Updated 20-Sep-2023
Looking back, the Social Media for 2013 post was a bit lukewarm. So, this time let's cut to the bone. Yes, there are trends, and yes there will be surprises. Let's focus on a few things that will help us get things done in 2014.
Rise of Chat
Not only Line and Whatsapp, and the pathetic Facebook chat app, but many more and strange chat offerings. Not to mention Twitter's acquisition of Vine (which is currently allowing for username profile reservations) which is basically video chat.
The Demise of the Blog
Blogging is dead, long live blogging. There are an enormous amount of new publishing tools that aim to recreate the blog, along with the unquestioned dominance of WordPress. And yes, there are interesting places for blogging such as Medium. So blogging is dead, sure. But let's be clear, blogging platforms are less relevant. We still haven't worked out what this really means, but we are suggesting deepening engagement on those places with great traction, and not trying to be everywhere, all the time. It just is not worth the cost. Everyone has a best niche, and then there are the massive places for blogging (social network in general). What I am trying to say is that the social value of Blogspot and WordPress.com is relatively poorly distributed, and Tumblr only works for some kinds of users and brands.
The Rise and Reprise of Newsreaders
Flipboard and other ilk are important for a subset of users, so it is important that one's website look presentable and is can be subscribed to via such apps. However, email subscription options are still quite important, and the newsletter should take place among the new posts on the website.
Consolidation and Less is More
2014 is the year that, while there should always be experiments, augers the less is more concept with social media engagement (that is the recommendation). - Facebook - Flickr - Google+ - Instagram - LinkedIn - Twitter - YouTube and for experiments: - Vine That is how things look from the vantage of 01 Jan 2014.
Additional Note
This isn't to say that some niche sites are not great for some niche brands, sites including: - Pinterest - Stumble Upon - Tumblr - Vimeo etc., And of course some other sites are very important, including places like wikipedia. But parsimony can be the handmaiden of effectiveness.