13 Marketing Trends for 2013

13
Marketing
Trends
FOR
2013

Table of Contents

13
1. The ABC’s of the IMC ...................................................................................... 2

2. Visual Revolution ............................................................................................. 3

3. Inbound Marketing ........................................................................................... 4

4. Content is King .................................................................................................. 5

5. Unleashing the Power of Videos ................................................................. 6

Marketing 6. Email Is Not Dead ............................................................................................. 7

Trends 7. You’ve Got (Direct) Mail! ................................................................................. 8

8. Responsive Web Design ................................................................................. 9
FOR
2013 9. Mobile Madness .............................................................................................. 10

10. The Planet of the Apps ............................................................................... 11

11. Social Enterprise ........................................................................................... 12

12. New Roles Emerge ....................................................................................... 13

13. Our Good Pal, SEO ....................................................................................... 14

©2013 Sikich LLP. All Rights Reserved. 13 Marketing Trends for 2013

Hello!
Good day, fellow marketing enthusiasts!
Maybe we made a quick judgment there. Perhaps you don’t even work in the marketing
department at your organization but want to be knowledgeable for 2013. Wow, we love that!
Regardless of your motive, thanks for stopping by!

We love marketing, so we are excited for this year. Why? Because we are going
to be part of some awesome trends. We may have already seen some of these surface
during 2012, but they will become vital to your organization’s success in this hectic and
9 10
competitive year. This is not an exhaustive list, but a compilation of 13 trends that are going
12
11
to be important for every organization, regardless of your industry. No matter how large
or small your organization is, these ideas can be easily implemented, so give them a shot!
What do you have to lose? We have included tips and tricks that will help you take each
component to the next level. Are you up for the challenge? Great, let’s go!
7 8 13
6
Sit back, relax, grab an iced tea and take notes.
We like questions, too. So, if you have any, our
5
information is conveniently located on the last
page. Happy reading!
4
3 2
1

©2013 Sikich LLP. All Rights Reserved. 13 Marketing Trends for 2013

1. The ABC’s of the IMC
An Integrated Marketing Communications
(IMC) plan is essential regardless if it’s 2003,
2013 or 2033.
Marketing Coca-Cola®
The American Marketing Association defines IMC as “a planning process designed to
In an effort to meet their goal of
assure that all brand contacts received by a customer or prospect for a product, service, or
doubling revenues by 2020, Coca-
organization are relevant to that person and consistent over time.” Make a point to always
Cola® is investing in integrated
create a seamless experience for consumers with all modes of marketing communications
marketing communications to set
using an IMC plan.
themselves apart from competitors
Why is this important? We get bombarded with advertisements from hundreds of like Pepsi. They plan to weave social
brands on a daily basis to a point where we have become immune and uninterested. So, media into their marketing mix to
the only way organizations stand a chance in being noticed is through integration. That gain market share and awareness
means displaying a consistent identity from message to message and medium to medium. of the brand. Wendy Clark, SVP,
All aspects of your marketing, including social media, public relations, direct marketing and Integrated Marketing Communications
online communications, should work together as a unified force and communicate one voice and Capabilities at The Coca-
to the world that reinforces your brand’s core message. Cola Company says, “Leverage
everything. Everything
Think about brands with taglines you can recall in less than a second, such as Nike, “Just communicates.” Because of their
do it,” and McDonald’s, “I’m lovin’ it.” You know these because they have used the same seamless integration across all forms
messaging for years and built a recognizable, unified brand. They have also used integration of media, their fans are taking notice
to form relationships with consumers through targeted marketing efforts. There’s something and even contributing by producing
to be learned from these giants! fan videos, creating conversations
As you continue reading, think about how you can include each trend in and adding to the success of their

! your IMC plan with each part moving toward the same goal and staying
true to your brand’s message.
Facebook page, which is one of the
largest on Facebook. As a result, the
Coca-Cola® message is spread like fire
and continuously brings them closer to
meeting their objectives.1
1
w
ww.theCMOsite.com

©2013 Sikich LLP. All Rights Reserved. 13 Marketing Trends for 2013 :: 2

2. Visual Revolution
Visual storytelling is the wave of the future.
If you can say it, you can show it. With infographics and photo-sharing and
editing sites like Instagram, Pinterest, Flickr, Tumblr, SlideShare and the 800-pound gorilla,
Facebook, 2013 is sure to be the year of the image.

