From the radpidly increasing rate of smartphone adoption, to the rise of Instagram addicts, to the thousands who’ve just discovered Tumblr—we can already tell 2013 will be a big year for social and we’re excited!
Here’s what we think lies ahead:
1. Rise of Customer Service on Social
Customer service on social media is bound to be big this year. As one client pointed out (she’s a millennial), “Whenever I have an issue, the first thing I do is check to see if the brand is on Facebook or Twitter. I’d much rather send a tweet or FB inbox in search of resolution rather than wait on the phone for who knows how long or send an email only to get a response from a robot. For these reasons, I’d like our company to step up its social game and help people get the answers they need efficiently and effectively.”
As attention spans are shortening, being where your customers are, when they are looking for assistance, can make all the difference between choosing from Company A and Company B.
2. Content = Less Text. More Visuals.
According to Ekaterina Walter in a Social Media Examiner article, visual marketing is, “a snackable type of content that resonates with people globally and increases engagement within communities no matter where they are located.” So shower the people with snacks! While it does take a different set of skills to provide high-quality visual content, we challenge you to seek out the resources and start 2013 in a visually appealing manner.
3. Collaboration.
Not necessarily crowdfunding, but crowdsourcing. Essentially, “put more heads together to solve problems faster and better than could be done before.” Whether it’s treating a rare disease, or simply helping decide which brand of popcorn to purchase, ask and you’ll likely find an answer online.
4. Better content.
Content Marketing, Content Strategy, Content Planning… call it what you want, but realize that quality content wins. That’s why we’ll be reading better, more meaningful stuff this year. And if you can’t write…
“The idea central to content marketing is that a brand must give something valuable to get something valuable in return. Instead of the commercial, be the show. Instead of the banner ad, be the feature story. The value returned is often that people associate good things with — and return to engage with — the brand” says James O’Brien in a Mashable article.
5. Hyper—
No, it’s not the name we are calling the Kool-Aid ridden kindergartners on the playground. We are refering to hyperlocal, hypermobile, hyper-short attention span… you’ll be seeing plenty of ads this year, but you’ll be amazed by how closely they pertain to you. Jonathan Gardner calls says these hyper digital ads are a, “completely viewable, entirely relevant in-content solution that displays ads where consumers are looking: within text, photos and videos” in this Mashable article.
6. Dependence on Social Media Advertising
As freelance writer Kristi Hines says in a Social Media Examiner article, “When it comes to social media consulting, the most successful consultants in 2013 will be the ones who can not only help their clients grow an engaged audience organically, but also help them craft their paid advertising campaigns on top social networks.” It’s not only easier to advertise on social/mobile, but the current ROI is stellar. This approach rolled into an integrated campaign can put a brand back in the social scene to begin reaping the benefits!
What are you excited about in 2013?
Tweet us @SocialLightUp!
