openEach year without fail, small business owners across the country take time out of their busy schedules to reflect on the year gone by so they can find the right direction in which to take their marketing strategies forward in the new new year. It’s wise for businesses to analyze what marketing efforts worked and what didn’t because after all, it is “bad business” to continue pouring money into a marketing channel that doesn’t produce a nice revenue flow.

If you’re a small business owner who is wondering what you can do differently to increase your bottom line in terms of marketing your products or services, here are three predictions that you can count on happening in 2015. By arming yourself with this information, you’ll be better prepared to decide what changes if any, need to be made to your marketing campaign.

Content Marketing will Be More Important Than Ever in 2015

As 2015 marches on, small business owners will increasingly realize that they cannot succeed without great content. Too many small business owners out there today are ignoring the power of content marketing. What these people don’t realize is that developing interesting content for a small business website and then using social media to enable that content to reach the potential customer base is massively important in today’s world. Without a doubt, content marketing for small businesses works and it works very well. It’s easy to find scores of examples online that show how creating and sharing great content has helped all types of small businesses grow. In many cases, the business owners were delightfully surprised to find their profits doubled and even tripled by simply creating and sharing content about the things they sell and are proud to show off.

One of the best ways for a small business owner who’s struggling to get enough interest to sustain business growth is to create great content and then share it on their business website and blog and across the appropriate social media channels.

The Use of Videos and Visuals Will Rise

In today’s high tech world, small businesses don’t have to pay for pricey TV commercial time in order to make use of visual media. There are many free options out there like YouTube and Instagram that small businesses can use to reach customers. Consumers tend to buy more from small businesses that incorporate videos and visuals into their marketing campaigns. Additionally, using videos and visuals demonstrate that a small business is interested in getting personal with its customers which is something consumers appreciate and care about.

It doesn’t have to cost much to have visual content created as there are many freelance experts offering these types of creation services as well as numerous DIY guides to access online. When you use visual content to market your goods or services, you’re able to promote your business without spamming your audience. Instead, those interested in what you have to offer can make their own decisions without feeling pressured by you.

Social Media Will Continue to Propel Consumer Spending

In 2014 we watched as both Facebook and Twitter began testing new features that make it simple for users to purchase products and services with just a few clicks. Both of these social media networks introduced “buy” buttons which show alongside status updates and tweets to offer users the opportunity to make purchases without having to go outside the network. This year, we can expect Facebook and Twitter to drive consumer spending in a big way. Small businesses that take advantage of this new opportunity to sell products and services will inevitably see an increase in sales as consumers truly appreciate simplicity when making purchases online.