After a year of big changes, we’ve been busy imagining what 2017 has in store for some of our favourite social media platforms. From Snapchat’s new wearable tech to video making up one-third of all online activity, things have changed a lot over the past year. As we head into the new year, Rey Pan, our Social Media expert, is sharing his thoughts on the future of these apps and how your brand can stay ahead.
Authenticity
Authenticity is 2017’s buzzword with the introduction of live videos on Instagram, Twitter, Periscope and Facebook.
Make your brand stand out and help it engage with customers by leveraging the live video trend with these simple tips:
- Remember the importance of engagement with live video, and ensure that you are using it to connect with your audience and customers.
- As more brands leverage Live Content, ensure that you are keeping up with them by using it to your advantage.
- You will likely see platforms and apps focusing on easier, customizable, edit-friendly options that make producing video content simple. Make sure you keep on top of new apps emerging and learn how to leverage them before your competitors. If you ever need help, we have you covered!
Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality and 360 Video
The world of video is changing, and fast! In 2016, 360 videos on Facebook and Youtube emerged alongside AR on apps like Pokemon Go.
Although it may seem hard to incorporate this into your social media strategy, 2017 will likely make these high-tech video effects available to everyone. Make your brand stand out by hopping on this trend early and integrating the use of this technology in interesting and practical ways.
Instagram vs. Snapchat
The biggest popular culture battle of 2016 were the updates coming out of Instagram and Snapchat.
While Snapchat has grown exponentially in 2016, Instagram will likely continue to be the most used and most engaging social platform. After introducing features similar to Snapchat, Instagram has managed to diversify the platform effectively to appeal to its audience’s preferences.
Mobile Everything, Everywhere
Social media is mobile based. In 2016, nearly 80% of all time spent on social media was spent on mobile devices. In 2017, brands will need to concentrate on creating high-quality, user-friendly and fast-to-load content meant to be consumed on smaller, mobile devices. Remember that your audience will be checking your content on the fly and be sure to make it engaging and easy to consume.
Streamline your Social
Brands will need to figure out which platforms are most important to their audience and how to make the most of them. With the inevitable growth of social media platforms and the possibility of new ones emerging, decide which performs best for your brand and eliminate the others.
Check out our digital media section for tips and tricks to leverage the new updates!
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