2011 is fully gone, and 2012 has rolled in without missing a beat. The social media marketing industry keeps growing in leaps and bounds. I often hear people say social networking is similar to the Wild Wild West! So answer this question for me personally. Would it be valuable if you knew the future social media marketing trends for 2012? How wonderful would it be to learn what trends are in store for the coming year? Could Luxury Travel Experiences prepare for this rapidly changing industry? In this post, I provide my 2012 predictions for the evolving trends in the social-networking industry. It’s always gratifying when my predictions become a reality. My predictions are not predicated on any type of special powers. They are predicated on my industry research, what I read and what I see happening every day in my own work. My accuracy rate in the social media industry has been about 97 percent. However, even when I’m wrong it’s only because my timeline ended up being longer than I thought it was going to be. I have a knack for spotting social media marketing trends. And this article lists four powerful trends unfolding right now. You can profit from what I say or ignore me, the choice is yours. Either way these trends will unfold as the year progresses. So read on and heed my advice. Ready your social media campaigns to make the most these trends for 2012 and beyond.
Prediction #1) Social Media Networks and Marketing will continue steadily to grow at an alarming rate.
This past year Facebook grew from around 600 million to 800 million users depending on whose numbers you think. Twitter and LinkedIn also both showed growth and added many new features, (not to mention that they both acquired several new partners and internet assets). Increase this, Google started Google+, and Microsoft is reported to be in the works of building their own social network. The adoption rate of small company will lead just how, but expenditures by large corporations will exceed that of both small and medium-size businesses. My first advice to you is; create and implement “an employee social media use policy” to control business hour usage. Second, develop a social media marketing intend to reach and engage this enormous market. Combining both engagement and pay per click campaigns work best.
Prediction #2) Among the largest players in the social media marketing arena can make a “miss step” in 2012.
I believe that one of the top four Social Media Network companies will make a costly mistake causing them to reduce significant market share. Right now several of the larger social media giants like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn all share one crucial flaw. They try to make it almost impossible to communicate with them. Take Facebook, for example. They do not list any contact information other than a Facebook page. Sure they have plenty of help pages. Yes, Facebook has a blog, plenty of YouTube videos, but provides no phone number where you can call and speak to a human being? They do have a Facebook page you can enter suggestions on, but that’s it. What goes on when you get yourself a strange message from Facebook, or you’re having trouble together with your account? You post a note and never get yourself a reply! Twitter and LinkedIn aren’t much better. They don’t really list a contact contact number or address either. However, I have found that they do reply to your email and posted messages, although it sometimes takes as long as seven days to get a reply.
In my opinion, of the most notable three social media marketing companies, LinkedIn supplies the best service. Google is new in this game. It’s not as easy to lump them in with all of those other social media marketing giants yet. However, I can tell you that Google has a notoriously poor customer support reputation. It’s been my experience with Google that the grade of service you receive depends upon the person you obtain on the phone. The good news is that you can find someone on the telephone! Google does list contact numbers. My advice to any business is easy, be ready to create changes to your social media campaign if need be. Furthermore, if you’re using any of the top four social media services, make a backup of your data. This is just in case you opt to make “the switch” and ditch one of these brilliant players.
Prediction #3) Google+ will become one of the top 3, in the social network arena by the end of 2012.
I know I’m going from a limb here, but I really believe that is inevitable. Google’s share size and current customer base will allow Google+ to cultivate at a much faster pace than other social media marketing sites. The exact amount of Gmail users is not public, but we do know that it is huge! I have read estimates ranging from about 190 million to 250 million accounts. Furthermore, Google owns so many internet properties, that they can easily integrate the use of these properties into their social networking. This adds value with their social network. Add to this, the truth that Google owns Google Search, Google AdWords, YouTube, Blogger and Picasa. Are you currently starting to obtain the picture? Google is gigantic. Google controls the lion’s share of internet traffic and advertising dollars.
Google has also had the opportunity to make a social-networking product that is user friendly, search engine friendly and innovative. These qualities’ have made them the web leader they are today. I’m not sure they can keep this frantic pace forever, but also for 2012, it is a done deal. My advice to you is to review where you are spending your advertising money and see if it makes sense using the Google properties. If you’re an individual, and have been waiting on the sideline with Google+, stop what you’re doing and take the ten minutes to create a Gmail and Google+ account. In the event that you already have a Gmail account, this can only take you about five minutes. The bonus here is you may also set up a Google+ Brand page without a lot of fuss.