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Predictions of authors about web marketing trends for 2010 vary.  To find out their most common web marketing trend predictions for 2010, I made a survey of ten articles & blogs and here are their top 10 answers:

• Top 1 Trend Prediction: Online Video, Video Blogs, Video Marketing, Video Search, Video, Online Video, Online Video Advertising.

Matt Wasserlauf believes that digital video will reign supreme in 2010 and in the years to come.  The data released in December 2009 by ComScore Video Metrix showed that 178 million viewers are now watching 33 billion videos online.  Web marketing companies such as Hulu and BBE announced that their audiences have exceeded the 100 million viewers.  The masses are tuning in, despite the lack of compelling, high-quality content. But once the industry organizes around common standards, the potential becomes unlimited.

Most authors looked on the possibilities of video and geo-localization. They said that it makes a lot of sense to combine content mapping or geo-localization – one of the killer applications on the web- and video content.

When it comes to integrating video-based geolocalization, a site that markets hotel rooms in a form of Hotel Video Guide can be its best ecommerce strategy.  By video-based geolocalization, user experience is optimized by providing the necessary information for holiday travelers.  Users can browse the site using a Google Maps interface that includes videos of listed hotels.

• The video player has all the state-of-the-art features necessary to guarantee a great user experience.  Buyers can go from chapter to chapter by clicking video thumbnails  to view more info button of the hotel, a photo gallery and related video (similar hotels) button, sharing options and a “see on map” options can be found

• Click on “Rooms” and you will get short videos of everything the hotel offers.

• Online travel, hotel and restaurant marketers should see this perfect example of mixed up video content and maps to optimize user experience and stand out in map-based search engine marketing for 2010!

• Top 2 Trend Prediction: Mobile, Mobile Marketing, Mobile Advertising, Mobile Web Marketing

Mobile marketing is seen by most experts as one area that we’ll see huge growth in 2010. This is pushed by the rapid version of smartphones (iPhone, Blackberry and cell phones that run on Android, including Google’s Nexus One).

Mobile marketing and advertising will focus on different mobile applications such as:

• intelligent mobile devices beyond talking, typing and clicking, but photographing recording, touching, locating, shaking, accelerating and blowing
• non-wireless mobile video conferencing services
• mobile services that enable video conferencing and the networks and handsets that support it
• mobile customer services and mobile commerce
• proliferation of standardized technology and higher quality camera phones;
• mobile video, technology solutions that disable handset features when the owner is driving
• real time mobile coupons for discounts and freebies
• mobile health
• Top 3 Trend Prediction:  Social, Social Network Marketing, Corporate Social Media Marketing, Social Media Marketing, Social Media Networking

We have seen the exponential growth of social media in 2009; and social media is seen to get even more popular, more mobile and more exclusive in 2010. Twitter alone registered a total of just more than 7 million unique visitors in the US for one month (Source: Nielsen Online); while Facebook continues to beat MySpace.

With groups, lists and niche networks becoming more popular, social networks could begin to feel more “exclusive” and look less social. Over the next years, more companies look to uncover cost savings or serve customers more effectively through leveraging social technology.

Social media experts also predict that:

• the augmented Reality Applications (RA) will start to go mainstream
• Location-Based Applications will dissolve into general social networks
• Enterprise Social Software Applications will become commonplace
• more social media regulation will follow the FTC’s October Endorsement Guides
• social search will shake out, and the search metaphor will change.

• Top 4 Trend Prediction:  Blogging, Video Blogs, The Power of Blogs, Article Marketing

Andy Merret predicts that while some published (and not yet published) authors have been using blogs for some time to promote their work, and even create books based upon their blogs’ content.  Writing Magazine, a UK based company predicts that one of next year’s top five trends will be the use of blogging in promoting a best-selling book.

