Please note:
As this post is out of date, you might like to read our recent post about Social Media trends for 2018.
With 2016 fast approaching what can we expect in social media next year? I’ve put together my top 5 predictions for social media trends that I believe will be at the forefront of social media marketing in 2016.
Top 5 Predictions for 2016 Social Media Trends
1) Live Streaming
Content on social media that contains video is proven to be more engaging. In 2016, new applications like Periscope and Facebook’s new “Live” option will allow brands the opportunity to engage on a new level. So if you’re at a networking event, trade exhibition or delivering a keynote speech, stream it live and give consumers a real insight into your brand. In-the-moment updates as opposed to late- retrospectives will bring a wave of immediacy in social media. And if your content is relevant, your audience will engage with it.
2) Mobile & ecommerce fusion
Twitter, Pinterest, Facebook have all put Buy buttons onto their channels, so we would expect other apps (Instagram, Snapchat, Vine, etc) and new apps focus on making mobile and social commerce seamless. This will make it much easier to buy products directly through social media channels. The plan is to prevent users from ever having to leave the App.
3) Increased In-app functionality
Facebook plans to make its mark in online publishing with ‘Instant Articles’ which will allow publishers to post content without users having to leave the website to read it. Social apps will rush to keep up, as every platform is angling to not only acquire customers, but keep them. Nothing keeps a user on your site longer than having a continuously updated stream of published content. Watch out for Twitter’s Lightning project (puts publication in the hands of its users), as well as Snapchat’s move to more “story” content.
4) Evolution of Influencer Marketing
We know about 25 % of all branded search results is user-generated content. That means a quarter of the content about your brand is not developed by your marketing team. Call them what you like, Influencers, brand advocates, ambassadors, torch bearers (and employees) are all talking about your brand online. Find out who they are and build a relationship. It will pay dividends and is only going to increase in importance.
5) Privacy settings
Facebook is introducing more privacy awareness tools. This is important to do, because as tension continues to rise, only platforms which offer a degree of privacy and security will thrive. This is set to grow in importance in 2016.
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