Nine predictions for social media in 2015

THE YEAR 2015 looks like it’s going to see a change in some attitude overall toward social media and might even see an overall shift in paradigm from some marketing outlets. As we move into the New Year, there are a few things we are likely to see from social media, both in terms of the content they provide and how marketers use it to promote their products.
1. More love for YouTube. If there’s one thing that social media has taught us it’s that viral video marketing is one of the most effective ways to reach out to an audience.
2. Interconnectivity will grow exponentially.
Interconnectivity is a key factor in user experience, since social media has now been able to create seamless links between accounts that are hosted separately on tablets, phones and PCs. As the year 2015 progresses, we should see a change in paradigm of user interface with connected devices. Already, a handful of companies (most notably Samsung and Apple) have brought out their wearable prototypes that allow for a projected screen surface that can be used off the skin, like a watch. Such futuristic devices might not take off completely in 2015, but there is a very likely possibility that their presence will boost the research and development into current phone technology.
3. Movement away from traditional social media business policies. When Facebook was incorporated and users began using it, the behind-the-scenes working of the media giant was unknown. Eventually it came out that for offering a free service, Facebook allowed companies that invested certain sums information that would allow them more effective targeted advertising to the people who are most likely to want or need their product. Many have claimed that Facebook’s business practice of marketing users’ information is unethical, but there hasn't been much choice for social media alternatives like Facebook. Until now, that is. A revolutionary new idea in social media termed Ello places itself as the “anti-Facebook” promising a similar user experience with interaction on the same level but without advertising. Ello also promised to never you’re your information to third parties. In 2015, as more and more users become concerned with the commercial aspect of Facebook becoming harder and harder to ignore, it is likely sites such as Ello will see an influx of users that want to enjoy social media but aren’t willing to give up their privacy to do so.
4. Twitter’s business advertising model will rise in popularity. With the fee restructuring that was done recently, Twitter’s business advertising model is likely to be a massive favorite of businesses in 2015, with many established businesses realizing exactly how good their current pricing plan is compared to what they get for it. The new beta features will only serve to make it easier to pore over the data for clicks, retweets and other engagement factors while at the same time offering more flexibility in terms of calculation of clicks and conversions. Twitter is finally beginning to look like a twenty-first century media creature.
5. The fall of Google+. It’s not often that the mighty Google fails to deliver, but in this case it was a case of too much too late. After the success of Facebook, Google decided to capitalize on the use of social media by implementing their own social media networking solution. Google+ was linked seamlessly to all other Google services, including mail, cloud storage and even YouTube. The problem was that people didn’t use it. In order for social media to be usable, there must be enough users willing to utilize it. As it is now, with the decreasing number of users that actually utilize Google+ in practical terms, it may be in the company’s best interests to give it up as a lost cause and focus their efforts elsewhere.
6. LinkedIn will leave competitors behind. If you ask any millennial today about the best place to host their resume to be seen on the Internet, their response will invariably turn to LinkedIn. It has two things that other competing sites lack: Longevity and credibility. Their algorithms are unique in allowing certain employers to see only what they want to see for potential hires, as well as giving job seekers the opportunity to contact employers in the hope that they might be considered for an open position. Because of these things, in 2015 LinkedIn is likely to leave the competitors they have in the dust as they grow even further.
7. Less means more. The nature of social media today has a lot to do with the short attention spans of the people we are most likely dealing with. Keeping it short and sweet goes a much longer way towards creating content that users are able to identify with. Creating a connection in this day and age depends less upon the accuracy of the content than it does about the way it is presented. The increase in the use of image-based marketing strategies allows for a whole different level of utilization for social media sharing outlets.
8. More faces, less companies. Many large companies and quite a few smaller ones have social media outlets and accounts that distribute official information about their products, services and promotions. However, what researchers have found out is that people are more likely to associate with other people as opposed to a nameless, faceless entity that is an official account. In 2015, we are likely to see more CEOs place their faces on their brands or at least move toward establishing a more personal flair for their official pages, most likely by changing their official page account names to a more personal nature.
9. Specialization of social media. In 2015 we are likely to see social media start adopting this type of segmentation in order to focus their advertising better. Key among the sites that will adopt this type of decentralization will be Twitter and Facebook. Eventually the others will follow, or else their advertising will simply stagnate and their growth will fall short of expectation.