Just a while ago we saw #SMDay trending on Twitter, Instagram, etc. People from around the globe subscribed to ‘Mashable Meetup Organizers’ group on Facebook. It was 30th June when the world exalted the ‘Social Media Day’, launched by Mashable in the year 2010 to acknowledge the importance of these tools in our lives. In Pew Internet Project, a research related to social networking conducted in January 2014, it was found that social networking sites are increasingly used to keep up with close social ties.
For the year 2015, seven months are down already and internet marketers have five more months to try different social media techniques in order to reap the best. Looking upon the current scenario, we see that several trends, which have been introduced in the past, are now gaining momentum. Here we’ll be discussing 9 social media trends that are hitting the charts with rising numbers.
- Monetising social media
No one can deny the massive growth of social media and eCommerce in the last decade and it’s gaining momentum. Though social media originated to connect individuals and groups around the globe, it is considered to have great potential as a platform for selling products and services. To reap the best, what’s required is a little cooperation between the two. In other words, brands from different industries need to gear up to make social media shoppable by incorporating financial calls to action in the content made available to users.
- Easy-to-digest content
No one spares time for content that’s hard to understand; viewers only want to see something which is easily and quickly digestible. Long and complex messages are more likely to be ignored by the audience, which is why your most crucial messages are sometimes unheard. Try to simplify your content to an extent that viewers are able to get at its heart as quickly as possible.
- Content curation
With more internet connectivity and thus more users, there’s too much of information or data which needs to be filtered. According to the same research as referred above, overall, 56% of internet users do at least one of the creating or curating activities and 32% of internet users do both creating and curating activities. Marketers need to realize that users should be provided with what they actually want to see, and not just random stuff.
- Mobility for more connectivity
While the world has gone mobile with the ubiquity of cellphones, especially smartphones; it is high time for marketers to understand the need to develop and spruce social media apps that are mobile friendly. With a global mobile penetration of 93%, and fully 40% of cell phone owners using a social networking site on their phone, the need of geo-targeted and real time content becomes an indispensable need.
- More focus on human experience
In future, the push will be on user experience as businesses are considering to offer more value to the audience. Social media platforms such as Google and Facebook are already making continuous efforts to enhance their platforms. Marketers need to focus more on human engagement, relevancy of the content and value offered by it to users.
- More privacy
Users today are concerned about their online privacy more than ever. With social media channels tracking and recording cyber footprints of users, it is likely that social platforms guaranteeing solid privacy of user data will start dominating the market. For instance, the new ad free social media channel, Ello, which claims that it will never capture or sell user data, is likely to gain more popularity. Moreover, chat services, such as Snapchat, where messages are self disappearing, will grab the limelight.
- Vloggers will gear up
Video blogging or vlogging, the thriving social media tactic, is a great opportunity for the brands around the globe to beautifully craft and convey their message and thus better reach out customers. Increasing usership on vlogging platforms including Snapchat, Vine, InstaVid is a proof that videos on social media are getting popular. To use it for your business, learn more here.
- ROI social media
When it comes to measurement of ROI in social media, it still seems to be a daunting tasks for many marketers. However, the evolution of analytics tools like Urchin Traffic Monitor or UTM for Google Analytics are already in the talks and have simplified the way ROI was determined. Even Twitter and Pinterest have also modified the access to audience insights.
- Higher budgets
Social media will have more share in the marketing budgets. As per stats determined by eMarketer, 89% of the companies in US will use social platforms for advertising their businesses. Interestingly, upto 13.2% of marketing budgets will be designed for social endeavors in the coming time.
The future…
Since social media marketing trends are taking curves every now and then, it is important for the social media marketing managers to stay abreast with the latest tactics so as to pace up with the cut throat competition out there. To keep up and pivot – attend social media conferences, get recommendations from experts, read more and subscribe to different channels. Have a successful year ahead!
What do you think of the above mentioned predictions? Which trends according to you have gained momentum in 2015? Share your views with us by leaving a comment or simply tweet @ProofHub. We’d love to hear from you!
Kanika Sharma works as a writer at ProofHub. For the past 2 years, she has been writing for various technology blogs. Being an engineering graduate, her background allows her to connect with cutting edge technologies and relate them with real world scenarios. When she is not writing, she can be found in the abode of Himalayas, as exploring nature excites her the most. Her future plans include joining a writing community, a vacation in Paris and riding a white horse. Follow Kanika on Twitter to know more about her.
Thanks for amazing tips!