These sites are free, so determine which make sense for your organization and take
advantage of them. They’re (fantastic!) avenues through which leads can be driven to your
website. So, create accounts with these various websites and start sharing photos of events,
product demos and sneak peeks of new products that will be coming out. Another idea is
to start a contest with your clients to see who can capture the most creative shot of your
product in action! Have you thought about creating infographics to replace static copy? The
possibilities end only where your imagination does!

And let’s not forget search engine optimization (SEO) here. We’re going to
mention this guy a lot – he’s kind of a big deal. Effective SEO will lead people to you. Images
can be linked and optimized just as well as text and can lead people back to your site—
which is where you want them!

Instagram’s User Growth
80,000,000

60,000,000

40,000,000

20,000,000

0
December June September March April May July
2010 2011 2011 2012 2012 2012 2012

Source: ReadWriteWeb


3. Inbound Marketing
2013 is all about nurturing leads through FUFNCT!
A
relevant content, value-added offers and
Inbound marketing
social media interaction. costs 62% less per
Inbound marketing is a permission-based methodology that focuses on driving relevant lead than traditional,
traffic to your website, converting traffic to leads and most importantly, converting those outbound marketing.2
leads into sales. Relevant traffic is driven through blog posts, social media and effective
SEO techniques. Unlike traditional forms of marketing, this method is much more affordable,
targeted and as a result able to attract more qualified traffic.

You need to be prepared for when this traffic arrives to your site. That means you need
attractive, free offers available in exchange for their information. In turn, you will know
exactly what they are interested in and can secure their information without forcing them to
use a disenchanting “contact us” button.
Lead them to you
So, how does this work?
Think of marketing and sales in terms of the sales pipeline. You want to get as many
prospects into your sales funnel at the top and maximize the happy customers that come
out at the bottom. To do this you need to: Guide them to
1 Lead them to you using social media, your blog or other channels your website
2 Guide them to your website
3 Convert them (great landing pages and offers = a must!)
4 Analyze the results for future efforts Convert them
Start by determining what information your target market is seeking out, questions they may
have and problems you could solve in the form of a newsletter, eBook, video, whitepaper or
whichever delivery method you decide works best.

Analyze the results
2
w
ww.hubspot.com


4. Content is King
Here’s some simple marketing math for you: The types of content
(Relevant) Content = SEO = Traffic = SALES! you could produce are
endless! Start with
Creating relevant content is the key to success in 2013. What’s the most any of the following:
important word in that sentence? RELEVANT. That means you need to specifically target
your audience by creating buyer personas. And what are those? Buyer personas are key � Articles
buyers of your products or services segmented by various factors such as demographics,
� Blog posts
job title, buying role, values, objectives, goals and more. If you haven’t mapped these
out yet, mark it at the top of your to-do list. Otherwise, you are not connecting with or
� Books or eBooks
influencing the people who are important to your organization. And remember – this is not a � Brochures
one-time effort! Make a point to add new content as often as you can to add value to your � Case studies
audience and be seen as the expert in your field! � Demos
Next, create a channel plan. A channel plan will define the path your content will � Email
travel such as through social media or email to reach your target audience successfully. A � Infographics
multi-channel strategy allows you to track the behavior of your leads through analytics and � Live streamed events
to follow up accordingly based on the actions they take. If you post a free eBook to your � Manuals
website in exchange for a lead’s contact information, you automatically know what topics
� Online courses
he/she is interested in and how you can reach this person. You can then follow up with an
email that gives your leads more information on your products or services. Because email � Podcasts
is easily tracked, you can view who clicked on which links in your email and follow up again � Product data sheets
based on those interests. � Presentations
As important as it is to produce quality and interesting content, it is imperative that you know � Press releases
the purpose behind it. Know who you are trying to reach, what you are trying to make them � Surveys
do and give them a call to action! Content should link back to your website and give readers � Radio/TV/Web TV
(since you know who they are and their needs) what they want! You’ll get what you want � Videos
too—but you will have to earn it.
� Webinars
Need help getting your content marketing plan off the ground? � White papers
! Here are 12 questions to get you started.


