Advancements in technology have led to the development of numerous smartphones, which conveniently allow users to surf the web and check in on social media wherever they may be. People want to interact with friends, acquaintances and businesses online, and this is best achieved through social media. Social media platforms continue to evolve year after year with an ever growing amount of users. In 2012, we saw social media become a more important component of search engine optimization, resulting in more business interaction with followers on social media platforms, such as Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.

Now that 2013 has begun, what can we expect from social media? The following are some predictions:

• Social media will now be essential to the success of small businesses. While large brands jumped on board immediately, small businesses weren’t as quick in adopting social media as part of their marketing strategy. When social media started to become popular, many small business owners ignored it. As the years have passed, however, small businesses slowly began to take interest in the platforms, learning what each was about and how they could connect with their customers online. In 2013, small businesses will truly see the value that social media brings to their organizations and most will fully embrace it, making it an important component of their marketing mix. Having a strong presence online will be essential for success this year.

• The use of images will continue to grow. In order to increase engagement with customers, businesses should be using images and videos as these are viewed and shared much more than the average text posts. People crave content from businesses that includes creative visuals to tell an interesting story.

• The importance of social signals will continue to grow in importance as they are now more heavily weighted in Google’s algorithm. Clout and authority points are given to sites that have high numbers of likes or shares on social media platforms. It is predicted that Google and Twitter may consider integration, returning the real-time Twitter results to Google search.

• Content marketing, already huge in 2012, will become an even more essential business tactic in 2013. Customers seek information that is interesting and valuable. When a business provides such information, a strong bond is formed, establishing a feeling of trustworthiness and credibility toward the business. Valuable content from a business’ blog, social media networks or email newsletters can then be shared, linked or forwarded to friends. Engaging with customers through content marketing will be the best way for businesses to create relationships with current and potential customers while also increasing the effectiveness of their search engine optimization strategy.

This year, social media is a tool that all businesses should include as part of their overall search engine optimization strategy. Due to the importance of social signals in search, businesses have to produce interesting content that users will want to view and also share with their followers. At Fasturtle, our team of online marketing professionals can work with you to develop a personalized search engine optimization strategy that will help you to expand your online presence and create lasting relationships with your target market. Contact Fasturtle online or call (888) 468-8785 to learn more our search engine optimization strategies and how they can help your business.