Fortune Chinese: Five predictions for social media development trends in 2014

An untested social media company with no revenue gets a dizzying price tag. Against all advice, the cocky, twenty-something CEO refuses to sell. Meanwhile, a competitor suddenly sues out of nowhere, alleging that their idea was stolen.

The similarities between the rapidly rising sexting service Snapchat and the early social media giant Facebook are uncanny. We now know how well Zuckerberg's early bet paid off (not to mention how well he beat the dastardly Winklevoss twins). Could Snapchat have a similarly bright future?

Now, let's take a look at what's in store for social media in 2014. Will Snapchat take off? Will those annoying "Promoted Tweets" keep invading your Twitter feed? Will your boss finally learn how to use Twitter? These five trends are expected to shake up the world of social networking and how we use social media in 2014:

The rise of the disappearing social network

Whether or not you think Snapchat is worth Facebook's $3 billion offer, one thing is clear: There's a lot of room for so-called ephemeral social networks, where content disappears seconds after being received. And, contrary to popular belief, Snapchat isn't just about sexting and X-rated selfies, although it's certainly the best place to do that. As content on mainstream social platforms becomes increasingly commoditized, ephemeral platforms like Snapchat have, in a way, restored the fun and spontaneity that was supposed to be part of social media. Just like real-life interactions -- where ideas flow freely and there's generally no worry that everything will be recorded for posterity and broadcast to the world -- SnapChat offers a channel for authentic, unfiltered communication. And kids really like it. Facebook's own CFO admitted last month that teen use of Facebook is declining. Anecdotally, teens on Snapchat are exploding.

Your boss will learn to use Twitter

You know that old guy who seems to have been at the company forever who still can't use email. In 2014, if you can't keep up with the new social media trend, you're just like that old guy. This year, 13 times as many job ads on Indeed.com mentioned social media skills as last year. "From HR to product development to customer service, the demand for social media-savvy job seekers is increasing dramatically across all departments," Amy Crow, Indeed's director of communications, told Quartz earlier this year. It's not just marketing, sales and customer service that are expected to appear on Twitter and Facebook. Teams as diverse as R&D, logistics and human resources are also increasingly using internal networks such as Yammer to streamline operations. In fact, social media has become such an important part of workplace skills that even major universities are now offering certification programs for socially awkward companies to help them adapt to the ever-changing world of social media.

Social Customer Service Will Kill the Dreaded Phone Tree

Customers’ ability to broadcast their “bad experiences” to the world via Twitter and Facebook has transformed the customer service world. A 2012 Nielsen survey found that more than half of customers now turn to social media for redress; meanwhile, about 81% of users who post questions or complaints on Twitter expect a same-day response. But things got even more interesting this fall: On Sept. 2, British Airways passenger Syed Hassan spent about $1,000 on several “promoted tweets” slamming the airline for losing his luggage. With paid social media promotions now a new weapon for customers, 2014 could be the year that airlines, credit card companies, banks and other repeat offenders begin to offer abysmal customer service. Endless wait times and automated phone trees (“Press 1 for English, 2 for Spanish, 3 if you need to wait all afternoon”) may be consigned to the dustbin of history.

Social network content will appear on Google search results pages

Since their inception, social networks have been effectively walled off from the Internet. For example, Facebook's vast content is not usually displayed in Google search results. But does it have to be this way? Wouldn't it be more convenient if, for example, Twitter search results automatically appeared in a standard Google search display? Or why don't the latest Twitter messages about a particular restaurant appear when you search Yelp? Due to conflicting interests, different social networks often lock their content behind proprietary walls, but there are also a number of tools that aim to creatively bridge this gap. For the record, my company has already developed such a tool.

Get ready to receive Weibo ads from nearby bars

Local social media advertising, the kind that happens to show up in your Twitter and Facebook feeds, exploded in 2013. Love them or hate them, they're only going to get bigger in 2014. As creepy as it sounds, location-specific targeting is expected to improve dramatically in the coming year. Twitter just launched a feature that sends paid messages to specific zip codes. For example, when you walk into a neighborhood, "promoted messages" from local bars, dry cleaners and McDonald's will suddenly appear in your Twitter feed. Facebook has been using this "geofencing" technology since 2011. It allows businesses to reach nearby customers who might actually want to get ads offering special deals and specials. The upside is that you get more relevant ads and promotions. The downside, again, is more ads.