The face of social media is changing again! New trends are emerging for 2014 and being the nice person I am, I am going to pass my findings on to you! Don’t thank me all at once.
Social Media Trends 2014
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Research has shown that there is an increase in the number of people heading to social networks when sourcing information. Thinking back just 10 years ago, the most common way for someone to discover a news story would be through a newspaper or by watching the TV. Now most people are finding out about news stories via some form of social media – I know I am! Once, my facebook page was full of generic status updates, but recently it has become like an online newspaper with many people sharing news stories for others to see. Marketers take note!
With news stories becoming more popular on social sites, many businesses are beginning to post industry related news in order to grab their followers attention with the hope that such posts will go viral (be shared over and over again), and so raising the profile of their business and also helping to build loyalty by being seen as an authoritative source and so readers will begin to feel as though this company knows what they are talking about.
Video killed the radio star!
Videos are also filling up news feeds, particularly Facebook. Research has shown that 68 per cent of people actively share videos with family and friends online after watching them. Again, marketers take note!
In order for videos to go viral, they need to tap into human emotions such as happiness and excitement. No one is going to pass on an average video! In a business sense, when creating your own video it is important to get the balance right between fun and being taken seriously. Remember to be real and don’t forget about showcasing your brand and brand values. For an example, check out Happy’s video showcasing our services in a fun but informative way http://happy-creative.co.uk/index.php/attractions/delightful-digital/animated-showreels/
It’s a two-way street!
Over the last few years, businesses are recognising the need to be social on social networks. Believe it or not but some business are missing the social aspect of social media. Social media experts have termed this trend ‘Social Listening’.
Social listening is providing business the opportunity to interact with customers in a new way in addition to face-to-face, via email or over the phone. To master social listening, you need to go beyond simply waiting for tweets that mention your name and search out conversations and respond strategically without looking like an intruder. For example, I tweeted last week about trying to be healthier without including any brands or hashtags and within a few hours I had 4 health and fitness accounts follow me. (They’ll be disappointed when I tweet about indulging on donuts thanks to Emma!)
Some tips for social listening include:
- Understand the big picture – is the conversation a one off or becoming a mainstream trend?
- Consider the purpose of their post – They may be complaining about you or the industry or singing your praises, think about how best to respond.
- Focus on building relationships – Even in today’s age people are still concerned about privacy. Getting involved for the sake of it is a little creepy!
Invasion of the #Hashtags
Unless you live under a rock, you will have noticed hashtags appearing almost everywhere. They are no longer confined to twitter and have started making appearances on your TV, in both TV and printed adverts, articles and even Facebook are joining the trend.
Before you start putting hashtags in front of every word, make sure you know how to use them. A google search will up lots of help guides. When used properly, hashtags can help you to gain a wider audience, capitalise on trending topics and monitor industry news.
Trendjacking
Trendjacking has increased massively recently. Named by Gary Vaynerchuck, trendjacking involves searching for trending topics, creating content around this topic and releasing it straight away. This strategy is very powerful as it helps to gain a wider audience and get your brand seen by potentially thousands.
Still not entirely sure what trendjacking entails, think back to the birth of Prince George last year, so many twitter accounts were quick to join in both with the long wait on the day of his birth and also with the celebrations once his birth was announced. Similar things will occur with the World Cup this summer.
So here you go, the top social media trends for 2014, you’d be silly not to implement them into your social media strategy.
Rachel Sutton is a Happy Account Executive at Happy Creative, a full service marketing agency based in Blackpool, Lancashire. To learn more or contact us please go to www.happy-creative.co.uk or follow us @happy_creative.
