7 Social Media Trends For 2015
1) Video Content
If you haven’t already noticed, video content has been massive in the late stages of 2014. What you can communicate in a blog post can be communicated much quicker in a short video. Facebook have recognised this trend, and have now introduced auto plays and video views in your timeline. In the latter part of 2014, Facebook surpassed YouTube for the amount of video views on desktop, watch out YouTube, Facebook’s coming for you!
Not only does blogging directly increase your SEO and Google ranking (Google’s algorithm loves fresh, new content being published on your website regularly) but a study by Hubspot, found that 60% of businesses who blog acquire more customers. The growing importance of blogging for your business will continue to grow in 2015, and if your business isn’t blogging regularly, prepare to be left behind.
3) Real Time Social Media Marketing
2014 saw the big brands taking social media marketing to a new level. How did they do this? Real time social media marketing. Responding to the latest news and trends on social media, relevant to their target audience, gave brands great visibility amongst the social media galaxy. However, only the large brands have teams big enough to incorporate real time social media marketing, but expect this to be a tactic incorporated for smaller brands looking to distance themselves from competitors.
Yes they’ve done it again. Facebook are limiting brands visibility when posting on the mass market social network site once again, in an attempt to encourage brands to spend more on Facebook advertising. With nearly a $1 billion increase in their revenue from Q4 2013 to Q4 2014 as a result of previously limiting brand posts impressions, expect to put your hand in our pocket for greater visibility for your posts through Facebook ads.
5) More Marketing Emphasis on Twitter
Twitter have introduced more ads to meet the needs and demands of social media marketers around the world, putting a growing emphasis on marketers devoting more time to their Twitter marketing strategy compared to Facebook. Twitter’s organic timeline and real-time trends give brands far greater visibility when it comes down to being creative and tweeting regularly. With Facebook also limiting brands visibility in their algorithm tailored timeline, we will see more and more brands prioritising an importance on Twitter over Facebook.
Instagram has surpassed Twitter for the amount of daily active users rising to 300 million, with Twitters co-founders response, “I frankly don’t give a shit!” Instagram have also tested sponsored posts within user’s timelines, giving brands even more of a reason to establish a presence on their photo sharing social media platform.
Social listening will be just as important for brands on social media as it is responding to direct customer service enquiries. More importantly through Twitter, brands will have to set up tools that will directly monitor keywords relevant to your brand name where users haven’t directly mentioned you via ‘@’.
#TheFutureOfMarketing
By Chris Kyriacou