1. Facebook Continues Encroaching on YouTube
Content marketers and small businesses that want to get on board the video juggernaut should spend time this year developing a solid strategy. Publish short videos, which are relatively easy and inexpensive to produce, in regular, episodic increments. Another great way to generate content is to involve customers in video contests, giving them the opportunity to promote your brand and win prizes.
2. No Funeral for Google Plus in 2015
The reports of the death of Google Plus have been greatly exaggerated over the years. Yes, it’s true that Authorship is dead. However, Author Rank is still very real. Google Plus is also the key to a strong showing in Google Local search results, yet many businesses have not yet claimed their listings.
Once a business claims its listing and receives five posted reviews, star ratings appear next to the business name in search results. Though the star system does not affect rankings, it can have a major effect on click-through rates. Consumers view those stars as social proof, and they’re far more likely to visit a business website that has a four-star rating than one with no rating listed at all.
If you have avoided the platform, consider adding Google Plus into your social media strategy—especially if your business has a strong local customer base. Doing so can only benefit the business in terms of SEO and potential lead generation.
3. Focus on Your Social Media Niche
For several years, social media experts have urged content marketers not to overextend themselves on social media. It’s impossible to be on every platform and see positive results from all of them.
As social media platforms proliferate, 2015 will be the year that small businesses finally focus on the platforms that bring them the best results.
Every business is unique, and every customer base has its own unique preferences. If you’ve been trying to make Twitter work for you and you don’t see results, close up shop and shift your efforts to social media platforms that drive site traffic and convert customers. Discover where your customers hang out online and get to know them. For some businesses, this may mean branching out into new platforms or even tackling “older” social platforms like discussion groups.
4. Mobile Domination
As smartphones outpace desktop and laptop computers as the primary device for online access for many people, mobile-optimized websites sites and tools gain prominence. Facebook’s Rooms, for example, is a mobile-only platform and QR Code scanning—performed mainly with mobile devices—is a key component of its functionality.
This will be a year of continuing change in social media, but if you can spot and ride upcoming trends you’ll find that social media is, despite its challenges, an excellent marketing platform for sharing content and connecting with customers.
