Our Top 9 Social Media Marketing Trends

March 25, 2014 BG&A Staff
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What’s trending and popular now is not going to be the new, next, or now by the end of the year – so fasten your seat belts and get ready for where our fast and faster paced social media world is heading this year – not in some unforeseen future!   Dig in and tell us what you think:

1.      Pay to Play

The days of free exposure over social media are ending, and the pay-me-now monster has emerged. Almost all major media platforms offer paid advertising, (Snapchat is in the wings) so if you want measurable results – prepare to pay the online piper.

2.      Who’s hot, who’s not – “Web-lebrities” you won’t read about in People Magazine

Grumpy Cat, Kid President and Jenna Marbles have become among the most influential people online.  Do you know them? Are you ready to buy a product or service promoted by these 15-minute-of-fame weblebrities? Well get ready, as companies are hiring them as spokespeople (Can Grumpy Cat be a spokesperson?? Hmmm)
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3.      Show, don’t tell

Visual content has taken on a new life. Platforms like Pinterest, Instagram and Vine are on fire. Got an account there yet?

4.      #hashtag

They’re everywhere, even on your TV. The most popular hashtags are changing everyday but we like: #McConelling, #SFBatKid, #Royalbaby and our favorite, #GoldStandard.

5.      +235 million for Google+

The Google + population has skyrocketed to more than 235 million users making it the second largest social media network in America. Take that, Facebook! The users aren’t anybody – they are young, hip and slightly geeky – just like us J.

6.      Videos rule – more folks go to YouTube for info than any news outlet

Who’d have thunk that the New York Times, or CNN are no longer news sites with the largest audiences. Maybe it’s because YouTube is so darn easy to search. Videos are, no surprise, what’s hot. Did we mention Snapchat?

7.      Mobile is Mainstream

Finally Verizon, AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile may be bigger than Comcast for delivering video and much more. As smartphones multiply, so does mobile content. That’s why Facebook stock surged this year – since they seemed to have found a way to finally play in this space. Literally. This year, mobile internet usage will overtake desktop internet use.  Still wanna buy another PC?

8.      Social TV is the new Second Screen

Tweeting, posting, sharing, tagging and interacting with all your favorite TV shows and with friends during live broadcasts is in!  In fact, Must-See-TV are only the shows that you can’t DVR – it’s the the stuff like like live sports and major series season enders.  When you see your besties talking about their favorite shows in a listical, well then maybe you are in tune with the times.

9.      The lifespan of any Must-Have platform is finite

OK – Mark Zuckerberg is pending billions (with a “B”)  to stay current with his audience. But whatever goes up must come down. What’s trending now can change in heartbeat. Just ask how many cable operators were denying the reality of cord-cutting until oh so recently.  Who’s the next Kodak, Farmville or Xerox – you know — major companies who are yesterday’s news. Well, that’s what keeps it so darn interesting, right?

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