This New Year, technology and social media will make us feel more important and taken care of than ever before. Synced data and cloud computing paired with social media usage and execution will have a big role in helping move along our lives in a smooth efficient manner where we’ll barely even notice. Key themes trending in 2015 revolve around overall connectivity between business-to-consumer, people-to-people, machine-to-machine and people-to-machine.
Trend #1: Anyone in the business of doing business will do it via social media.
It’s no secret that the rapid emergence of mobile technology has given way to the significant amount of time we consumers spend on social media. In some ways, people have become so mobile they have detached themselves from their tangible surroundings – however, the desire to connect with something or someone has actually transitioned itself into a virtual, social media form. We use Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat and Instagram to maintain our relationships whether it’s with people or subconsciously with our favorite brands. For 2015, businesses will pour more money into paid social media advertising to reach their target demographics and build loyal consumers out of each and every one of us. Marketers will leverage the behavioral metrics, analytics and data that technology has made possible to track in order to strategically engage potential customers. Social media outlets have already begun structuring their advertising programs to push paid ads to the top of the feeds and limit the amount of organic promotional posts so even companies who don’t want to participate in the changing advertising atmophere will find it necessary for their business to stay afloat.
In addition to the upward trend in social advertising, social commerce will start to be implemented as well. Social commerce refers to shopping directly from a social media network as opposed to going to a retailer’s separate website. The purchasing process in ‘15 will become streamlined, consisting of online users clicking the “Buy” button for a featured shirt in a promoted social media post. Social media is really the ideal environment for retail and the future of the business – people on it are already engaged and it’s a breeding ground for impulse buys by consumers who are highly in tune with what’s trending.
Trend #2: Increased integration of visuals becomes a standard for engagement.
As humans we innately crave visual stimulation – thank goodness technology is the enabler that feeds our need. With high-definition retina displays featuring the crispest images, social media-hosted video and mobile virtual reality included in the 2015 itinerary, how could we expect any less? According to Forrester in 2014, the visual-based social media platform, Instagram, saw four times more engagement than Facebook and Twitter.The statistic proves social media users, regular consumers and advertisers alike, have figured out just how effective it is to tell stories through video and pictures. Social media outlets are currently the best way to inform others of what is relevant and happening in your realm because they let you capture and share a moment or thought, visually. Affordable devices that house these social media platforms are extremely prevalent in the 2015 market, which will allow a mass amount of people to participate and feel connected to each other.
Trend #3: The Internet of Things is coming into fruition.
It’s all about connections this year meaning we’ll rely on our everyday appliances to have some sort of network connectivity. This concept of all devices being linked to the internet and to each other, known as the “Internet of Things (IoT),” is becoming a reality due to the advancements of WiFi-enabled devices, synced data technology, as well as improved accessibility to the internet in terms of both costs and locational range of available networks. With all the tools in place, “smart life” can ultimately take place. Samsung has been a pioneer in leading this revolution with its introduction of a smart home last year that comprised of high-efficiency smart appliances like washing machines, refrigerators and entertainment systems, all of which could be managed and controlled with one device through an integrated platform and server. Tech trends of 2015 will keep up this momentum with a flood of smart wearables and everything WiFi and social-media equipped, taking further steps towards being completely connected in every aspect.
This 2015 is set for obligatory social media consumption, visual implementation for engagement and synchronization through the Internet of Things. As a result, our world will finally be uninterrupted by the interruption of advanced technologies and strategic social media integration to achieve true connectivity whenever and wherever we go.
