Delving further into the topic of last week’s post, we are continuing on the discussion of brand presence through online marketing, particularly through social media.

In the last year, online media managed to achieve some significant high-profile marketing breakthroughs with outstanding results, with the social wildfire experienced in the #IceBucketChallenge, or the #BringBackOurGirlsCampaign. Social media networks reaped great outcomes from these occurrences, such as Facebook reaching 1 million active mobile users in a month, Twitter experiencing 500 million tweets sent each day, and Instagram reaching a staggering number of active users, close to 300 million.

When we analyze the effects of last year on the digital sphere, we see substantial development as the digital world progresses, becoming more structured and complex. Some trends that may define what the future holds for social media marketing have been listed below, so that you can get your business synchronized with the upcoming digital shift in social media marketing trends.

Online Customer Service

The social space is one where more and more consumers are becoming active on a regular basis, and this calls for one-to-one customer care and direct interactions. The ecosystem has become more automated each year, with non-personal interactions between businesses and their customers. 2015 will witness brands becoming increasingly diligent and highly efficient at tipping the social media needle in their favor. Brands can now easily enrich, set apart, and develop their reputation, and consumers will start taking notice if they find their products or services appealing. Customer service will begin to have a whole new meaning with this development.

The Age of Wearable Technology

Only over the past year, people have become more and more interested in wearable tech, and the demand has not been met with proper supply until now. Much can be said about the progress that this industry niche has managed to make in a matter of years, and with the Apple Watch hitting retail stores next week, the trend is expected to gain remarkable momentum. Wearable tech can enhance the extent to which consumers and brands interact, and with the current advances in the medical field and their applications in technology, we can expect that wearable tech on the horizon will effectively build consumer confidence in these minute computing devices.

The Involvement of Paid Media

For 2015, brands will have to budget keeping the involvement of paid media in mind, since the competition has become quite fierce. Brands are competing to create content for their customers, and customers are thirsting for high-quality content. Brands will be using social media extensively this year to attract sales and revenue, and consumers have proven to respond very well when provided with suggested posts containing relevant content.

Talking to Customers, Instead of at Them

Marketers are expected to acknowledge the value of talking to the customers and getting them interested in the brand instead of merely creating content that talks at them. The emphasis will be on telling a story that creates a connection, rather than pushing a message that drives sales forward. Brands will start to show customers that they care, and in turn, add value to their services and products.

Agile Marketing – The Up and Coming Norm

Making quick moves that are based on responses to any real-time data is what the industry is calling Agile Marketing, and marketers will have to adopt this vital new skill to make it in such a competitive market. Brands can draw out spot-on reactions from their audiences through clever advertising and prompt customer service. This can be done by monitoring the prevailing trends minute-by-minute, which helps marketers build a sturdier brand presence and a positive online reputation.