Digital Marketing: Marketing trends in which you should invest

A recently released Cross Platform Report by Nielsen indicates what we already knew: More Americans than ever are turning away from cable and network television programming.

Instead, they are streaming movies and shows from online services, viewing videos online, frequenting social sites such as Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr, and are researching buying options online.

What does this mean for business as we approach the all-important holiday season?

First, it's significant to note that Americans are spending more time consuming media than ever before - just not in the same format around which we've built our marketing models in the past. The traditional mass media audience is dwindling, and the fragmentation of that audience will make holiday marketing more challenging.

How do you find your customers online today? There is not a one-size-fits-all model for digital marketing. Depending on your customer, online could involve many different platforms and channels - websites, e-commerce sites, social media, video and photo-sharing sites, news sites, online directories, or streaming services.

The buyer's journey for a new bicycle will be very different from someone who needs to hire a caterer.

For the 2014 holiday season - and beyond - businesses need to invest in some or all of these areas:

1. Mobile optimized website - According to Pew Research, 58 percent of Americans own a smartphone and 42 percent have a tablet, and that number is only expected to grow. Shoppers use mobile devices to look up store hours, get directions, read customer reviews and compare prices.

And it's not all e-commerce. According to Google, more than half of the shoppers who research their purchases online make their purchases at a bricks-and-mortar store. Without a mobile optimized website, customers searching from a smartphone may bounce off your website in favor of one more mobile friendly, costing you a potential sale.

2. Social media - Price-sensitive, socially connected consumers expect to find sales and promotions across mediums while also connecting with friends for insight and ideas. For example, a recent study shows that the average user checks Facebook 13 times a day.

In addition to Facebook and other social media sites, the growth in photo- and video-sharing platforms such as Instagram, Pinterest and Vine has been phenomenal. Users prefer smart photo-friendly images found on these sites to get a feel for the product and to share with their friends.

Companies who invest in sharing and sponsoring ads on social media sites can target their customer's demographics to more effectively control their budget and address audience fragmentation.

3. Video marketing - Text ads, promotions and holiday greetings can get lost in the rush of the season. As more video content is consumed online, businesses can reach their customer in a variety of formats including e-commerce videos, pre-roll videos and how-to tutorials.

Regardless of the products or service you provide, video provides a memorable, versatile format for connecting with your customers, with everything from animated digital holiday messages to video greetings and public-service announcements.

You also can repurpose and re-use these versatile messages on your website, social media sites and sites such as YouTube at a much lower cost than buying multiple broadcast spots and print ads.

Finding likely customers today is about creating targeted marketing messages that take the 'mass” out of mass marketing and delivering them in the form and format that consumers prefer.

As the all-important holiday season approaches, small and medium-sized businesses should ensure they are in step with the changing times.

Regina Gilloon-Meyer is a content marketing specialist for Fusionfarm, a part of The Gazette. Twitter: @RegiiMary