As the hype on social media marketing continues today, many business owners and Internet marketers are wondering on the latest SMM trends for this year along with business and technology experts. The great influence and impact of SMM on all businesses today require a clear understanding of the specific direction it is heading. Social media marketing trends are fluid depending on a variety of factors that set new paths for businesses and the responding markets.
New platforms
There seems to be a growing number of new social media platforms emerging on the Internet every month. New platforms on social media attempt to grab a piece of the current market pie with new and interesting features that surpass existing platforms’ offerings.
Unique communication features garner a greater interest from consumers who are seeking new tools and elements that spike up their web times. Companies are seeking for new platforms that offer cheaper solutions and impactful results faster for their business investments which are expected to generate higher ROIs quickly.
The mushrooming of new social media platforms allows companies to have a field day in picking the more favorable options which fit the business requirements, goals and objectives. Companies are constantly sourcing for the next best solution as part of their marketing strategy for an impactful marketing campaign that would boost their bottom lines and enhance their branding.
New social media platforms can only survive in the market if they have something new and exciting to offer or entice consumers and businesses. There is a strong competition in embracing the latest social media technologies to stay ahead of the competition and establish a satisfactory market position in the industry.
New trends
New social media marketing trends come about from the growing competition in the market as well as from consumer demands with a changing lifestyle. It is likely to foresee some changing SMM trends for 2014 to facilitate the increasing consumer demands and expectations. This would include social media sites incorporating more images and videos that must be interesting, relevant and attractive to consumers.
A growing number of web consumers are referring to social media sites like Pinterest and Tumblr to seek out and express thoughts and ideas on the web. Imagery visual content, especially in the form of videos would be in greater demand as web consumers prefer this mode of information dissemination than plain text. Such social media sites are offering greater marketing opportunities for business owners and marketers to interact with customers, potential leads and business associates.
Shareable videos and images would set the path on such information dissemination, although professionalism is preferred to be exercised in any social media postings without a blatant marketing pose.
Google+ is set to take on a more prominent role in SMM 2014 trends as consumers would continue to favor the easy commentary styles on YouTube. Google+ can enhance SEO features with Google authorship permitting writers to enjoy greater credit on their content. Popular articles can be pushed up to the top pages of popular search engines’ SERPs. Google+ would enjoy a higher preference by companies that want a strong social network for its varied benefits such as interesting Google+ profiles and enhanced social media search and reach.
It may be possible that SMM investments would be more a necessity than an option in the near future with the benefits to be reaped. Businesses would find it cumbersome to expand without a social media website, although the option still exists. It would be a ‘must-have’ feature to secure a strong social media presence for businesses to engage their niche or targeted audience for building relationships and lists. As more and more consumers spend more time online, social media sites become the focal point to garner and disseminate information that benefits businesses of all nature.
Businesses without a social media presence are experiencing the competitive pinch where small but aggressive competitors are able to push their way through the market to be a force to reckon with. Social media marketing strategies can build company branding while increasing awareness and customer loyalty via strong relationships. The integration of social media and online marketing campaigns would generate the desired success in attracting more traffic to the web business site for a bigger bottom line.
Another potential trend for 2014 would be the increasing popularity of LinkedIn in B2B markets as different marketing efforts would be required to reach different businesses and consumers. Establishing a market presence on various social media sites allows businesses to connect with other related businesses for collaborative success. Such collaborations are professional to stay ahead of the competition while enhancing brand awareness.
It is possible for MySpace to develop a greater influence in 2014 although Facebook currently holds the popularity reins today. However, MySpace is reinventing itself with a rebranding where favorite music and bands can be heard. There is also an iPhone app for interacting with other users via music updates posted and photo sharing. Music related businesses would benefit with a keen alert on MySpace with its growing scope of features.
Way to go
Modern businesses today must consider engaging social media to move forward regardless of their industry or size. Current studies reveal social media marketing as a primary influencer for an online business via online advertising. Social media networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter and Google+ will continue to attract consumers and businesses alike to communicate, socialize and change the market trends in 2014 and beyond.
While Facebook now holds the top position in social networks, Google+ is poised as a strong contender with a growing number of users. Advanced features that keep emerging help boost the various social media networks’ market position and popularity as consumers seek greater offerings on social media platforms this year.
It would not be surprising that mobile phone usage via social networks would become more popular. Hence, smart businesses that concentrate on mobile platforms with social media would stand to gain more market credibility as more smartphones with advanced features including social media networking are introduced.
