Social Media Trends To Look Out For In 2017 (Part 1)

Did you know that last year social media had over 2.3 billion active users and that’s on the rise. Having a social media strategy for your business is going to be key in 2017.

So how can you ensure that time and effort put in by you and your marketing team is getting the return you expect.

One thing to do is make sure you keep on top of all the latest trends happening in the social media sphere. Here are a few we are focusing on in 2017.

  1. Live Streaming Video

Last year we realized the importance of video marketing. Our Facebook Live videos we produced, gathered more engagement that ever before. We knew 2016 was the year of video but don’t expect this to slow down in 2017. Social videos have much more engagement than any other content format, and have been responsible for a lot of growth on Facebook. Even news sources are citing Facebook Live videos when covering major events. The world of media is changing thanks to live video. Social media is becoming fascinated with live, authentic content. If you haven’t yet embraced live streaming, it’s not too late. Here are a few examples of great ‘Live’ social videos we like;

Shopify do a really cool job on some of their Facebook Live videos as seen below;

Callaway Golf also do some unique live videos, giving behind the scenes access for their followers;

If you can’t decide what direction you want to go for your business, below are some options/formats to keep in mind.

Live-Stream-Like-a-Pro-Marketo

 

  1. Paid Social Media

In today’s social media advertising world you have to pay to play.

By utilizing paid social media advertising you can reach an audience beyond your followers. Targeting also allows you to reach people that have a genuine interest in what your company has to offer.
PR Daily reports that for every $1 you spend creating content, you should spend $2 promoting it. They say, target customers and new business leads, people who have visited specific pages on your website and even a lookalike audience of your established email database.
The precise targeting makes it easy to reach the right people with the right message at the right time. Why not use it more?
According to Advertising Age, social media spending grew by 55 percent in 2016 to $10.9 billion, up from the previous year’s $7 billion. That could hit $15 billion in 2017.

 

Check out this great infographic from Digital Information World who focus on why you should amplify with social ads.

paid social infographic

 

  1. 360 images and video
360 degree image

People are also starting to demand social media as a conduit for more vicarious experiences. It’s no longer enough to post your sentiments about an event; you have to show your users what it’s like to be there. You can do this with things like live video, 360 images and video, and even just more real-time posting. The idea is to make your users feel like they’re a genuine part of the experience, as it’s unfolding.

Check out this 360 video for visit Dubai. In this ad you’re taken through a day in beautiful Dubai in 360° video. The visuals are impressive and the destinations well thought-out.

This is just three social trends to look out for in 2017. We will follow up next week with Part 2.


Featured image by Wall Street Journal


Start Your Free Trial





”’