10 Predictions for Social Media and Digital in 2014

I know, I know. You probably read that title and thought, "Hell, 2014 is damn near over!" I kind of agree. It's mid-March already. Time is moving too fast. However, the point should be made that so much has happened in the first three months of 2014 in the world of social media which will undoubtedly set trends for the rest of the year. A recent article on my favorite social media platform, LinkedIn, narrowed it down to ten trends. My fave four are:News media will find new ways to monetize online content.This makes me sad as I started out my career in news. I am afraid that it is true, though. Advertising revenue for traditional news organizations has plummeted in recent years as budgets have shifted from print to digital, and news publishers have scrambled to find ways to charge for online content. The article points out that paywalls will soon be a thing of the past (thankfully) as most people are able to access more news than they can handle for free by surfing a handful of sites.Non-techy people will start to become techyThe idea of some people that I know who haven't a clue about tech speaking tech-ease annoys and intrigues me. I am annoyed because I don't want everyone to assume that they are an expert. Even I don't claim to be. I am intrigued because if my boss and co-workers understand the true dynamics beyond a post or tweet, I will have an easier time getting their buy-in when I want to execute new initiatives.Visuals will become a priorityI love gorgeous images. One of my favorite Facebook pages is called "Earth Porn". It features nothing but stunning images from the corners of the globe and very little text. On all social media, visuals are becoming increasingly important. Twitter, thank GOD, has recently introduced photos and videos to your feed, whereas previously you needed to click to display an image. The article states that, "images and video should be viewed as opportunities to create vastly more engaging content which help to differentiate you from your competitors."Personal blogs will become a "thing"Well! Look at that. Apparently, I am years ahead of the curve! The piece points out that from a personal branding perspective, the benefits are immense: you can express your views to an unlimited audience, demonstrate your expertise in one or several areas, and outline your current projects and give people a means to connect with you on a platform that you own. I couldn't agree more. Plus, it's therapeutic!  Now I wonder what 2015 will have to offer....Read the entire list of 2014 trends here.