7 Social Media Trends 2018 Which You Can Capitalize for Your Business

You can leverage social media trends for better conversion. Here are 7 ways you can reach out to people and increase conversion.

How exactly are you planning on reaching out to the target audience this year? Digital Marketing today, is one of the marketing keys for all companies to survive and succeed in this competitive market. It is crucial to adopt the social media trends by industry. The days when social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter were a ‘trend’ are long gone by as they have now become the major pillars of a company’s digital marketing plan. If you still have included them in your marketing plan, you better hurry! Social Media is the place where you can reach & engage the audience because that is where they spend their online time the most.

Social Media, like technology itself, is an evolving digital platform that comes up with new and improved features all the time. For businesses to grow and stay up in line in the industry, social media strategy and tactics are important to implement. But, you need to stay updated on the latest trends in social media and use the platforms likewise to capitalize on them to an optimum level.

Here are the social media trends that are huge this year:    

THE EXPLOSIVE POPULARITY OF VIDEO & LIVE STREAMING:

It is the time of fast paced life. Today, people are more attracted towards videos from different brands than reading a blog; this vouches for 80% of the consumers. Video and live streaming was indeed an explosion in the year 2017 since videos were preferred over written social media content updates. But, 2018 is speculated to be a bigger year in this regard.

This is because initially only brands and social media platforms supported the live streaming format but, now even audiences have joined in and settled in support of the format. From being a cool interactive medium, the live streaming videos have rather become a necessary expectation of the audience from your brand. The immediate engagement of the personalities and brands through live streaming is highly beneficial. This is one of the latest social media trends for the business that you cannot afford to miss out on.

INSTAGRAM STORIES:

Snapchat had taken a long time to build its 173 million daily users but, Instagram stories, on the other hand, is rising at jet speed and has already got over 250 million daily active users. The Instagram Stories post is numbered by sheer engagement; after all, it is one of the newest mediums of consumer engagement. No wonder, the social media trends 2018 list is topped by the

Instagram Stories that has been recently launched to stand against Snapchat. Businesses need to tap maximum users over online platforms that they use the most. So, being smart in understanding the Instagram Stories through and through does not suffice. You have to act proactively in incorporating it into the company’s social media marketing strategies.

SOCIAL LISTENING IS IN!

Social listening is a part of social media consumer trends. The actions of the audience can be measured using the Social listening tools. Social listening is practiced to track a company’s conversation that deals with particular brands, words or phrases. This social media trend strives to offer benefits to business like telling the best and engaging content to be shared, better customer care and supports in finding latest social marketing campaigns.

With the rightful use of the social listening tools trend, brands can be driven to the correct direction of being ahead in the game. Around 60 percent of the consumers expect a reply to their complaint on social media within 60 seconds. So, it is best to enter Social Listening and avoid losing out on existing and potential customers.

PERSISTING INFLUENCER MARKETING:

Are you thinking of optimizing social media engagement? Go for Influencer Marketing. There is a huge range of companies in the market who are looking forward to entering into influencer marketing. As a part of social media trends for marketing, even though the concept is not new but, it is highly successful. The trend is still alive and kicking and only growing.

Influencer marketing strategies will help businesses to build a meaningful relationship and also find apt influencers who actually mirror the brand ethos. The Gen Y is rapidly gaining the purchasing power as the millennials are moving on to their careers. If this marketing tactic is well sketched, then the payoff will surely be worth it.

MESSAGING PLATFORMS DO GOOD TO BUSINESS:

Face it! Facebook messenger is not the only messaging platform in town. Even WeChat with 963 monthly active users and Whatsapp with around 1.3 billion MAU’s are taking the lead. According to studies, around 67% of the brands (over the next two years) are planning to collar up their messaging as Facebook research has concluded that messaging channels are more preferred by 54% of the people using social media in the US.

Messaging is actually the new thing in over the past few years, and it isn’t going away anytime soon. So, Viola! time to take it for the advantage of your business. More and more companies are introducing their own chat boxes. This is being done to provide specific answers to individual orders due to the trend of customization of chatbots.

AUGMENTED REALITY: Humans meet AI

Augmented reality is one of the most famed social media trends for business this year, as it carves an engaging and niche medium for businesses to reach the target audience. This format is easy, interactive and quick. AR has a differential advantage for unlike Virtual Reality, the user mobility is not limited and the vision isn’t restricted.

The gaming industry has already been taken by storm with the introduction of augmented reality. AI lenses or face filters of Instagram and Snapchat also fall under the AR umbrella. Social media platforms are gradually implementing AR through which online products can be directly bought into the home. All you need for it is a smartphone.

FACEBOOK IS STILL RULING:

Facebook has a history of digital realm since the year 2004. Since then Facebook has been evolving with the new and emerging trends. It is still relevant as social media trends today as this platform continues to set the pace of all major social media marketing trends. Facebook is certainly an old dog but, it can be churned up by new tricks.