Now that we’ve rung in the New Year, everyone wants to know what 2015 has in store. Since even more brands have been jumping on the social media bandwagon this past year, the business presence is bound to create a whole new set of changes to accommodate for the growth this year. With all of the social media trend predictions being shared, I’ve compiled my top four most prominent predictions.
NICHE OUTLETS: Out with the old and in with the new. Many people are forecasting alternative social media outlets to emerge more aggressively on the scene and rapidly gain an audience. Although there were many mentioned, Ello was the one that kept popping up. Currently, Ello is invite-only but is slated to be the next big thing in social media. This seems somewhat similar to the elite feel of how social media powerhouses, Facebook and Pinterest, started. What sets it apart from Facebook and many other social media platforms is that it’s completely ad-free with a promise to keep all user information private. So in essence, it’s ironically promoted as more of an “anti-Facebook” but with many of the features that Facebook provides. It will be interesting to see how the “anti-Facebook” boom pans out for 2015.
BRAND AND JOB GROWTH: Social media marketing will continue to get more of the praise and recognition it deserves in the marketing field. As more and more target audiences are connecting to social networks, it is essential to content marketing. With a way to directly connect with consumers, social media improves brand loyalty, recognition and allows more opportunities to gain new customers. The social media job scene is going to blow up, as well. Numerous new jobs will surface or gain credibility such as SEO specialist, social media strategist and social media copywriter. I bet five years ago, no one expected social media to stimulate job growth and positions!
DIRECT BUYING: Like the temptation isn’t already difficult enough, now shopping is going to be made easier through social media with direct buying. It’s so simple to use that it only takes one or two clicks to finalize the purchase and you don’t even have to leave the page you are on. While this may suck my pockets dry, this is gold for businesses. It not only takes away the issue of guiding consumers to its page but also allows more efficient analytical tracking. Facebook and Twitter are among two platforms that have tested the “buy” button out and with positive results, is now going forward. I, for one, am excited to see how this feature will roll out.
EVENT TWEETING: The football teams won’t be the only one’s revving up for competition on Super Bowl Sunday. With the wildly successful Oreo tweets after the lights went out during the New Orleans Super Bowl, the stakes keep rising. No longer are the televised commercials the only outlet with anticipated buzz surrounding it. We won’t see this trend end after the 4th quarter, however, because social media will play a vast role in all major events moving forward. So, ante up, because this year brands are going all in!
Source: Huffington Post
