Social media has been rapidly evolving over the last decade, from basic online accounts to new apps that are popping up daily it seems. The depth of technology and the way people are utilizing them is, at times, hard to keep up with. Check out these top social media trends as we ease in to 2018 – and stay on top of your social media game.
- Twitter is going to see some big changes. With the popularity of the platform noticeably slipping far behind its competitor platforms in 2017, many are keeping their eyes on Twitter leadership as they rethink the functionality of the platform. In a society where people are starting to express their thoughts and feelings on social media even more, a 180 word limit really makes it difficult to get your point across. Maybe we will see a big sale? Maybe the inclusion of some new features? Stay tuned!
- Influencer marketing will have an even bigger focus, especially on Instagram. Online sales have plummeted for some big brands, so the idea of making the products or services more appealing to the consumer is easy when you can tie a product to someone famous – or someone who has tens (or even hundreds) of thousands of followers on Instagram.
- Your favorite brands will probably start using Instagram stories. The 24-hour life of pictures and videos in “stories” on social media has become very popular. Though the feature first made its appearance on SnapChat, Instagram has run away with the ability to convert users by utilizing Instagram’s story feature. With the ability to add filters, tag shops/brands/services, and also include a direct link if a user swipes up, it is clearly an easier way to reel in a potential buyer and redirect them to a website and away from social media.
- Virtual Reality will be much more common. Facebook owns Oculus, which is a Virtual Reality (VR) hardware and software company that allows friends to connect in VR. The feature, Spaces, created by Facebook, is expected to be the first successful VR platform tied in to a social media application and is expected to drop sometime in 2018.
- Live streaming will the new way to watch TV, movies, special events, etc. With data speeds increasing rapidly (5G, where are you?) and better video processing capabilities across the board, more streaming at a higher quality will be accessible across more channels at the same time. Staying tuned in will be even easier when on-the-go now.
- Chatbots will become even more prevalent. Chatbots and AI make real-time engagement with consumers, and potential consumers, much easier. Though the platforms take a great deal of work and preparation on the backend to make them deploy and operate properly, it will allows users communicating with the platform to think they are engaging in a more timely and genuine conversation with a customer service representative. According to Filmora, 80% of chatbots can be used to have effective conversations 24/7 – never missing a message, and therefore never making the consumer wait for a response.
With 2018 right around the corner, be on the lookout for the aforementioned trends on the rise in the new year. Take these 6 points into consideration and start strategizing for what’s ahead. Think we left anything out? Leave a comment below and let us know!