By most measures, 2011 was a difficult year for most small businesses.

No one could argue that our world isn’t changing fast. Consumers aren’t spending like they once did, fuel and shipping costs are fluctuating wildly, and the Internet has finally really changed the way people shop and buy – not to mention the way we entrepreneurs market our businesses. As we wrap up 2011 – and hope for better fortunes in the New Year – here are some trends to consider when planning your marketing efforts in 2012.

Mobile everything…advertising, marketing, media, and commerce…will have a bright 2012 as consumers increasingly rely on their mobile devices daily to shop, learn, research, play, and engage. One tool that is surely about to get a lot of attention from small businesses is the QR Code. General marketing principles tell us that selling to existing customers is more efficient and more profitable then landing new customers. Enter the QR code. QR codes – aka “Quick Response” codes – will be an important mobile marketing tool for the New Year. Even if you haven’t directly heard about them, or know what they are, the chances are good that you’ve at least seen a QR code – even if you didn’t realize it at the time. Just check your new bottle of Tylenol! Most simply put, QR codes are a way to connect offline activity with online activity. Every company these days has a website and everyone wants to get traffic to their website – QR codes can do that. Every company also wants to entice new customers and put their name in the public eye. QR codes can do that too. QR codes put a company’s digital presence in the palm of the customer’s hand, whether they’re actually online at the time or not. They’re a way to get your name out there and pass around your digital business card in a way like never before.

Even more exciting is the evolution from QR codes to mobile payment processing. Look for mobile payments to evolve in 2012 to a point where major retailers are implementing early beta mobile payment processing applications.

If implementing social media wasn’t mandatory for small businesses in 2011 – it surely will be in 2012. Social media has become so entrenched in the lives of consumers and businesses alike that sites like Facebook and Twitter are supplementing (if not replacing) the traditional static website.  Social media will be an essential discipline – not just an option.  However, for small businesses, just getting Facebook “likes” or Twitter “followers” will not be enough in 2012. Instead, “social commerce” (selling products and services within social media itself) will be the next step in the social media evolution for small businesses. Which is more desirable to an entrepreneur, $5,000 in sales or 5000 likes?  And expect those products and services to be easier to find in 2012 as the big names – Facebook, Twitter, Google – take significant steps to improve social media search results. Look for Google’s + button development to help this trend in 2012.

In 2011, geo-targeted local search became especially relevant to local businesses. And that trend should continue in 2012, as the major search engines focus on location-based searches. More and more consumers want to know what businesses are nearest to their home or work. What restaurants should they go to? What stores should they shop at? Everyone wants this information, especially on their mobile phones. The reasonable extension of geo-targeted searching…online business reviews. And as more people search locally for restaurants to dry cleaners, a company’s online reputation is going to become more important than ever in 2012. That is, reputation management and business reviews will become more important as a sales and branding tool. Businesses that excel online will monitor and maintain their online reputation closely.  You don’t want to lose a sale because of a negative post that appears about your company in a search result!

Small business marketing is going a little “retro.”  No, the big hair bands of the 80’s are not making a comeback. Instead, offline marketing (or traditional print marketing if that is more familiar) makes a comeback in 2012. Checked the mailbox lately? Not a lot of competition for those eyeballs these days. That means, there is an opportunity for small businesses to reach their target markets economically and without much competition using post cards, flyers, and sales letters.

If you don’t adapt your business to the changing technologies then you are likely losing business and probably falling behind your competition. Best wishes in 2012!