Major Social Media Marketing Trends in 2015

Major Social Media Marketing Trends in 2015

2015 has brought a fresh energy to the social media marketing forefront. At the tail end of 2014 we saw some new and exciting techniques poking from the surface in the marketplace; however, this year will foster them to full bloom. To rise above the crop, here are some innovative trends you need to jump on board with if you’re planning to create a serious impact on your community of social customers, and develop longevity for your business in 2015 and beyond. First, there’s major shifts happening in video marketing platforms. The ongoing trend that videos are evolving as a marketing tool rather than a social tool is reflected in the following… New breeds of social networks are visually centric. Instagram, Snapchat, Vine, Vimeo and other video based social platforms are growing exponentially. Digital video is most effective for a multi-sensory experience combining, sight, sound, and motion. Videos have the power to invoke inspiration, and move viewers emotionally as they relate the visual content with what they see in their own personal life experiences. This emotional response to the content is what drives people to engage and invest in companies that support their ideal lifestyle and self perception. Social networks are embracing hosted video capabilities and features. Since full integration of Instagram content into Facebook feeds, Facebook edged out YouTube as the top spot to post videos. Though YouTube still dominates in more overall views, in mid 2014, Facebook took the cake for number of videos posted. They announced an increase of “50% from May through July of [last year], and [in] June 2014, there was an average of more than 1 billion video views on Facebook each day.” The key understanding for you as a business owner or marketer, is that you need to invest heavily in your video products to develop your unique brand image and message, to increase awareness, attention, and ultimately, sales. Second, applications are making it possible for consumers to curate the social content they see. This meets the timeless need for consumers to “cut the advertising noise” from their lives. As more marketing and advertising sneaks its way into personal feeds, people are now looking for ways block content that isn’t relevant to them. Great examples are Flipboard and Zite, which are applications that filter the content you receive according to your preferences, by learning and “remembering” the kind of content you engage with over time. The solution to the block? Quality, quality, quality, content. Did we mention quality? Again, people invest their precious time and attention in where they find value, relevance, inspiration, help, or simply good entertainment. Make sure to include these essential elements in content, and you’ll find your way around these new kinds of marketing obstacles. Thirdly, e-commerce and social spheres are overlapping. Currently, most companies use social networks to funnel followers to their website landing page. However, major e-commerce players are now fine tuning calls to action and direct sales through social network sites themselves. Case in point, Twitter and Amazon are now in cahoots allowing Twitter user profiles and Amazon shopping cart accounts to be seamlessly stitched together with the intention of making Amazon purchases possible directly from tweets, rather than navigating users away from their feed. Look for opportunities where your business can best capitalize on these kind of social commerce collaborations, and you’ll see profits swell. Want to learn more about how to make these social market trends take you business to the next level in 2015? Leave us a comment, tweet us @SocialSpiceRack, or connect with us on your favorite social site– We’d love to hear about your expectations over the new year, and how we can help at Social Spice Media.