but more

than two out of three start with a search on Google.

SOCIAL MEDIA 80%

ONLINE ARTICLES 74%

E-NEwSLETTERS 65%

wHITE PAPERS 60%

BLOGS 59%

CASE STUDIES 58%

VIDEOS 57%

Most effective content typesfor improving Sales/MarketingEffectiveness

The ay that peopleconsume content has

shifted, and the desire fo

a customer perspective is

on the rise.


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RecommeNdAtIoN cULtURe

Keep It Simple and SocialMarketers need to make it easy for customers to be advocates.

Sales and marketing pros need to minimize disruption to the existing

customer, while maximizing the reference opportunity. Let customers

know up-front what kinds of materials you want to get from them,

and make it clear how that information will be used. Ask your

customers how often they are willing to be referenced, and honor

hose boundaries. A software tool can help marketers to make those

promises with condence.

Social media can connect customers and prospects, who need

marketings help to make that connection meaningful. Marketers will

ncreasingly be required to facilitate relationships between clients and

prospects on social channels such as LinkedIn and Twitter.

Incentivize SmarterCustomers expect to be treated like partners, with benets for both

parties. You will see a rise in the activation of customer advisory

boards and a fall in the demand for incentives. Clients no longer e

tangible incentives, and are shifting toward intangibles like publicit

and credibility. The strongest advocates are the ones who feel the

have a stake in the game, not customers who participate for free s

Beyond Our BordersFor international brands, culturally appropriate content and marke

strategies are more important than ever. Produce content that is

tailored with stories and clients that are local to your prospects. Pe

trust voices like their own.


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TECHNOLOGY, DEVELOPMENT,AND ENGAGEMENT


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tecHNoLogY, deveLoPmeNt, ANd eNgAgemeNt

Youll Spend More on Development in 2013Development budgets will be slightly higher, because it costs more to

have content on more devices. This can be mitigated slightly by tools

and frameworks that streamline mobile development, but marketers

should not underestimate the effort to design, develop, deploy, and

maintain multiple applications across a variety of platforms. Gartner

predicts that global IT spending will top $4 trillion by 2015.

The Relationship Between Apps andHardware Will be More Important Than EverMobile applications and sites dene the user experience on mobile

devices, and device and platform manufacturers are crystal clear on

he impact that high-quality apps have on users impressions of a

device. Weve already seen a trend where Apple and Microsoft providesignicant support to application developers. In 2013, we expect to

see those investments make their way to small app developers and

startups as well.

n-House Outsourced DevAs internal development teams shrink and technical objectives grow,

more businesses will seek in-house outsourced support. In other

words, they will bring in agency teams for short-term projects to

facilitate collaboration and speed up development without having

to invest in staff or ramp up internal teams. This model also builds

in-house knowledge and increases the benets of the agency

relationship.

Pendulum Shift from Mobile Apps toResponsive and Adaptive WebMarketers invested heavily in apps in 2011, and that investment c

to roost in 2012 with expensive and arduous application updates,

device releases, and platform changes. 2013 will see an increase

demand for adaptive and responsive web development so that co

can be distributed on a wider variety of devices, as well as mainta

and updated easily.

Whats the Difference Between Responsive and Adaptive Des

Responsive: the design and development of a site targets a speci

device and all of the technical properties of that device. For exam

if you have a browser window on your desktop and you are lookin

a responsive website, as you shrink the browser the website will a

to t the window.

Adaptive: the design and development of a site targets a specic

screen size. With adaptive design, the site will snap to different siz


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HTML5Even though HTML5 isnt scheduled to be fully baked for two more

years, it is already important for information-heavy websites that use

he new HTML-specic tagging system. When HTML5 is combined

with CSS3, page elements become dynamic and can move in many

directions, serving a variety of browsers and devices. Marketers

should keep in mind that there is a compatibility challenge when using

he built-in video player because it only works with specic video

ormats (Theora, H.264, and VP8). Support for these video formats is

not ubiquitous and you should plan on encoding each video in each

of these formats to ensure the widest range of support. Marketers

planning to deploy HTML5 on their sites to play videos and interactions

should make the site backward-compatible so that it defaults to

Silverlight, Flash, or a video download if HTML5 isnt available.

