Social Media

Shopping, Wearables & Video: 2015 Trends to Watch

February 2, 2015 by The Motherhood

Fun fact: Statista reported there were 1.8 billion users of social media for 2014, and predicted 2.4 billion social media users by 2018. So what trends are on the horizon this year?

Social Commerce

Last year, we saw Twitter and Facebook test out “buy” buttons, and Tumblr introduce “action” buttons to purchase directly on the site, and we expect more networks will follow suit. Additionally, Facebook announced it will allow people to use its Messenger service to send money to friends.

As users of social networks are discovering that they can purchase items on the spot without ever leaving a network’s site, brands are responding and online commerce is changing fast. Social commerce sales of physical goods are projected to grow by 93% per year in the U.S., reaching $14 billion by 2015. Payment methods like Square, PayPal and Apple Pay no doubt are working hard to adapt to this big shift in the marketplace.

Wearables

While 2014 was a big year for wearables, designers will be thinking beyond functionality and more about what consumers will actually wear in 2015. Coming up are 50 wearable game-changers for 2015: Everything from watches to fitness trackers to cameras are taking on a new look – all that are looking more fashionable. Even shoe accessory and jewelry makers are jumping on the bandwagon.

The Video Competition Heats Up

Facebook purchased video compression company QuickFire to give Facebook users a way to upload or download videos directly to the site without compromising quality. The social media site averages more than 1 billion video views every day, and as of November 2014 the number of videos uploaded directly to Facebook overtook YouTube videos on the network for the first time. (We all know that Google owns YouTube.) Read more about the potential hurdles and advantages Facebook faces in this latest endeavor.

Twitter just released a new video offering, as well.

2015 promises exciting developments in social media and we look forward to determining how we can incorporate these new opportunities into our client programs!

What trends have you seen on the rise this year?

Trend Round Up: New Features for Your Everyday Apps

January 28, 2015 by The Motherhood

This has been a week of change for some of our favorite social media platforms. Read on to learn about three big announcements made by social media leaders this week:

1. Twitter released two new features: video and group messages. With Twitter’s new video capability, you can capture, edit and share videos lasting up to 30 seconds directly from the Twitter app (an increase from Vine‘s 6-second limit). With group messages, users can now direct message a group of up to 20 people instead of just one at a time. Additionally, users can exchange messages through the group function whether they are following each other or not.

2. Snapchat introduced Discover. Discover is a section of the app that aggregates stories from major news companies including National Geographic, CNN and People. Artists and publishers compile content that will then be available for users to watch for up to 24 hours.

When Snapchat described the new Discover feature on their blog, they said they don’t post stories based on what’s recent or popular, but instead, they “count on editors and artists, not clicks and shares, to determine what’s important.”

3. Pinterest announced Tuesday that they will now be placing “Promoted Pins” directly in users’ home feeds, making Pinterest ads more visible to users. More than a year ago, Pinterest began testing promoted Pins in search results and category feeds, and a year later they released data from the testing that showed “promoted Pins perform just as well and sometimes better than organic Pins.”

As Pinterest has promised from the beginning, promoted Pins will be tasteful and relevant to users’ interests. If you don’t like a promoted Pin, you can always hide it and can even offer feedback on how the site can improve their ads in the future.

Which of these new features are you most excited to use?

Photo credit: Flickr Creative Commons – William Hook

Flu Season Isn’t Over Yet!

January 26, 2015 by The Motherhood

Have you managed to avoid the flu so far this season? If you thought you were out of the woods, you might not be, since seasonal flu most commonly peaks between December and February and can last as late as May.

In partnership with The Motherhood, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is working with a team of bloggers to share some important tips – including these “Take 3” actions – to protect yourself and loved ones from the flu this season:

Get vaccinated; it isn’t too late! Did you know that even if you’ve gotten the flu this season, you can still benefit from getting vaccinated? As of early November 2014, fewer than half of Americans had reported getting a flu vaccine. While this year’s vaccine may not work as well against the drifted H3N2 viruses, it can still protect many people and prevent flu-related complications – especially for those considered high-risk (infants, pregnant women, kids and adults with chronic medical conditions like asthma, diabetes or heart disease, and adults aged 65 and older). An annual flu vaccine is the single best way to prevent seasonal flu!
If you have flu-like symptoms, see your doctor for flu antiviral medicines. Antiviral medicines work, but they aren’t being used nearly enough. Early treatment with antivirals – especially for high-risk individuals – could keep you out of the hospital and even save your life.
Take preventative actions to stop the spread of germs. Wash your hands often and avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth. If you’re sick, stay home from school or work. Your peers will thank you!

We’ll be sharing more tips and information during our #FightFlu Twitter chat on Tuesday, January 27 at 12 p.m. ET. Hope to see you there!