7 predictions for online marketing in 2015

More companies are expected to focus on mobile marketing in 2015.

Barely over a month into 2015 and it is already shaping to be an exciting year for online marketing. Some of the trends that dominated 2014 remain pervasive to this day, and there are a few surprising developments besides. Here are some of the more exciting new developments that we can expect to see in the coming months.

The continued growth of mobile optimization
More and more companies will focus their marketing efforts toward the mobile audience. More importantly, marketers will expand beyond the rudimentary app or responsive website, and actually develop content optimized for the mobile audience. Online marketers will also explore the social media marketing potential of the mobile community as well.

There are hints that suggest the continued growth of mobile-directed marketing in 2015. Google itself has frequently played up the importance of mobile usability with regard to search engine optimization. The company’s own Webmaster Tools suite now also includes a feature called Mobile Usability, further bolstering expectations of continued growth in the mobile marketing sphere.
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Social media marketing budgets takes a sharp upturn
As more companies get hip to the immense potential of social media marketing, budgets allotted into these online marketing platforms will increase dramatically. To be sure, there were signs hinting at this development as far back as the beginning of 2014. It was then that Facebook registered a 10% increase in ad revenue from the previous fiscal period.

The positive results that many businesses are now seeing will likely spur on increased focus on social media marketing. As more and more companies see their social media marketing investments begin to pay off, others will be keen to gain the benefits of increased traffic and wider spread exposure as well.

Content marketing takes on an increasingly larger role
One other aspect of online marketing that is expected to grow even bigger in 2015 is content marketing. As with social media marketing, the increased focus on content marketing will likely be driven by the success many companies have already realized with that particular strategy. Of the 93% of B2B marketers that employed content marketing in 2014, 42% reported favorable results as compared to 36% from the previous year.

Email marketing revisited
Over the past few years, email has largely fallen out of vogue as newer online marketing platforms became more prevalent. However, as social networks continue to restrict brand and business visibility and search engine algorithms become increasingly complex, the total control provided by a dedicated email list is becoming more appealing for a lot of businesses. More interestingly, email marketing efforts will become even more integrated with content marketing, resulting in a more effective online marketing thrust.

SEO, content marketing and social media become one
The trend toward integration is expected to encompass all forms of online marketing–search engine optimization, content marketing, and social media marketing included–blending them all into a single potent force. Content marketing itself is increasingly being referred to as the “new SEO”, a title that makes perfect sense when you consider the frequent integration of search engine optimization and content marketing.

That being said, it is important for online marketers to realize that content marketing will continue to play a significant role in influencing search engine visibility. SEO itself should be implemented in service of a solid content marketing strategy. Businesses would also benefit from bolstering their content promotion and distribution alongside the generation of quality content.

Humanizing becomes the primary thrust
Connecting with audiences on a deeper and more meaningful level has always been one of the driving aspects of online marketing. In 2015, more and more companies are expected to ‘humanize’ their marketing efforts even more, striving to develop audience rapport with the goal of increasing conversion, inspiring brand loyalty, and meeting cuts expectations.

Marketing shifts from promotional to relevant
Traditional ‘promotional’ marketing is old hat. What is needed now is a shift toward more relevant marketing that will actually deliver better and more easily calculable results than click-through and banner ads. As small- and medium-sized businesses realize the limited value of these traditional marketing vehicles, there will be increasing interest in online marketing channels that can provide a significant ROI. As things are shaping up in the online marketing world, all signs point toward the marketing potential of relevant and engaging content.

7 predictions for online marketing in 2015