NewsroomPlus.com Contributed by Phillip Quay
Social media marketing has always been a peculiar animal.
Since its early days, where platforms were finicky and critics insisted that social marketing was not a viable marketing strategy, we’re now witnesses to an era with rocksolid platforms, useful business advertising options, and plenty of free opportunities to make our content public.
Still, the world of social media changes quickly, with dozens of new platforms arriving each year and most existing companies scrambling to stay ahead of the game with new features and innovations. If history and some recently emerging trends are any indication, 2016 will be a host for a variety of new trends and changes in the social scene.
Here is a Top 5 set of predictions for 2016.
(1) What was once considered something nice for a business to have – optimising your company’s website for mobile devices has become a necessity and a valuable investment for the future. This past March marked the first time the four leading messaging apps in the world has amassed the same amount of users as the top four social networking platforms. More and more, shoppers are turning to using mobile devices like smartphones and tablets to research a product, comparing deals online, finding a retail outlet, and most importantly, making the purchase.
(2) 2016 will see “inthemoment” updates dominate the competition. While Social media is already “inthemoment” by it’s very nature, there are some social media platforms that are more “inthemoment” than others. Think Periscope and Snapchat, the new fascination with livestreaming and live social will continue strong in 2016. Increasingly, social media apps will aim to put their users at an event—virtually.
(3) While Google still remains the king of SEO (Search Engine Optimisation), the way that consumers search for services and products in 2016 will evolve past simple SEO. In a recent study, 88 percent of consumers online are influenced by reviews and online comments by other consumers. Those consumers are going directly to sites like Facebook, YouTube or in apps like Trip Advisor. A reason for this shift is the growing popularity of Pinterest, helped by the fact that its market is largely dominated by women in their 30s with young families, a demographic known to do most of the shopping.
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