Is your head spinning yet? Last year was marked with many social media milestones, so what can we expect in 2012? One thing’s for sure, many of us will spend the first few months of 2012 adjusting to the big changes that were made in 2011. As the social landscape continues to grow and evolve, we will have to adapt. Change is never easy, but in the social sphere, it’s is always for the better; providing internet users with new and innovative ways to connect and share information.
Launching mid-way through 2011, Google+ is still in its infancy. Early adopters took to this new social network right away, and with the launch of brand pages toward the end of 2011, many businesses have begun to work Google + into their social marketing campaigns. If you haven’t already started playing around with this new social network, now is the time to jump in. Google + isn’t just changing the face of the social sphere, it’s changing the way Google works entirely.
Although Google + hasn’t quite surpassed its competitors, Facebook and Twitter, it has certainly made its mark on the social scene. Now with over 90 million users, Google + is taking the web by storm and Google is making sure it stays that way. Google search results are now loaded with Google + pages. Users searching within Google can “+1” similar to Facebook’s “Like” content directly from their search results. Google + also features full YouTube integration, allowing users to watch and share videos with people in their “Circles” (a way to group your contacts on Google +).
Additionally, Google just rolled out their new “Search, plus Your World” functionality which shows users search results from the web, along with “personal results” that are pulled from the user’s photos, posts and other content shared among their friends.
To say Google + is a trend to watch would be an understatement. As a business, large or small, having a YouTube channel and a Google + brand page is now a requirement. If you want to stay afloat, keep up with the competition and ensure you’re still ranking highly within Google’s search result, create and start posting content to a Google + brand page for your business. Couple this with a stellar YouTube channel if you haven’t already jumped on that bandwagon and you’ll be sure to please Google’s new search algorithm.
Early adopters have already shared tons of content, both publically and within their Circles, and they’re ranking highly in Google’s search results. Google + is the best way to future-proof your social marketing campaign in 2012. When (not if) Google + really steps up and joins the ranks of the other power players in the social sphere, you will be one step ahead of the game.
This may be the year of Google, but video is also a key player in 2012. This may be a lofty claim, but there’s something to be said about this statistic when it’s coming from the world’s #1 video site and 2nd largest search engine (youtube). Data recently released by comScore Video Metrix stated that 182 million U.S. Internet users watched online video content in December 2011; an average of 23.2 hours per viewer. We’re constantly seeing statistics like YouTube streams 4 billion online videos each day and the numbers just keep getting higher. With information, video content and social networks like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Google + at the fingertips of smartphone users across the globe, it’s no wonder so much video content is being viewed. Be prepared to watch millions of videos in 2012!
By now you’ve certainly heard of Pinterest, but you’re probably asking yourself, “what the heck is it?” Pinterest is a social photo sharing site and smartphone application. Users create their own boards where they “pin” photos from across the web. You can pin just about anything; photos of food with new recipes attached, the latest looks in fashion, beautiful landscapes from places you’d like to travel, home décor and the list goes on. Social media moguls at Mashable have even started pinning with boards like “Tips and Tricks,” “Web Humor” and “Best of CES.”
So why is this a trend to watch? Pinterest may not seem like much of a social network just yet, but their growth in the past 6 months has been astounding! According to Experian Hitwise Data, Pinterest is now one of the top 10 social networking sites, receiving 11 million visits the week ending December 17, 2011; a 4,000 percent increase from just 6 months prior.
Current Pinterest stats reveal that the social site mostly appeals to women, but you’ll find favorite branded accounts like The Today Show, Martha Stewart, West Elm, Travel Channel and more are already pinning and winning. If you’re not already on Pinterest, make it a point to at least check it out. Who knows? Maybe you’ll start pinning today!
Now if that doesn’t get you pumped for 2012, I don’t know what does! Between new social networks like Google + and Pinterest along with the rise of video sharing, 2012 promises to be a big year for social media users and social marketers everywhere.
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