Digital and social media continue to develop at an almost unmatched speed. They will therefore become even more important pillars for organizations in 2013. At least, for organizations that consider building a relevant social brand value important in the long term.
Many organizations are not at all concerned with this, but they should seriously ask themselves whether they will still have a right to exist in a few years in the social economy that is now developing. The marketer who is up to date will undoubtedly notice that the organization is consciously or unconsciously confronted with questions about the social impact of the organization and the brand on its environment.
Organizations that are ahead of the curve will respond to this. Business as usual will no longer be so usual. Brands that want to make a difference are facing major changes, both externally and internally. These organizations can take into account the 8 trends below for 2013. Assuming that the world does not end on December 21st of course…
1. Social media becomes the basis of marketing
In recent years, there have of course been more and more organizations and brands that “do something with list to data social media”. But there is still too often only the focus on generating followers and fans. Just count the number of “Like & Win” actions that you see on Facebook in a week. And then the social media profiles are mainly used to send (commercial) messages. Old school marketing rhetoric with the idea that the target group can now be reached more often and cheaper. That is not enough, in fact, it is counterproductive.
Focus on added value instead of sales
In 2013, more organizations will finally recognize the importance of social media in developing long-term social brand equity. Equity that is based on the added value you have to offer your fans and friends instead of what you have to sell to your customers. People are becoming more and more accustomed to and gaining more experience with social media. As a result, online and social engagement has grown strongly in recent years. And this will continue to grow for the time being.