Social Media and Online Content Predictions

Thanks again to Joe Pulizzi for including me in his annual Social Media and Content Marketing Predictions for 2013.

Over 100 predictions from 80 marketers are included including:

Jason Falls, page 13

Paul Dunay, page 15

and dozens of others.

My prediction is on page 16 of the downloadable pdf.

My 2012 prediction for 2013:

Smart Marketers will need to be on top of their game with fresh content on their website to build authority, active interaction on social media, especially in terms of customer service and a continuous collaboration between these elements.

Everything needs to be mobile friendly. Customers will continue to expect higher levels of engagement than ever before. Smart Marketers will also keep an eye on reviews on Social Sites such as FourSquare and Google+ in 2013.

I decided to look back at previous years predictions I made that were published by Joe.

At the end of 2008, as one of the 42 original contributors, I said about the new year:

Prediction: In 2009 the smart brand marketers will reach out via text offers and Twitter offers to the college aged crowd, money saving offers that they can use repeatedly to build brand preferences for the future.

In 2009,  as one of 60, I predicted for 2010:

Smart Marketers will be the ones who understand and use Twitter and Facebook with hyperlinks to pull potential clients to their websites and blogs.

Smart Marketers will understand the power of real conversations via Twitter and Facebook and use these as communication tools, not just P. R. machines.

Smart Marketers will insist that their Marketing Messages are using Social Media, Traditional websites, and Traditional Media in a cross-platform culture that includes everything from SmartPhones to HDTV screens.

I took a different approach in 2010 when I made this prediction for 2011:

Value will be the true measuring stick in 2011.

Questions consumers are asking themselves, ”Is
there a value to me if I follow you on Twitter or Like
you on Facebook?”

Business owners are asking themselves, ”Is mass
discounting via Groupon (and similar sites)
providing me with customers that I value, or am I
just offering loss leaders without any true long term
value to my business?”

Social Media skeptics will place little value on
Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, Twitter, etc because
they haven’t grasped the social interaction value of
the media.

Social Media users and believers will continue to
grow and increase their value to their friends and
followers because they understand that despite the
track-ability of the web, relationships are not as
easily measured in simple R.O.I. terms.
Every decision made in 2011 will be based on the
value each of us as individuals assign to the choices.

Then just a year ago, my prediction for 2012:

Smart Marketers will stay on the leading edge of emerging social media trends and platforms and invest the time, money and manpower into the efforts required to be where their customers are.
Social Media will slowly replace old style internet marketing methods such as banner ads, pop-ups and other annoyances that are driving customers away from websites.

Because of the increasing importance on the most current, relevant content by Google, the marketers that are producing and publishing content that meets both the requirements of Google and the interests of their customers will win over those that are ignoring these trends.
However only a small percentage of companies will connect all the dots from outreach via social media, inbound via search to creating a website that effectively answers website visitors questions, pulls them through the entire buying process including the appropriate call to action, followed by order tracking, customer data collection and personalized follow up after the initial visit.

As I review my own words, I see that it was not just a prediction but a passing along of advice. Also at the time, I was working for a website development company and some of my views have since changed.

What predictions and/or advice would you make as we get ready to enter another year?