One of the keys to being successful in Internet advertising is spotting emerging trends and knowing what's "hot" among users. If you know that consumers are searching for and where they're spending their time, you'd be able to build effective ad campaigns and zero in on your target audience.

Below is a list of the top trends that are worth getting into. These online trends are already making waves, so if you have any lucrative ideas sitting in your brain, it's probably a good idea to incorporate them into any of the things below. In fact, you might even see better results if you push your product across multiple channels or platforms in this list using emerging technologies such as Cross Channel Advertising.

The trends listed below are filled with product and marketing opportunities. Check them out and see which of these items are worth monetizing.

1. Images - Image-based websites and apps such as Pinterest and Instagram are definitely moving us towards a more visual web and mobile experience. Even Facebook, with the launch of Timeline is encouraging us to share more pictures. Images (among other things) are starting to rule the web, so if you have any great visual ideas, now is the time to unleash them.

2. Videos - In line with the web being more visual these days, videos are also on the rise. Often, moving images accompanied with sounds are more effective than plain text when it comes to explaining ideas or demonstrating how things are done. Video is also becoming huge in the telecommunications field, as the medium is able to connect people from all over the world. Need to talk to someone in another country? Simply launch Skype or Face Time and you're good to go.

3. Social - So exactly how big has social become? Let's see, Facebook has a billion users, Twitter has over 500,000,000, and Pinterest, the new kid on the block also has tens of millions of users around the world... need we say more?

4. Augmented Reality - Also known as "AR" the Wiki description of Augmented Reality goes as follows: "a live, direct or indirect, view of a physical, real-world environment whose elements are augmented by computer-generated sensory input such as sound, video, graphics or GPS data. It is related to a more general concept called mediated reality, in which a view of reality is modified (possibly even diminished rather than augmented) by a computer. As a result, the technology functions by enhancing one's current perception of reality. By contrast, virtual reality replaces the real world with a simulated one."

Examples of AR devices or apps that we see today include Google Glass, as well as apps that allow you to compare prices and items simply by scanning the barcode of a product.

5. Mobile Apps - The catch phrase "There's an app for that" isn't just catchy, it's 100% true. Apps have turned smartphones into techie Swiss Army Knives that are filled with tools that can entertain, educate, waste your time, and more.

Image credit: WebWizzard on Flickr