RIP Silverlight, and Maybe FlashHTML5 was widely purported to be a Silverlight and Flash killer, even

as early versions were being used and experimented with. Adobe

has released Edge as a Flash replacement, and Silverlight still has

specic uses where it is better than HTML5. We expect all of these

echnologies to commingle throughout 2013, and we dont expect a

clear winner in the video/animation toolset for another year. Silverlight

will be used primarily for long-form video (and even then it is displayedn an HTML5 code base), and Flash for short-form animations and

nteractions (including those on Twitter). HTML5 will continue to be in

an experimental phase.

Windows 8Windows 8 was released in October 2012, and well see early

experiments with Windows 8 applications as the year wears on. The

general consensus is that Windows 8 is pretty cool, especially given

its forward-thinking investment in touch interface. With the Window

Runtime (WinRT), developers can write code once and deploy it o

a website, mobile app, or Windows 8 computer, all using the sam

code base. Programmers will be able to churn out high-quality appand sites that run on Windows 8 with a very small learning curve.

Marketers will see a cost savings on development of applications

across multiple platforms.

The End of QR Codes?QR codes will continue to be deployed, but overall we predict a

decline in the use of QR codes. Although they perform well in spe

circumstances, most brands deployed them ineffectively, and use

have lost faith. One issue has been that QR codes are inherently

mobile-friendly, and often the landing pages that they directed peo

to were not mobile-optimized.

Marketing and IT Collide: Data OwnershipSeveral years ago, smart marketers recognized the important role

of data in their marketing programs. Those marketers are making

the leap to marketing automation, which is tapping into those CRM

systems. Further, that marketing automation, marketing commitme

to social media, and feedback are adding a layer of complexity to

program analytics and the CMS tools.

Client relationship management (CRM) technologies can bring toge

a cross-functional team including sales, marketing, IT, and support

those teams will be challenged to address data in new ways in 201Data ownership will increasingly need to be shared so that various

groups can use the data effectively and for their unique purposes.

IT departments work on priorities. Marketing departments work

on opportunities. CTOs and CMOs recognized the importance of

collaboration in 2012, and in 2013 we expect to see these discipli

gaining condence in each other and innovating in how they deliv

solutions that meet the needs of both teams (and the company the

work for).

The fantasy of having one data warehouse has burst and now

organizations are recognizing the need to have multiple systems t

play well together.

This data, which will be managed by multiple stakeholders, must b

cared for in terms of quality and accuracy, and it must be clear wh

has primary ownership over a contact relationship. The data is sh

democratically, but the relationship is at risk if it is managed in the

same way.

Mareters ill see a cost

savings on development

of applications across

multiple platforms.


17/27




We expect to see more companies formalizing relationship hierarchies

as they increase cross-functional collaboration. First-rate data

management is integral to marketing automation, which is on the rise

and will increase in importance through 2013 and beyond.

Analytics also comes into play because having access to data (and

he right data) is paramount to helping marketers optimize and make

smarter decisions about digital activities. As marketing, IT, or other

departments deploy analytics solutions (third-party or in-house), they

need to communicate with each other on which types of solutions will

best meet their needs.

Personal CloudThe personal cloud will gradually replace the PC for personal le

storage and service access. The cloud will be the glue that connects

he devices people use during different aspects of their daily lives.

Users will see the cloud as a portable, always-available place to go

or all their digital needs. The personal cloud shifts the focus from the

client device to cloud-based services delivered across devices.

Enterprise Apps Bring More Responsibilitiesto IT DepartmentsEnterprises face a complex future as some vendors will limit their app

stores to specic devices and types of apps, forcing the enterprise to

deal with multiple stores, payment processes, and sets of licensing

erms. By 2014, Gartner believes that many organizations will

deliver mobile applications to workers through private application

stores. With enterprise app stores, the role of IT shifts from that of a

centralized planner to a market manager providing governance and

brokerage services to users and potentially an ecosystem to support

apptrepreneurs.

