From Myspace Tom to the Snapchat hot dog, social media is constantly evolving. If you want to use social media to reach out to potential new customers and bring more people to your company’s website, then your strategy has to evolve with it. Learning about the latest social media trends and which ones are expected to come next can help your company stay on top of the social media game, whether you prefer using Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or a totally different platform. Prepare for 2018 by reading about some of the expected social media trends:

Focusing More on Instagram Stories

Instagram Stories were introduced in August 2016, and they’ve been becoming more and more popular since then. With 200 million monthly users, Instagram’s Stories feature has quickly gained around 50 million more regular users than Snapchat. In 2018, more Instagram users are expected to start using Stories. While this feature focuses on short-lived content, it is a great way to create more brand recognition and buzz around products or services. If your company is on Instagram, then you should definitely consider taking advantage of the Stories feature in 2018.

Creating More Personalized Content

Creating personalized content is essential if you want to bring more people to your website. Luckily, social media platforms are expected to offer more tools to help you create more personalized content in 2018. By enhancing their analytics tools, social media platforms will make it much easier to find out who is reading your content. When you know who your audience is, you can create content that is more tailored to their needs and goals. These tools will also make it easier to manage multiple campaigns to target different portions of your audience.

Going Live

You’ve probably seen at least one live video on Facebook or Instagram. Even if you didn’t end up watching it, you might remember who posted it or what they were talking about or showing off. Live streaming has become an incredibly popular social media feature, and it’s only expected to become more popular in 2018. Businesses can use live streaming abilities to show off new products, offer tours, and let people be part of a launch party experience—even if they’re in another part of the world!

Using Augmented Reality Features

Augmented reality takes what’s actually in front of you and enhances it with digital features. Filters and lenses are already popular on platforms like Snapchat and Instagram Stories, but we can expect to see even more augmented reality features becoming part of social media in the coming year. By incorporating more of these AR features into social media, businesses will be able to enhance their online marketing efforts and increase brand recognition.

Moving from Millennials to Generation Z

In 2018, social media marketing is expected to focus less on Millennials and more on Post-Millennials, also known as Generation Z. The younger generation has been exposed to modern technology since birth, so they are more comfortable using it and already expect to find information about products and services with the click of a button or the swipe of a finger. Generation Z’s oldest members are just starting to enter the workforce, meaning they’ll soon have spending power that can influence how companies advertise online, especially through social media.

Hanging Out Digitally

You don’t need to be in the same room (or even the same country) to hang out with people these days. That’s because digital hangouts have become a popular online feature for consumers of all ages, particularly those in Generation Z. Creating a digital hangout spot can be a great way for companies to interact with consumers, share valuable information, and bring more people to their websites. Some of the most popular social media platforms are already looking into ways to incorporate digital hangouts into their design, so companies can expect to see this feature more in 2018.

Using Chat Bots

Today’s consumers want the information they’re looking for as quickly as possible, and social media helps speed things up. Unfortunately, brands are not always able to respond as quickly or efficiently as consumers would like, leading them to look to the competition for what they want. Chat bots allow companies to provide the fast and friendly responses that consumers are looking for, giving them more time to provide the valuable answers that can help turn potential customers into repeat customers. In 2018, more chat bots are expected to help with social media messaging between businesses and consumers.

You don’t have to tackle these trends alone—Pennington Creative can help! Whether you’ve already created social media profiles or you’re just getting started, our team can provide you with unique and engaging content to post both on your website and on social media. Contact us today for more information about social media marketing services or to set up your discovery call.

About the Author

Jessica DeMilt

Digital Marketing Manager, Social Media Services