Here are just a few trends to watch for in the coming year.

Social Networking: By now, almost every online marketer has heard of social networking sites (such as MySpace) and have figured out that they are most likely the future of media. Many online social networks started out small, and now a few are becoming a global brand. However, marketers need to be creative in order to develop campaigns that integrate brand messages, without offending those who don’t want to be marketed to.

For this reason, a key trend for social network marketing will be “integrating brand engagement.” That means marketers need to develop websites where visitors do not see sneaky ads. Instead there will be more tools, characters, and icons that will promote customer empowerment and self-expression.

When Honda introduced the new Element, they did so with a MySpace page and used talking animals to promote the vehicle. Their main mascot was a crab, with a motto of “I pinch.” They also used a jack rabbit and a zebra to throw in some dry humor. People LOVED this and would visit the page often to see what the animals were up to.

So, keep that in mind when you’re developing new websites in 2007. It pays to be different. Here are a few more trends to watch:

Targeted Marketing and Digital Email: With the increase in social networking we will also see increases in targeted niche marketing. Improved email execution will enhance messaging and make email efforts more relevant. Soon, marketers will replace the plain HTML or text messages with dynamic content and include more strategic and forward thinking to make sure their emails get opened.

If you’ve heard that email is dead, think again. Email may just be the digital marketing newbie. This is a huge step for email, and may not all happen in 2007. Expect to see a lot of changes taking place during the next 5 years or so.

Online Video: Online content will continue to evolve, and will include more online video than ever before. However, the right audience and the right offer need to be determined first, if streaming video is to have a big effect on sales. When the right factors are in place, results have shown as much as a 1,000% increase.

Channel Integration: While more people are getting their news online, don’t think that newspapers and other marketing channels will go by the wayside. Marketers need to reach consumers where they are, and keep in mind that people using different medias need to be marketed differently. Print and radio will still exist, and marketers need to remain consistent and relevant across several different channels.

These are only a few things that online marketers should be aware of for the coming year. And, since things change so fast in the online world, there are certainly many more in the works! In 2007, and as always, marketers need to:

• Keep on top of new emerging trends
• Be aware of what competitors are doing
• Keep on top of the metrics that drive the business
  
• Continually test the marketing mix to make sure it’s right for the people targeted.