In the marketing world, it is always important to know what direction we are going to be heading in the coming months. Being aware of what is new and what we need to be ready for is vital to the success of our business, and thus the success of yours!

Social media has become increasingly popular in the past couple years and it doesn’t seem to be going anywhere. According to Forbes, there are four social media trends we need to be ready for in 2014.

1. Social media will be necessary, not a suggestion.

We’ve mentioned this above but it is worth repeating, social media isn’t going anywhere. Businesses are gradually coming around to the idea that social media needs to be combined with their traditional marketing efforts. We’ve seen referral traffic, lead generation, improved SEO, company branding and brand awareness, increased customer loyalty, and greater audience reach, just to name a few. Social media has become a vital player in current marketing trends.

1. Visual content networks will continue to rise in popularity.

In 2013, we have seen the trend toward sharing visual content over text-based content (just look at the heightened love of infographics, images, and videos). Pinterest has the reputation of being dominated by girls, but the love of images and the concept has crept its way into other sites. The ability to share photos from and to brands is going to continue to be a benefit for marketing.

1. Micro-videos will become something worth… making a video about!

This whole concept of taking the time to type 140 characters is just becoming harder; creating a minute long video even more so! Vine and Instagram have thankfully come to the rescue, providing the opportunity to produce three to 15 second videos. This allows users to interact in a very powerful way with brands as well.

1. LinkedIn will help B2B.

It is the number one networking site for professionals. It continues to grow as the largest source for content creation for professionals. This kind of growth will provide an even larger opportunity for B2B marketing and those interested in that business.

Facebook and Twitter are staying steady, if not growing. Facebook is probably the oldest social networking site that is still vibrant and alive. LinkedIn is doing some amazing things on the professional side of the coin. Things will be interesting in 2014 and we’re ready to walk down these new and exciting paths with the latest marketing trends. Want someone to come alongside you in 2014? Contact us today and find out how we can be a helping hand.