With the new start of the year, social media marketers often look for trends that expand reach and maximize the chances of connecting with the targeted audience. When it comes to the upcoming social media marketing trends, there have been a lot of changes observed. New technologies come to the market and get launched on every social media network. So, marketers are constantly integrating social media marketing with the core marketing strategies to stand out in the crowd.
This blog puts together a list of top predictions from around the web to keep you updated with the trends that will shape the social media landscape.
Top social media trends you should keep an eye on:
Chatbots for better customer service:
From just being a robotic and clunky machine, Chatbots have now emerged to offer an immediate connection with customers across the globe. This year brands are seen taking advantage of chatbots to interact smoothly and quickly with the audiences. It offers a personal connection. As bots become smarter and more human-like, you can customize brand voice and send personalized messages directly to users.
Facebook messenger individually has more than 100,000 chatbots that are useful for acquiring information, offer product guidance and take actual orders. Chatbots on Facebook messenger have shown increased organizational productivity up to 3.5 times. To answer specific requests of clients, brands have started relying on customization of chatbots.
The present adaptors to chatbots are millennials with nearly having 60% already used chatbots and 71% saying that they would be trying a chatbot experience via major brands.
2018 is the year when you need to test chatbots for your business. It is easy to design chatbots keeping millennials in mind. Before launching a chatbot, it is required to test it out on a range of potential users.
Live video will dominate:
Live streaming video will dominate and capture the hearts in 2018. Around 60% of social media marketers publishing live video events have seen increased success via this strategy. Users prefer watching a live video rather than reading a blog post. According to the data by Facebook, “People spend 3 times longer in watching live content than scrolling pre-recorded videos.” With Facebook’s, Instagram and Twitter’s live mode, you can now communicate with your audience in real time.
Live video inculcates authenticity. These days marketing has changed its meaning, It is now about delivering an authentic experience that people can connect with. Live video lets your audience feel the part of a story that you are conveying.
Messenger will expand
Along with the rise of chatbots, you will also see an expansion of eCommerce options with messaging apps like Slack, WhatsApp, WeChat and Facebook Messenger. Facebook Messenger alone is on the mobile of over 1.2 billion people. According to Facebook, there are more than 2 billion messages sent between businesses and people on messenger each month.
Facebook has recently announced a peer to peer payment process for US users via PayPal.
Instagram Stories:
It is one of the hottest social media trends that has surpassed even Snapchat’s view count with 20 million views a day. By the end of 2018, nearly half of Instagram users will be using Stories, as predicted. This simply means that the brands that are trying to connect with customers on Instagram must take some time to get on board with Stories. Instagram stories are a great way to display off your company culture.
Instagram stories are fun to use and view. They allow you to add filters, tag and text. One of the greatest advantages is that they are discoverable. It means that Instagram users can see your stories even if they are not following you.
With Instagram stories, you can hashtag relevant keywords. This helps users to find you easier and faster. Since these tags are clickable, users can easily dive into the niche market and target effectively than ever after. To connect with story viewers, brands have started taking polls and asking questions with the posts. Location can also be tagged.
Mobile responsive website are must:
At present, mobile accounts for 69 percent of digital media. Comparatively, the desktop has fallen to less than one-third of total digital media time. Going mobile-first is also a major ranking factor in Google. Without a mobile responsive website, you are not only losing in organic search rankings but also Google penalizes websites that are not at all mobile responsive.
So, if you haven’t implemented a mobile-first strategy yet, make it a priority in the coming year.
Influencer marketing:
A group of people who have the potential to influence a definite audience has modified over the last few years. Influencers when combined with video marketing trends gets YouTubers. They have emerged as one of the most powerful influencer networks in the realm of social media.
Users look for authenticity from influencers. Brands who look forward to work with real influencers will have a higher rate of engagement. The future of influencer marketing will see brands turning into real experts. Influencer marketing brings an incredible reach. Brands are shifting to pay influencers to promote specific products because they offer 11 times the ROI as compared to traditional digital marketing.
GIFs and Emoji:
Millinials look up to GIF’s and emojis over words to relate them better. Expressing yourself on social media via these icons is a smart move. While these methods have been around since long, we have seen a significant rise in their use, especially for marketing purposes. They offer a great way to connect with Millinials.
The use of GIFs grabs the attention of the user over a plain piece of content. They are also an innovative way to deliver marketing message in an easily consumable way. Make sure to use images that represent your brand. The insertion of GIF’s, memes and emojis can help humanize the store.
Do you use animated GIF’s? If not, then you are missing out on a solid social media strategy.
Voice searches will expand:
The majority of people searching for your business on the web still trust search engines however the way people search for info online is changing. People have now started using voice search on smartphones, tablet or voice assistants to search for information on the web.
40% of people now use voice search per day, according to a report by comScore. By 2020, voice searches are expected to account for 50% of all online queries. One of the positive aspects about voice search is that people often use it when they need something immediate. A voice search helps in making a quick decision or relevant information about an item they need to buy.
People involved in voice search are more ready to make a purchase than those researching information on a desktop. Therefore, investing in voice search optimization will help you gain more loyal customers.
Ending Notes!
With 2018 here, it is important to collaborate with your social media team and ensure that everything is sorted and prepared. All you need to do is understand what worked and what needed improvement last year to address the social landscape effectively. With a lot of great things coming in the year 2018, we hope you enjoy a successful year tackling the latest social media trends.