5. The Power of Videos
According to ComScore, in December 2012, YouTube is the
most searched
182 million U.S. internet users watched 38.7 site behind
billion content videos online. Google.
That’s in only one month! With this many views, it would be foolish to ignore
this hot medium! Videos can give your audience a choice as to how they would
like to receive information and learn about your organization. Watching a two
minute how-to video may be more interesting than reading a five-page guide on a
topic. People love choices! Tips to get you
started on YouTube:
But it’s not all about them. Back to us. What do we love? SEO. With a great
title, description, tags and transcript, your video is a dynamite way to drive traffic 1. rand your YouTube channel
B
back to your website. Make sure you always input that information to make the 2. ake a catchy,
M
most out of YouTube. informative video
3. ake it searchable:
M
You could have these videos professionally done. For case studies and include a title, description,
testimonials, for example, this might be a good idea. You could use these high- tags and transcript
quality videos for years. However, for shorter videos, such as product descriptions
4. se annotations to include
U
or even invites to events (you’ll think of great ways to use videos!), you can use the links or a subscribe option
assets that you already have. Windows MovieMaker, Camtasia Studio and other
5. ouTube ads
Y
free and easy-to-use programs will do the trick!
6. hare it on other social
S
media channels
7. se YouTube Insights to
U
analyze effectiveness


6. Email is NOT dead…
…but the batch and blast method is.
Ditch it, move on and never go back. FUFNCT!
A

A study done by
Marketing Sherpa3
Subject: Secret Email Marketing Tips
To: Marketing Fan shows that organic
From: MDockum@sikich.com search is the top
No one will open your email, not to mention click on your links, if you aren’t source for volume
directly relating to them. Our inboxes are full – we have many distractions and and quality of
we are too busy to read things that may possibly pertain to us, but probably website traffic –
don’t. You already know what buyer personas are and that you should create
them. Use these for all your marketing efforts and watch the numbers change – but that email
for the better. marketing comes
Hone in on your audience’s most granular needs (and maybe even needs
in closely as second
they don’t realize they have), to condense your list and see better results! – being the second
Thoughtfully segment your list and design a campaign that includes a number most important
of emails that will flow from one to the next in a way that nurtures your leads
through the sales funnel.
conversion driver for
organizations. Told
Another effective way to target readers is to personalize your emails. One way
to do this is to use the person’s first name in the subject line or greeting. Also,
you it’s not dead!
whenever it makes sense, insert personalized information in the email. Since
you have collected rich data on your leads, this is a great opportunity to relate
to them and address their specific needs. Email will allow you to use dynamic
content to relay this information and make it more specific to your reader.

With Regards,

The Sikich Marketing Team

3
http://www.marketingsherpa.com/article/chart/effective-website-traffic-sources


7. You’ve Got (Direct) Mail!
Direct mail isn’t dead either. If anything,
it’s coming back in a big way! FUFNCT!
A
Unlike our email inboxes, our work mailboxes are pretty desolate these days. Be
where your competition isn’t and stand out with unconventional and eye-catching AdAge reports that
direct mail. $51.5 billion will be
OK, so this might involve a bit more thinking outside of the box considering direct spent on direct mail
mail can get a bit expensive. We know that. But, you may have audiences that you marketing in 2013.
want to reach differently or for whom you don’t have email addresses. Got it! What’s
more, the evolution of digital printing makes it possible to personalize your message
like never before. Remember relevant content? Nothing says relevance like your
recipients’ names spelled out in the actual design of the piece! A tip to save some
money: come up with a campaign theme, batch produce six different pieces at once,
then send them out every other month for a year. Don’t forget to add an explicit call to
action! Make sure it is direct and urgent so your readers know exactly what you want
them to do.

In 2013, find creative ways to link what you do to unique forms of
direct marketing. And if you think this is beyond the scope of possibilities at your
firm or you don’t have the graphic design capabilities, you can always come knocking
on our door! Sorry, shameless plug. Sometimes we just can’t help ourselves!


8. Responsive Web Design
Hello Four-Screen World! A majority of our daily media
interactions are screen-based!
4
We really do tend to complicate things. Now we have to
Laptop
design our web pages with four screens in mind, including or PC
TVs, desktops, tablets and mobile phones. To make sure our
information is displayed correctly with easy navigation, we use Smart
responsive web design. Phone

90
“What’s that?” you ask?
Responsive web design allows a developer to create a single
website that will adapt its layout to the device on which it
is being viewed. A site built with responsive web design
%
automatically resizes for all different devices, sometimes of all media interactions
drastically changing how navigation works and how content are screen-based. Tablet
is laid out.
Television
If your target market can’t find your information, or gets lost
and frustrated on your page, you could miss out on some great
opportunities.

