1. Native advertising will skyrocket.
As brands look for options in the wake of Facebook trimming organic reach, sponsored content will become the norm. Channels will develop more sophisticated offerings to entice brands to advertise. Brands will embrace influencers and bloggers as another way to reach consumers with ads disguised as anecdotes.
2. Brands will more eagerly experiment with new social platforms.
The threshold for entry has changed: Brands would rather be first in a new venue than choose venues based on scale of audience. We’ll start hearing about new platforms when brands tap them, and new platforms may live or die based on whether they can get brands to use them. Get ready to read about innovative campaigns on platforms that almost no one has heard of.
3. Brands will tell more intricate stories – and seek new formats to tell an ongoing story.
Editorial calendars will start to read like storyboards. Instead of planning content based on the upcoming season, holidays and events, marketers will create yearlong serial campaigns to tell a cohesive story. And they will supplement it with mini real time initiatives to keep content fresh and consumers engaged.
Looking forward to the maturation of social media, or afraid of the challenges it may present? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
Jaime Hoerbelt is social media director at Tenthwave, a 2013 PROMO Top Shop. She can be reached at [email protected].
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