Retailers and Social Media Trends
The rapid rise of social media platforms that primarily use pictures and illustrations as forms of advertisement reveals that web-based consumers continue to prefer the trend of image-based advertisements and posts over text-based announcements. Because media insiders expect this phenomenon to persist, retailers are turning more towards imagery in order to engage consumers and accumulate an established, on-line client base.
Facebook marketing trends, for example, reflect an intuitive awareness of the persistent popularity of image-oriented advertisements with the establishment of larger photographs representing services or products. In addition, Facebook has incorporated access to real-time data analyses as well as timeline features that promote comprehensive marketing strategies. Alternately, Twitter marketing trends also reveal acknowledgment of advertising trends involving image-related material with its promotion and facilitation of Instagram, a popular photo-sharing service.
Although media trends have proven unreliable and unpredictable at times (last year’s explosion in the growth of Pinterest, for example, was totally unexpected by market experts), emerging trends can be tracked with some certainty and applied to a business’s current marketing needs. All forms of social media use are expected to continue growing and expanding dramatically. Moreover, by significantly influencing emerging trends that shape social media advertising techniques, the need for more technologically advanced models conducive to online consumer involvement will be in demand as well.
Mobile Marketing Trends
In its statement to the Securities and Exchange Commission last year, Facebook executives asserted their belief that mobile usage of its platform would exceed the number of users accessing Facebook on a personal computer. In addition, the statement included the prediction that PC usage may even continue declining in specific markets. In fact, media commentators have speculated that 2015 may be the year that mobile online activity rates defeat rates of PC activity, which means that retailers should consider concentrating on social media advertising apps for smartphones instead of personal computers. The widespread use SMS marketing incorporating 4G networks in developed markets will further promote mobile marketing apps.
Why Consumers Like Social Media
Another trend in online media marketing is the tendency for people to turn to social networks because they are frustrated with traditional sales and support methods. Increasingly, the need for brands to create social network groups in order to build reputation, trust and reliability is becoming obvious to businesses and their investors. People like to talk to other people, especially about their experiences with a specific product or services. By actualizing sub-communities of consumers on large social networks, retailers stimulate pre-sales interactions between consumers who find satisfaction in connecting with interested and like-minded consumers.