Think of how many different “screens”
! you use every day. Very few people only use their Magazine

desktops! Make a point to include responsive web
design on your 2013 to-do list. This is not going away!

10
On average,
Radio % we spend

of all media interactions Newspaper
4.4 hours
are non screen-based. of our leisure
time in front
of screens
each day
4
h
ttp://services.google.com


9. Mobile Madness
Web traffic is transforming with the Web Traffic in North America, by Device 5
numerous gadgets people are using June 2012 (% of total)
to view their information.
In the past, traffic mainly came from desktops but with the many
options available now, we are seeing almost one-third coming from Tablet
tablets and mobile phones. According to eMarketer, time spent on
mobile devices is expected to be even with desktops in the next
7.1%
two years.

This means you will need a mobile content strategy.
You already know that responsive web design plays a key role in
Smartphone
displaying your information effectively via mobile phones. However,
because the screen size is so small, evaluating and restructuring 20.3%
content is just as important. Desktop
Here are four tips to get your site mobile-ready in 2013! 71.5%
1 D
isplay a clear call to action. You have limited real estate
– make your message stand out.
2 K
eep things short and sweet – make your message heard by
keeping your content short and to the point as many mobile
users may be on your site while on-the-go!
3 M
ake sharing quick and easy with either larger buttons or
alternate menu options.
4 L
imit the number of images used – this will make your site look
less cluttered and make it easier to get answers quickly.
Note: Data generated on last day of period, based on the previous 24 hours;
numbers may not add up to 100% due to rounding.

5
C
hitika Internet Access Platform Tracker, June 30, 2012


10. The Planet of the Apps
In October 2012, ComScore6 reported that 54.5% of Here are a few ways to use
mobile subscribers used downloaded applications. apps to benefit your business:
The number of apps available is constantly increasing. Organizations are reaping the benefits � ocation-based deals
L
of always being at their customers’ fingertips and having them one click away from their and discounts
website. Creating apps is not the cheapest endeavor in marketing, but if you can make yours � ewards program
R
convenient and indispensable to users, it will be worthwhile. exclusively for app users
� Mobile payments
Now, this is no easy feat. Figure out which problems you can solve for your customers and
� Social media interactions
which tasks you could make easier or more convenient for them. Unless you are in the
� dd value – example: a dog food
A
mobile development business, it would be wise to offer these for free. Apps should augment
company providing an
your business model, not be your business model.
app to find nearby dog parks
App development is also a great way to differentiate your organization from others after
the same audience. It’s just another way to stay in front of your customers and also raise
awareness. Be omnipresent. Yes, it’s possible!

To begin your thinking and planning process:
1 Ask yourself: “If I were the customer, what would I want? What’s in it for me?”
Don’t forget:
2 Figure out what goals you want to achieve. Don’t think solely from a marketing � Social shar
ing
perspective but consider other business functions that benefit from this. This is a great links
mechanism for gathering information on customers through market research, customer � Short form
s
� Push

service and customer relationship management (CRM). notifications
3 Research how many of your website visitors are using a mobile device to F
� eedback
system
access your website. O
� ne-touch
contact info
4 D
evelop a plan as to how you would keep content fresh and updated.
5 Determine if this fits your budget.

6
w
ww.comscore.com


11. New Roles Emerge
It’s becoming increasingly obvious how
critical of a function marketing is to an FUFNCT!
A
organization.
As you’ve read the previous rising trends, you have probably realized that Starting in 2013, after
each point takes some time to master. Because marketing is evolving the CMO realizes that
quickly, entering new spheres and becoming more specialized, new roles he/she does not have
are emerging. Yay, jobs! Another important trend to note is the merging of the skill sets in place
technology and marketing. To effectively create and measure our campaigns, for data analytics
we rely heavily on various software and tools. As a result of these new proficiency, 50% of
technologies and processes, new job positions are opening up and creating
new marketing hires
opportunities in the workforce.
will have technical
Positions such as marketing developer, content strategist, chief content backgrounds.7
officer, data scientist, social business manager and digital marketing
specialist are becoming more common. So, if you didn’t think content
marketing, digital marketing or social media were important before, do you The Evolution of Marketing
see it now? To
Code Data
Organizations invest in these functions for a reason. And they should.
You don’t have to go bang on HR’s door to hurry and hire these people
as soon as possible, but you should know that their roles are important. cloud
You can provide training for the people you already have or hire a firm that
From
Art Copy data
specializes in marketing to do it for you. Whatever you decide, be aware
that as marketing is transforming, new job positions are springing up and
opportunities in marketing are blossoming. Get excited! users

