It is very hard to remember a time before Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, and LinkedIn existed. It seems as though these social media sites have been a regular part of our world for decades. In the same vein, it is hard to remember what Myspace or Friendster was really about. Going back even further, can you remember the first advent of social networking with the likes of Prodigy, CompuServe, or AOL Instant Messenger? The truth is, the Internet, social media, and social networking are not the newest of concepts, but they are constantly evolving. The social media of today is not the social media of the 90s or 2000s. And the social media of tomorrow will leave much of today’s social media in the dust. Part of this evolution is already taking place. Here are some trends to look for in 2018:
1. #TweetMoreCharacters
Twitter was an amazing invention when it was first launched. At the time, people were obsessed with reading as little as possible. Text messages were still done by a number pad, and were full of abbreviations. Therefore, having a limit of 140 characters was the best way to communicate with most people. However, with the advent of the smartphone and touchscreen keyboards, people want to say more and are able to do so with much less hassle. With that in mind, Twitter recently doubled the number of characters allowed per tweet, now sitting at 280 characters. This change brings huge potential for social media marketing on Twitter including increased visibility of posts, the ability to create more engaging and intriguing content, and save content writers time in shaving down thoughts over the 140 character limit.
2. Crowdsourcing is Growing
As much as we want to be individuals, the world of social media has created a crowd mentality, for better or for worse. The best part of this mentality is that you no longer have to reinvent the wheel or assume what people are finding interesting. You can crowdsource ideas and funds instead. Better yet, consumers want their opinions to matter and want to be heard. Therefore, be prepared to see more businesses crowdsource ideas and look for consumer feedback in 2018.
3. The Video Visual Sells
Over the past year, there has been an uptick in video marketing. Facebook Live has become the centerpiece of many online business marketing campaigns. This trend is only going to increase over the next year. 2018 will see a large increase of video updates throughout all social media platforms. People want to feel as though they are participating in the buying experience, and videos allow this to occur. Interactive video marketing allows people to chat and respond in real-time, which enables them to be part of the experience instead of simply reading and waiting for a response.
In 2018, we will start to see a shift in the way social media marketing is conducted. People want to interact with regular people. They want to know that their opinions matter. And they want to say it all in more than 280 characters. To learn more about getting your business ready for online marketing in the new year, contact the experts at Skol Marketing at (612) 787-7565. Their skilled web experts will be happy to review your online marketing plan and help move you into the New Year’s trends with ease.
