The Top 5 Social Media Trends That Will Define 2018

Businesses of all sizes rely on social media to connect with audiences and grow their presence. However, it has become increasingly difficult to capture that attention as competition grows and users’ attention spans decrease. With a new year upon us, have you thought about what changes your social media strategy might need in order to stay in step with 2018 trends and better capture the interest of your most desirable audiences? Here are five key trends that will shape the future of social media that you should keep in mind while developing your 2018 marketing plan.

Focus on Generation Z

A Goldman Sachs study found that Generation Z, classified as today’s young adults and adolescents, is more valuable to most businesses than the proceeding generation of millennials. Gen Z makes up a quarter of the U.S. population and by 2020 will account for 40% of all consumers. With the oldest members of this generation (age 22 years) ready to enter the workforce, 2018 and beyond will see Gen Zers with increased buying power and market share.
To accommodate this shift, brands will need to invest more in the social platforms most loved by Gen Zers, such as Instagram and Snapchat. Unlike millennials who are notoriously known for preferring experiences rather than things, Gen Zers would rather purchase a cool product than spend their money seeing the world. There’s a catch, though. Gen Z is very selective with their purchases, meaning they choose quality over quantity.

With the oldest members of this generation (age 22 years) ready to enter the workforce, 2018 and beyond will see Gen Zers with increased buying power and market share.

Increase in Live Streaming

While early on there was skepticism of its business implications, live streaming has now become mainstream in social media. Many brands are using it to augment their relationships with customers in a way not previously possible. These brands are using live streaming to capture their followers’ attention and connect with them in a way that is undeniably authentic and in-the-moment. That trend will only continue to grow in 2018, as it is expected more brands will realize the power of live streaming and more audiences will come to expect this live experience.

Video Consumption

Video is and will continue to be a popular medium for sharing and consuming information. But in 2018, it’s expected the value of video will increase significantly as a factor weighed by social algorithms in determining your website’s ranking position. In the past year alone, 90% of all content shared by online users was video.

Video is and will continue to be a popular medium for sharing and consuming information.

When done well, video is a powerful tool that can help your brand generate online engagement and build your social media following. In fact, videos on Facebook receive higher engagement than any other type of content, which is why more brands are starting to switch their focus.

Mobile-Ready Content

More people now access their social networks via mobile device than desktop. In fact, 68% of Facebook users primarily access the social network via mobile device, verses 32% who check it from their desktops. Considerations for mobile-first content should be made to satisfy the larger population of mobile-only users. Easily consumable and sharable content, videos with subtitles, and only linking to mobile-responsive website content will help your brand stay up on the 2018 mobile trend.

Popularity of Instagram Stories

The Instagram Stories feature is just over a year old, but it already has more than 200 million people using it each month. This feature offers another way for users to share their content and for followers to interact with it – giving both parties more control of their experience.
If your small business is already on Instagram, or is planning to join the platform in the upcoming year, it’s essential that you take time to incorporate Stories as part of your Instagram strategy.

Instagram already has more than 200 million people using it each month

While it can be overwhelming to stay on top of the ever-changing social media landscape and nearly impossible to do it all, incorporating a few of these trends into your strategy can help set up your business for success in the year ahead.

Are You Ready for 2018?

Now is the time to get your website and online marketing plan ready for the year ahead. Find out what’s working and what could use some work with your online marketing efforts with the help of one of our experienced Internet Consultants. Complete the form below to request your complimentary 2018 Website Readiness Check and start the new year off right.

2018 Website Readiness Check

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