As we approach the half-way point for 2014 I wanted to take a look at what key trends are shaping the current social media space. The infographic below from Media Mosiac looks specifically at seven social media trends that are impacting the digital marketing industry this year. The following seven items are areas that marketers should focus on to maximize conversions:

1. Social Listening
2. Social Advertising
3. Data-Based Marketing
4. Pictures Will Become a Better Marketing Tool
5. Social Media Integration With Business
6. Social Data Will Guide the Future of Relationship Intelligence
7. Online Meets Offline for Customer Engagement

This infographic explains how each trend will effect both marketers and users. For example, the growing trend of social advertising will give brands a cost effective and clutter free way to engage with their customers, while at the same time users will see both user posts and sponsored posts on social media sites (i.e. Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn). The important thing to remember when exploring each of these trends is that they are all connected, not one trend alone will shape the future of social media marketing. For example, marketers will need to listen closely to what their customers are saying about their brand online in order to create the most relevant social ads that use images to capture the attention of and that provide value to the users in the hopes of building a strong relationship.

(Source: Media Mosaic.)