Top 4 social media trends for 2014

art of social media for business, and we are currently helping talented, local young people with their careers.  It’s been non-stop but really enjoyable. While we have a spare few minutes we thought we would share what we think will be big in social media over the next 12 months. The rise of Google+ We were there at the beginning, eagerly awaiting our invitation so we can test the next big thing in social media…………….unfortunately, it wasn’t as good as we thought. However, we stuck with it through thick and thin, watched Google make changes to the social network and now it’s great.  If your business isn’t on there you need to get it done sooner rather than later.  Be ahead of the game and your competition. Your business NEEDS a Google + business page as it can have a positive influence on your search rankings and with useful extras such as hangouts and communities there is no excuse for not having one. If you want a great way to drive traffic to your website and to improve your ranking; Google+ is where you need to be.  2014 will be the year everyone gets on board, don’t get left behind. Take a look at our blog on the benefits of having a Google+ page by clicking HERE Customer service and social media According to recent data by Oracle 51% of Facebook users and 81% of Twitter users expect companies to respond to questions within 24 hours. However, this doesn’t happen. Nearly 60% of companies on Twitter do not respond to customer complaints, issues and questions.  In 2014 we expect more companies to use social media as a customer service tool.  We have already written a blog about the importance of this.  You can read that by clicking HERE Video and micro-video YouTube is the daddy of all video sites with Vimeo a decent alternative, but with the rise of video sharing platforms such as Vine and Instagram, this medium is becoming more and more popular.  Admittedly, making a video may need a bit more thought and planning but you don’t need expensive equipment or a big budget to make one.  A decent smart phone can record 1080p videos which you can use. Creating videos that are educational, fun and informative can help you reach your target market which, in turn, will generate more leads.  If you have a video adding it to your YouTube channel will be great but do you know where the best place to share it will be in 2014………..? See the next bit for the answer Blogging In 2014 blogging will become more popular. Google loves fresh and unique content.  Blogging should be a key component in your SEO strategy so make sure you regularly add new blogs to your website.  This year we think blogs will become far more visual.  A blog will not only contain text but there will be pictures and videos too. It is well known that pictures and videos have higher engagement. It keeps the reader’s attention for longer and visitors to your site more engaged.  A recent surveyed showed 89% of people between the ages of 18 and 34 watched online video content once a week and this year it will increase.  We are sure people outside of that age range watch video content regularly too.  We think more visual blogs will take off this year and if you can make them more personal to you and your company your target market will choose you over another company that isn’t making the effort. Takea look at our blog on the benefits of blogging by clicking HERE Well that’s what we think will be big this year.  We may re-read this at the end of 2014 and wonder what the hell were we thinking.  Then again, social media changes so fast and often it is sometimes impossible to predict what will happen.  Lets see what the next 12 months brings.]]>