5 Social Media Trends to Consider for Your 2017 Budget

There are more than 3 billion Internet users in the world. And more than 2 billion of them use social media as part of their online experience. Plus another million or so active users are added to that mix every day. If you want to actively reach out to and engage your customers, you’ll definitely want to factor social media into your online marketing budget. Here are a handful of social media trends to keep an eye on as you determine where to focus your efforts.

1. Social Messaging Apps

More than 60 percent of millennials prefer to use social messaging apps like Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp to stay in touch with their preferred brands. Since use of social messaging apps has now surpassed social media use, it’s worth considering putting some of your online marketing dollars into efforts to engage your customers this way. Social media ads that automatically take visitors to a chat window are one example of how this technology can be applied for marketing purposes. It’s a way to connect with your consumers in a way that’s even more personal than responding to social media posts.

2. Live Video

Video has been long-been a key element of social media marketing. The new twist on video use on social pages is live streaming. It’s already accessible with Facebook Live and Twitter’s Periscope. It’s a popular form of real-time engagement among millennials, in particular, and it can be effective way to get more leverage out of live events related to your brand. And you get more exposure, which is also good for your brand’s visibility.

3. Social Commerce

More than 75 percent of Pinterest users report having purchased something directly through that social platform and Twitter has experimented with a “buy” button. Social commerce is a growing trend involves providing opportunities for consumers to make a purchase directly via their preferred social page. It doesn’t eliminate the need to direct traffic back to your website; but it does provide an added incentive for customers to immediately complete a conversion.

4. Artificial Intelligence

Customers don’t always have the patience to wait until they can get answers to their questions. For businesses that can’t afford to provide live 24/7 assistance, the solution may be chatbots and similar forms of AI that can be accessed via a brand’s social pages. Essentially automated sales associates, chatbots are already being used to provide instant answers to commonly asked questions asked by consumers. It’s worth considering if interactions like this make sense for your business.

5. Paid Social Media Advertising

Nearly $40 billion will be spent on social media advertising in 2017, according to some estimates. Paid social advertising isn’t new, but it’s a growing trend because it’s becoming increasingly difficult to appear on various social pages. Facebook, for instance, adjusted its algorithms recently to put more of an emphasis on posts shared by friends. Paid advertising on social platforms can also be cost-effective since you’ll be tapping into a large audience that can be narrowed down to social users likely to be interested in what you’re offering.

Staying on top of social media trends is what we do best for clients like you. We’ll help you find ways to take advantage of the many opportunities you have to engage with your audience that work within your available online marketing budget. Of course, not every trend will be right for your business. If you need some help narrowing down what’s likely to work best for your brand, we can help with that, too. Contact us today to learn more about our social media management, marketing, and SEO services.