5 Social Media Marketing Trends For 2018
For 2018, developing an up-to-date social media marketing strategy is optimal. The forward-thinking minds at Hootsuite have passed on 5 important social media trends to anticipate for 2018:
1. The evolution of ROI - In the past, organizations have had a difficult time measuring results from social media. Furthermore, companies lack success in attempts to prove social media ROI. For 2018 however, organizations will embrace social media for what it is and focus on how social media can help with better business decisions: lowering customer service costs, tracking changes in brand perception, talent acquisition, reputation risk management.
2. Mobile fuels growth of videos – Almost all major social media outlets such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn will provide users with more opportunity to engage with video content. Since more consumers are watching videos from their mobile devices, and social networks introduce new video tools, brands will incorporate broadcast-worthy content into their marketing strategy.
3. Peer Influence is rising – Consumers are losing trust in CEO’s and corporate-like figures. In the time of “fake news” and constant speculation, consumers turn to customer communities, micro influencers, and relatable people. Organizations will need to take into account how they are communicating their product to build trust with costumers.
4. The rise of AI (Artificial Intelligence) – As time progresses, computers will continue to adapt to human needs. Although this topic may be intimidating and may seem beyond our time, the statistics show why marketers need to pay attention to AI. For example, at the beginning of 2017, there were 30,000 messenger bots on Facebook. Now, there are 100,000. With numbers like these, marketers will adopt AI into their content by using chatbots for customer service and producing refined analytics.
5. Social Data – Social data can help marketing gain new influence and recognition in the enterprise. Marketers can easily collect data, but correctly utilizing data has always been a challenge. From a recent study, a group of 900 marketers found that only 39% of analytics data is useful to drive decision making. There are a few ideas as to why data is not driving desired results such as not spending enough time on data projects and not knowing which department really needs to evaluate data. However, 2018 is the time for marketers to refocus and rebuild their data and produce results.
For brands who are serious about their social media success, desired results will stem from much more than using new applications and quick social media tips. 2018 is the time to focus on producing results.
