This year has been an exciting one for the social media marketing world because many trend predictions for 2013 came true and helped evolve today’s digital marketing industry.
Here are five predictions that eventually became the top social media shopping trends for 2013:

1. Real-time marketing was predicted to fade out campaigns that target wider audiences, and this was proven true by Snapchat and Instagram’s dominance over other marketing tools. Now, campaigns can penetrate audiences more easily if they are delivered through a one-to-one channel.
2. Social network integration was forecasted to become a norm, and in 2013, it did. Content no longer stays within one social media site; what you say on Twitter can be viewed on Faceboook. This same integration is being applied to marketing activities done in these sites. Social media marketers now create universal content that is appropriate to the interface and standards of each social network where they disseminate promotions.
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   Mobile optimization of social networks is another prediction that turned into a major trend. Tablets emerged as the most preferred device for e-commerce transactions, while smartphones drew in the most traffic to online stores, and handheld devices in general proved to be effective online shopping tools.

4. Crowdsourcing (content contribution from the online community) was increasingly done through social networks, and this came out to be an effective social media marketing tactic. Marketers leveraged the talent of their following by using sent-in content, especially viral ones, to build interest in the brand.
5. Visualization of content made promotions in 2013 more effective. As images are easier to digest, marketing experts relied not just on written content but also on infographics, photos, and videos to engage with their audience. This is why image-reliant sites like Instagram and Pinterest dictate shopping behavior and encourage spending better.

These trends can continue shaping social media marketing in 2014, so you better hold on to them while you watch out for coming predictions that might also evolve into major trends next year.