4 digital marketing trends – Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and other popular social media networks are timelessly updating their platforms, which explains the touch-and-go for marketers to keep up-to-date with the latest growths in the social media space.
So, to assist you with preparing for the changes 2018is yet to through at you, we’ve put together a list of the top social media trends you need to know. Let’s dive in…
The 4 digital marketing trends to shape 2018
1. Video on demand, in demand
Nothing on social media is as eye-catching as good video content. Whether you decide to market on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or Snapchat, it seems like social video engagement stats are going excel in 2018.
If you’re not convinced, these social media video statistics should prove why video is worth your attention:
- YouTube viewers watch a billion hours of video each day
- Facebook users consume over 8 billion videos every day
- 82% of Twitter’s audience views video content on the platform
There’s a huge variety of formats this video content can take, from 360-degree videos to live streams. This provides marketing teams with a serious amount of flexibility when planning video campaigns. One thing to keep in mind, though, is that mobile comes first. After all, 90% of Twitter video views and 60% of YouTube views are now from users on mobile devices.
2. Social media influencers gaining more influence
At this point, the advantages of social influencer marketing have been well-established. Reasons why marketers should expect tough competition if they want to work with top brand influencers this year. To avoid the pressure of competing with rival brands, marketers will be looking to develop more long-term relationships with key social media influencers in 2018.
3. The EU’s crackdown on data collection
In 2018, the European Union is getting serious about companies collecting consumer data. On May 25, 2018, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is going into effect. Will your company be prepared?
Basically, the GDPR gives EU citizens more control over their personal data. Every time a company wants to collect information from a consumer, they’ll now need explicit consent from the individual.
That data could be anything from their location to their name and their email address. On top of that, the company will need to tell the person what data they plan to collect and how they’ll use it.
I know what you’re thinking—if my business isn’t in the EU, no problem, right? Well, the GDPR is applicable to any company that collects data on any EU citizen.
And U.S.-based companies are more prepared for the GDPR than European ones; less than 75% of European companies will be GDPR compliant by May, compared to 84% of American companies.
What happens if your business doesn’t comply? It’s not pretty: you’ll be faced with an EU fine of up to 4% of global annual turnover or 23 million USD—whichever is greater.
4. The new art of storytelling
With their popularity growing, social media “stories” will be impossible for marketers to ignore in the coming year. The “stories” format created by Snapchat has now become a staple of the social media world.
First Instagram created Instagram Stories, and now YouTube has released a stories format of their own called “Reels”. Each offers unique features and presentation, but they all follow the same concept.
Stories capture the best moments from a day and most vanish after a set period of time. Their temporary nature creates a sense of FOMO for users who don’t check them out before they disappear. They’re also just a fun, bite-sized way to present video content.
2018 is sure to be a big year for stories, with even WhatsApp and Facebook joining the fray. It’s time to think about stories as a key part of your social marketing strategy.
New Year, New Strategy
With all these many trends happening, it will certainly shape the landscape of social and digital marketing in 2018. To keep your brand ahead of the curve, you’ll need to update your content and strategy to reflect changing consumer desires.
Whether you’re introducing chatbots for customer service or starting a Facebook live stream to promote your new product, you’ll want to keep a close eye on these developments as the year progresses. Contact us today to find out how we can implement these 4 digital marketing trends for your business.
