As the Internet continues to grow and becomes more engrained into our daily lives, marketing trends continue to shift at an increasing rate. Only five years ago, social media was in its infancy, and smartphones were just making their debut. Neither was used as marketing tools at the time, yet these technologies ultimately turned out to be game changers by opening up marketing channels that enabled companies to reach their customers in new ways.

Because of the recent paradigm movement of information technology, customers are naturally savvier than they were a few years ago. As a result, it’s now more important than ever to have a great product that backs up your marketing efforts – it isn’t enough to just have a good marketing plan. Recognizing that first and foremost is key before devising your strategies.

So what marketing trends and channels will we be focusing on in 2012?

Social Media: Social media has grown up. Facebook has almost one billion users while Twitter is approaching 400 billion. Today, these platforms serve as much more than just a means of following friends and celebrities; they’re considered to be legitimate marketing channels for businesses that should be at the forefront of your campaigns. Through avenues like Twitter and Facebook, you can engage your customers in a way that wasn’t previously possible. In case there was any doubt before: developing relationships is the now the key to success.

Go Mobile: Mobile devices account for seven percent of all web traffic with no sign of slowing down. Whether it’s mobile optimized websites or marketing through apps, businesses will be wise to consider placing greater emphasis on this expanding market.

SEO: Search engine optimization is an established strategy in Internet marketing, yet there are many companies that still don’t put a lot of focus on it. Google is obviously the dominating player here with more than 80 percent of the worldwide market share. While having a quality site for your product or service is important to move up your search engine rankings, optimizing your content and site for search engines can make or break your site. Make sure that your SEO strategies don’t get in the way of quality content.

The Value in Truth: Due to the growth of social media and how connected people are nowadays, it’s essential that your marketing efforts are genuine. Consumers, now more than ever, can see through the gimmicks of certain strategies, especially those involving traditional marketing channels. The easiest way to address this is by truth, which also requires you to believe in your product or service.

Keep it Simple: Whether it’s your website’s home page or a newsletter to your customers or clients, be as concise as possible while still getting your message across. Content clutter and a poor design can be the differentiating factor between grabbing a customer or losing them to their next click. Sites such as Google and the Drudge Report are brilliantly simple, and leaders in their respective fields. Find that balance.

Much like this year, 2012 will continue to see social media and mobile take an increasing amount of focus in our marketing efforts. However, as Internet marketers, it’s not only crucial to ride the current trend, but also to keep an eye on emerging marketing channels. At the rate marketing has changed over the last five years, we can reasonably assume that new trends barely on our radar now will develop and become a part of next year’s top strategies. We’re looking forward to taking advantage of the next opportunity, and hope you do as well!