2012: Social Media, Content Marketing and Mobile

Top 12 Actionable Marketing Posts of 2012

For marketers, 2012 was dominated by social media’s evolution beyond its high growth phase, the explosion of content marketing, and the growth of smartphones, tablets and other connected devices. These three trends influenced how we see the world, connect with each other and shop.

We live in a four-screen world where we’re always connected, even in the bathroom!

With a smartphone always within reach to snap and share shots, 2012 was the year of the photo. Further, we now have mobile commerce, couch commerce, social commerce and showrooming.

Here are the top twelve Actionable Marketing blog posts of 2012 as voted for by you, our readers. (If you’re interested, here are the top twelve Actionable Marketing blog posts of 2011.)

1. 11 Tips To Increase Facebook Marketing Effectiveness – Facebook Marketing: Improve Results Based On The Numbers [Research]

One thing that marketers and investors learned from Facebook’s high profile IPO is that it’s a social media platform driven by engagement. Separate research studies done by Buddy Media and Dan Zarrella of Hubspot highlight ways marketers can maximize their Facebook effectiveness.

2. The Secret To Attracting More Twitter Followers – Less Is More On Twitter – 10 Twitter Tactics [Research]

If you want to build your Twitter following, take some advice from Spiderman and stay focused, according to research by Carnegie Mellon researcher Yi-Chia Wang.

3. Ignore Google+ At Your Risk [8 Social Media Charts You Must See!] – Google+: Is Your Brand Left Behind?

Is Google+ part of your brand’s social media marketing strategy? If not, you risk being left behind on the search giant’s social media platform.

4. 13 Point Checklist to Optimize Social Media Call-To-Action – Why Social Media Requires A Call-To-Action [HINT: Proves Results!]

To break through and efficiently maximize response on social media platforms, a contextually relevant, optimized call-to-action is needed. A Social media call-to-action is an integral and often overlooked element of an effective social media strategy.

5. Social Media’s Future: 5 Important Trends [Research & Charts] – Twitter Is the Must-Have Business Social Media Tool

Since social media is maturing, businesses are building their social media presence to reach and engage prospects, customers, fans and the public on the digital platforms where they spend their time.

6. Want Your Blog Noticed? (Hint: It’s Not Just Content!) – 23 Tips to Build Blog Awareness Beyond Great Content!

Face it—creating great content by itself won’t necessarily grow your blog audience and influence. Therefore, you need a plan to increase your blog’s visibility in today’s content rich environment.

7. 25 Mobile Research Charts to Guide Your 2012 Marketing – Why You Need Mobile Marketing Now! [Research]

To take advantage of the mobile expansion, you must understand how your prospects and customers use them as well as what the implications are for content marketing, promotions, communications and purchase channels.

8. Instagram Research You Need NOW! [7 Charts] – Thinking Inside The Instagram Square

Instagram’s community quietly passed the 80 million member mark who have shared almost 4 billion photos. Instagram’s appeal according to The New Yorker’s Ian Crouch is that “it makes everything in our lives, including and especially ourselves, look better.”

9. 12 Attributes of a Successful Content Curation Strategy – Why Your Marketing Needs Content Curation

Content curation chooses the most relevant, highest quality digital information to meet your readers’ needs on a specific subject. At its core, content curation is like a great editor who brings his unique taste and understanding of his target audience to his selection of the best content for his readers.

10. 101 Social Media Marketing Resources – 2012 Edition

This is a monster list of social media marketing resources for newbies and social media mavens alike to expand your knowledge of this ever-changing ecosystem.

11. 2012 Extreme Marketing Predictions – 24 Marketers Look Into The Future

To get beyond the conventional forecasts, I asked a group of leading marketers across a range of expertise for their most extreme marketing prediction for 2012. These forecasts enable you to take a look inside the minds of some marketing leaders.

12. 7 Surprising Pinterest Insights Every Marketer Needs – Pinterest: What The Numbers Tell Marketers [Research]

Pinterest is social media’s answer to scrapbooking. With meteoric growth in 2012, Pinterest’s audience has shifted. Therefore, it’s critical to stake out your marketing turf and build your base before you discover you’re significantly behind your competitors. (Here are five tips to get started on Pinterest including examples!)

 

As 2012 draws to close, we’d like to add our prayers for those innocent school children and teachers killed in Newtown at Sandy Hook Elementary School and their family and friends. May 2013 be a year free of this type of horrible tragedy.

Thank you for your readership and support,

Happy Marketing,
Heidi Cohen


Please join me at Content Success Summit—I’m speaking on Blogging and Content Marketing.

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