Today, social media consists of ever-growing platforms. This growth is uncontainable and if brands and business owners do not evolve and grow with these platforms – they are ultimately setting themselves up for failure. Today, Facebook has just over two million advertising partners and everyday this number will continue to rise.
Putting aside the well explored trends of 2016 – there are a few trends Businesses need to be on the lookout for in 2017.
Live Video Streaming
With social media platforms such as SnapChat, Instagram and Facebook now allowing users to broadcast live video at any time of day, using even the simplest of devices it is evident that in years to come we are to see brands follow suit.
Expiring Content
What this has done is bring a sense of urgency into a world of permanence and slow movement. Platforms such as SnapChat now force visitors to be alert at all times as they no longer have as much time to view content – they have precisely 24hrs before it’s all gone. Instagram has also jumped onto the bandwagon, introducing their version of this technology and calling it “Instagram Stories”. At this point we are just waiting to see who is going to follow next.
It’s Getting Harder To Drive Organic Traffic
A few years ago, businesses were able to drive traffic to their websites and social media pages by merely growing their number of followers and increasing their likes. Recent studies have shown that on average an estimated 6% of people who like your page will come in contact with your brand on Facebook. So it is clear that if businesses plan on getting the most of social media advertising, they are going to have to be willing to pay for it.
Crowning your Social Media Influencer
A social media influencer is an individual online who endorses a brand on various platforms in order to reach the same or a different market, they give a brand credibility & trust. They could even personify your brand, giving it more personality and human qualities. Increasing, brands are using influencers more and more because they realise that people respond more and resonate better with someone than any given product, especially if it’s someone they admire.
The rise of AI and the Robot
Social media allows each and every one of us the opportunity to be a photographer, videographer, copywriter and even publishers of content. Controlling and monitoring the content that users upload online is no longer being carried out by people, but by robots and algorithms that have been designed to look out for particular behaviour and content. In coming years, it is evident that these technologies are going to be doing a lot more than just removing offensive imagery and language.