Social Media Predictions for 2017

Social media is big. Really big. So big that unless you have lived under a rock for the last few years it is impossible not to notice it.

This year a study discovered that in 2016 there was about 2 billion users of social media. With numbers like that it is no surprise that nearly all companies dealing directly with customers or other businesses seek to engage their target audiences using social media tools. However, despite more and more people signing up to and using social networks it is still a difficult challenge for companies to connect with the people they want to get their messages to.

Only a few years ago companies spent very little on social media advertising as it was relatively easy to reach out from Facebook or Twitter and build an audience of followers. But times have changed and now without investing heavily in social advertising it is increasingly unlikely a brand will get noticed at all in the enormous and rapidly growing fields of social media.

If anything, 2016 has shown us that the future is nearly impossible to predict and things can change rapidly. So, what could be in store for the future of marketing in social media and what directions can we expect to go in?

Going Live
With the advent of Facebook Live and media outlets streaming live broadcasts on social media platforms it is becomingly increasingly common to see live events on a news feed. It is attention grabbing, difficult to ignore and now increasingly interactive as viewers can like, vote, comment and ask questions as the event unfolds in real-time. As a way to gather an instant buzz around an event or brand it is truly an effective tool.

New Platforms, New Experiences
With social networks continuing to boom in popularity there is a seemingly never-ending stream of new companies working to make their new platform the next big thing. The giants of Facebook, Twitter and Instagram are tough opponents but the popular rise of applications such as Snapchat show that there are always gaps to be filled. For a new network to succeed all they need do is offer a newer or better experience and with the rise of technology such as AR/VR who knows what could be in store?

All Powerful Algorithms
There is just one target in all social media and that target is you, the individual user. Therefore, networks are continually adjusting their algorithms to bring fresh content to your news feed to keep you engaged. As these algorithms become more and more sophisticated it will become increasingly hard for brands to have themselves featured organically on a platform. Breaking in past the algorithms is the next big challenge.