The 2010s were a turbulent time for digital marketing. New technology meant marketers had to adapt to changes quickly. The 2010s gave birth to Instagram, Snapchat, and Growth Hacking. We also saw massive changes in search algorithms, the use of social media in marketing, and an industry wide pivot to video. Let’s take a look back at the marketing trends that shaped the decade...

1. BREAKING BERT
Google is at it again with a game changing update
called BERT, an AI based update that promises
searches will become smarter.
School of TikTok
TikTok is taking over the world with
teens, celebrities, and presidential
candidates alike signing up to the
Chinese owned video clip sharing
network.
Mobile Mia!
For the first time ever, mobile usage
exceeds desktop usage and it’s time
marketers started getting serious
about mobile UX.
2010s
MARKETING TRENDS OF
THE
2010
LORD OF THE LINKS
Growth hacking was growth hacked at
the start of the decade and suddenly
anybody with a computer could build
an empire by getting backlinks.
2012
When Ad Words Met Search History
For the first time Google uses your search history
to provide you with better targeted ads. Big Brother
is watching…
2011
In-snap-tion
A year after we all got in to Instagram,
Snapchat launches and instantaneous
visual communication and face filters
become the norm.
Domain Authority: A Star is Born
How do I rank thee? Let me count
the ways…Domain Authority is a
game changer in the SEO world as
marketers finally have a way to work
out a websites worth.
SILENCE
OF THE
'GRAMS
A new photography
focused social
platform launches
by the name of
"Instagram" and
budding photographers
everywhere share
their #photooftheday
and #latergrams.
A Google update known as ‘Panda’ priorities high-
quality sites in search rankings, and a new dawn
of SEO begins.
50 SHADES OF
GREY HAT SEO
REIMAGINED
IN POP
CULTURE
Dude, Where’s My Content?
For as long as marketing has existing
people have been making content, but
in 2012 the term “Content Marketing”
takes off.
TWEET-LIGHT: NEW DOOM
Brands: they’re
just like us!
Big name brands
begin @ing each
other like they’re
regular people
and Brand
Twitter is born.
@TeamEdward
2013
Tumblr Peaks
Tumblr is bought by Yahoo. Many
see it as the end of the popular micro-
blogging site and worry that a move
to monetization would mean a move
away from authenticity.
BUY
HARD
The ever
popular photo
sharing app
based social
media platform
Instagram
introduces
adverts for
certain brands.
The 2010s were a turbulent time for digital marketing. New technology meant marketers had to
adapt to changes quickly. The 2010s gave birth to Instagram, Snapchat, and Growth Hacking.
We also saw massive changes in search algorithms, the use of social media in marketing, and an
industry wide pivot to video. Let’s take a look back at the marketing trends that shaped the decade...
@TeamJacob
SHAME
SHAME
GAME OF TWEETS
DiGiorno's Pizza
takes joining in
too far and Tweets
a light hearted
response to the
domestic abuse
awareness hashtag
#WhyIStayed.
A real peas on a
pizza situation
(very bad indeed).
SHAME
2014
2015 Mobile usage continues to increase, and more
and more people are reading their emails and
newsletters on mobile. Time to think mobile first.
DIAL M FOR MOBILE
Buy Hard 2: A Good Day To Buy Harder
Not one to lag behind, Pinterest
launches buyable pins and releases
the kraken of opportunity for retailers,
content marketers, and crafty Moms
everywhere.
Once Upon a Time in the Algorithm
Google likes to put its users first,
so nobody is surprised when they
announce pages with bad mobile
experience will be ranked lower in
search results.
Like Wars: Attack of the Influencers
The concept of, and number of,
influencers explodes in 2016 and brands
are getting on board. Influencers, of
course, meaning already famous pop
stars, models, and comedians...
A FISTFUL
OF DATA
Marketing automation
is hotly tipped as the
next big trend to
watch out for in 2016,
as marketers begin
to find new ways to
utilize the audience
data they’ve been
collecting.
2016
2017
That Kardashian Show
The internet is quickly turning into a
great way to get instant feedback on
your campaign, just ask Pepsi and
Kendall Jenner!
Virtual Reality Bites
Virtual Reality and advertising finally
dropped a collab, and big name brands
like Ikea jumped on the mix with their
V.R. shopping experience.
GDPR:
A PRIVACY
ODYSSEY
The hotly anticipated,
little understood
GDPR launches in EU.
The aim? Give users
better control of
their privacy online.
The result? Every
company you’ve ever
known emails you
asking if you want to
‘opt in’ to newsletters.
2019
The I.Tv. crowd
Frustrated with the Instagram 60 second video cap,
users and marketers flocked to a newly launches
Instagram TV to share their long(er) form content.
THE SOCIAL
NETWORKS
2020...TO BE CONTINUED...
RISE
OF THE
PLANET
OF THE
APPS
Facebook and
Google are the
world’s largest
media owners,
bringing in
1/5th global
advertising
revenue
between them.
In 2018 a whopping 83%
of all internet users are
engaged with some form
of social media.
2018
Pizza on the Roof
Lock, Stock, and 2 Billion Views
Marketers everywhere scramble to
pivot to video as YouTube announces
it has hit 2 billion daily views.
presents