Read this blog here: http://www.o2-v2.com/en/blog/7-social-media-marketing-resolutions-you-need-to-make-for-2015 As 2014 has ended it's time to think of making our New Year's Resolutions! For some it may be to finally make use of that gym membership that's been gathering dust, and for others it could be to clear out those old clothes you've been meaning to get rid of. However here at Oxygen 2.0 we're making social media strategy resolutions, and I'm going to share 7 that you should be considering this year too. The start of a new year can be daunting for marketers as there is so much to do ahead of us. Don't feel worried though. With a little bit of early planning this January, you can stand yourself in good stead for the rest the year, and be quite sure of taking advantage of some or all of the key social media marketing trends in 2015! Get started on writing an amazing business blog in English which can attract more overseas leads and sales by downloading our FREE E-Book here: http://www.o2-v2.com/better-business-blogging-for-chinese-companies-masterclass-ebook Follow us on Pinterest here: http://www.pinterest.com/Oxygen_2Point0/ See more blogs on social media marketing, blogging, and business in China here: http://www.o2-v2.com/en/blog

1. o2-v2.com http://www.o2-v2.com/en/blog/7-social-media-marketing-resolutions-you-need-to-make-for-2015
7 Social Media Marketing Resolutions You Need To Make For 2015
As 2014 has ended it's time to think of making our New Year's Resolutions! For some it may be to finally make use of
that gym membership that's been gathering dust, and for others it could be to clear out those old clothes you've been
meaning to get rid of. However here at Oxygen 2.0 we're making social media strategy resolutions, and I'm going to
share 7 that you should be considering this year too...
Social Media Marketing Trends In 2015 That You Need To Follow

2. The start of a new year can be daunting for marketers as there is so much to do ahead of us. Don't feel worried
though. With a little bit of early planning this January, you can stand yourself in good stead for the rest the year, and
be quite sure of taking advantage of some or all of the key social media marketing trends in 2015!
Everyone's business has different goals, but here are Oxygen 2.0's suggested social media new year's resolutions for
you. Take a look at them and start thinking about how your business could make use of them to help and attract new
customers:
1. Harness The Power Of Video Marketing
As we see a move away from cold, salesy content, to more personable and human content, video will understandably

3. play an important role. Humans love to see and hear other humans, and so video is a great content type as everyone
can relate to the people on the other side of the lens.
In the past where we may have written a blog, created a PDF, or taken some pictures to show how a product or
service, for example, worked, it's now possible to show this in real-time in video. The beauty of video is that you don't
need to be the next Patrick Swayze to make them. Your video could be:
A screencast (live recording of what is happening on your PC) of your service or product
The unboxing of a new item
A slide show which you speak over and explain (which can be made in MS Powerpoint)
A 'V log,' like a blog, but where you talk through the topic at hand
Later all of these videos could be used on your website, or shared socially, as resources that can help your customers
learn more about your products and services.
On all of these videos, with the exception of the V log, you don't even need to to speak! You could either add subtitles
or record a voice-over later. It's not inaccessible either, as now anyone with a PC or smartphone, and a YouTube
account can make and edit videos with ease, and for free!
As you get more serious about making your own videos however, you might like to invest in some better software and
equipment, such as:
A real HD video camera
An external mic
Video editing software, such as 'Camtasia'
Given that it is FREE to use YouTube, and that YouTube is the world's second largest search engine after its parent
Google, there's really no excuse not to make video as we head into 2015!
Although there are other places that you could post videos, YouTube really is the 'King!' Its statistics speak for
themselves:
"Google Inc's YouTube said 1 billion unique users were now visiting the video-sharing website every
month, or nearly one out of every two people on the Internet."
(Tweet This Stat)
With half of all internet users on YouTube, ignoring video any longer is not a great idea!
One last point worth mentioning if Facebook is a key element of your social media strategy is that now Facebook is
giving more credence to 'native' videos, and allows them to auto-play in people's feeds (making them more eye-
catching). So when posting your videos you may wish to upload them into YouTube, and post them individually to
Facebook too, rather than merely sharing the YouTube video's link.
2. Get Into Podcasting