7
w
ww.idc.com


12. Social Enterprise
our
tch y tion
We have a misunderstanding. Wa niza th
a
org ow wi dia
If you think social media is a marketing function, you are only partially right. It is a
gr l me
business function. Social media has proven to be a great source of leads and has ia
generated business for many organizations that have utilized it correctly. Also, many soc
people use social media to research companies to see if they are legitimate. Years ago,
websites were used as the main source to check the credibility of organizations, but
now we investigate Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn too.

So, herein lies the misunderstanding.
Social media isn’t just for your social media or marketing communications specialist—
it’s for the whole organization. So, make a point to get everyone involved. Leverage
the expertise each employee in your organization possesses! They are your thought
leaders. They can share their insights and new content, and contribute to discussions.
This will help you establish credibility in your industry and show that your organization
walks the talk!

OK, so we don’t all have a
LinkedIn account and what’s
US Companies Using Social Networks
a hashtag anyway? Social for Marketing Purposes8: 2009-2014
% of total
media isn’t favored by all, but %
92
%

% 91
it is becoming more and more % 88
important for organizations. In %
81
2013, consider holding a short 72
%

training in your organization on 57
using Twitter, Facebook and
LinkedIn for business. Your
colleagues may not understand
the importance of it so you will
have to teach them. 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
Note: Companies with 100+ employees; includes use of any of the
proprietary public-facing social network tools for marketing purposes.
8
e
Marketer, August 2012


13. SEO
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) didn’t
make it to the bottom of the list because
he got picked last in gym class or because
he is not important.
SEO is lucky number 13 because it should be the common thread woven in
every aspect of marketing. If you don’t know enough about it, grab a book or
start reading reliable blogs to learn the basics. The importance of SEO cannot
be overstated. It is also changing. All. The. Time. So, if you don’t constantly
make an effort to stay up to date, you will be left behind before you even realize it.

Here are some great ways to begin incorporating SEO on your website:
1 Create original content!
2 Repurpose content – take that PDF with your “top tips” and create a
video out of it too.
3 Create an eBook (like this!), guide, newsletter or whitepaper and offer
it for free in exchange for email or contact information.
4 Optimize titles, URLs, image file names and H1 tags.
5 Gather powerful links – SEO is all about links! Back links (referring sites)
add to your credibility by showing your content is valuable to others
6 Start using Google+. Google seems to love it…go figure!
7 And all other social media platforms! Remember omnipresence?


Conclusion
You made it!
After reading what’s ahead in marketing for 2013, you might feel a little overwhelmed. Sure,
it’s going to involve quite a bit of work. But, we are certain that if you adapt to these trends
and follow some (and hopefully all) of our suggestions, you will be well ahead of the rest.

Last words of wisdom?
Don’t forget to always stay original, relevant, consistent and optimized!

And like we said, our door is always open. We know you have questions.
Flip to the next page to learn how to get in touch with us.

Happy Marketing in 2013!


Contact
Mike Dockum, Account Executive
Marketing Communications, Sikich LLP
P: 630.210.3058
mdockum@sikich.com

About Sikich
Sikich LLP, a leading accounting, advisory, investment banking,
technology and managed services firm, has more than 400 employees
throughout the country. Founded in 1982, Sikich now ranks as one of
the country’s Top 50 Certified Public Accounting firms and is among
the top 1% of all enterprise resource planning solution partners
in the world. From corporations and non-profits to state and local
governments, Sikich clients can use a broad spectrum of services and
products that help them reach long-term, strategic goals.

Visit www.sikich.com to discover how you can elevate performance
in your organization.

Find us on Facebook.com/sikichllp

Follow us on Twitter @sikichllp

Follow us on LinkedIn
linkedin.com/company/sikich

Visit our Blog www.sikich.com/blog

Securities are offered through Sikich Corporate Finance LLC, a registered broker
dealer with the Securities Exchange Commission and member of FINRA/SIPC.

©2013 Sikich LLP. All Rights Reserved.

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