Kate Hardy herself, author of over 25 Mills & Boon novels, updates her blog several times a week.  Patrick Ness, an award winning writer, though avoids calling his site a blog but uses the word “diary” instead, actively publicize his site and uses it as a publicity tool.  He also sees it as a secret way to interact with his fans and bring his readers back.

Blogging won’t automatically convert visitors into loyal readers and fans, nor will it guarantee a book deal, but it is being promoted as a useful tool for self-promotion and personal interaction.

• Top 5 Trend Prediction:  Google & Bing Innovation, Bing Makes a Stand, Bing versus Google

Microsoft’s Bing was the surprise hit of 2009, and has started to erode Google’s share of search. Bing has some social features, but expects some big news in social search in 2010. Search won’t be a separate function. Instead of going to a site like google.com or bing.com, users will receive meaningful, personally relevant search results within the context of whatever they are currently doing.  You won’t type into a search box, but instead, Search results will come to you based on your needs.

• Top 6 Trend Prediction:  Real-Time Web, Real Time, Google Real Time Search

According to Marshall Kirkpatrick there are three forms of value from the Real-Time Web – these are ambiance, automation and emergence. Bernard Lunn compared it to the “real-time world of the trader.” In many ways, 2009 has been the Year of the Real-Time Web, but still they are still looking for new applications and intelligence that can be built out of these extra real-time data.

• Top 7 Trend Prediction:  SEO, Engine Optimization, Prominence and Search Engine
  • When it comes to linking, some authors firmly hypothesize that Twitter’s links will be the “real deal”. With the launching of their own URL shortening service, tweets are going to carry their own weight in helping pages rank.
  • When it comes to search engines, Google, Bing and Yahoo’s personalized search will remain impeccable.
  • When it comes to search traffic, the latest figures suggest that Google continues to slowly gain market share in the US, while Bing & Yahoo compete for share that will eventually belong to them both.
  • When it comes to SEO spending, it will rise dramatically.  SEO trails only social media and online video as places where marketers will be shifting dollars; SEO will remain to outpace Pay-Per-Click in terms of CAGR.
  • 2010 will be the year of Conversion Rate Optimization simply because it’s a modulation point for companies and business owners to assess where to derive value for their spending.

• Top 8 Trend Prediction:  E-mail Marketing

Matthieu believes that “Email will continue to be an anchor for multimedia and online marketing.  All indications show that email will continue to grow into 2010.   Email is still recognized as the highest ROI form of online marketing and it’s measurable.  To ensure that brands, projects and products are cross-marketed and connecting to consumers, Mathieu expects to see more integration between email and social ad platforms.

• Top 9 Tend Prediction: Digital Integration, Digital Portfolios

In 2010, there will be a combination of social media, real time search, location sharing services and augmented reality, and it’s easy to see how digital marketing is increasingly being exercised in partnership with consumers. With data, tools and networks being accessible everywhere, consumers can interact with each other in ways of their choosing that can make or break a brand.

• Top 10 Trend Prediction:  Personalization, Personalized

Since social networking, real-time and geo trends are integrated with mobile devices, consumers can effortlessly produce, publish and advocate for brands.  Consumers will tend to move towards a unique position where they become the personal advertisers for much brand or product messaging.
Dictated by market competition and consumer demands, internet marketing trends will develop quickly.  So expect highly competitive, impressive and exciting marketing trends to surface in 2010.  Since marketers and technology move way ahead of consumers, don’t be in a hurry to jump on new bandwagons.  Stay focus on your goals of attracting repeat business, deepen your customer relationships and solve problems for people. These are the smartest and more valuable ways than all the combined technologies of the world.

Article By Giessel Razavi

Tags: Bing, Blogging, Digital Portfolios, email marketing, Facebook, Google, mobile applications, Mobile Marketing, Mobile Web Marketing, Online Video Advertising, Real-Time Web, Search Engine Optimization, SEO, Social media, Social Network Marketing, Twitter, Vancouver Mobile Web Design, Video Blogs, web marketing trends for 2010