4. Podcasts have never been away, but until the recent rise of smartphones they were not particularly mainstream. Now
many people love to listen to them at work, while commuting, or just for fun. This potentially large audience means
that they're most certainly a legitimate social media marketing channel for you to take advantage of in 2015!
The figures of podcast listeners in the USA alone put podcasting's importance into perspective:
"The percentage of Americans who have ever watched or listened to a podcast is 45%, up from 43%
one year ago. This equates to approximately 70 million Americans 12+." (Tweet This Stat)
Those are vast numbers of people who actively enjoy podcasts, and that's just in America!
But the interest in podcasting is only one reason to create them, and the fact that they're so simple and cheap to
create is also an important reason.
To create a podcast all you need is:
A decent quality mic (here's mine)
Audacity (FREE recording software)
A computer
Something to talk about
You could either host the podcast on your site, or use a 3rd party podcast site (such as Soundcloud) which is usually
FREE to begin with. Once you're uploaded, make sure that you share your podcast on iTunes, and then you're going
to be in front of a really large audience!
As mentioned with video marketing, in 2015 people are wishing to see the more human side of your business. This
means more people, more voices, and more 'real' content, rather than just cold words on a white background.
If you have something to say, and your social media strategy should be getting the message about your products or

5. services out there, then you can create a podcast. For example, if in 2014 you wrote 20 excellent blogs which you
consider to be very useful and 'evergreen content,' why not record a podcast version of each where you (and perhaps
a colleague) discuss the topics covered, and link back to the blog? This will add a new dimension to the topic, and
introduce your great content to a whole new audience who prefer listening to reading.
3. Make Visuals An Important Part Of Your Strategy
Cold hard sales are out, and so in 2015 we're going to make the resolution to leave our readers and followers with a
warm, fuzzy feeling inside!
One of the ways to do so is to be creating high quality visual content for your business, as well as traditional written
content. In a world where there is far too much 'noise' on the internet, the best way to get your content, brand, or
business noticed is by standing out.
"40% of people will respond better to visual information than plain text. (Source: Zabisco)" (Tweet This
Stat)
This means you're going to need to create:
Bold, bright images
Infographics
Attractive cover images for social media channels
Shareable images for social campaigns
Many people are put off creating their own images as they feel that they don't have the necessary skills and / or
budget to do it.

6. You don't need to be a designer, and it's free!
Recently I wrote a 2 part blog on image creation for social media marketers. Read them here and you'll be ready to
start making your own great visuals in 2015:
4. Learn To Live With Paid Promotion Of Content On Facebook
Ever heard the saying, "There's no such thing as a free lunch?" Until recently marketers were dining out for free in
terms of organic reach using some of the large social networks, most notably Facebook.
Facebook stated that from January 2015 they will:
"Begin curtailing the reach of brands' unpaid, or organic, posts that the social network's algorithms
consider 'overly promotional.'
The change will not apply to all of a brands' posts, just the less creative ones that fit certain criteria,
like pushing people to buy a product, install an app or enter a contest or sweepstakes. Also under fire:
posts that are just repurposed ads." (Source: AdAge)
Only Facebook can decide if a post is 'overly promotional,' but you can bet that this will affect an awful lot of your
marketing output going to the site.
So what can you do?
If you're serious about marketing online in 2015, and want your content to be seen, then you're going to need to 'pay-

7. to-play.' This means using a budget to promote certain posts that you want users to see.
In the past they would have seen them organically, and now they don't. The past is the past, the future is paid. I
suggest starting with a small budget for FB ads, say $25 per month, and testing it by promoting some of your key
posts. Although $25 may sound low, you can reach possibly thousands of your potential customers or current
followers with this. So if targeted correctly, Facebook will allow you to reach a lot of people. Keep a close eye on the
results, and gauge the ROI. If you have success, then you can apply for a larger ad budget and build on what you
have learnt.
5. Make Use Of Instant Messaging Apps
The last couple of years has seen instant messaging apps explode in popularity! We can choose between Whatsapp,
Wechat, Viber, Skype, and Facebook's messenger (amongst others).
Whatsapp in particular has 600 Million + users globally, and allows both voice and text messages to be sent.
Although not an advertising platform per se, these instant messaging apps can be used to promote your content and
spread the word, and since you know that people are using them it seems sensible in 2015 to have a strategy in place
to utilise them! Since they're now such a recognised way of communicating, having all but killed off SMS in areas with
3G mobile connectivity, it also gives you a potential avenue where you can connect with, and offer customer support
too, your customers or interested parties.
You can:
Offer your instant messaging account details to customers, giving them a convenient way to contact you
Send out a mass message 'mailshot'
Upload new albums and images to accompany a product launch (for example, Wechat offers this function)
While you may not have the same sales success as from other avenues, the huge scale in which these messaging
apps are now being used by people from everywhere on Earth means that you should try to harness them in 2015! By

