Smartphone users have already considered social media as part of their daily necessity. They have grown accustomed to numerous social media updates and advertisements, that dealing with disruption feels seamlessly acceptable. This practice leads to marketers vying to win social media trends. Below is a list of what we think brands should consider for next year’s social media plan:
1. Social channels will keep on evolving
Facebook will continue to dominate social media. An interview done by Buffer shows 93% of marketers admitted Facebook as their top content channel. Alongside the social frontrunner is Instagram, who we expect to have abrupt changes this 2017. Since the recent purchase of Instagram by Facebook, the platform has been unapologetically copying Snapchat’s ephemeral content. This IG update stems from Facebook’s consistent attempts to beat the former sexting app. Snapchat, now known as Snap, has 10 billion views per day and a projected $1 billion revenue for 2017, coming from $367 million for 2016. We can only expect a massive evolution as Snapchat plans to go public. On the social channel downside, Twitter fatigue is expected to only get worse. There has been a steady decline of Twitter usage among brands and consumers, and we don’t see this changing.
2. Video will be the Content Champion
Imagine Facebook as an all-video content platform. Impossible? Not really. Mark Zuckerberg claimed the legacy platform to be video-first. From 1 billion to 8 billion increase in daily video views the past year, the rise of video content isn’t slowing down anytime soon. This video-first phenomenon includes one dimensional videos, live streaming, shoppable videos, VR content, video ads, and ephemeral content. Expect all online platforms to join the bandwagon.
3. Increase Spend on Paid Advertising
Brands are predicted to venture more on paid advertising, as social media channels prioritize posts from individuals rather than from brands or organizations. This means a cut back on organic brand visibility. Consequently, brands have to pay more for meaningful content reach. As this trend continues, we are expecting social media advertising to increase in cost.