The Internet of Things is a world where physical objects are

seamlessly integrated into the information network, and where the

physical objects can become active participants in processes. Ser

are able to interact with these smart objects over the Internet, as

as query and change their state and any information associated w

them, all while taking into account security and privacy issues.

Mobile no longer refers only to the use of smartphones and tablets

Cellular technology is being embedded in many new types of devincluding pharmaceutical containers and cars. Smartphones and

other intelligent devices dont just use the cellular network; they

communicate via NFC, Bluetooth, LE, and Wi-Fi to a range of dev

and peripherals such as wristwatch displays, healthcare sensors,

smart posters, and home entertainment systems. Its an exciting

time for marketers, designers, and developers, but mistakes will b

made along the way. We expect to see more experimenting with

interconnected devices in 2013, and this will be an important perio

experimentation, testing, failure, and entrepreneurialism.

Mobile no longer refers

only to the use of

smartphones and tablets.

The Internetof Things


18/27

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usrs as n prrns

MESSAGING


19/27



meSSAgINg

Email marketing is consistently rated as one of the most highly

performing digital channels in terms of ROI. However, this long-

standing digital marketing tool is undergoing a transformation.

Marketing AutomationMarketing automation is nally here, and communications are getting

smarter and better. Many businesses have made an investment into

data collection and management, and those with CRM systems in

place have the capability for marketing automation baked in. In 2013,

more marketers will nally set up their triggered messaging, which

will make personalized, timely, and relevant communication withcustomers and prospects more efcient and effective.

A high-quality automated program requires that marketers integrate

heir CMS and their email programs, which can be a sticking point.

There are stand-alone marketing automation companies, such as

Eloqua, that focus on marketing automation and also offer email

marketing capabilities. ExactTarget, which in the past has focuse

primarily on email marketing, recently addressed this trend by

acquiring Pardot, a B2C marketing automation company. ExactT

had previously been meeting the B2B marketing automation trenby partnering with Marketo, which integrates directly with the

ExactTarget platform.

Marketers will need to invest time and energy into data normalizat

in 2013 so that their programs can function properly with minimal

intervention. This is an outstanding development for the many

beleaguered marketing departments that lost staff and funding

following the nancial crisis in 2009. Automation enables smaller

teams to do more with less, all while delivering a better outcome f

their customers.

Responsive Web in Email DesignApproximately 80 percent of people check email on their phone. 2

will see a shift away from mobile optimization of email by designin

and developing two different emails, each using the same content

Mobile optimization for email now takes advantage of responsive

web design so that marketers can design and develop one email t

serves up content based on the type of device that is being used.

The design should be optimized for a variety of specic viewports

- addressing phones, tablets, and desktop variations and then

developed once. This adds complexity to the technical back-end o

how email is built, but it saves time and money overall. Responsiv

web will make high-quality mobile email more pervasive, andbusinesses that arent optimizing for mobile in 2013 will see a neg

impact on their campaign results.

Retail Buys into Integration2012 saw the wide adoption of messaging integration with Point o

Sale (POS) as more retail stores started emailing receipts and opt

customers into email programs. Well see increased collection of

customer data when customers are in brick-and-mortar stores so

targeted and personalized content can be delivered via email and

SMS. Customer loyalty programs make it easier for retailers to ga

in-store behavior data and tailor messaging for users.

Customers are willing to release their data to the brands that they

trust, however in return they expect great content that is delivered

the time and cadence that works best for them. A lot of businesse

successfully rened their targeted messaging in 2012, so custome

tolerance for inadequate programs is only going to shrink in 2013.

What kinds of email do people prefer?

Special offers

Promos + vouchers

Real-time delivery tracking

New products

Newsletters

Other

Email mareting isconsistently rated as

one of the most highly

performing digital

channels in terms of ROI.


