As we sweep up rogue confetti from New Year’s celebrations and turn to social media to publicly voice our resolutions (to hold ourselves accountable, maybe?), we look forward to the new year and the social media trends it will bring.
Here are our predictions:
1. Mobile will continue to outperform web
Content development has traditionally focused on web, but in recent years we’ve seen an impressive shift to mobile as many people move away from laptops and desktop computers to more convenient and portable smartphones and tablets as their primary means of online engagement. No surprise here – We anticipate mobile continuing to be the norm instead of an afterthought. Google has some tricks up its sleeve, too: think streamlined mobile content and faster searches load times. Expect to see new mobile innovation this year.
2. Influencers will be key to success
Brands will further their social media reach and engagement through loyal and targeted bloggers and customers (and sometimes brand ambassadors). Brands’ engagement with usergenerated content will skyrocket in an attempt to foster organic conversation and humanize the brand.
3. Live social broadcasts will rule
2015 saw the rise of live social media broadcasting and the inception of apps like Meerkat and Periscope, as well as continued success on YouTube. 2016 will demand even more marketing efforts put toward video, especially live broadcasting at events like Expo East/West for demonstrational product videos.
4. Social shopping will soar
Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram made headlines last year by launching one-click buy features to their sponsored posts on mobile. Now users can buy a product without ever leaving the app. It won’t be long before buy buttons are integrated directly into other social media platforms as well. Until then, brands like Dominos are getting creative with their social shopping. Ordering a pizza is as easy as tweeting #EASYORDER or the pizza emoji directly to @Dominos. Great for late-night pizza cravings, bad for your New Year’s resolution to quit impulse eating.
5. Advertising on social will be sneakier
Advertising on social media is moving away from banner ads to a new generation of native ads. Native ads look and behave a lot like social media posts you would see from family, friends and pages you follow, so they’re less intrusive than traditional ads. These sponsored posts are also incredibly targeted, so the ads that show up on your feed are actually relevant to your lifestyle and interests.
6. SEO will give way to social media
Many users are skipping search engines and researching products and services directly in social media. Pinterest launched a new search tool in 2015 that allows users to search for products within a pin. Let’s say you find a pin of kitchen decor and love the chandelier in it. You can now search Pinterest for similar chandeliers directly from that pin. Like you needed an excuse to spend more time on Pinterest, right?
We’re already incorporating these trends into our clients’ social media plans and seeing some impressive results. Ready to take charge of your social media presence to increase sales and engagement? Email us at [email protected] . Cheers to a happy, healthy, and social new year!
