Looking Back At Social Media So Far In 2013

For those who run some form of online business, social media is probably a significant part of your overall marketing strategy. Understanding the current trends for social media 2013 can go a long way towards embracing those that work and avoiding those that are tanking.

With social media news 2013 that is ever-changing, understanding which type of trends are working well can help you plan for the rest of the year and into 2014 as well. What follows are just a few of the many different trends social media 2013 online businesses are either engaging or avoiding.

Marketing with Images and Video

There is little doubt that video and visual marketing continues its never-ceasing rise as it has been for the past few years. The effective use of visual graphics, particularly “infographics”, images and videos continue to have a significant effect on the marketplace. One of the fastest growing sites is Pinterest which is built around images and posting photos.

The current trend towards visual marketing includes more use of Instagram and Vine which presents short, 6-second videos that can be used to preview items or simply grab customer interest in a short bursts.

Mobile Marketing

No surprise really that mobile devices are gathering up a larger share of the internet market. This is because more people are using their smartphones and tablets to surf the web almost exclusively. For online businesses, this means that having mobile websites and apps is a must in order to reach the growing number of customers available. This is particularly true with younger 18 to 35 years olds who use their mobile devices most often.

LinkedIn on the Rise

Of the many different social media platforms, LinkedIn seems to have gained the most over the past year. This is due in large part to how LinkedIn embraces new technology and advances in the internet. One exciting addition is “Contacts”, a new addition that has business social networking buzzing about how this has blown the doors off of traditional online business methods. If anything, the embracement of new technology will certainly keep LinkedIn at the forefront of social media marketing.

The 55 and Older Crowd

Although the social media is still dominated by those between the ages of 12 to 34, the biggest growing group of social media newcomers is those aged 55+. This particular group is getting more involved and savvier with social media than ever before. This is mostly due to the familiarity with the larger, traditional social media websites such as Twitter and Facebook.

The Continued Rise of Podcasts

Probably because virtually anyone can create a podcast, they have become far more pervasive in the social media environment. Podcasts are excellent ways to convey more information in an entertaining format. While their grown has slowed over the past couple of years, the number of those interested in forming their own podcasts has increased dramatically, meaning that this market has yet to peak.

These social media 2013 trends are expected to continue for the foreseeable future, meaning that businesses who can adjust quickly can take advantage of these trends and reap the rewards.

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