PrairieFoxWeb.com

PrairieFoxWeb.com

1. higher quality images

PrairieFoxWeb.com

In 2013:

Apple launches its iPad air with retina display. Twitter adds photo previews into your feed.

Large images became a popular trend in web design. It's clear that high-quality visual content is on the rise. As our social feeds get more and

more polluted, we're going to need higher quality images to catch our audience's attention.  

PrairieFoxWeb.com

2. More video content

PrairieFoxWeb.com

In 2013:

Twitter launched Vine, and the app was very successful. Not long after, Instagram followed by adding a short video feature of its own. Facebook

also recently rolled out auto-play video advertisements. Video content, especially shorter

videos, will help you engage your customers in 2014. 

PrairieFoxWeb.com

3. Location-based marketing

PrairieFoxWeb.com

In 2013:

Google bough Waze, a location-based mapping service, for $1.3 billion. Macy's begins testing Apple's iBeacon. Twitter is now rolling out a

"nearby" feature. I think we're really going to see a steady rise in location-based marketing in 2014 and in ways that marketers can use it (great news

for local businesses!). 

PrairieFoxWeb.com

4. A return to privacy

PrairieFoxWeb.com

In 2013:

Snapchat's popularity skyrocketed in 2013, particularly among younger social media users. Instagram also recently added a direct message feature, very similar to Snapchat. I think we will likely see this trend continue in 2014 with more one-on-one social media instead of just public

posting.  

PrairieFoxWeb.com

5. Real-time marketing (and newsjacking)

PrairieFoxWeb.com

In 2013:

Oreo's infamous superbowl blackout tweet wowed the social media world. Many brands tried to emulate this success, many of them tactlessly using holidays and other events to promote their products. Hopefully in 2014,

brands will get better at this.  

PrairieFoxWeb.com

6. “pay to play” social

PrairieFoxWeb.com

In 2013:

Facebook pages saw a decline in reach among their fans, encouraging more of them to pay for

advertisements. Other platforms rolled out advertising including Pinterest and Instagram.

Social media has proved itself a viable and effective form of advertising and so the free ride

is nearing an end. Businesses should be prepared to get out their wallets in 2014. 

PrairieFoxWeb.com

Click here to read the full blog post.

Follow me for more content like this:

PrairieFoxWeb.com