These three emerging trends offer beneficial ways to capitalize on (and control) social media’s effectiveness: 

1. See where your friends are. Twitter, Google, Facebook and Apple’s iPhone all provide the capability to let others in your network see where you are at all times (Facebook actually has a “check-in” feature which it plans to upgrade in the near future). This is particularly helpful for salespeople who want to monitor where top prospects are, so they can send a quick message suggesting an impromptu lunch or meeting.
2. Mobile purchases. There are now cell phone apps (the most popular is called “Square”) that facilitate transactions for buyers via mobile phones. Users who register for an account can respond to text offers immediately and pay via their mobile phones, which is a tremendous way for companies to increase impulse buys.
3. The “Like” Button. This is a Facebook-specific trend that companies are already using in droves. Facebook now allows companies to include “Like” buttons on all their landing pages. Every time a visitor clicks “Like” (which will typically appear next to a product) on a landing page, a public update instantly appears on the visitor’s Facebook page, thereby giving every product and service instant viral potential.

Adapted in part from “5 Social Media Trends to Watch Right Now,” by Barb Dybwad.

Tags: Apple, check-in, Facebook, feature, Google, iphone, mobile, social media, square, trends, Twitter