We are nearing to the end of another year, but at the end of this financial year we are looking at some very drastic changes in the field of social media marketing. For instance,in the beginning of 2014 social media marketing will become the necessity in the marketing plan of every enterprise as predicted by many business analysts. Current statistics show that:
*Nearly 94% of all businesses use social media as part of their marketing platform.
*As close to85% of all businesses that have a dedicated social media platform as part of their marketing strategy reported an increase in their market exposure.
*And finally almost 60% of marketers are devoting the equivalent of a full work day to social media marketing development and maintenance.
Now as we ponder over the emerging trends in the current market we will notice the following changes:
*Investment in social media will become imperative.
Companies are specifically hiring social media marketing managers to promote on social media.
The reason for current strategy in media marketing is because of the benefits of social media.
1. Stimulate or kick-start a new business.
2. Brand advertising.
3. Word-of mouth promotion.
4. Targeted Marketing.
5. Reputable social credibility.(customer loyalty and trust)
*Content Marketing will be more prominent.
Companies are establishing and gaining trust of the customers by creating original and valuable content via variety of channels. The quality information content about the industry helps companies to build an affinity with its demographic audience and obtain trust and loyal following to your product. This is a type of inbound marketing technique where we design and present our content to targeted customers. This trend is taking over antiquated marketing techniques like television and radio ads in the current market.
*Digital media-centric content will supersede.
We have seen a shift in the popularity of graphic content over textual content in 2013.Visual content will become a key strategy to grab attention of the customers in the current market. Sites like Stumbleupon, Pinterest, Slidshare and Path are gaining specific hype for their visual and graphic content. Engaging more senses of the user is making product promotion more effective and thats why more focus is being given to this type of strategy.
*Simplicity will be a strategic advantage.
In 2013 we have observed that the active flow of too much information and content is distracting and confusing for the customers. So we will try to focus on something which is aesthetic,simple and immaculate i.e. we will give more importance to simplified customer experience and tone down our business advertising campaign.
*LinkedIn will be proficiently used for B2B business marketing.
LinkedIn is ranked #1 social networking site for professionals with around 238 million users in 2013.Because of its professional platform it can be used as mainstream marketing tool for B2B business. And with the introduction of its Influencers program it is becoming the largest source of quality content for professionals thus creating a new buzz in the field of networking.
*Mobile-Friendly Content Will Be Necessary
Due to the widespread (and quickly growing) use of smartphones and tablets, it's necessary for companies to create content that's accessible to mobile users. According to new statistics "87% of connected devices sales by 2017 will be tablets and smartphones." Whether it's creating an alternate mobile version of a website or utilising responsive web design, it's important to provide a positive experience to users that are browsing via a mobile device.
Conclusion
Thats it guys! These are the emerging trends that will completely change the game of Social Media Marketing in 2014.And it would wise if we try to swim in the same direction of the changing trend.