Author: Lucy

Adding this increasingly popular network to online and mobile efforts can make a considerable difference.

As Google+ continues its climb up the ranks of social media marketing networks, a growing number of experts in the industry are beginning to call it essential instead of simply appealing as a part of an overall strategy.

The platform currently sits in the second most popular spot, having recently surpassed Twitter.

For social media marketing companies, this represents an important potential shift toward Google+, where it had not previously been seen as vital as a part of a campaign or strategy. The fact that the platform currently boasts over 343 million active users simply cannot be overlooked any longer.

Though older social media marketing strategies may still be holding out, it is only a matter of time.

According to Daily Deal Media junior editor, Megan Bildner, the majority of businesses still think of Google+ as “irreverent” when it comes to social media marketing to consumers. She went on to say that instead of focusing their attentions on the network, they have been looking to other popular options such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, which have been in existence for a longer period of time.

However, Bildner also went on to write that though this could still be working at the moment, the rapid rise of Google+ is changing the social media marketing environment and businesses need to start paying attention to the new reality. Bildner says that there is a powerful reason that Google+ has been able to achieve the rapid successes that it has seen, and that is that their number of active users is rapidly on the rise.

She also pointed out that through that network, “business content ranks higher when posted on Google+, they have a different approach to marketing and Google’s future will change how integrate all the necessary apps in our life.” From a social media marketing and search engine optimization (SEO) standpoint, that represents critically important issues to any business that hopes to succeed online and over mobile.

Social media marketing companies are increasingly making the connection that this network must be a part of their mix, and that failing to do so could potentially leave them falling behind the competition.

Mobile commerce becoming more prolific among consumers

Strategy Analytics, a leading market research firm, has released a new report that sheds light on how consumers are using their mobile devices for mobile commerce. The report, titled “67 percent of Smartphone Owners Use Devices In-Store – Consumer and Retailer Mobile Needs Explored,” suggests that the majority of consumers use their mobile devices for shopping. Mobile commerce has been growing in popularity among consumers for some time, with many considering it more convenient to shop with their mobile devices.

Majority of consumers use their mobile devices to shop

According to the report, approximately 67% of consumers use their mobile device for shopping. For many, this means augmenting an in-store experience using a smartphone or tablet, using their mobile device to find the best deals on products. Mobile payments are also popular among these consumers, especially as companies begin to offer better services in this regard. While mobile devices are often used in-store, the report shows that 61% of consumers use their smartphones and tablets to shop from home.

Retailers investing heavily in mobile commerce

The retail industry has been investing heavily in mobile commerce recently, hoping to capture the interest of tech-savvy consumers. Several companies, such as Tesco and Wal-Mart, have launched applications that make it possible to purchase products with nothing more than a mobile device. Google, as well as other technology companies, have also produced applications that serve as mobile payment platforms. These applications are becoming more prolific, giving a wider range of consumers an opportunity to participate in mobile commerce.

NFC technology may not be the future of mobile payments

The report shows that a great deal of the attention that is centered on mobile commerce revolves around NFC technology. NFC is one of the cornerstones of mobile payments, as it allows mobile devices to transmit financial information over a short distance. Strategy Analytics predicts that NFC technology will eventually fade away due to the lack of support for the technology and the security concerns that many consumers have due to the capabilities of NFC.