2013 Advertising Trends You’ll Need in 2014

Happy New Year! Now let’s make sure it stays that way!

To assure 12 more months of growth and success, we must plant the seeds. We must nurture what’s been working and shed light on those areas that need improvement. It shouldn’t be any different for your business. Changes in digital marketing this past year have been swift and impactful. And traditional advertising is as effective as ever. While some trends have seen an end to their relevance, others are set to become imperative for success in the oncoming year.

Here’s our list of 2013 advertising trends you’ll need for 2014:

SEO- Search Engine Optimization

Let’s face it, 2013 was the year of “organic.” Not just for nutrition, but also for website health. Organic search traffic is quality web traffic—and businesses have taken notice. So what’s the secret to getting the people that are searching for your services to visit your site, naturally and willingly?

Answer: taking your piece of Google’s front-page real estate before your competitor does.

This past year we helped Pasadena Villa increase their paid customers originating from organic website visits by 266%. Let’s also note that Google, the preferred search engine to optimize for, changed their search algorithm this year (Hummingbird)—meaning big changes for 2014 SEO strategies. The old tricks just won’t work anymore. Make 2014 the year you make your business as search engine friendly as possible. Seriously, the stats are staggering:

70% of the links search users click on are organic.
75% of users never scroll past the first page of search results.
79% of search engine users say they always/frequently click on the natural search results.
81% of businesses consider their blogs to be an important asset to their businesses.

Responsive Website Design

The responsive web design approach took 2012 and 2013 by storm—and for good reason. It just made sense. Responsive websites provide optimal web viewing experiences for users regardless of their device or browser size. With the number of unique screen resolutions rising from 97 in 2010 to now 232 in 2013, responsive design has become the most effective approach to an ever-changing landscape. In 2013 we developed responsive websites for a number of clients, including Isleworth, Streamline Mortgage Solutions and Pasadena Villa.

Micro-Video

Professionals at the forefront of digital advertising have begun strategizing for micro-video sites. The rise of Vine, Snapchat and Instagram has created a unique opportunity for marketers. Collectively the three sites reach over 151 million users. Micro-video is already being utilized by big brands, from Lowe’s to Regal Entertainment. The key is figuring out a unique way to use micro-video to your business’s advantage. To the delight of our own followers, we created a micro-video stop motion series on Instagram this past year.

Print Media

Sorry digital purists—print media will not be dying anytime soon. While digital media has obvious advantages, there is one main, significant difference: the reading experience. This is something marketers have started to realize. Print engages the sense of touch, and new technologies now allow marketers to add video, scent and sound to print materials.

Beyond this, print media is associated with different activities. Digital media is ingested on the go, at work and during moments that warrant distractions. Reading print, on the other hand, happens during times of recreation and relaxation. Therefore, advertising has a different impact on the reader, which is why print ads are crafted differently and for different purposes than their digital counterparts.

In 2014 we created effective print media campaigns for a number of clients this past year. These include Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress, Orlando International Airport and Orange County Public Schools.

Join us in welcoming 2014 with open arms and bulletproof marketing plans. We’re here to help you transition.

Appleton Creative is an award-winning, full-service advertising agency located in Orlando, Florida. Appleton works with local, national and international clients to provide marketing strategies through print, web, social media and video production – all in house. At Appleton, we want to learn about your business, empower your marketing team and be your creative resource. Your marketing goals are worth a conversation: contact us at 407-246-0092 or info@appletoncreative.com.