What practices will occupy the social space in 2014? Which digital innovations will create a buzz? Which social networks are on the rise? Like every year, everyone has their own prediction. Here is a medley of what was said on the subject!
Note: This chapter is part of a series of course on Social Media, the summary of which can be found here.
As a reminder, the key figures for social media in 2013, by the Socialnomics agency, customary of the genre:
What awaits us in 2014? Here is a potpourri of everything that is said on the web…
The explosion of ephemeral or short content
Snapchat, a newcomer to the world of social networks in 2013, shook things up and launched the fashion for ephemeral content. And short content, already democratized by Instagram or Vine, will continue its momentum. The challenge will be to deliver the most impactful message while taking as little time as possible.
The arrival of new social networks such as Pheed and Line
The emergence of Google+
Until now, Google+ had two strategies, besides the importance of +1 in SEO:
– The transition in force: via the creation of G+ profiles for all those who had a Google account, the end of anonymity, and the famous “All Google with a single account”. Even if it means irritating YouTube video commentators.
– The emergence of a community of experts, technophiles, coders, journalists on its Google+ network. Via the “authorship” function in particular, Google has attracted opinion leaders, who have more freedom than on Twitter, network more than on Facebook (considered too personal) and on a more user-friendly platform than LinkedIn (too careerist) .
Slowly but surely, Google+ is tending to establish itself as a real social network in its own right, and if Google admitted to having missed the turn of social networks, it has only stepped back to better jump.
Video advertising everywhere
Video advertising has already taken over the Internet. In pre-roll, interstitial, via viral videos integrated into the content… It seems that 2014 will be even more intense, even if it means irritating the user. Beware of overflows! Internet must not become Wat !
The omnipresent mobile
For businesses, mobile is no longer a surplus, it is an obligation. The share of mobile Internet users has exploded, and brands must be accessible easily and quickly on mobile, via a dedicated site or responsive design that is not too cumbersome.
The user experience must be optimized, and information must be transmitted with the tap of a finger.
Brand content ever more present
To exist on the social web, brands have themselves become media that must produce their own content. Brand content and native advertising will therefore continue to move forward in 2014.
Real time as a unit of measurement
No offense to Facebook and its timeline worthy of an extinct volcano, the standard is now real time. Connection to certain social networks (especially via mobile) is sometimes done several times a day, and the user wants new information each time they connect. Brands must therefore be able to offer content based on what is currently happening, in the hour. The example of success of the famous Oreo tweet during the superbowl final is speaking.
Innovation through live performance
With major sporting events to come, some channels are planning some innovations for live broadcasts. Phil Fearnley of the BBC, for example, wants to reinvent live, by offering multiplexes on the Internet which would allow Internet users to move from one event to another easily. Streaming, live blogging and social TV (TF1 in pole position) are all practices that will continue to explode in 2014.
The image, still one of the most impactful formats
If text must not disappear, images are the simplest format for communicating, and which can produce the greatest benefits. It does not require great resources, and it allows you to send a simple, concise and shareable message. The advent of animated GIFs should also be taken into consideration.
Learn to measure your presence
If until now, everyone was groping at the level of incremental innovation, 2014 should start to standardize things. The party is over: we will have to be accountable, by measuring the real impact of social campaigns, by rationalizing the brand's presence on social networks, and by estimating the ROI. In order to refine campaigns and make them more effective and less costly.
Improving Internet Comments
With the end of anonymity, particularly on Google+, and the emphasis on the most quality comments, discussion on the web should improve. The hunt for trolls and haters will involve a homogenization of discussion spaces (Disqus), an online reputation based on badges or points, and little by little the end of anonymity (even if Disqus is against it).
Niche social networks
Niche social networks allow Internet users to join a community based on their profession or center of interest in order to share with it. Advertising on such networks is very interesting for advertisers since it is of course much more targeted. It will therefore be necessary to monitor niche networks.
Snapchat: the arrival of stories
Photos or videos viewable 24 hours by all of its contacts, which allows brands to work on their speaking engagements.
And to go deeper, here is Vanksen's excellent study on the subject :
Bringr’s incomparable study:
JDN's opinion, the focus on mobile social networks to follow in 2014 by Le Bilan, And Talkwalker infographic which emphasizes internal organization 2.0.
Chapter 8: Textbook case, bad buzz and crisis communication with the Dior / John Galliano case »
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