2012 has been a year of digital evolution. We’ve seen print magazines restructure to live online only with branded content, the rise of visual marketing, the demand for social media tools to manage and simplify your online presence, and apps to cater to every aspect of your lifestyle. This next year will be more of the same, from localization to websites that rise to the call of “me funding;” in 2013 look for the emergence of new and engaging social media platforms.
Five social media trends for 2013 are:
- The Rise of Local Commerce. This trend began to emerge with check-in services like Foursquare and Gowalla that created spin-offs like CheckPoints and ShopKick. Shop local and share about it.
- Renting Luxury Goods. It’s the no commitment, commitment that is driving this trend. Bag Borrow or Steal was the pioneer business model, but the companies who followed built in social aspects to push momentum.
- Crowdfunding. Raising money for your company, idea, or campaign is simplified. Sites like Indiegogo and KickStarter give you the platform to pitch yourself to the public and rally funding. There’s even the opportunity to raise donations for charity or medical needs with GoFundMe.
- Multichannel Storytelling. It’s never wise to put your eggs all in one basket, and with so many different social media sites that you can utilize effectively in different ways, you’ll see more brands using an integrative approach with them for their social marketing strategies.
- Mobile Convergence. We’ve been predicting for years that mobile will one day be THE way people interact with each other, brands, social platforms, shopping and information seeking. Apps, mobile-friendly websites and lightning fast technology mean that there will be an increase in interaction from mobile devices in 2013 more than ever before.