As the social media landscape continues to evolve, it’s essential for brands to learn more about the current trends and make necessary changes to their business models to maximise results. There are two ways brands can achieve this: either do it themselves or hire a reputable digital marketing agency that knows the industry and how to secure results month on month.
Google’s announcement that it was shutting down Google Plus, Facebook’s introduction of live videos and stories, and WhatsApp’s entrance into the B2B payment sector were some of the major social media stories that created a buzz in the previous year.
Here are some of the top social media trends as explained by Trend Watchers that are expected to create a buzz this year. While these are only estimations, it’s well worth getting familiar with them, as they may just hold the key to growing your business in 2019.
Video Content Will Continue to Flourish
2018 was dominated by video content, with thousands of new businesses adopting it for various advertising, promotion and customer acquisition campaigns. This one move pushed many businesses’ revenues and sales to all-new heights.
Video content will soon account for almost 80% of all the content that we consume. Facebook Live has already gained momentum, as more businesses telecast their events and product launches live to online users.
With individual content creators and celebrities having mastered the art of Instagram Live, using it as a way to stay in touch their audience in ways not possible before, we soon might see more social media platforms joining the list and offering similar services for better brand engagement.
Digital Advertising Will Get More Popular
Previous decades were ruled by television advertising. Small and medium-sized businesses, production houses, entrepreneurs and more chased television advertising to grow their reach, audience, and revenue. However, YouTube has changed the game altogether.
Advertising is increasingly taking the form of businesses contacting influencers who create content related to their niche and asking them for live interviews, promotional videos, review videos and more.
Given the present growth rate, in 2019, we can expect YouTube to become more prominent than ever in terms of digital advertisements and brand-sponsored videos, as it’s largely more cost-effective than TV advertising and it targets users exactly where they spend their free time — online.
We’ll See More 360-Degree Images and Videos
You’ve probably seen many 360-degree images by now on your Facebook timeline. Users like to click such photos as they give a complete representation of a specific area. Businesses — especially those that are exploring travel, event management and real-estate niches — that adopt this approach can improve engagement with customers, clients and even potential employees by giving them a real-time view of their surroundings, products and services.
To start shooting 360-degree videos, all you need is a DSLR and some supporting accessories. Posting them online can give an immediate boost to your social reach and subscriber count. This trend has already begun and it’s expected to keep on rising throughout 2019.
Of course, it wouldn’t be a 2019 trends post without mentioning AI (Artificial Intelligence) and AR (Augmented Reality). As these types of technology advance at a rapid pace, we’ll see them becoming mainstream methods of business promotion and user engagement. We will also see brands creating more stories (short videos) for their audience to consume on platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, and Snapchat.
What other trends do you expect to emerge in 2019 and get everyone’s attention? Let us know in the comments section below.
