The Top 6 Social Media Trends of 2014
The Top 6 Social Media Trends of 2014
1. Google+ is on the rise with businesses: Google changed its algorithm and it’s no surprise that weighing heavily on it is the use of Google+. The format and functionality is very similar to Facebook, so ease of use is a high priority. Individuals and businesses will continue to move towards G+ both for social connection as well as business marketing and branding.
2. Image-heavy social networks (Pinterest, Snapchat, Instagram) are rivaling giants like Facebook and Twitter: It’s long been known that visual posts on social media rank higher and get more LCS (likes, comments, and shares) than just text posts. The social networks that are image-centered have grown significantly in users who want strictly image-based content. This trend will continue to rise.
3. Short video is on the rise (Vine): Youtube isn’t the only video platform anymore. For a while, other video networks have emerged to lay claim to the video site throne, but what is gaining more traction than anything are short videos. Vine now has 40 million registered viewers and growing. With content that features 7 seconds of video, being short and sweet is the way to go.
4. B2B growth hinges on use of LinkedIn: Businesses, especially entrepreneurs, are utilizing LinkedIn as a network to grow their platforms, discover new trends, gain new clients, and build their client base. Company page usage of the platform has grown in 2014 from 24% to 57% this year alone. Twitter and Facebook may be the giants of the C2C or B2C groups, but for B2B, LinkedIn is the clear champion. (source: http://www.forbes.com/sites/jaysondemers/2014/07/23/the-top-7-social-media-marketing-trends-dominating-2014/)
5. Successful marketing success on social media requires diversity: Facebook’s algorithm changes make it so that less and less people who follow a brand’s page will see their posts. The chances of that small fraction of post views declining further is rising. All of this is intended to boost Facebook’s advertising base. You pay so that your followers (whom you’ve already worked hard to acquire) will see your content. The key to beating this is to diversify your platforms and don’t marry just one social network to market your business.
6. Social Media is a Brand Must-Have: We’ve moved away from the days where brands saw Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn as something “the millennials” were into. In 2014, brands who don’t utilize any social networking will be left in the dust of their competitors. The reason for this is not only because of search rankings (particularly on Google) but also because the peer-to-peer exchange of information and communication involves everything from which movie to see to which fabric softener to NOT buy. Brands must engage their customers and clients where they are, and where they are is on social media.
