Millions of websites consistently use some form of marketing in order to appeal to potential readers and customers. With some tactics being great for conversions and others giving advantage to those who are pinging URLs to various search engines, it can be frustrating to know which solutions will work best for you. These issues can be resolved through simple trial and error, but what are the long term trends for marketing in the coming year? In the following article, we will outline several trends that will either continue or manifest in the world of marketing as we proceed through 2013 and into 2014.

Quality Over Quantity

The allure of affordable marketing methods can make any website owner wish to engage with anybody and everybody, but most people ultimately will not find your message appealing or suitable for them. As marketing via search engines and social media continues to intensify, it is vital that you create advertisements and campaigns that are relevant to your target audience – and ensure that these ads are displayed only to them. The result will be higher click through rates and more bang for your buck. With so many advertisements now present on every platform, the future of marketing will require advertisers to micro-target their audiences and messages.

Mobile Advertising Will Increase

Currently, twenty-five percent of all internet traffic originates from mobile browsers – this means that without proper mobile marketing techniques, you will miss 1 in every 4 potential customers. A majority of search engines and social media platforms now offer customized functions that allow marketers to have their ads displayed to mobile users. In some cases, this is absolutely free. As mobile devices continue to proliferate our lives, mobile marketing will become a larger percentage of any website or business’ advertising strategy.

Quality Will Continue to Matter

The content to which you are pinging URLs will continue to be relevant throughout 2013 and 2014, as more and more competition means that you have fewer and fewer chances to appeal to your target audience. First impressions matter, and marketing strategies need to be wary of any campaign that does not accentuate excellent content. Some common examples of strong content include well-written blog posts, detailed infographics and podcasts to get your message across in ways other than simple text. These multimedia content approaches have been proven to be far more successful than simple blog posts, so be sure to incorporate them in your marketing.

As more and more companies, businesses and causes seek exposure on the internet, new marketing methods will ultimately have to be developed. In the maturity of this great construct known as the World Wide Web, we are nearing a point in which we come full-circle: that is to say, businesses and causes alike are increasingly finding themselves focused on smaller and smaller audiences, which someday may ultimately lead to local economies of scale operating through the web (like they once did in real life). In the short and medium term, we expect to see an increase of mobile-tailored marketing, a doubling down of focus on quality content and increased scrutiny of selected target audiences.