Social Media trends for 2017

2016 has been a very exciting year for the social media sphere. Social networks have reach their goal of engaging a larger audience, all over the globe. Whether it is to socialize, to get news or just to play, social media is still one of the first reasons why people go online. With 2017 approaching, we can only imagine what social media trends will be popular next year. Here is a little snippet of what you can expect from the 2017 digital world.

1. Live video

Live video has been around for a hot minute now, but the trend really took off this year with Facebook launching its live video feature, following the footsteps of YouTube and Periscope. Very recently, Instagram has jumped on the bandwagon and added an ephemeral live video feature, combining the concept of “stories” and real-time broadcasting.

2. Social commerce

Social media has largely impacted today’s world, including online commerce which has now become “social commerce”. Platforms like Pinterest have now integrated virtual storefronts to their website, so followers can buy directly on Pinterest. And it is certainly effective: 75% of users say they bought something they saw on Pinterest. Even Twitter has tested the “buy” button to encourage businesses to use it as a selling platform, as well as a social media.

3. Employee social advocacy 

Employees can create exposure for their companies, simply by sharing themselves on social media. Through their online presence, employee’s social advocacy can help a business to extend its reach. It is also an excellent tool to create storytelling around a brand and to connect with the consumers on an emotional level. Since 2013, interest in employee advocacy has grown 191%. It should continue to be one of the main social media trends for 2017.

4. Mobile

Mobile is one of the social media trends that has been gaining ground for a few years, to the point where it now overtakes computer use. As a response, companies are developing more and more mobile apps, in order to give priority to a handheld experience. Even Google has introduced the Accelerated Mobile Pages feature. It is a lighter version of an internet page that loads really fast.

5. Visual Content

In 2016, writing content, like blog articles, have continued to be very popular. But the truth is, brands are investing more budget in user generated content, especially in social walls, to feed their websites and event. This is an excellent tool to increase organic online presence without being obnoxious. In 2017, companies should invest more and more in this social media trend to get more ROI.