5 Social Media Trends to Look for in 2018

Dec 29, 2017 | Social Media, Tips and Tricks

5-Social-Media-Trends-to-Look-for-in-2018

As we step into 2018, there should be no surprise that social media and digital marketing as a whole is on the rise. We live in a beautiful world where targeting your audience to promote your business has become as easy as 1, 2 3. However, if you tend to ignore the latest updates, or fail to pay attention to what’s going on in social media, then you can say goodbye to those likes and followers.

Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and many others are constantly trying to beat each other to the punch on what the “latest trend” may be in modern technology. It is crucial to pay attention to these changes in order to develop business success.

Here are the five social media trends to look forward to in 2018:

1.) Video, need we say more? 

The importance of video content is not news to those in the digital marketing world. In 2018, we can expect to see a rise in high-quality video as well as informal video, such as Facebook Live. Users are constantly spending more time looking at video than reading text, and according to blog.hootsuite.com, social video advertising grew about 130 percent this year alone, compared to other years. A great way to utilize video is to create short, informational videos based on the topic of your choice and by sharing it on your social media platforms. Marketing expert Robin Samora, who recently was a guest speaker during a social media workshop for the Peabody Chamber, also stated that even Instagram stories have become a big deal, and people like business owners should invest more time and effort going into the new year.

Ultimately, Robin said it best by saying, “Plain and simple, video rocks.” Because according to a recent statistic, about 90% of video content will be remembered vs. 10% with text. So, take out those video cameras, set-up a makeshift photo booth (or something) and tell the world why your company matters!

A great way to utilize video is by creating short yet interesting informational videos. Check out some examples that we created above. We had already created blog content on these topics, but by creating videos, we gave the viewer another option to view the content.

2.) Influencer Marketing Continues to Rise

There are many terms out there when it comes to digital marketing, but influencer marketing is one we had to look up. Simply put, influencer marketing is the “action of promoting and selling products or services through people (influencers) who have the capacity to have an effect on the character of a brand.” (Source: Huffington Post).

You may love them or hate them, but the ads seen on Facebook or YouTube, have been extremely effective, and as we go into 2018, sources say it is still going strong. Plannthat.com says, “As millennials advance their careers, and Generation Z starts theirs, an enormous population’s purchasing power is increasing swiftly and starkly.”

The beauty (or sometimes the ugly) of social media is that anyone can voice their opinion. Going into 2018, businesses should continue to look more closely at this in order to keep up with the trend.

3.) Messaging Apps because let’s face it…no one actually likes talking on the phone anymore

Instant messaging or “direct chat” with business-to-customer will be another feature that is expected to rise to the top in 2018. You may think to yourself, isn’t this old news? No, no it isn’t because according to Entrepreneur.com, “brands will invest more in connecting with consumers on messaging platforms, like Chatbot, Messenger and Whatsapp, as it gives that personalization and direct connection to consumer.”

If you’re still behind this bandwagon, it’s time to invest more time and money in instant chat.

4.) To Tweet or Not to Tweet?

At one time, Twitter was the app where users expressed and interacted in several discussions. Lately, however, Twitter has been said to be “lagging behind,” especially against its competitors like Facebook and Instagram. While Facebook and Instagram are introducing new content and adding users, Twitter is finding it difficult to generate more followers. However, there is hope for a Twitter comeback in 2018. According to Business2Community.com, Twitter leadership plans to rethink the way their platform operates and initiate some changes. We aren’t holding our breath, but we will sit back and see what changes Twitter will unfold.

5.) Generation Z

A study by Goldman Sachs found that the Generation Z, those born between mid-1990s to mid-2000s, and with 22 year olds being the oldest within the group, is found to be “more valuable to businesses and organizations than millennials.” How would this be beneficial, you ask? Business2Community claims that “the Generation Z group is about to enter the labor force, meaning they will hold greater buying power.” You will expect to see more ideas pop-up, and for that, we should be on the look-out.

As digital marketing continues to escalate, it is extremely important to keep yourselves informed with the latest trends and updates to social media and the fascinating world of digital marketing additions and tools.

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