The upcoming launch of the Apple Watch has prompted many technology and accessories companies to get in on the wearables game, which means retailers need to get a head-start on how to navigate the new social world.

As of 2013 there were 40 companies developing and selling smartwatches compared to 89 at the end of 2014, with a total of 6.8 million wearables sold, according to studies from Smartwatch Group. The impending release of the Apple Watch means that Apple watches will become more of a staple in consumers? everyday lives and brands will have another channel to connect with them.

?The major change driven by smartphones that brands and retailers are still adjusting to is the way people consume content on their phones,? said Jeremy Hull, director of bought media at iProspect, Dallas, TX. ?People are more often looking for quick bites of information, and if brands aren?t prepared to deliver specific answers to a searcher?s questions they?ll wind up going elsewhere.

?Smartwatches and other wearables will only increase this challenge,? he said. ?In preparation for the increased adoption of wearables, brands should be asking themselves what information and services users are looking to find from them, and ensure that information is readily available in a snackable format that?s directly tied to the user?s question.

?For example, if I?m looking for your store hours on my phone or watch, I don?t want to have to click through page after page of your site on a tiny screen ?I want you to understand what I?m asking for and provide it for me. All too often these types of queries aren?t met with an answer, but rather a generic branding message or one that?s trying to capture an immediate online sale.?

Many social networks are already gearing up to become apart of the smartwatch movement. Google is further integrating Android into wearables, Twitter will be able to update in real-time on wearables and Facebook will be developing further features as well. 

Three-second glance
Smartwatches' growth in popularity is causing attention spans for mobile content to decrease down to a three- second glance, meaning that advertisers and brands will have to further develop social media content in an even simpler and faster format. It also means greater personalization. 

?Smartwatches and other wearables will be woven into the complete mobile life of a user, which presents an opportunity for brands and retailers to consider how their apps, whether smartphone or wearable, can interact and form an all-around enhanced experience that capitalizes on explicit user preferences and implies needs based on behaviors, past and present location, proximity, and other contextual cues,? said Bill Schneider, director of product marketing at Urban Airship, Portland, OR. 

?Smartwatches certainly add a new dimension to a brand's mobile engagement strategy,? he said. ?Because the watch is so personal and immediate, it challenges businesses to make sure the notifications they provide are relevant to the user, right now. 

?This takes a focused effort and ideally an optimized approach to mobile versus a one-size-fits-all tack with marketing that tends to lead to less personalization and more frustration amongst consumers.?

?Wearables will change the game for advertisers as the real estate on these devices is even smaller, and thereby more valuable than the phone screen,? said Karen Pattani-Hason, director of agency relations at Urban Airship, New York. ?Advertisers must consider carefully how best to serve and delight consumers on these intimate devices.?

It is not enough for brands and retailers to repurpose social content for smartphones. Images, videos and general content must be redesigned for the smaller, more personal smartwatch screen. 

Adapting to wearables
Many companies are already integrating with smartwatches. 

Hyundai attempted to enhance the driving experience even more for its customers by launching its Blue Link application for smartwatches to allow drivers to remote lock, unlock and unstart their vehicles, suggesting that more car manufacturers will begin rolling out similar capabilities for smartwatches (see more).

One of the big opportunities for brands on smartwatches is likely to be notifications, but the killer app that can drive mass adoption is yet to be built (see more).

?Smartwatches and similar wearable devices will function as alert systems, rather that content consumption devices for the near future,? said Evan Westenberger, content manager at global marketing agency Metia, Seattle. ?In the long run, Facebook?s purchase of Oculus Rift indicates that social content will move into virtual environments. 

?When technologies like HaloLens and Oculus Rift go mainstream, social marketing will be totally disrupted,? he said.

Final Take
Brielle Jaekel is editorial assistant on Mobile Marketer and Mobile Commerce Daily, New York