Social media is aptly named because people want and almost need to be social. Social media's foundation is centered around creating unique content, most of which is visual. Social media also needs to be engaging and personalized in order to attract followers. What are the social media trends for 2017 and beyond? Let us look at present app trends, which will evolve but remain prominent in social media.
Be your best self
Selfies will be taken to the next level with the introduction of enhanced apps that produce a nearly professional look. Apps will take the place of professional photography by featuring the best options of locations, lighting, and appearance. The social media community will want to remain engaged with a "live person." In the past, many brands would use a logo or a candid image of themselves.
360º focus
360º video is being produced with newer app trend technology that will help social media marketing explode. 360º videos are becoming so well developed that viewers feel like they are personally experiencing a location. New technology allows viewers to control where they look within a given image. Amazing!
Immerse yourself
Augmented reality and virtual reality generate immersive experiences that consumers and viewers want more of. This technology in a social media context will advance as consumers become more comfortable using virtual reality headsets and augmented reality apps.
No more fake news
Fake news articles exploded in 2016. As a result, companies have been urged to re-evaluate the way in which they allow content to be distributed. In 2017, companies must be more reliable, authentic, and invaluable on the social media platforms where they share their content.
Influencing on a large scale
Social media individuals who have a large audience of followers and engaged users are vastly influencing this platform. Aside from celebrities, average people who are capturing target audiences to interact with on a regular basis are the new social media influencers. This trend will continue far into the future.
This type of content is catching the eye of marketers who can take advantage of this social media channel to help promote their various campaigns. Marketers can use this type of content with customers by tracking active fans, tracking your total likes, seeing the growth of your audience, and projecting lead generations. In 2017 and beyond, this content will be even more important as more people turn to social media sources before news, email, or blogs.
Chat apps
Social media has taken an even more personal and immediate turn with the growth of social messaging. Chat apps like WeChat, Kik, and Viber have huge userbases. Chat apps are just now coming into its own and will continue to see a vast growth that will revolutionize how companies can interact with their consumer demographics. With 49 percent of mobile messaging app users between the ages of 18-29, marketers can quickly target this millennial demographic.
Customer service
Customer relationship management (CRM) will see significant growth and value on social media platforms. Individuals use their favorite social media app to share content or to complain about their favorite companies. To stay relevant, companies must understand and learn from their customers' overall experiences. This means that companies must retain well-trained staff that can respond quickly and appropriately.