20/27



meSSAgINg

More Legal Considerations for EmailMarketersThere are more communication channels available than ever. The

addition of those channels, however, increases marketer risk for legal

compliance. Take Papa Johns, for example. The company found

tself in hot water when it collected phone numbers for pizza orders,

and then treated those pizza orders like an opt-in for promotional text

messages without an opt-out. At the end of 2012, Papa Johns faced a

$250 million class-action lawsuit. Imagine if customers were as tuned

nto opt-in and opt-out in email as they are to SMS. All marketers who

collect, store, and use customer data should refresh their knowledge

on the laws and regulations surrounding those actions to ensure they

are up to date and not in violation.

Real-Time Email Content Replaces StaticReal-time email content, or live data, involves putting content or

mages in an email based on live factors, including the time of day,

number of email opens since the email was sent, number of clicks

on the data, and more. There is a whole host of ways that real-time

content can be used, including offering promotions that expire within

a certain timeframe, or that are only available in a limited quantity.

We have seen examples from 1-800-Flowers.com where the subject

ne says 24 hours for the deal, and the content within the email has a

countdown clock of how much time is left until it reads 0:00:00. Home

Depot uses a different tactic, with less specic subject lines about

discounts, and then tailors the content within the email based on how

many emails have been opened or discounts applied.

Real-time content has been used on the web for years to great suc

and marketers are starting to see the benet of it within email.

The most obvious use for real-time content is with promotional offbut there are opportunities in B2B as well, such as event registrat

for an event that is almost sold out. The most important thing is to

stress urgency and to be thoughtful about subject lines in emails t

have dynamic content. Test multiple subject lines with your offers

see what degree of urgency resonates best with your customers.

Customers Demand Even More Relevancyand PersonalizationNearly every email program in 2012 saw some type of dynamic or

personalized content. If you are an email marketer, this shouldnt

anything new. But are you creating the right kind of dynamic conte

Now that marketers have a grasp on the technology and data that

supports it, its time to analyze and optimize that content to make su

youre getting the right ROI on your effort. Tune into what subscribe

both are and arentsaying in order to best serve up content for

customers. If your email marketing program does not include dynam

variables to pull in relevant content for them, you have some work t

do. This is the most important thing you can do for your email mark

program in 2013. Subscribers expect a personalized experience in

aspects of the digital world and if you are not providing that in the e

you receive from them, they will stop paying attention. Try using rea

time content based on their preferences to customize the offer that get, creating completely personalized and truly relevant content. Yo

subscribers will thank you.

The most important thing

s to stress urgency and

to be thoughtful about

subject lines.


21/27

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UX AND DESIGN


22/27



UX ANd deSIgN

Are You Ready for Touch?n previous years, touch was a nice-to-have or novel feature.

ow touch enablement is expected because there are too many

evices that support touch to ignore it. Touch brings the death of the

mouseover or hover state, and has fundamentally changed the

X conventions that have been in place since the mid-1990s. It is

mportant to be clear about what is touchable and what isnt, because

hen users touch something, they expect something to happen. Touch

teraction should be instinctual.

Adaptive, Responsive, Discoverable013 is all about design adaptability and exibility. This trend is

argely fueled by the convergence of desktop and mobile interfaces

nd responsive web design. This shift in thinking from designing

sparate but similar experiences to creating one experience that

tailored to the device represents a fundamental shift in digital

esign philosophies.

With adaptive and responsive design, marketers will have to ensure

hat the UX process considers site navigation and how it performs

across devices. Well see more sites that abandon the traditional to

bar navigation scheme and more sites that focus on discoverability

with links embedded in the content.

The Rise of Voice and GestureWith iOS, Apple showed the world how the graphical touch paradig

should work. Touch interfaces are characterized by responsive, u

and direct interaction, and the dominant gestures are tapping, swip

and pinching.

Apple led the way with touch, but Microsoft is a pioneer in voice

and gesture since the release of Kinect, which has facial and voice

recognition in addition to gesture interaction. Expect interactions to

move beyond the screen, as both input and output increasingly use

voice and gesture.

