The Newest of Social Media in 2014
Each new year brings the promise of new starts and new beginnings. This could not be more true for 2014, following the extensive advances in social media in 2013. As more and more brands get involved in social media, we can predict that 2014 will see even more advances in the online sphere. Social media has taken over the world, with hashtags appearing in print and on TV, and content marketing becoming mainstream. Even the Superbowl this year was more impressive on social media than the football itself. So what new trends can we expect to appear in 2014?
As with many trends, be it fashion, technology or music, they emanate predominantly from youth culture. Social media is not exempt from this, so you can expect it to be shaped around youth preference quite a lot. With the rise of mature audiences on Facebook and Twitter, many youngsters are seeking out a more anonymous, secret place to hangout. Single purpose apps such as Snapchat for messaging, Tindr for dating or Wanelo for shopping have experienced great success recently. They are fun apps, perfectly suited to mobile usage which is right up your average teenagers street. The anonymity trend is also something to follow, with social media giants like Facebook also recognising the need to incorporate it into their future strategy.
Rise in popularity of niche social media platforms
Following the theme of single purpose apps, niche social media platforms are also something to watch out for this year. The more businesses that have jumped on the social media bandwagon, the harder it is to get noticed, especially on the dominant platforms like Twitter or Facebook. Many of these niche social platforms, such as Gentlemint, ThirdAge or Untappd, make getting noticed easier. It enables businesses, in particular small businesses, to improve their social media reach, in a highly targeted and affordable manner.
Local social networks are also important to keep an eye out for, as they enable a more targeted and local approach to online social networking.
Money, money, money
The age of free online interaction is over, and with 2014 comes the age of monetised social media. The pressure to pay for sponsored posts in increasing, again giving smaller businesses a huge disadvantage to the larger corporations. It is no longer enough to monitor content, as companies need to analyse their strategy to optimise their results for each platform. On top of that, they need to find the money to do it, too.
Content and Branding
Branding has become even more important in the social media world, and companies are realising the importance of producing quality content. This in turn has brought about a rise in content-based jobs, whereby businesses are employing writers to work in conjunction with their marketing staff. Spamming is no longer the done thing, and brands need to have a clear, quality content for their consumers. These content strategies include everything from social, mobile and graphic content, in order to boost a businesses online presence.
... and jobs
Further to this point, there will definitely be a change in social media employment. Alongside the content writers and graphic designers, will be Online Community Managers, Bloggers, Social Media Marketing Managers, Copywriters and so on. According to Hootsuite, social media is here to stay, and this is reflected in the rise in jobs focused around the social media world.
It's all about visuals
Image-centric websites are on the rise, and content-heavy websites are on the decline. Posts that contain rich content like videos and images receive more tweets. likes, shares and comments than those without. Video has also seen a huge rise in popularity, especially in the mobile domain, with almost half of all video watchers completing the full video when they watch it.
Employee and Consumer Advocacy
It's all about promotion these days, and knowing how to do it right. With the interactive nature of social media, it's not enough to rely on branding. For each company, a successful employee advocacy programme is key, as they each have influence within their own online social sphere. This is also true for word-of-mouth marketing in the consumer field. The use of Ambassadors and Influencers is popular nowadays, as it enables consumers to be involved in their favourite brands, building trust amongst their online peers.
Source: britopian.com
Social platforms to keep an eye on this year
Instagram - Instagram, which was bought by Facebook in 2012, has grown exponentially in the last year. It now has 150 million users, who post close to 40 million photos per day. By the end of 2013, 71% of top brands were on Instagram.
Snapchat - Snapchat is the fourth most popular app on the iTunes store and has attracted many youngsters with its anonymous feel. Both Snapchat and Instagram use coupons to attract consumers, with Snapchat's 'exploding coupons' adding a fun element to marketing to draw in the younger audience.
Slideshare - Slideshare has become a major influencer recently. It now has over 60 million users a month and 130 million page views. It is a slide hosting service, which allows users to upload Powerpoint, Keynote, PDF and OpenDocument documents publicly or privately. The site makes it easier to share content and distribute it.
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The Newest of Social Media in 2014
Reviewed by Anonymous
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Wednesday, February 12, 2014
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Reviewed by Anonymous
on
Wednesday, February 12, 2014
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Anonymous
Keeping you up to date on social media, digital marketing, apps, news & reviews. Social media, and digital marketing as a whole, are rapidly and constantly changing, adapting to new developments at an ever increasing rate. Just keeping up to date can be a nightmare. Our team of writers know their field, and keep an ear to the ground. We aim to keep you informed of all recent developments in the online world, and teach you a little something along the way. So whether you just want to stay connected, or gain some knowledge for yourself, the Social Songbird will keep on singing! More articles are posted every day so keep checking back! Join the discussion on Twitter - #SocialSongbird Or contact us directly - @SocialSongbird_
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