Ah, the ever-changing social media world. The moment you think you finally got it, there is a new trendy train you should hop on. Social media has made a huge impact on the way we do things every single day and on our lives in general.
When it comes to businesses, there is almost no difference. The role of social media is important as ever, especially in marketing. That is why you need to keep an eye on the current social media trends and foresee the changes if you want to keep on top of your competition.
Here are our top 5 trends for this year that you shouldn’t miss:
1. Facebook is still the top social media for advertising
Facebook was and still is dominating the social media world, despite minor setbacks it had in 2017.
It is still the top social media platform for advertisers and your potential reach is huge. There are currently 2.23 billion active users on Facebook, according to Statista. Their targeting options allow you to hyper-target your ideal audience easily.
2. More businesses are making shift towards Instagram
And in a way, you could say that Facebook is doing the same. Since they acquired the platform, they have been working on developing many features that users absolutely love.
But, in the last couple of months, there are speculations that Instagram is on a mission to become an all-in-one platform. With many features that were added recently, such as IGTV, Instagram’s platform for long-form video, ability for brands to tag the items not only on posts but on stories as well and their updated search feature show that they are serious about making Instagram a platform that everyone will use.
The projected number of active users in the U.S. for 2019 is 111 million compared to 77.6 million in 2015 according to Statista. Instagram is still the dominant platform for people under the age of 35 but it seems like that number is also changing…
3. Chatbots are on the rise
Literally. Look at this Google Trend report.
Live chat is becoming more and more popular as customers and prospects expect personalized one-on-one service. But how do businesses stay on top of conversations 24/7? The only way is to employ a friendly bot to help them out!
The second reason for this the “app overload”. We are all constantly bombarded by new apps and we are getting tired of using multiple apps for almost the same thing. So the ability to use chatbots in Facebook Messanger, basically not even having to leave the app is a relief for many.
4. Live and real-time videos are trending now
More video, please. 52% of people have said that they would love to see more video content in the future, according to HubSpot Research.
Another great way to engage your prospects and customers is by posting real-time videos or by going live on social media channels such as Facebook, Snapchat or Instagram. Even YouTube if you prefer that channel.
Real-time and live videos are raw and unedited videos and people love them. They love them because they can connect to your business and your brand in a way that is more human.
Is there an extrovert on your team? Assign them with a task of managing your Instagram stories and sharing real-time and live videos from your office. You’ll soon see more engagement on your page.
5. The power of stories
And we don’t just mean Instagram or Snapchat stories, we mean learning to tell your story the right way. The power of stories is that it helps people connect to your brand and in turn, it improves your closing rates. People want to be understood and one way to do that is to tell a story about a person who is similar to them and show how your product or service is solving that problem.
You’re prepared now for this era of the ever-changing social media world. Go and conquer it!
