Top Internet Trends 2010: A Guide To The Best Predictions From The Web - Part 2

If you are looking for the top internet 2010 predictions, anticipations and trends from the top bloggers, the tech thought leaders and the top new media sites out there, you have landed in the right place. In part 2 of this MasterNewMedia guide to the top Internet trends for 2010 (Part 1), you will find indeed some of the most interesting and provocative anticipations about new media, and about the future of online marketing and communications on the Internet.

Photo credit: Katrina Brown

Here some of the top 2010 trends and highlights emerging from this Internet predictions roundup:

• Content formats: One of the main difficulties of the web is being able to really track a story as it develops and creating engaging formats for long-form articles. In 2010, news organizations and publishers will design stories that are more suited to the way readers consume online content. As a result, other formats that are either engaging and eye-catching will gain momentum in 2010, like the blogozine.
• Content nesting: In 2010 your own content will spread on multiple locations more rapidly than you can imagine. That is why your website content needs to be nested in as many content aggregation sites as possible. Social media, RSS / blog directories and influential websites should be your main target. Why is this really important? Picture this: If you have a video on your website that is not on YouTube, people on YouTube will not bother searching for your website, because they simply do not need to go elsewhere. For them, YouTube already represents the total number of videos available on their topic of interest. Got it?
• Social media marketing: A survey by VerticalResponse, Inc. shows that 68% of small businesses plan to increase social media marketing. Social media will indeed continue to be a great way for marketers and brands to create conversations with customers. So, be sure to make 2010 your year to test content that attracts repeat and referral business. Customers are more likely to respond to social media marketing because they already know you and trust you based on feedback from other people or their prior purchases.
• Online reputation: With more and more consumers making decisions based on what they find online, small business owners will have to pay greater attention to track the buzz around their brands. As consumers prove to be highly influenced by online reviews and comments, business owners that do not monitor their brand mentions may have a hard time to prevent negative word of mouth. In 2010 expect those that will invest time protecting their online identities to succeed, and others to fail.
• Paid / free content: A recent Forrester report stated that 80% of U.S. consumers will not pay for online content. Another survey by BCG showed that most people will pay a maximum of $3 per month for online paid subscriptions. What this means is that brands of 2010 are going to be built through a different model, based on consumer demand, the endless supply of content and the free distribution systems we all have.
• Online video: In 2010, online video will keep growing, keeping pace with the good trends of this year. Online video is interactive, memorable, widely accessible, cheap to create and highly shareable, that is why entrepreneurs and business owners are willing to invest even more on video. It is crucial though, that you do not overlook your text content for video. As powerful as video can be, it can be more cumbersome than text because you cannot scan a video as quickly as you can scan a page of headlines, links and text to quickly find the exact information you need.
• Online video advertising: Pre-roll ads will continue to dominate online video advertising. No innovation from Hulu, YouTube or Vivaki will prove as effective as a 0:15 or 0:30 coupled with a companion ad (here IAB video ad formats). YouTube only gains massive market share with its abundance of pre-roll and unless a brand new alternative is developed in the coming months, expect pre-roll to stay.
• Business models: Expect new business models to emerge clearly in 2010. While alternative monetization opportunities have already sprung in 2009, it is next year that new business models will reach maturity and become a serious option for Internet entrepreneurs. Whatever you may choose, your main goal should be to increase, extend and diversify the range of your revenue-making channels. Entrepreneurs that have bet all their horses on a single business model may find unpleasant surprises, so start acting now.
• Hyper niches: As already written, in 2010 content will be more and more ubiquitous and accessible. Those that will have the best content next year will float to the top, while everyone else will make less money and have fewer opportunities. It will be much harder to compete with big brands, which means next year the focus will be on niches and what John Arnold of Entrepreneur defines "hyper-niches." People will have to really narrow down their market niche in order to stand out and succeed.
• SEO: Conversion rate optimization will dominate SEO next year. Still the most under-utilized and highest ROI activities in the marketing department, conversion rate optimization will reach more awareness and brands will focus on improving conversion over time. Online businesses can generate so much revenue from this, yet few invest. 2010 will establish this trend.

In part 2 (part 1) of this guide to the top Internet predictions and trends for 2010, you can have a peek at what these coming months may indeed have in store for you.

If you are into exploring what's coming up next before it hits you unprepared this is a perfect place to start.

Top Internet Trends 2010 - Part 2

10 News Media Content Trends To Watch In 2010

In 2010, news organizations will look to approach monetization and content experimentation that is focused on looking at the web in a new way. News in 2010 will blur the lines between audience and creator more than ever in an era of social media. Vadim Lavrusik looks at several trends in content distribution and presentation that the Mashable team will likely see more of in 2010.

by Vadim Lavrusik - Mashable - December 24th, 2009

 

10 Online Marketing Trends For 2010

Since your trend-marketing returns are only as good as your ability to make educated guesses, John Arnold from Enterpreneur shares some advice to help you avoid turning educated guesses into marketing messes. In this article you will find the top 10 internet marketing trends for 2010 so that you will know whether to invest, test or let it rest.

by John Arnold - Enterpreneur - December 24th, 2009

 

2010 in Online Video: Are You Ready For Some Surprises?

Inside this article, Eric Franchi, senior vice president of business development at Undertone Networks, writes a list of potential online video trends that 2010 may hold for video makers and video marketers. You may find yourself in complete disagreement with some or all of them, but the close future looks indeed promising for online video.

by Eric Franchi - MediaPost - December 24th, 2009

 

Talking Back - Top Five Advertising Trends

The overall advertising environment in 2009 was fairly gloomy with slashed budgets and revised strategies to address the new reality. However, that did not stop the industry from evolving, and the lessons learned will likely pay-off in the year ahead. Here is the prediction from Nielsen editors on 2010 top advertising trends.

by Nielsen Editors - Nielsen - December 17th, 2009

 

Personal Branding Trends For 2010

Personal branding is not a new concept, but it is something that small business owners and marketers will have to consider significantly through 2010. Your brand is your clear differentiator and your competitive advantage. It is also the first impression you have with potential customers and the source of attachment you create with your current customers. So, without further ado, here are some personal branding trends to watch out for in 2010 by Dan Schawbel.

by Dan Schawbel - Small Business Trends - December 27th, 2009

 

10 Crucial Consumer Trends For 2010

It is going to be another interesting year. Has the global recession really, officially ended? And if so, will the aftermath cause pains for years to come? Whatever the outcome, you and I are going to spot more recession-proof opportunities than ever before. To help you out the guys at Trendwatching have put up a great list of 10 niche-targeted consumer trends that will likely shape the web market in the coming months. Enjoy.

by Trendwatching Editors - Trendwatching - December, 2009

 

8 Predictions For SEO In 2010

Rand Fishkin, CEO of SEOmoz tries to tackle a lot of the recent trends that he and his team have been observing from the engines and shares his personal predictions of what SEO experts might see coming over the next 12 months.

by Rand Fishkin - SEOmoz - December 16th, 2009

 

10 Branding and Marketing Trends for 2010

The editors at Branding Strategy Insider offer online marketers and entrepreneurs their 10 branding and marketing trends for 2010. From the way your brand is positioned in the market, to consumer expectations and how to engage your audience if you want to keep pace with your competitors, Derrick Daye and Brad VanAuken got you covered.

by Derrick Daye and Brad VanAuken - Branding Strategy Insider - October 1st, 2009

Originally prepared by Robin Good and Daniele Bazzano for MasterNewMedia, and first published on December 31st, 2009 as "Top Internet Trends 2010: A Guide To The Best Predictions From The Web - Part 2".