Likeable Local: 5 predictions for social media in 2014

In 2014, the momentum of WeChat has surpassed that of Weibo. Even Twitter's listing in the United States did not help Sina Weibo to improve. However, one thing is certain: social media has been eroding consumers' time, and social media will continue to emerge in an endless stream. We don't know what the next hot spot after WeChat will be, but we believe it is already in the making.

Dave Kerpen, CEO of the American startup Likeable Local, published his predictions for American social media in 2014 on INC. Since China's entrepreneurship and development on the Internet are largely learning from the United States, we are sharing this article here as well.

1. Pay to Play

Facebook has changed its newsfeed algorithm in a way that will hit regular traffic. Twitter has gone public, so it must boost revenue. Google+ has introduced advertising. LinkedIn has promoted its upgraded version. It's getting harder and harder to get consumers' attention on social media. In 2014, we'll see increased pressure on companies of all sizes to pay for sponsorships to get more exposure for their posts. This is most difficult for small businesses, who obviously have fewer resources to do marketing than big brands. This means you have to be prepared to not only create good content on social media, but also may need to pay social networks to promote that content.

2. The rise of Twitter

Over the past three years, it has been Facebook’s world in the US as far as social media is concerned. Sure, many other important platforms have emerged, but with over 1.2 billion users, Facebook is the largest internet platform since Google. Twitter has seen tremendous growth over the past few years, evolving from a product used by marketers, media, and celebrities to a platform used by everyday people. With Twitter’s IPO and initial stock performance, it’s possible that 2014 will be the year Twitter continues to go truly mainstream and become the next billion-user platform. This means that if you and your business don’t already have a strong presence on Twitter, you can’t wait any longer.

3. News Feeds Do Deliver News

LinkedIn, through its reach, impact platform and algorithm, already has a great news product. You can get your industry news and insights through the news feed. Facebook came in and changed its Edge Rank algorithm to benefit traditional publishers. In 2014, we will see Twitter and Google+ do the same, and the news feed is a growth trend for us, in addition to updates from our friends and family. If you are a publisher, this is great, but if not, it means you have to think like a publisher, no matter what business you are in.

4. Erasable Media

Everyone wants to buy Snapchat, and eventually, more and more adults will start to actually use it. As sharing continues to grow, which Mark Zacks correctly predicted, privacy will become a growing concern. What Mark didn't correctly predict is that 2014 will see a significant increase in disappearing, erasable media. In addition to Snapchat, you'll see existing social networks begin to offer media that lasts even shorter than the usual feeds we get. This means you have to be prepared for the results of your hard work on content marketing to completely disappear.

5. Content is everywhere

Individuals are not the only ones who are increasingly creating and sharing content on social networks. Now, businesses of all shapes and sizes are following this trend. Two years ago, CEOs might have said, I don’t have to use social media because of what I do. Now even in manufacturing, B2B, and a variety of industries, leaders have realized that social media and content marketing are table stakes.

If you think social media is too noisy, you’ll see more content than ever before in 2014. This means you and your business need to create better, more interesting and more valuable content to get noticed and to truly benefit from social media.

What predictions do you have for the Chinese market regarding social media in 2014?