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Four social networks that will rival Facebook and Twitter in 2015

By Owen Andrew

27 Jan 2015

After years of domination by a few big names, social media is now expected to undergo some significant shifts and changes in the new year. Trends in this landscape come and go quickly, and major networks like Facebook and Twitter can have a difficult time meeting the ever-changing demands of their clients.

The social media sites expected to emerge this year all include a few key elements, not necessarily offered by bigger names:

Minimal design
Payment options
Mobile friendliness
Less data collection

While Facebook and Twitter are making moves towards integrating some of these ideas, they are reactions more than they are innovations. Here are four social media networks that are making the social media titans take notice:

1. Line

Although Line hasn't yet hit it big in the American market, it's likely the most anticipated social network for 2015. It offers free, user-to-user text, phone and video chat, as well as over 10,000 emojis and stickers. Line has already grown enormously in Japan, and in 2015 it's aiming to acquire one billion users worldwide.

This means Line will be targeting high social-networked countries like Canada and the United States. Because Line is easy to use, mobile-oriented and allows for more personalised user messages through it's library of stickers, it definitely has a good chance of becoming a major player in the this year's social media landscape.

scyther5 via 123RF

2. Snapchat

Snapchat is on the rise; its use has skyrocketed to 760 million photos and videos sent daily. There are also many other features that Snapchat has to its advantage over bigger social networks.

It's easy - Snapchat's easy-to-use platform, which allows photos to be viewed for up to ten seconds, allows users to quickly and simply connect to others. This is a significantly different experience from Facebook, where it can take hours to upload and tag photos.

Snapcash - Many social networks are attempting (or at least planning) to create a peer-to-peer payment system within their site. This not only further integrates the site into both users' lives and wallets, but also allows individuals and businesses alike to earn revenue through transaction fees. Popular sites are increasingly including tools for businesses as the internet becomes more viable for commerce. Snapcash is Snapchat's attempt at user-to-user payment, and in this regard, it's a few steps ahead of bigger names trying to jump on this trend.

Marketing - Unlike Line, Snapchat's enormous usership and younger demographic (13-25) makes it a more relevant marketing tool than most other networks. When used in tandem with other social media, some brands have successfully used Snapchat to send followers short, creative advertisements and coupons.

3. Ello

Because its manifesto states that it doesn't collect user data for advertising purposes, Ello is expected to make a big entrance into the 2015 social media scene. While it does collect some user data for its own use, there is an option that allows people to opt out of data collection entirely. Whatever users choose to allow, Ello is ad-free, unlike most other networks.

These data collection policies aren't the only reason Ello is so highly anticipated - it also has the bare-bones, minimalist design expected to be a big trend this upcoming year.

4. Quora

Perhaps the most unique social media site on the list, Quora is a social platform for users to share expertise on a wide variety of topics. A cross between a social network and a wiki, Quora allows users to post short blog posts about their topics and answer any questions others may have.

However, Quora's stated mission "to share and grow the world's knowledge" through social media is realised through a platform that looks and feels very similar to Facebook. It's difficult to say how Quora will fare in 2015, but if it can adapt to mobile use through simplistic design and ease of use, it may be one of the top growing networks this year.

Although Facebook and Twitter have several changes planned for the upcoming year, it's doubtless more difficult for these massive networks to react to public demand as quickly and efficiently as these smaller, streamlined upstarts. Although adapting to mobile-friendly design and use is the most important trend this year, only time will tell which of these networks - if any - will make it big.

Owen Andrew

About Owen Andrew

Owen is a writer and multimedia enthusiast who has spent several years writing for publications both online and in print. He's based in Southern California, and is also versed in social media, mobile platforms and work productivity. On his free time, he enjoys attending EDM concerts, spending time with his children and looks forward to the Comic Con and E3 conventions every year.