7 Key Trends Captured & Review On Social Media World 2014 Conference - #smmw14

I thought it would be beneficial to share my experience from the "Social Media World 2014" conference that I recently attended in San Diego. The conference was a real eye-opener for two reasons: 1.) It validated much of my strategy as it relates to storytelling, content/blog, Social media platform focus and overall audience acquisition, and 2.) Tremendous insight into what trends we can expect to see in 2014 now that we're a few months into the year already. Here is a detailed breakdown on the trends I captured from the event. Michael Stelzner, founder/CEO of Social Media Examiner and Social Media World laid it out for us!

1. #Social Media is no longer an "exposure" opportunity, it's driving real #traffic to websites and in some cases has surpassed #search engine traffic (albeit niche categories).
   
2. Creating #visual assets is a huge focus. No surprise, but the growth we've seen with visual platforms like #Instagram, #Pinterest and #Tumblr will continue to accelerate throughout the year. Carry over the visuals to other platforms like #Facebook, #Twitter, etc. - not just the obvious ones.
   
3. #Blogging (I drooled during the entire event whenever blogging was discussed) was a strong focus at the event with an entire track dedicated to the topic. Needless to say, it will be a HUGE focus in 2014. In fact, it's so important that 58% of marketers are planning to make it the most important tactic, more than #YouTube, Twitter and Facebook activity combined!
4. #Google+ tops marketers new list of focus. It's the second largest social network in the U.S. (based on total subscriber size) and the activity is growing constantly. One thing to differentiate G+ is the fact that, unlike Facebook and Twitter, #Google doesn't need to monetize their social platform. They've even gone on record that they have no plans to integrate #ads or force #brands to pay for audience reach. Facebook recently changed their algorithm so that only 1-2% of subscribers see your post organically (without "paying to play"), this will almost certainly make Google+ more desirable for marketers. 
   
5. #Podcasting - Yes, I said podcasting! It was a topic that came up frequently and their is certainly opportunity for many brands in this arena. Fun fact, 61% of marketers are doing it today and #Apple has recently signed deals with many car manufacturers to have their technology installed in the next 12-24 months. The device would allow #iPhone user's the ability to connect directly to a device installed in the car. I would be very worried if I worked in the traditional radio vertical. Stay tuned for more on this later in the year.
6. Facebook Ads dominate social - 90% of marketers use Facebook Ads regularly. 
   
7. Social #ROI continues to remain a mystery for many brands. Until we can  define and attribute revenues directly to engagement, share of voice and/or influence, the conundrum remains.

Overall, the conference was productive, good use of my time, insightful and full of great connections to network with. If you're in social media I would recommend attending next year. Even though this year was the second year for the conference, it was pulled together nicely for such a new venue! The audience was made up of big and little brands, agencies and heavy hitters in social media like @kimgarst @nichole-kelly @jaybaer @rrohrs and many others!

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