This week has appeared to be very busy for many marketing managers and executives, completing their plans for the nearly arrived New Year. However now is more vital than ever to consider new digital marketing trends rising in 2016, and decide if these should be implemented into our content strategies for the coming year.
1. VIDEO AND LIVE STREAMING VIDEO
50% of Internet users agreed that visual content is much more appealing than text posts. As a result of this trend as well as faster Internet connections, video content is taking the front stage. Video content is infiltrating social media at a rapid pace and platforms such as Facebook are beginning to play favourites through their algorithms with this type of content. Facebook is getting more daily video minutes watched than YouTube, Snapchat’s daily views are in the billions, and video on Twitter has taken video marketing to a whole new level.
2. E-COMMERCE IS COMING
Facebook and Pinterest have already introduced their ‘Buy’ buttons, however, we are expecting to soon see all other Social Media Platforms jump on this bandwagon and make purchasing from social platforms seamless and easy through all kinds of browsers and devices, especially mobile. With 38 million active social media accounts in the UK, it is only natural we see a strong dash by the platforms to make the process of purchasing a more user-friendly experience.
3. USER PRIVACY
In 2016, social media users will show a strong, conscious approach towards their privacy after numerous scandals of online security breaches occurred in 2015. Platforms such as Snapchat exploded around the time they introduced more privacy (bye-bye Snapchat stalking), and if other platforms wish to continue to thrive, they too will have to up their privacy options. Facebook is leading the way by continuously implementing new privacy awareness tools as the heat rises around the global issue.
4. MOBILE DEVICES
Social media use on mobile technology has demonstrated a solid increase in 2015. Digitally, all websites are now recommended to be ‘mobile friendly’ whilst Social Media platforms constantly continue to enhance their mobile usability. In 2016, the diversity of apps will boom. Social Media browsing, searching for news, entertainment and new products, purchasing, navigation, communication with friends, posting and sharing are expected to break through with revolutionary mobile apps, enhancing the way we use our devices in the New Year.
