If you’re anything like me, you’ve spent a lot of time using social media this year. Definitely more than last year and even more than the year before. It’s a trend that continues to grow with each passing year and has become something we rely on more than simply a fun outlet. It’s become a mainstay for promoting business, building community and staying in touch, not to mention the number one spot to get breaking news. Each year as social media evolves new features become trends and 2016 was no exception to that rule. Here are my favorite points from a recent article in Forbes, The Top Social Media Trends that Dominated 2016. To read the complete article, click here.
The Top Social Media Trends of 2016
Live video – one of my absolute favorite features of social these days. Here’s what Forbes had to say:
“First up, there’s live video. Live video started to become popularized with the development and acquisition of dedicated streaming app Periscope back in 2015, but only this year did the medium truly start to take off. Facebook introduced its own streaming platform, Facebook Live, and both individual users and organizations started using it to share live streaming content with friends and followers. Live video is an easy and effective way to interact with people, especially if you use a question and answer style format or another medium that encourages participation. Since it’s still relatively new, you can expect it to continue growing into 2017 and beyond.”
Mobile optimization – at my business we’re all about mobile, it’s the best way to stay in the know when you’re on the go. Here’s what Forbes thinks about mobile and social:
“Social media apps have also been making strides toward becoming exclusively focused on mobile experiences. Some apps, like Snap and Instagram, only exist as mobile apps with no desktop equivalent, and long standbys like Facebook and Twitter continue making layout and functionality changes that are custom-made for mobile audiences. It’s unlikely that this momentum is going to stop, especially as mobile traffic continues to increase and brands like Google keep pushing for further mobile optimization with features like accelerated mobile pages.”
Stories – I love Instagram, it’s one of my favorite social channels, and when Stories was introduced, it’s like Snapchat meets Insta. It really doesn’t get much better than that. Here is Forbes take:
“Snapchat stories have been around since the app’s launch (which is now called Snap), but it was the debut of Instagram’s equivalent “story” function that made headlines earlier this year. Instagram has long been a tricky platform for brands to use, in part because it doesn’t allow you to post links (and driving traffic is usually a main goal of social media marketing) and in part because its photography-centric audience makes it less approachable for mainstream brands. Stories is another leap forward for storytelling in social media marketing, and brands that leverage it have been seeing killer results.”
I love using social media both in my personal and professional life, and it’s been so much fun to see it evolve over the last few years. I can’t wait to see what’s in store for 2017 and beyond, how about you?
