2017 saw many changes in the sphere of social media. Twitter increased its character limit to a whopping 280 characters (more from the legendary #POTUS), Instagram introduced multi-photo posts, and Facebook has jumped on the Stories bandwagon; which begs the question “What will 2018 bring?” Though we cannot provide a precise answer to that, we can give some insight into the social trends to look out for in 2018 and what they entail.
Storytelling is the future
Not all brands are blessed with extremely exciting products to sell, but if they successfully weave it into a story that enraptures their audience, they will sell. National Geographic is proof of that, in the form of a beautifully curated 3×3-grid. Their awe-inspiring square-format photos, accompanied by a caption that tells a story, can account for their 82 million following on Instagram. The range of subjects being discussed are historical, topical or even personal but more than anything, emotional. Through their phenomenal visuals and immersive captions, NatGeo manages to evoke a sense of wonder in their audience and makes them stop scrolling.
(Source: National Geographic’s Instagram)
The ways in which you can tell a story are not limited to visuals or text. Video is a big, big thing. In 2017, 90% of all content shared by users on social media was on video. Today, it is the fastest growing ad format in the world, doubling year on year. But video is just that, an ad format. Brands need to understand that it “isn’t a strategy, it’s a tactic”, as David Wilding, Head of Planning at Twitter had said. Without a proper strategy in place, the whole idea of having a video will feel kitsch. And what sort of video, you ask? Well in this aspect, the world is your oyster. You could have yourself a traditional video, or change things up with GIFs, hyperlapses, timelapses, stopmotions and the lot. The biggest challenge is getting your audience to watch past the first few seconds. As attention spans are plummeting, brands that employ the use of video need to capture their audience’s attention before they tune out. Sam Saunders, Chief Creative Officer of We Are Social, has a ‘six-second theory’ on that. Check out YouTube Advertiser’s 6-second clip by Mother New York, that manages to deliver a message as succinctly as possibly.
Make it for mobile
With quality content and richer form of content, it is imperative for brands to have ads that are mobile-optimized, simply because the most used device is smartphones. Mobile now represents almost seven out of ten digital media minutes, with smartphone applications accounting for half of all time spent engaging with media, according to comScore’s 2017 U.S. Cross-Platform Future in Focus report. Brands are shifting to create content that cater to mobile screens. As such, user experience should be straight-forward and easy to navigate.
(Source: Nanigans)
Leave a mark with vanishing content
And with the rise of mobile as the chosen device, there comes a new medium on social that brands can capitalize on. Enter Snapchat — the app that allows you to share photos and videos for a short time before it disappears into the deep dark Internet forever. Also see: Instagram stories and Facebook stories, functioning in the same aspect. Ephemeral content has a sense of authenticity that consumers crave for, and it receives a high engagement rate. The fact that the content only remains for a maximum of 24 hours galvanizes audiences to act fast and has them coming back for more.
(Source: Hannah Choi)
Zoom in on Gen Z
Now that you have the what and the how, let’s talk about who. Gen Z has been identified as the most valuable demographic cohort to target, even surpassing Millennials. The group, which consists of individuals born in 1995 or later, will be just entering the workforce and has a total purchasing power of $44 billion. Combine this with the fact that social media has shaped their reality, brands who understand how to harness the power of social to reach this group can expect their efforts to pay off.
Get an influencer onboard
And who better to market your products to this group than influencers? While the phrase might leave a sour taste on your tongue, influencer marketing is here to stay. Reports have found that 74% of people look to their social media platforms to make a purchase decision, and 40% have admitted to buying something promoted by an influencer on Instagram or Twitter. The numbers don’t lie — influencer marketing works. However, numerous brands have come under fire for their influencer engagement. People simply don’t like being lied to. Brands need to be more discerning in their choice of influencer, namely what is the influencer’s branding, and if the shoe fits, you can get it at 15% off when you use the promo code ‘INFLUENCERINFLUENZA15’.
(Source: Curalate)
As social media is constantly evolving and proving to be a powerful tool for brands to reach out to their consumers, we’re curious to see what 2018 brings to the table.
Reach out to us at hello@alto.sg for a free consultation. We’ll be glad to help you out![/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section]