Small dev rms and independent hackers have been digging into

Kinect SDK for more than a year, and early experiments are resu

in more sophisticated and user-friendly interactions. Expect to se

new tools for hacking and, in turn, more Natural User Interface (N

in the world.

The impact of democratized hacking is hard to predict. Designers a

developers have a stronger understanding of UX principles now th

they did during the .com boom, but UX for NUI is still being rened

and well see mistakes being made along the way. Precision and d

entry are still big challenges for touch, gesture, and voice interactio

Further, consumers will expect more options for interactions, and

there will be a rising demand for voice-activation and NUI in everyd

applications. Despite this, we must remember that people like touc

things and we arent predicting the death of the mouse and keyb

just yet.

tap press double tap

to finger tap

flic drag to finger drag

spread pinch splay press and dragrotate


23/27



UX ANd deSIgN

Mobile UX ConsiderationsVertical scrolling is inherently more phone-friendly and will become a

default scrolling scheme for most sites built this year.

Fat ngerfriendly buttons. Every time users accidentally hit the wrongbutton on their mobile website, it throws analytics off-track and disrupts

he user experience. Interfaces will be simplied, which will create

space for bigger, more user-friendly buttons.

The Parallax ConundrumWe love parallax and saw a trend toward the design element in

2012; however, parallax execution for touch and mobile has to be

houghtfully designed because of implications for UX. Microsoft

eleased Windows 8 just as parallax was on the rise, and we may see

a lot less of this arresting visual effect as touch takes off.

The word parallax is derived from the Greek term parallaxis, which

means alteration. The observable position of an object at any given

distance is dependent on the viewpoint, or position of the viewer.

Perspective shift occurs when a close object is observed from different

viewpoints, and against a distant background.

To create a parallax effect, you need to create several layers of design

elements, and then put them together like a puzzle to create a whole

visual. This process gives the visual a 3D feel while still only being 2D.

Less Is More2012 already saw the trend toward clean design and away from o

ornate or complicated design schemes. The less is more approa

to design will extend through 2013 as designers continue to removextraneous details and elements. This trend benets UX because

there will be fewer elements to distract users from meeting their g

The trend also streamlines development efforts because there are

fewer hover colors and state changes to implement (and de-bug.)

As designers focus on the use of white space and dramatic visual

typography will increase in importance. You will see more designs

where the typography and text take center stage, and images are

actually the supporting players. Design will be simple, but not sim

Higher VC Investment in UXVenture capitalists are paying attention to UX in the startups that t

are nurturing. Weve seen an increase in conferences for startups

that focus on product and experience design. VCs understand the

implications that high-quality UX can have for an applications viab

Design ill be simple,but not simpler.


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2. Pik 3-5 ky prran iniars

3. fus n yur KPIs

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5. Aua rular rprin

SEO AND ANALYTICS


25/27



Seo ANd ANALYtIcS

Content Is KingWell say it again marketers must have a content strategy in 2013.

Marketers who focus on website visuals while ignoring content will

struggle to achieve their SEO goals because content is searched

rst. Images still matter, of course, and marketers must pay attention

o image load times to optimize organic site trafc. The emerging

mportance of dwell time drives up the importance of using social

media to promote your site, because it affects the desired result of

users discovering your site, liking it, and spending time there.

Content needs to be both well-written and searchable. The old habit

was to add more content to be SEO-friendly, but marketers need to

ocus on fewer, better words.

UX Sellsn addition to content, search engine algorithms are placing moreemphasis on User Experience as well as how long people stay on

sites. Delivering content and high-quality UX will be as important in

2013 as keywords and back-end optimization.

Cookie MonstersNew browsers like IE 10 include features that disable the tracking

of cookies and data, which in essence prohibits targeting. These

eatures are optional, and marketers will need to demonstrate to their

customers that there is value in disabling the anti-tracking features.