8. having a presence there you're future-proofing your business!
6. Inbound & Content Instead Of Selling
Just being online and having your services or products and prices on your site isn't enough.
Telling people about exciting new launches isn't enough.
Advertising special offers and sales isn't enough.
Everyone loves something for free, and you should be consistently giving away free content that attracts, helps, and
informs your possible ideal customers. By having a cohesive content marketing strategy where you consistently
create useful, interesting, and attractive content in different forms for your audience (many of whom you hope could
become customers), you'll perform better in 2015. This is because any readers will know you better, trust you more,

9. and feel grateful that you have been helping them for free up to now. If you then offer to sell them something which
continues to solve their problems, then you have primed the pump and they should be a hotter lead.
Creating varied content:
Helps you stand out in your field
Gets people's attention
Increases your company's reputation socially and on search engines
Provides lasting benefits such as traffic and SEO
Positions you as a thought leader in your field
Once you're creating content you should share it where you think your customers will be likely to read it , and then let it
do its job of attracting and helping them.
If you have a website, you should also:
Write a regular blog
Create videos
Produce a podcast
Design infographics
Devise PPT presentations
I know that this may sound daunting, but you don't need to create all of these types of content immediately, however
you should plan to try to produce them sometime during 2015.
I would suggest starting with a blog, and going from there. As many of the other content types can be published within
your blog's format anyway.
7. Getting In On Pinterest
Since 2015 is going to see visual images and story telling continue to grow in importance, it makes total sense to be

10. on Pinterest if you're not already; especially since it's used by 70 Million people and rising!
Pinterest is a FREE bookmarking site, where users can pin anything they like in boards (folders) that they set up,
saving them for later, and having their details at hand should they ever wish to see them again.
Since it is in a beautiful picture tile format the emphasis is on visuals, but you knew that as it's one of our earlier
resolutions! Now that you're on Pinterest, you should set up specific boards for your products or services, blogs,
videos, and also boards where you share industry-related content that your followers will like.
Promoting your own content there, especially if the pins you're making are attractive and fun, is also really good for
SEO, as each pin should have a description with hashtags, your content's link, and any relevant keywords.
Here's a quick video which introduces Pinterest in simple terms:
It's such a simple site to use, it's a free source of traffic from a very popular site, and you can also learn how to
increase your Pinterest followers quickly here.
Your Turn...
Depending on the size of your budget and team, you can probably do all of the above tasks throughout the year.
If I had one piece of advice though, it would be to start a business blog if you haven't already, as this platform gives
the option to:
Share free, valuable, and attractive information
Promote new products or services
Can display embedded video or podcasts
Can be shared in any social media channels
Will benefit your site's SEO and get it found more often in searches
If blogging is interesting but new to you, why not download my FREE E-Book about setting up a business blog here.
Which of these social media resolutions will you be following as we head into 2015? Please let me know your
thoughts by leaving a comment below...
There is always a lot to think about when marketing online, but don't worry, help is at hand! Click below and we'll give
you a FREE inbound marketing consultation where we'll examine your goals, and explain how we can help your
marketing and sales to be on track in 2015:

11. Posted by Adrian Leighton on Fri 02 Jan, 2015
Adrian has been in China for 7 years! He is experienced in all things social media, blogging, and SEO.
When not working he enjoys weight-training, reading, watching TV shows with his wife, and baking!
Find me on:
LinkedIn
Topics: Social Media • Inbound Marketing