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We all know what Social Media is and most of us use it, but what can we expect to trend in 2018 in the world of Social Media?
Social Media Engagement is boosted by Influencer Marketing
Many celebrities and individuals make a lot of money through influencer marketing. This once unique type of marketing is going to take off in 2018 and become mainstream. As more and more followers believe in what influencers are selling or promoting but they are there to really capitalise on the way in which normal users use social media.
Social Media Trends will be supported by Generation Z
Social media will influence Generation Z in ways that have never been seen before. This means that they are going to take social media at face value as opposed to making decisions based around price and other such factors. In fact, 8 out of 10 people have said that they watch around one hour of video a day and so, when you put the two facts together, you instantly realises how they underpin social media trends.
Instagram trends and stories
Instagram stories are still relative new but they are going to become more and more popular. Those accounts that have more than 10,000 followers now have the ability to add a link within the feature and this offers the chance the increase sales and drive interest through the roof. When you consider just how popular video has become you can see how it will grow in popularity.
Live Streaming
Technology is improving all of the time and smartphones and other mobile devices now make it possible to live stream videos in high quality when we want to. Social media has adopted live streaming but it now enables people to share videos, post on a number of channels simultaneously and reach out to a wider audience.
Companies become more approachable through messaging platforms
Messaging platforms are huge with the likes of WhatsApp becoming one of the most popular options. Platforms such as this really have a hold on social media and direct messaging and this is such a bonus for companies and businesses. The demographic of those who are purchasing is becoming younger and younger but they also have a preference as to how they approach the companies that they purchase from. This is where messaging platforms will come into play this year.
It is all change at Twitter
Twitter is popular but it is not as popular as it once was due to the rise of other social media avenues. However, if it is going to compete with the big players then it does need to make changes, but what those changes will be is a mystery!
There will be nothing unusual about online hangouts
Live streaming and online hangouts complement each other perfectly, especially when you consider how popular it is to use apps such as FaceTime in a group environment. Many apps that offer online hangouts shot up in popularity during 2017 and this trend is expected to continue as other players enter the market. However, it is expected to step it up a notch as it likely to link up with VR and that is an exciting prospect looking forward. Therefore, the year ahead is looking to offer something different to social media users. As many different programs and apps are being tested it means that the technology is there to roll this out on a huge scale and of course, the big players are ready and waiting for it to happen.
Moderation will increase by a considerable amount
In recent times, many social media platforms have had to begin ruling with an iron fist as they look to become more involved in the way in which content is moderated. While many believe that social media platforms do this to save face, they have acknowledged that they need to tighten their controls. Therefore, it is likely that companies will look at this in a more proactive way, however, given the popularity of social media, it is important that these companies get it right for marketing purposes.
As a result of this, it seems as though even more people are not adopting social media and choosing the channels that work best for them and that means that 2018 has a lot to look forward to.
If you enjoyed this article you might also like to read about Social Media Marketing Trends for 2015 and Social Media Trends 2016
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