The internet has dramatically changed the way in which information is shared and it has had a revolutionary impact on marketing. More and more businesses are now enjoying success by strategically positioning original content rather than embedding advertisements. These tactics offer additional benefits like branding and audience growth.

Here are few marketing trends that will continue to dominate at the end of 2014:

1. Content Marketing will be Prominent

Content marketing is one of the important ways that companies establish authority and gain the trust of customers. By consistently producing valuable content which encompasses relevant industry information and posting it through various channels they provide insight to their audience. This allows companies to build a rapport with their target demographic and acquires loyal followers. The top B2B content marketing strategies include social media, eNews letters, videos, case studies and articles on various platforms. This trend suggests that marketing through television ads and radio ads are no longer as effective and significant. Instead, it is good to focus on inbound marketing by publishing engaging content meant for a specific audience.

2. Social Media Marketing will Gain More Customers

Just a few years ago, businesses had limited access to social media networks and couldn’t effectively implement these networks into their marketing campaigns. Things have certainly changed and now it seems like new social media sites are appearing all the time. While some of them never really gain traction, others like Google+, Pinterest and Instagram have gained popularity and have provided businesses with a variety of new options. These options have allowed business owners to post engaging content in various media forms which in turn allow them to build and engage with their audience across more channels.

It has become common for businesses to network over numerous platforms with the goal of maximizing their reach and increasing their brand exposure, recognition and trust.

3. Image-based Content will be Supreme

As customers are hit with a high volume of information, it is vital to make content easily digestible and highly engaging. Social media sites are on the rise because of the common feature of emphasizing images. The rapid growth and success of Pinterest is a testament to the viral potential of image-centric content.

Blog posts that receive the most social shares also have a common feature: they are interspersed with well-positioned pictures to break up content and bring focus to certain points. For instance, infographics combine images with minimal text to illustrate a topic and offer statistical data from research studies. It cannot be disputed that incorporating images is essential to a successful marketing campaign.

4. Saying Less will be More Beneficial

One notable trend is that customer preference is for simple, clear marketing messages rather than in-depth messages. When you consider some of the top brands like Google and Apple, they value simplicity. Likewise, a clean and uncluttered aesthetic is a key part of Pinterest’s appeal. Businesses simplifying their campaign messages will attract more customers in 2014.