Emerging trends in digital marketing include: 1) Search marketing is for engaging those already seeking a specific service, while social media aligns brands with new customer intents and spreads through peer recommendations. 2) Digital marketing spending is growing as customer behavior shifts online, requiring brands to communicate where consumers now engage. 3) Key areas for investment are social media, digital experiences, and maintaining optimized websites that integrate across channels. 4) Unpaid advertising through personal referrals is growing in influence over direct brand messages.

1. Emerging Trends in Digital MarketingDavid Edmundson-BirdDirector MSc Digital Marketing CommunicationsMMU Business School

2. Emerging Trends in Digital MarketingYou’re going to expect:

3. The Emerging Difference Between Search and Social Media MarketingSearch is a tactic for when you want to gain engagement from someone who already knows they do a specific thing

4. Social media on the other hand is a tactic that can align a brand with an intent that doesn’t currently exist or by peer recommendation of a consumer’s experience of a product, service or brand.Digital is only going to get biggerAlmost all agencies and client-sides are talking about growing spend on digital marketing projectsA bigger slice of a shrinking marketing budgetA budget in its own right that’s getting bigger

5. Behaviour drives InvestmentInvestment in digital is increasing because customers are changing the way they behaveDigital isn't about fashion it’s about communicating to consumers in a way that coincides with their new behaviour

6. What should you be investing in?ClearlySocial networks, social media, social applicationsBut alsoDigital experiences of the brandExperiential marketing shifts to a digital focusCreativity will be key

7. The Web Site is still KingIt’s still vitally important to invest and maintain your web sites in terms of content, brand, searchBut it’s becoming almost as important to invest in social media presencesThe main web site is where many customers consult and/or finally transactThe main web site needs to be optimized for mobileIntegration across channels to point to the site as a final destination

8. Unpaid Advertising is GrowingConsumers experience a brand best from someone elseThe growth in personal referralsConsumers are increasingly trusting messages from contacts rather than direct from brandsValuable but riskyBrand Hijack

9. There are going to be more Social Media Marketing GurusSome of them will be douchebagsThe skillset will evolveKey pointsKids who use social media networks as participants are not social media expertsThere needs to be a growth in the development of key skills in the area

10. Old School Analytics is OverControversial but...Measuring CTR, hits, CPM, traffic may not be helpfulMeasuring engagement might be more usefulMeasure brand awarenessMeasure the number of leads generated by a marketing leverThe Growth of “Return on Engagement” and the demise of ROI

11. We need to do our homework into how customers behaveMarket research remains importantBut “listening” via networks is vitalReading blogs (tiny influencers)Creating blogs where customers can commentYour most critical customer could be your biggest fan

12. The Jury is Out on....LocationSomebody might find a way to make Foursquare work (if Foursquare can find a way to make money)Augmented RealityStill a bit clunky, requires seamlessness

13. The Future of Digital MarketingEvery year will remain the year of mobileSomething will replace TwitterTablets will replace laptops for casual interactionNeuroscience will become an important field in understanding customer behaviour

14. Thank YouDavid Edmundson-Birdd.edmundson-bird@mmu.ac.uk@groovegeneratorhttp://uk.linkedin.com/in/davidbird