Technology is moving at breakneck speeds, and it’s changed the way businesses market their services. And because social media is an effective marketing tool, it’s important to anticipate how it’s evolving so that we can take advantage of this powerful technology.
In a recent Entrepreneur.com article, social media blogger Rick Mulready shares “5 Social Media Predictions for 2014.” Here we pass on three we believe can impact your business for the better in the New Year:
1. A shift toward visual storytelling through short-form video. Twitter’s Vine app and Instagram’s 15-second videos have become extremely prevalent and demonstrate the popularity of short videos that share a story. Mulready expects this to become an effective marketing tool if businesses use them right.
2. Businesses will embrace the ‘fandom.’ I recently attended a ComiCon where I witnessed just how far fans will go to celebrate the movies, comic books, television series, and video games they love. The same holds true for your die-hard fans; they can be the most effective marketing tool. As Mulready explains, “Connecting with and giving these fans the tools to help them spread the word about your business will go a long way.”
3. Google + will continue to grow in size and importance. I remember the day I became frustrated enough with Facebook to open a Google + account in hopes of making a permanent move in social media platforms. I was disappointed to discover that not many of my friends had made the same move. That seems to be changing. Mulready says that “Google + now has 300 million active users.” While that’s dwarfed by Facebook’s 1.2 billion active users, it’s taking the lead of Twitter’s 232 million active users. So as Google improves its services, it promises to become only more popular in 2014 which will bode well for your marketing plan.
While some small-business owners would rather use old-school methods for marketing their services, that’s not the most effective approach. In this day and age of high-tech professionals, it only makes sense that you connect with them using the social media they frequent with the tools they find most appealing. Take the time to create a social media plan for your business that will enable you to increase your prospective client base in 2014.
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Resource
Mulready, Rick. “5 Social Media Predictions for 2014.” 16 December 2013 Entrepreneur.com
