10 Marketing Trends From 2013 That We Can Expect To See More Of

Always-on has become a mantra of sorts. Let's take a look at some marketing trends from last year that aren't going away anytime soon!

1. Content will continue to reign as king.

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In 2013, 90% of consumers found branded content useful, and 78% were more likely to engage with a brand that provided original and engaging content. Major live events focused around sports, music, and entertainment will continue to thrive as a rich pipeline for content marketing.

2. The collaborative economy will head mainstream.

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The collaborative economy has clearly disrupted the travel industry, with companies like Airbnb making a splash, and many others. New technologies now make it so much easier for people to coordinate with others all around the world. Looking forward, we expect many new business models and innovations based on the incredible sharing economy!

3. Digital payments will rake in the dollars.

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The initial disruption in online and offline payments has already occurred. Companies like Square, LevelUp, and Venmo have gained mass appeal, and the highly anticipated Coin passed its $50k pre-order in less than 40 minutes. The digital payment trend is limitless in 2014.

4. Minimalist design will prove that less is more.

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Minimalism has already become immensely popular amongst the top brands and websites. We expect to see more of this clean, well-organized navigation with more drop-down menus, larger images, and less text.

5. 3D printing experiments are the new frontier.

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Many brands have already capitalized on the revolutionary 3D printing, leveraging the technology to innovate and, in turn, position themselves as vanguards.

Looking forward, companies will continue to embrace 3D printing as forerunners in engineering and modern technology.

6. Social customer service will come first.

Via Twitter: @AmericanAir

Customers are increasingly turning to mobile and social for quick assistance with customer service issues. Smart companies are responding with community managers rather than automation and are commended for their real-time human responsiveness. The PR winners will emerge as a result of their fast and savvy social customer service.

7. Snapchat marketing won't fade away.

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The idea of advertising that dissolves within seconds seems contradictory, but with Snapchat's active user base, uploading over 400 million photos per day, marketers would be silly not to jump on the bandwagon. Snapchat Stories offers marketers all the more reason to interact with customers on the platform.

8. Companies will bring it all back home.

Diana Parkhouse (CC BY http://2.0) / Via Flickr: 48600099935@N01

Google's recent purchase of Nest, the company that builds smart thermostats and fire detectors, signals a strong interest in the home arena. The "automated home" category will continue to peak market interest in 2014.

9. Digital will continue to integrate with traditional broadcasting.

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Twitter's acquisition of Bluefin Labs, a social TV analytics startup, has drawn attention to the trend in digital integration with traditional media. Facebook has also announced efforts to incorporate Facebook activity into live broadcasts. We'll see who can conquer the second screen!

10. "Mobile first" is a phrase you'll still hear over and over again.

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You've heard it before: Smartphone use in the U.S. is growing 28% year over year. If you need any further convincing that mobile is paramount, simply look around! Welcome to 2014.

We can't wait to see what else the future has in store. In the meantime...

Do you know what your marketing is doing?