Social media is always changing and smart social media marketers must always be on their toes. From the basic texts and images of the Myspace to the image rich Facebook to the augmented reality of Snapchat, the industry continues to develop at an astonishing rate.
In this article, we look at the areas of social media that are experiencing the biggest growth and the trajectory they will take in 2019.
Video
An article on Entrepreneur shows that at least 200 million people who use Instagram create Instastories every month. Instagram is not alone in this eye-widening growth. YouTube continues to grow impressively while Facebook continues to explore options for that allow users to add video content.
Beyond the obvious huge demand for video content by the generation Z, the rise in social media video content can also be largely attributed to natural preference of humans to visual content.
What this means for social media marketers is that there will be even more opportunities to reach more eyes in 2019 than ever before.
Augmented Reality
This is the next big thing as long as social media evolution is concerned. In fact, by 2023, the virtual reality market is expected to reach $300 billion in worth. Snapchat’s facial filters are only an idea of what potentials this industry holds.
It now makes sense for social media marketers to watch out for these innovations across all social media platforms. Hopping on them early enough has a whole lot of rewards for entrepreneurs looking to capture new eyeballs from the system.
Chatbots and Messenger Apps
Chatbots are not a new thing in the social media sphere; neither are messenger apps. But then, they will continue to gain more prominence and acceptance in the industry.
While most people who use social media do not do so with the intention of buying a product or services, marketers can potentially reach out to these prospects via chatbots. And with the rise of sophisticated chatbots – thanks to the improvement in artificial intelligence – it is now easier than before to convert many of these prospects to real customers.
Live Streaming
For most people, YouTube and Vimeo are some of the places to go to every time they want to view some new stuff on the internet. As expected, these videos are already pre-recorded and uploaded on these platforms.
However, the rise in the use of social media for live reporting, conferencing and teaching means there will be a very powerful demand for live streaming. People do not just want to see a video; they want to see it in real time!
User Generated Content
Think of Facebook’s business model. It gives users a platform to socialize – and these users create the content – then it monetizes this content and the traffic it generates.
In 2019 and for a long time after it, many businesses looking to market their products and services will have to create opportunities for their users or customers to participate in the content creation process. Whether through a forum, page or reposting competition, social media marketers will have to capitalize on the power of mass content creation!
Last Words
In addition to influencer marketing which has been around for a while now and shows no signs of going anywhere, the five trends mentioned above will dominate social media in 2019. As a brilliant marketer, you might want to put your money in the right channels and mile to the bank with an impressive ROI.
