Monday, January 4, 2010

Important Online Trends for 2010

If you've been paying attention to the various breaking trends for 2010 you'd have noted most of the "new trends" are not new at all! In fact, if you've been reading my blog, emails and other materials for the last year or so you'll be wondering what all the fuss is about - perhaps I should explain.

Here are the various trends that have 'just caught on' for 2010:

* Social Media: Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn etc. Naysayers have been bashing this for ages. EVen "colleagues" made fun of me and my wish to spread the news in various public forums. The best part now is the strongest opponents have finally converted to SM! Ironic really, they wasted so much time 'bad mouthing' SM and it basic human nature. We're all social - this is just the next evolution. Get with the program or get left behind.

* Local Search - Local content to feed the new 'Google' spiders, global is not relevant when searching local. The implications are profound. What happens if you're an international business? What happens if you need a presence in many countries - are you looking at multiple websites ... *tip* You should be.

* Mobile Internet - Got a smart mobile phone? Then you need to know about this. New frontiers ... it's all I'm going to say at the moment *wink*

* Blogging - it's baaaack. Never went away, and now it's do or die. But how to blog, what to say? Remember good writers make writing look easy - and lets not forget writing is the end result or output of thinking (strategy). Think of writing as the tip of the iceberg - what lies beneath is larger and more imposing than you might imagine Don't let it sink you too.

* Email marketing - Not dead, very much alive and still #1 (even SM uses Email to power the framework.) Are you doing it right? Most businesses are not. If you're sending more than a handful of emails from your computer then you run the very real risk of getting slammed for various email "infractions." Use a reputable 3rd party email delivery service for your email marketing like Aweber or Infusionsoft.

* Automation - "Manual" is no fun (never was) and now automation is the key to autopilot profits. Machines make life easier, let's not forget computers are machines and built for the simple purpose of making us 'redundant' so we can do the things we love to do. Most people don't use computers/machines properly and simply make more work for themselves! There is a process, I've been helping companies define and apply it for over 20 years.

* Reputation Management - Online is forever... think immortal. Do you command and control your presence? Are your main profiles set up, locked down and so on. Don't wait until the proverbial horse has bolted. You'll look silly and sloppy and anything you say will be too late, and discounted anyway. Pre-emptive management is only the way to go.

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