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2017 is here and it’s time for our annual social media trends outlook for 2017!
Hope you’re just as excited to get the new year kicked off and welcome to the blog.
There’s no question that if you can keep up with the ever-changing social media trends of today, it can bring huge rewards for your business.
Social media is currently the best way to connect with and reach your customers. That isn’t likely to change anytime soon. In fact, 2017 is likely to be a year of even more comprehensive use of social media to connect with customers. To use social media in the best way possible, it’s important to know what social media trends we’ll see in 2017–and jump on them now for a head start.
1. Customers will demand more immersive social media experiences: While simply posting pictures of an event the next day may have been enough to engage a community in the past, it’s certainly not going to be enough in 2017. Customers are demanding a fuller, more immersive experience as the event happens if you want them to engage. Live-streaming video, Twitter feeds, 360 degree photos and exclusive social media content make this possible.
2. Platforms will consolidate and converge: You may have noticed social media platforms becoming more like each other in 2016, and this is likely to continue. With Stories and Memories, Instagram is no longer the only place to store photos and videos and Snapchat (now Snap) does not have the monopoly on disappearing content. The line has blurred–and between other social platforms, too. Facebook is more actively competing with LinkedIn by offering more professional communication, for example. Just about every social media platform is attempting to increase their market share by taking cues from other popular platforms, and this is likely to continue and increase in 2017.
3. Twitter fatigue will worsen: Twitter’s not been doing as well lately, causing some to predict its imminent death. While most people agree that Twitter isn’t going anywhere just yet, the reality is that people aren’t as responsive to a deluge of Twitter content from a single company. In order to have a greater impact on Twitter, companies are going to have to focus on creating high-quality content, not just a high quantity. In particular, Twitter fatigue will be best avoided by meaningful, direct engagement, rather than generic posts forced into the trending topic of the day.
4. Creative paid advertising opportunities on social media will grow: As social media companies become increasingly concerned about profitability and organic reach decreases, paid advertising opportunities will increase in 2017. In fact, this demand for better reach through paid advertising has led to more creative ad opportunities, such as video-based ads and sponsored posts. Next year, social media companies are going to have to get even more creative in providing advertising options that appeal to subscribers yet still earn companies money.
5. Brands will refine their social media choices: With social media platforms converging, the demands of a flourishing social media account have become much higher. It’s impossible to successfully engage with your ideal customer on each one. Instead, companies will have to refine their choices and focus their efforts where they will be most powerful–and where your ideal customers are most likely to actually be.
6. Communities will demand 24-hour real-time engagement: According to Search Engine Watch, over 72% of Twitter users expect a response when they tweet a brand they follow within an hour. The acceptable response time is only shortening as we make our way closer to 2017. It’s not just on Twitter, either. Facebook mentions and posts, Snaps, and Instagram posts all require a quick response, too. This all means that communities will increasingly demand real-time response 24/7– and that marketing teams will need dedicated employees to ensure that quick response.
7. High-quality video posts will no longer be optional: Video is becoming more powerful on social media every day. Already, about ⅓ of all time spent on social media is dedicated to watching videos, and this trend is expected to increase exponentially. In fact, Brightcove reveals that social video generates 1,200% more shares than text and images combined! This makes video immensely powerful– but only if they are high-quality shares. A poor-quality video actually turns off customers worse than almost anything else. That’s why companies need to invest in video in the upcoming year and utilize their own videos (and those of others) for a more powerful reach.
Of course, social media moves fast, so while may see these trends and more continue, new unexpected developments can crop up without warning. This makes social media marketing in 2017 exciting, but it demands that brands become increasingly responsive to changes as they occur.
This coming year, it will be even more important to stay abreast of social media trends as they happen in order to ensure that your marketing efforts gain traction. If you aren’t sure your current marketing team has the industry know-how to keep on top of each trend as it develops, it may help to partner with a dedicated digital media consultant who will keep your company’s social media presence on top.
At Provaro, we are happy to provide you with as little or as much help as you need to succeed. Talk to us today to find out how.
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