Social media is changing at a rapid pace. Think about Instagram stories. It was introduced just over a year ago, and now we couldn’t imagine social media without them. Because of this, it’s essential to stay on top of trends and think about what’s to come in social media.
First, take a look at this video. It is well worth a few minutes of your time, and shows the impact of the social media revolution.
Some things to consider this year:
Rethink Social ROI
Look beyond likes, comments, and shares. Companies are discovering other benefits of social media, including better customer service, employee recruitment, and lower customer acquisition costs. These calculations are not as straightforward as traditional ROI metrics (revenue/cost). However, it’s becoming more important to take those into consideration to analyze the true impact of your social campaigns.
HOW: Focus on activities you can measure, such as boosting event attendance with social or reducing customer turnover through social listening.
Peer Influence is More Impactful Than Ever
As we saw in the video above, people trust peer reviews more than companies. In 2017, consumers trust in media, academics, CEOs and government sunk to historic lows. As that trust continues to decrease, people will turn more and more to peer influencers.
HOW: Empower employees to engage with customers on social media in meaningful ways. Whether that is through social selling, customer service, or sparking conversations. Because people respond better to people than companies, consider promoting a brand head rather than your company.
Twitter’s Renaissance
Twitter has always had an identity crisis. Is it a social network, a news network? The same thing that makes it hard for Twitter to define itself, is its biggest strength—people. People are what make Twitter what it is, and direct what Twitter will become. Hashtags? Twitter didn’t create those, people did.
As Twitter adds new features, people remain at the center of the platform. Twitter is adding new features that make it a lot more fun and engaging. Twitter is also a great place for social listening.
Video, Video, Video
For the last two years, video has been the most popular content type on social media, and that won’t change in 2018. Facebook video posts have the highest average engagement and twice the level of engagement of other post types.
HOW: Just do it. Your videos don’t have to be a big production (pun, intended). They just need to be authentic and relevant. With live videos and stories, people don’t expect perfect videos. They want real people sharing fun or useful information. Be real, and be consistent.
Tell me….what trends are you watching in 2018?