Social media is sure to be a major factor in online marketing.

Parcel delivery and courier services companies have been told the major online marketing trends to watch for.

Top of the list is video marketing, according to seo.com, which points out conversion rates from YouTube are about 20 per cent higher than from search engines.

Number two is the impact that social media sites will have on rankings in search.

"As the search engines put more emphasis on the popularity of links shared through Twitter and Facebook, social media will become a necessary tool for link building," said Nelson James, president of seo.com.

The website also predicts that guest blogging will be big in 2011, pointing out that blogging is a useful tool for "thought leadership, link bait, and a way to leverage social media to drive website traffic and leads".

Recently, the British Interactive Media Association chair Justin Cooke remarked that e-commerce transactions through social media "will come of age in 2011".

Posted by Rob Elliott

Article Added: 14/01/2011 09:37:17