2013 was a banner year in social media with 2014 poised to be another winner, as more and more marketers come to understand its potential. With over 90% of marketers planning to maintain or increase their social media ad spend in 2014 as stated in a report by (eMarketer). What can we expect this year?
Mobile
Social media and mobile are a match made in heaven—and will continue to grow exponentially—between all the devices that are readily available, and especially as new technologies are developed to help to facilitate its growth. For instance, one such technology on the forefront, beacon, is one to watch. This hardware is a solution to the problem of blocked cell signals in indoor spaces that make locating devices via GPS nearly impossible. This small device could revolutionize indoor mobile communications, and how retailers interface with customers to enhance their in-store shopping experience. (Business Insider)
Video
Video is hot, hot, hot, and will continue on its upward trajectory in 2014, and the role of social only adds fuel to the fire. Consider that92 percent of mobile video viewers share videos with others. (Digiday) And that there’s a whole generation of Millennials, (13-25 year olds) that consume mostly videos, no broadcast TV. (Mashable) These statistics suggest that it is imperative for marketers to either start producing video, if they haven’t already, (short form videos such as Vine or Instagram, make it easy). If video is already a part of the marketing mix, then making sure it includes an embedded sharing component that will give brand advocates an easy way to share and spread the word.
Social TV
Last year, Oreo scored big with its brilliant, at-the-moment tweet during the power outage at last year’s Super Bowl—garnering them a staggering ten thousand plus retweets in one hour! In 2014, television and social will become even more integrated and interactive as advertisers scramble to access this highly engaged audience. New tools such as SyncNow, from Optimal, would allow marketers to publish targeted Facebook ads almost instantaneously at a TV commercial airing. (Variety)
Additionally, it seems like a natural progression towards the proliferation of partnerships between media companies and advertisers to facilitate integrated Social/TV campaigns.
Personalization
Who doesn’t love feeling special? Social is a perfect vehicle to cater to your best ‘brand advocates’—keeping in mind that 89% of advocates said their friends buy or consider purchasing the products and services they recommend. (Zuberance). Social data can be mined to provide insights, so that you can provide an enhanced personalized experience. (eConsultancy) New social apps, such as RivitApp can be used to help to create loyal relationships through special discounts, rewards and continuity programs will also come into play.
Social Customer Care and Customer Service
As greater number of consumers take to social media to praise or air their grievances on a company’s service or product, it will become even more imperative for companies to have special social care personnel and/or protocols in place for dealing quickly and directly with consumers particularly on responses. A recent statistic from (Social Media Today) indicated 71% of consumers who experience a quick and effective brand response on social media are likely to recommend that brand to others, compared to just 19% of customers who do not receive a response.
Conclusion
Social media will not only continue to have a profound effect on many aspects of sales and marketing, but its potential to directly influence your bottom line will continue to increase as more and more customers and companies become engaged in 2014.
Tweet us your predictions at @withNTENT.
Written by: Donna M. Young, Director of Social Media
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