Top 5 Social Media Trends for 2017
The introduction of new inbuilt technology in social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter has completely changed the way we see the world around us. From the click of a mouse, people now have the ability to engage and interact with family and friends from all over the world! Below we explore the top 5 social media trends that are revolutionising the way we connect globally, through cutting-edge technology.
1. Love for Live Stream
One of the biggest social media trends we have witnessed has been Live video streaming which has now become a social media phenomenon. It has enabled people from all over the world to see each other through an accessible live feed, giving an instant platform to connect with people, places or events – in absence of not being physically present.
Live streaming has been implemented through numerous social media platforms such as Twitter, where the ‘Periscope’, a new video live stream has enabled viewers to explore the world of others, through a unique 360-degree viewing app. Similarly, Facebook has utilised this 360-degree video stream with its ‘ Facebook Live’ technology, that enables you to view any live broadcast from multiple angles and perspectives, at any given place and time. It has proven to be extremely valuable for global event broadcasting, where news reporters have used it to present groundbreaking news.
The popularity of live streaming can also be seen on the social media platform Instagram, where its very own ‘Live Stories’ stream, has enabled businesses and individuals to video record themselves, marketing their goods and services to their followers, whilst also showing their whereabouts and activities for the day. Like Snapchat, Instagram stories only last 24 hours and then is removed, making it a very engaging technology to use.
With such great global reach, live streaming is one technology that is making its mark in the social media world. It has become a unique marketing tool with immediate effect. It has changed the way social media is being used to connect and has globalised the world.
2. Social Selling
Next in line of social media trends come, In-app purchase buttons are proving influential for social media platforms, allowing viewers to instantly discover, sell and purchase products from their apps. Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook have created their own purchase buttons – helping businesses target and promote their products more effectively, whilst making online shopping easier for their viewers. This can be seen through Twitters ‘Buy Now’ button, which has helped users purchase items directly from tweets, rather than having to click through multiple websites to get to the final pay section. This has made shopping online much more effective for both the businesses and buyers, eliminating unnecessary steps throughout the shopper’s journey from initial search to purchase.
Pinterest is also looking to create a purchase button with advanced commercial features such as sponsored pins (similar to Google Adwords), buyable pins and video advertising next year. With one of the world’s largest catalogs of products and ideas, it will become a good sort after platform for any business wanting to market and sell their products online. Hence, social selling is one technology that is beginning to revolutionise the way we connect with our buyers & sell our products across a global network.
3. Messaging App
More than 4 Billion people now using messenger Apps worldwide! With such an astonishing statistic, it’s no wonder this technology is in the top 5 trends that will influence social media trends this year.
Messaging apps have become highly advantageous and influential for businesses, enabling an instant personalised conversation with the viewer. Facebook, for instance, has utilised this app perfectly, allowing their viewers to click on an ad, which takes them directly to a chat window. This allows the viewer to communicate simultaneously with a business representative, grabbing their attention and interest to the product from the get go. As more brands start to realise the value of social messaging compared to regular social networks, they’ll make even more efforts to have a presence there.
4. Story Switch
Story switch is another powerful technology that has changed the way we connect with others. It allows users to share short personalised videos, aka ‘stories’ that last up to 24 hours. Unlike video streaming, the stories are permanently deleted, with no trace of ever retrieving them again! This feature has enabled the technology to hit global outbreak, with the launch of it on Instagram in August 2016, hitting over 100 million daily active users in just the first two months! The popularity of this technology has been credited to the way viewers are able to easily scroll through video footage to find people and brands, compared to other platforms like Snapchat where you require an exact users name.
5. Augmented Reality
Augmented reality is an older technology that has reached viral status through its application in apps such as Pokemon Go. Pokemon Go. Released in 2016, the app has easily become one of the most popular global phenomenon’s, reaching thousands of downloads on any given day. It went on and became one the social media trends. This alone has influenced its application in social media platforms like Instagram, who have designed their new ‘ Selfie Lense’ late last year. They developed the app in hopes of gaining and reaching a wider audience and following on their platform, which they achieved undoubtedly.
Another one from social media trends was Snapchat, who has taken the world by storm through their utilisation and innovation of augmented reality features that allow you to change and animate your face to different shapes, elements, and forms. Like Instagram and Pokemon Go, Snapchat has hit global domination, engaging a global network of followers and users, who are dependent on the technology for social networking. This, therefore, is a highly influential technology, that is changing social media trends and the way we connect to one and another.
These 5 social media trends are a prime example of how the world is becoming more globalised and connected through social media optimisation. Without these constant developments, we would not be able to engage or interact with people, places or events like the way we do now. It is therefore evident that social media combined with cutting edge technology are two powerful forces that are revolutionising the way we connect and interact with the world around us.
.png)
