Social media is the space to watch in the coming years as this is where marketers, their brands and their audience engage and connect. Social media users have generated some very interesting trends that are rapidly redefining the way businesses and their audiences interact. No one thought social gaming such as Farmville and Mafia Wars on Facebook would become so widely addictive, turning the creator of the games, Zygna into a multi-million dollar company just because they caught the attention of the social media users and held it.

The mobile phone has also been a major influence on social media because of its interactivity and web connectivity. Here are five major social media trends to keep track of.

Social mobile

The smart phone, with its high speed internet connectivity has changed lives globally, revolutionising the way we interact. It allows users to carry their social media profiles in their hands wherever they go. Many businesses have an app to engage users who connect with them. Since major social media networks are now embedded at the menu level in these smartphones, texting could well become obsolete in a few years.

Social search

No one can argue about the secrecy and complexity behind Google’s search algorithms. But what everyone knows is the importance placed by Google search on social sharing data. This is also integrated into Google Analytics and now, with the introduction of Google Plus and its +1 button, things are only going to get hotter. The more people vote for content and share it socially, the better it will rank in the search engines. Social search is here to stay as it indicates human assessment, and therefore, worthy of trust. Social networks are given more importance in the search results and this is endorsed by the frequency at which YouTube videos, Facebook pages and LinkedIn profiles appear in the search results.

Location based social media marketing

Location based social media marketing is perhaps one of the best things to happen for local businesses. With the popularity of sites like Foursquare and Google Places, users find it easy to check in and find special deals in the area they live in, using their smartphone.

Social ecommerce

E-commerce is not new and most businesses have an online presence, with some percentage of their sales generated online. But over the last few years, users have acquired the facility to use apps to take their stores to their favorite social media network without leaving the site to shop for their favorite brands. This has become possible because businesses can now create a Facebook page that integrates e-commerce.

Social gaming

The park or field is not the only place where people play games. It is possible to enjoy your favorite games via social media networks with rich multimedia. These games are interesting and easy to use. Gaming companies that are smart enough to develop games that grab the attention of the users are emerging as billion dollar companies.

The power of social media is slowly removing all geographical barriers eliminating restrictions related to the place, time and logistics. Do you notice any other significant social media trends? Please share in the comments section.