2014 Social Media Trends

Over the course of 2013, we have seen incredible changes in the structure of social media, including the re-emergence of MySpace, the addition of video to Instagram and the creation of video (Vine) for Twitter.  The ways in which marketers are connecting via social media is changing hourly now and this pattern will be no different over the next 12 months.  

Many analysts and websites are predicting what the hot social media trends of 2014 will be, however, I think that Social Media Examiner's article entitled "11 Social Media Marketing Predictions to Watch in 2014" encompasses the general consensus on upcoming topics to be aware of this year.

For me, the most interesting component of this list is #2 - Employee Advocacy.  Almost everyone has a presence on at least one social network now.  So, why not use the people who are truly invested in your company as brand advocates?  Many employees already list their companies & job titles on social media networks, thus, it would make perfect sense to have them share your organization's updates & content with their networks.  

Would you consider employee advocacy as a strategic initiative for the upcoming year or would you prefer to only have messages sent our through your company's channels?