It’s that time of year again for marketers and media strategists around the world. With 2010 soundly behind us, we now turn our gaze to a new year and all the new media trends that lie on the horizon of 2011.  And while, as the last few years have proven, it can be very difficult to identify exactly which trends will take off over the next twelve months, at DevelopmentNow, we feel quite confident about one thing—that mobile will make quite a splash in 2011.

As we start the year, about 1 of every 4 adults in the U.S. owns a Smartphone device, and the mobile device market is poised to explode over the next few months.  Google is activating about 300,000 new Android devices every day.  And rumors of a seemingly imminent Verizon iPhone release are back with renewed intensity.  The fact is, businesses can no longer afford to overlook the mobile platform, or postpone their inclusion of mobile as a part of digital strategy.  But how can marketers strategize for such a rapidly evolving digital platform? By understanding the current state of mobile marketing, and the trends that will drive the platform to maturity in 2011.  To that end, we’ve compiled a list of 5 of the most critical mobile marketing trends to watch (and plan for!) in 2011—it’s gonna be a big year!

2011: It’s All About the Mobile User

Due to recent technological advancements, as well as broader general knowledge of the channel, mobile marketing is continually becoming more user-centric.  Over the next year, this trajectory will dictate what content is delivered over the mobile channel and how.

Smartphone devices effectively provide a channel through which marketers can reach consumers directly anytime, and anywhere. This means, as a media channel, mobile enables marketers to leverage these coordinates—time and location, that is—to deliver content that is hyper-relevant and, therefore, immediately personal.  Thus, mobile marketing represents an opportunity for brands to build more direct, and more personal relationships with a target audience.  But, as ever, brands will have to earn this relationship.

In other words, content distributed through the mobile channel must be relevant and original, and moreover, it MUST help the user in some way.  Whether that is accomplished through providing beneficial insights, media, or utility, by offering a service that is truly valuable to mobile users, marketers can establish such relationships and build a sustainable and effective mobile strategy that drives brand loyalty.

Mobile Marketing for Businesses Big and Small

In case you missed our blog on mobile marketing for small businesses, let me reiterate: mobile isn’t just for big brands anymore.  Consumer demand for mobile content isn’t exclusive to major brands and global corporations—equipped with Smartphones and extensive local directories (like Yelp) at their fingertips, more often than not mobile users are searching for the local, and for well-rated service providers nearby.  Through such directories, small businesses can connect with mobile users and drive sales through the growing platform. We expect to see the number of small businesses with mobile websites increase exponentially over the next year or two.

The Dawn of ‘Mocial’

Excuse the buzzword, but there’s a strong point to be made here. The intersection of mobile and social marketing practices will expand marketers’ horizons in 2011.  Social media facilitates brand interactions and can help to build conversation around your brand’s products or services.  Just imagine—with mobile devices, your fans and followers will be able to access those conversations while they’re in stores, or making critical buying decisions.  By showcasing popular products that thousands of fans have ‘liked,’ or distributing incentives to mobile users that have ‘checked-in’ at a store location, brands can immediately capitalize on the integration of these two platforms.

A Shift in Mobile Mindshare

In case you missed the news, by the end of 2010 Google’s Android platform managed to snag enough new users to lead the mobile market, beating out Apple and RIM for the top spot.  Nonetheless, when it comes to marketing buzz, Apple still captures the lion’s share of interest and, realistically, the conversation still centers around the iPhone.  This trend will almost certainly change over the next year as Android gains more and more mindshare, and as developers and marketers finally recognize the platform as a legitimate contender in the mobile arena.  With that shift, we expect to see more brands focus on developing apps for Android in addition to or instead of the iPhone.  The question on marketers’ minds will no longer be—app or mobile website?—but rather: iPhone app? Android app? Mobile Website? All of the above?

Barcodes, QR Codes and Mobile ‘Wallets’

Lastly, one feature of mobile technology that should see some major growth over thenext twelve months is mobile barcode functionality.  Currently, through advanced scanning technology, apps such as Red Laser, Snap Tell (and even our own Manheim.com app) make it possible for mobile users to scan printed barcodes.  But few brands have taken advantage of this capacity so far (even fewer have done so successfully).

As QR codes reach a greater level of consumer adoption, and become more mainstream, brands will increasingly rely on this functionality to facilitate transitions between print and digital (mobile) marketing.  Previously, we highlighted a marketing campaign by Dick’s Sporting Goods, which showcased how brands can use QR codes to directly drive sales.  This year, we’re expecting to share even more success stories from marketers of all industries that capitalize on this emerging trend.

Finally, this year we predict that barcode scanners (such as those in retail stores and at self-service kiosks) will be equipped with the laser technology needed to scan barcodes
from mobile devices.  While this is technically possible (as several airlines have proved), most LCD scanners aren’t capable of reading barcodes from Smartphone screens just yet.  This is one problem that the Isis mobile payment network will strive to overcome in the next year, thus enabling mobile users to pay for items with their Smartphone devices (aka. Mobile wallet).  While this technology could make basic transactions much easier, it’s also easy to see mobile devices replacing printed confirmation receipts and coupons.

There are a lot of possibilities when it comes to the future of mobile technology, and we’re excited to see a lot of new features and trends emerge in 2011.