We cannot deny that social media dominates the market and is one of the main ways to generate profits. These channels are constantly changing and that is why those who work in the area need to always be prepared.
Media and technological revolutions are happening all the time. So how should you position your brand on social media?
New challenges arise every year and the way each brand deals with these small revolutions directly affects its success. To make good plans and achieve your goals on social media, it is necessary to understand the current and future scenario.
Discover the top social media trends for 2018 right now and prepare your strategy for next year!
What shaped 2017
The year 2017 was a very important one for digital marketing , especially when we talk about social media.
We have seen the huge boom in audiovisual content, which has dominated publications on the giants Facebook and Instagram, not to mention the growth of YouTube.
Organic reach has been increasingly affected by algorithm updates, which has sparked the need for innovations and projected investments in advertising , in a constant struggle by brands to reach their followers.
In addition, we were able to observe the transformations and innovations that have made new uses possible and, consequently, required adaptations.
2018 promises to be even more challenging for businesses, which will have to be ready to keep their followers engaged and ensure that social media is a constant generator of business opportunities.
1. Further decline in organic reach
If you’ve noticed that your reach is declining, brace yourself: that’s the trend for all social networks.
There are two main reasons for this to happen.
First, platforms need to monetize, and to do that, they create ways for you to invest in them. Organic reach is low, and ads become the option to get more engagement. Set aside a specific budget for paid ads, as this trend only tends to grow.
The other reason is that networks prioritize user experience. This means that many times your post will not reach the consumer because it is not as relevant to them as that of a family member, for example. The algorithms recognize this and choose the content that they consider most important for their users.
Finding ways to stay ahead of these codes by delivering differentiated and relevant content will continue to be one of the biggest challenges for brands.
2. New ways to make videos
As you will see in this article, audiovisual content promises to gain even more strength this year. Even today, it is almost impossible to log into your Facebook, for example, and not find various videos.
The challenge that arises is related to the saturation of that strategy.
Even though videos continue to grow, it will be necessary to deliver differentiated content and formats to attract users’ attention amidst so much information. So don’t stop creating productions that are out of the ordinary.
3. Change in consumption patterns
Not only are new features emerging, but platforms and means of consuming content are becoming more important every day.
If people used to access the Internet through computers, today online traffic comes from mobile devices. And that’s not the only thing that has changed!
The relationship between users and brands is increasingly tending towards horizontality, that is, a dialogue between equals. Therefore, finding ways to include users in the production of content is one of the great challenges.
To get ahead, you have to understand the demands and ways of relating of your audience and adapt your content production accordingly.
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The 7 biggest social media trends for 2018
1. Community growth
In 2017, it was possible to notice the growth and strengthening of communities on social networks. This is a trend that is gaining even more momentum in 2018.
Groups on social networks such as LinkedIn and Facebook are tools that are increasingly used by companies as a way to engage their followers and strengthen relationships.
When well managed and relevant to users, these groups can help the company profile algorithm. We can already see in them a great opportunity to start dribbling the decline in organic reach.
But it is not only in groups that it is possible to build a community on social media. Brands have groups that are always present on their profiles – those people who always comment, react and share their posts.
How companies can manage their community for better results remains a challenge.
What many brands need to pay attention to is that there are several ways to manage their followers and transform them into brand fans , which contributes to the growth of the network and the success of the business.
2. User Generated Content
As we mentioned, we are in a reality with extremely active and empowered consumers. Brand followers don’t just want to feel represented by what they see on social media: they want to be characters in that construction.
One option to adapt to this reality is to invest in user-generated content. A good example of this is Buffer , a social media management tools company, which has an Instagram profile built 100% by user messages.
Strategy is not a trend that just happens. It can bring valuable benefits to any brand.
One example is optimizing social media management. If your Instagram profile is entirely built by your community of fans, your social media specialists won’t have to work hard with content production and can therefore focus on results and other strategies.
Also, if consumer-focused content generates engagement, imagine consumer-produced content. Explore that potential.
3. Opportunities with ephemeral content
In recent years we have seen the growth of ephemeral content on social media. But what exactly is ephemeral content?
These are fleeting moments! A Story, for example, only stays on the air for 24 hours. If the user loses it, they will probably never be able to get it back.
This type of content brings great opportunities for companies, as it creates a sense of urgency in the user. The strategy is called fear of missing out , which literally means fear of losing, which makes people not want to miss that moment in any way.
Such features bring the opportunity to further engage users, who only have that specific moment to experience and share the content.
Authenticity is another value that these contents can convey. Because they are often produced quickly, they show the reality of the company and strengthen the bond between the brand and the public.
In addition, it is a possibility to encourage mobile consumption among your users, one of the biggest trends for the future. We will see this in more detail in the next topic.
4. Mobile rules
You already know that many people have greece mobile database a smartphone! But do you have any idea what that means?
By next year, more than 2.4 billion people will be active mobile users. That represents a relevant niche for the market and the trend, as you can see, is for that number to grow every year.
Some companies are already investing in getting traffic via mobile. However, the demand for this adaptable content is not limited by what is currently produced, mainly on social networks.
Understanding consumer habits is essential for the success of your strategy, which will always aim to optimize your user’s experience with your product or service.
Next year is an ultimatum for brands that have not yet invested in content adaptability: they must start now or be left behind.
5. Focus on Generation Z
Generation Z young people – born between 1993 and 2012 – are taking over social media. If this wasn’t a concern for your company before, think again! These people are accumulating more and more capital and have a large share of the consumer market.
And social media directly affects the consumption habits of this generation: 80% of their purchases are influenced by what they see on the platforms.
In addition, many of these people’s connections are also present on social media, which facilitates the dissemination of information about brands’ products and services.
These young people offer great opportunities, once they believe in a company they become brand advocates. But beware! The opposite also happens, and when they are disappointed with a product, service or customer service, they can become the nightmare of any business.
Therefore, knowing how to work with this increasingly larger and more powerful part of society is a fundamental factor for the success or failure of a brand.
6. The chatbot revolution
Companies are increasingly investing in chatbots : by next year, 20% of content generated in the business market will be produced by machines.
These tools are becoming increasingly smarter and ready to serve consumers in any situation. They offer the possibility of fast and humanized attention, optimizing the work of professionals in the area.
With automation in contact with users, it is easier to redirect and give appropriate treatment to each case.
People’s acceptance of these tools may surprise product highlights from march 2024 you! A survey conducted by Retale among Millennials – people born between 1980 and 1995 – has shown great interest and willingness to interact with chatbots. The majority seems willing to try this new strategy.
Consumers will receive faster responses and companies will be able to optimize the time spent providing customer service.
7. Even more powerful audiovisual content
It is virtually impossible to log into any social network and not find dozens of video content. This has been a trend for some time now, but 2018 is truly the year that this strategy will dominate social media.
In just four years, 80% of all Internet traffic will be generated by video, according to Cisco . If that’s not enough to get you started investing in that type of content, we have to say that on Facebook, half a million people consume video every day .
We all watch videos during the day, and this data only proves it. As we said before, this large exposure to audiovisual content can generate saturation in users. However, this challenge can become a good opportunity for marketers.
Brands that manage to think outside the box and do things differently from all the others will surely come out on top in this fight for consumer attention.
If you’ve made it this far, you already know what to alb directory do to achieve even better results next year!
Working with social media is always complex due to the countless changes that occur and the risks we need to take. But knowing how to invest correctly in them will surely guarantee your results.
So, are you excited for the arrival of 2018 and its social media trends? Do you feel ready for them? Let us know in the comments! I hope the article has helped you, until next time!
