01 Oct THIS OR THAT: SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING TRENDS IN 2017
Without a doubt, one of the most defining characteristics of social media has to be its constant state of change. Until recently, many companies saw social media marketing as a time waster, not necessary as part of their marketing strategy. However, times have dramatically changed, as businesses are now unable to ignore the growing relationship between social and business goals.
We are taking a look back at the previous years and predicting the social marketing trends that are set to be big in 2015. First and foremost, the next year will see more money being invested in social media than previous years. According to new research from Duke University, spending on social media outlets currently represents 9% of marketing budgets, as companies of all sizes realise the importance it is expected to increase to more than 13% over the next 12 months. Companies are realising social media is where most of their potential customers are spending their time therefore it only makes sense to target it as an investment. It looks like 2015 will be the year for optimisation as brands are set to spend less time than previous years investing in new platforms and more time utilising what is already working or assessing what is not. Personalisation is also set to take centre stage as advertisers strategies how to reach the user and move toward targeting, messaging and measuring. One component of this increasingly personalised experience is the effort that will be taken to track performance. Marketers will be under increased pressure to look at how they are working toward business goals including conversion, email acquisition and retention. Therefore while it may have not been as important, using the right metrics to measure performance will become more essential.
Continued convergence of media is set to make waves with social media platforms becoming increasingly diverse in terms of the products they offer. 2014 witnessed new social platforms such as Snap Chat and Pinterest producing their own advertising products at a faster rate. This drives the necessity for advertisers to pursue paid options on these platforms. Facebook has warned that without advertising content has a significantly lower chance of being seen. However, for 2015 convergence is going to play out in a different way with more integration into live events, including television. The mobile has been viewed as the second screen in previous years however it is predicted that marketers will be paying increased attention to the mobile experience in the new- year. Creating independent strategies for independent devices is set to be big again touching on the personalised experience. Visual elements are set to play a larger role in social marketing as apps like snap chat Instagram and Pinterest rise in popularity. Pinterest is one to watch in the future. The image sharing platform has only been around for several years but the scale is enormous due to the rich user experience. Most major brands already have a presence but it is likely to evolve in 2015 and gain more traction. Messaging apps like Snap Chat and WhatsApp will increase the number of user bases creating new marketing opportunities.
Overall social media marketing is experiencing an exciting time of evolution and is at the forefront of the majority of business. One thing for sure we are very much still in the early stages however it is a matter of continued growth rather than hitting one distinct point of maturation.