We prepare to say goodbye to 2015 and keep our eyes ahead on 2016. What will this new year bring us, as people and entrepreneurs? How can we keep our clients close and attract new ones? I am no soothsayer to see into the future, but there is one thing I know for sure: social media will become even more important than it is now for sharing content, telling stories, engaging with your followers and gaining their trust and goodwill.
This being said, what you need to do is be aware of the latest trends emerging on the social media and which, as an early adopter, will help you stay ahead of your competition and build stronger and more meaningful relationships with your customers.
Without further ado, let’s take a look at the most powerful trends which will rule the social media world in 2016:
1. Social Media Becomes the New Search Engine
The trend has already emerged in 2015 but it will be stronger than ever in the next year. People no longer rely on Google alone for finding products, services, advice and information. They browse Pinterest boards, Quora answers, YouTube videos, Facebook recommendations and Twitter mentions.
To confirm the emergence of this trend, Pinterest has recently announced that it will launch a visual search feature which works like this: you see the photo of a dress and you want to see similar models to it. You click on the photo, and you will receive the results, pretty much like in Google Images.
2. You Are Live… or You Are Not
Live broadcasts and podcasts will become the norm. People want to interact with you one-on-one in live video sessions, ask you questions and receive answers immediately.
Actually, Facebook is planning to start its Facebook Live extension to its basic social media and a new social media platform, Periscope, is gaining more and more users.
3. Social Media Becomes a Content Platform
Facebook Articles is just behind LinkedIn Pulse as a content publishing and sharing platform. The shift in mentality has occurred after more and more social media users found it difficult to deal with many browser windows on their mobile phones. Thus, instead of being taken to a new web page just for reading an article promoted with a shared link on Facebook, they can read the article directly inside Facebook.
4. Social Media Becomes an E-commerce Platform
The sales funnel has become shorter and simpler since social media platforms like Facebook have started offering the possibility of buying products and services directly from within the platform. In a few taps or clicks, your clients can take advantage of a special offer and complete the purchase.
5. Video Still Rules
There is no going back from this ongoing trend. In fact, it will become stronger than ever. With smartphones featuring larger screens, easy wireless charging and more RAM memory, people find it easier to consume content in video form, instead of reading texts. Facebook already offers a versatile editor for your uploaded videos, so you can prepare and share your content with your audience in the best presentation and technical conditions.
As you can see, social media becomes a stronger presence in our lives. We can interact with each other, do business, find clients, and create excitement and emotion for our products and services. So, the best thing you can do is stay on top of the game and embrace these upcoming trends ahead of your competitors.