There will be a push to convey the consumer benets of targeting, and

o get consumers to turn their browser settings to allow tracking. Its

going to be a tough sell, and marketers will have to innovate.

Social Strategys Place in SEOThere is a heightened emphasis on social media as an integral part

of search engine marketing, backed up by increasing reliance on

social media signals by search engines. Users are more accustomed

o receiving targeted ads, and marketers and technology teams

are collaborating more than ever to implement systems that track,

manage, and use data in marketing and social programs effectively.

2013 is going to be a period of renement and social integration.

Remember that SEO is a process rather than a task, and results comen slowly.

Social search is a game changer for SEO. Facebook changed the

industry dramatically in 2012, and the impact of social media on

brand discoverability is on the rise. Bing has Facebook integration

when users are logged into Facebook and searching on Bing, thecan share their queries with their Facebook friends and ask for

recommendations.

Marketers need to align their social strategy with their SEO goals

using keywords. Incoming links from social sites are delivering mo

impactful search results than before.

Connecting with people in the social sphere about those topics wh

using keywords that would normally link a search engine to your s

(rather than keywords that would not) will be much more effective

When marketers use social media to promote their websites, they

also contributing to its search engine ranks, especially with retwee

and reposts of those keywords.

Off-Page SEOYour off-page SEO should be in line with your on-page SEO. Th

way your pages are architected and the quality of your code can

signicantly affect your sites performance. For example, Metia

increased trafc to Microsoft.com/case studies by 139% purely thr

back-end changes, without changing a word of text on the page.

Efficient ImagesImages that load quickly and have useful alt tags affect SEO more

than ever. Alt tags should be effective and in alignment with the

content on your page. Image-heavy sites are particularly affected.

Marketers will need to stay focused on the SEO process and care

track industry best practices. The SEO community is a great resou

for these best practices. You can search for anything about SEO a

there will be a reputable forum that discusses what is working.

well say it again

mareters must have a

content strategy in 2013

usrs in a wsiia sarh nin

70% nlin purhassr wsis ar

un ia sarh nin

50%


26/27



Seo ANd ANALYtIcS

Strategic Big DataBig Data is evolving from a focus on discrete projects to an inuence

on enterprises information architecture. Dealing with data volume,

variety, velocity, and complexity is leading organizations away from

he concept of a single enterprise data warehouse containing all

nformation needed for decisions. Instead they are moving toward

multiple systems, including content management, data warehouses,

data marts, and specialized le systems tied together with data

services and metadata. Data infrastructure will require scalability,

collaboration, and embedded logic.

Actionable AnalyticsBy now marketers are properly addicted to real-time analytics.

Analytics software has improved to the point that marketers and IT

pros can afford to perform analytics and simulation for nearly ever

action taken in digital channels. Marketers will be expected to deli

greater insight into campaign performance at near-real-time, in or

to provide simulation, prediction, optimization, and other analytics

Marketers need to either sharpen their analytics skills or bring in

experts to support the measurement effort.

Users clic on one of the

FIRST 3 organic results

63%

Users clic the FIRST

RANKING site on search

engines

40%

Users clic a lin on the

FIRST PAGE of search results

Searchers ho progress to

the SECOND PAGE

Searchers ho try aDIFFERENT PHRASE

62%23%

15%


27/27


STRATEGY & PLANNING

VISUAL DESIGN AND UX

TECHNOLOGY & DEVELOPMENT

DIGITAL COMMUNICATIONS

CONTENT STRATEGIES

SOCIAL MEDIA & ENGAGEMENT

ANALYTICS AND MEASUREMENT

WE DO WE DELIVERMARkETING PROGRAMS

EMAIL CAMPAIGNS

INTRANETS & wEBSITES

MOBILE SOLUTIONS

ADVOCACY PROGRAMS

SOCIAL STRATEGIES

VIRAL CONTENT

MARkETING INFRASTRUCTURE

I N S I G H T | D E S I G N | T E C H N O L O G Y

Documents

Metia 2013 Marketing Trends Report