The dynamic between companies and customers is shifting dramatically as a result of the rise of digital commerce. Thanks to advancements in communication, conventional advertising mediums have been rendered obsolete. The modern consumer is more than just a target of brands’ promotional efforts; they’re also an integral part of the brands’ ongoing dialogue.

The online marketing trends of 2014 are beginning to crystallise. Find out what’s trending in the online business world right now.

Trend to Must Have in a Snap

People who are still lagging behind the digital age should know that social media is no longer an option for them. As a marketing tool, it’s essential. Whether you appreciate it or despise it, you can’t deny its power.

The trend shows no signs of slowing down. This year, a whopping 92%[1] of business owners cited social media’s significance to their company, up from 86% the year before. Traditional forms of advertising are seeing a larger portion of their budgets diverted to social media and inbound marketing.

There is a constant shadow of return on investment over social media marketing, however. Emerging marketing channels still face challenges such as data deluge, analysis, and linking social media efforts to overarching company objectives.

The Rise of Mobile

The percentage of time spent online that comes from mobile devices is rapidly approaching 40%.

[2] With the expansion of computing beyond personal computers, “M-Commerce” is gaining traction. It’s not just a good idea to make sure that marketing plans and channels are mobile-friendly; it’s essential.

It has been said that a picture is worth a thousand words

Pinterest, Snapchat, and Instagram, which focus on visual content, have built up sizable followings despite being much smaller than Facebook. The commercial world is constantly developing new visual methods of communicating with customers. As a matter of fact, between the third and fourth quarters of 2013, Instagram saw the largest increase in active users of any social networking site. And the fact that it’s easy to get hooked on pinning certainly doesn’t hurt.

LinkedIn LinkedIn has matured into a reliable instrument for business-to-business communication and interaction. We’ve seen a 57% increase in use this year compared to last, when we saw a 24% growth. For business-to-business (B2B) marketers, LinkedIn is now the go-to platform.

So, what exactly is the deal with Google+? Anyone you ask will confirm that the platform is a crucial part of the internet at large. Indeed, 61% of businesses intend to increase their use of Google+ this year. [3]

It’s important to remember that outward appearances aren’t always indicative of reality. To be clear, Google has stated that social signals have no impact on their ranking algorithm. When you factor in the recent developments surrounding authorship pictures in SERPs and the unexpected departure of Google+ head Vic Gundotra in the spring, the platform’s value to advertisers is open to serious reconsideration. Especially as a means of establishing one’s own content authority and author rank, it’s a sure bet for the time being, but that could change.

You can still use MySpace today. Seriously, who saw that coming? However, Facebook’s younger sibling still has more than a glimmer of promise. In addition, if millennials keep leaving Facebook en masse, it could give MySpace a much-needed boost.

Micro-Video There are times when less is more. Micro-video sharing sites like Instagram Video and Vine are increasingly popular for spreading succinct, streamlined marketing messages. Micro-video, like image-centric channels, places a premium on originality, but many companies are finding success in promoting brands through this format.

The Power of the Hashtag

The hashtag was conceived in the Twitter wilderness but has since spread throughout the internet via its offspring. The hashtag has evolved into a tool for organising and tracking your content, spreading from Twitter and other social media to TV and casual conversation. Hashtags are a new type of search engine optimization because they produce a clickable link.

Foresight into Social Media Advertising Social media used to be all about making money and getting more leads. The initial pushiness of sales has worn off, and now social media is a fully functional participant in the modern world of data mining and information trading. As this new role continues to develop, social media marketers face a growing crisis: reporting.

Bottlenose and Trendspottr are forerunners of the predictive analytics tools that will shape the future of social media. These tools will allow analysts to stop focusing on the past and start predicting the future based on a combination of statistical analysis, modelling, and data mining.

It’s more difficult than ever to succeed in today’s business world. Marketing can be difficult because of the abundance of advertising venues and the increased consumer expectation that a company will be present on all of them. Do you want to expand your company’s reach and revenue through the use of social media and online marketing? Zen Media is on the cutting edge of the Internet world. We have the imagination and expertise to take your marketing campaign to the next level. Get in touch with us today to find out how we can enhance your company.