Social media is constantly evolving. Technologies released in recent years are already strongly influencing the market. Companies providing innovations are appearing at a faster pace than ever before, disrupting the world of advertising as we know it.
Keeping up with changes and evolutions in different social platforms means, for marketers, the ability to capture their audience through a variety of tools and tactics. Undoubtedly important is the optimization of Social Media Listening services to expand coverage of multiple social media by returning fast and accurate content. This is where the number one platform for analytics comes to our aid: Talkwalker.
Here then are the top social media trends to watch out for in the now approaching 2019.
COMMUNICATION GOES THROUGH THE AI
The companies that will emerge are those that aim to strike a balance between artificial and emotional intelligence. From chatbots to optimizing social media ads, platforms such as Google, Amazon, and Facebook have rapidly adopted artificial intelligence to improve customer interaction. Millennials seem to be the fastest adapters of chatbot-based customer experiences. According to Huffington Post, 60 percent of the population born after 2000 already use chatbots, and 71 percent of those who do not, said they would like to try using one. 2019 will also see the advent of WhatsApp as the main social customer service channel. With the release of WhatsApp's enterprise API in August 2018, companies will be able to respond to customers within 24 hours for free. The power of WhatsApp is truly in the hands of consumers.
MULTIMEDIA SEARCH
"Alexa, find me a recipe for apple pie."
The increasing use of voice search has made it important for companies to rethink their digital marketing strategies in 2019. in fact, according to recent studies, 50% of all searches will involve voice search by 202 and 20% of mobile queries on Google are voice searches. Artificial Intelligence is greatly improving, and the number of errors made by voice assistants such as Alexa, Siri, and Google has decreased significantly in recent periods. Keep in mind that more and more companies will produce audio content in hopes of gaining brand awareness. This means that you will be able to buy voice advertising space, such as Google AdWords, but for home speakers.
THE IMPACT OF AUGMENTED REALITY AND VIRTUAL REALITY
Today's user essentially wants two things: to be engaged and to actively participate in brand communication. Augmented and virtual realities (AR and VR) can meet both of these needs, offering brands enormous opportunities in the area of customer experience. Virtual and augmented realities are becoming increasingly common as a marketing tool for brands. The VR and AR market is supposedly worth $27 billion. It is expected to even reach the size of $209.2 billion in just four years. But not only augmented reality but also virtual reality and especially visual search, where users can upload an image to conduct a search and get more specific results. Google Lens is a visual search engine from Google, which visually recognizes objects, landmarks and other things through a camera app (currently only available on some mobile devices). Pinterest (which we'll be hearing a lot about in the new year), recently came out with Lens , a new visual search tool that allows users to take a picture of an item to find out where to buy it online, search for similar products, or see boards of related items.
STREAM, STREAM AND MORE STREAM
Although the present is dominated by Netflix and Amazon in the popularization of streaming content, on the starting line for streaming services in the new year we also find Facebook and Snapchat, ready to expand their video content offerings with original content. We also open a parenthesis here on live streaming, which takes video channels to another level. Live streaming helps marketers not only give potential customers an intimate look at what is happening, but also offer a natural call to action. A more intimate approach that is close to the target brand.
FEATURED MICRO INFLUENCERS
Predominant element in this 2018, which we will find growing again in the new year, will be Influencer marketing campaigns that will continue with fewer celebrities but more micro Influencers. Among other things, brands also love working with them because they are easier to manage and cost less. Their being so similar to the people they are targeting makes them trustworthy, familiar, and above all, credible. Monitoring campaigns is definitely relevant to understand well how to move according to the target audience. This is where the new Influencer One platform comes to our aid, which allows us to track and analyze all stages of relationships with influencers.
CHANGES FOR THE CUSTOMER JOURNEY
In 2019, social media such as Facebook and Instagram will be the first touchpoint for customer acquisition. Facebook Messenger will allow direct buying and so will Instagram stories where people will buy through DMs...social media marketing will be as never before an indispensable element for sales. Social Selling in fact does not mean selling directly on social networks but building a solid reputation, that is, using social channels to create frequent points of contact and interaction. Social media has changed users and users have allowed social media to evolve according to people's needs. This consequently, has twisted the nature of the buying process from direct to consultative. More and more companies are targeting pop-up stores and presentation events that become so popular when designed with the intention of being shared on social media.
BRAND PURPOSE.
"Two-thirds of consumers will buy or boycott a brand because of its stance on a social or political issue" ( Edelman 2018)
How do you make a credible difference? What are the risky and safe areas for brands to explore? How do you choose the right causes that reflect the values of your brand and consumers? In this era, buying means supporting a brand, especially for what it stands for. People increasingly expect influential brands to provide something beyond the product or service they offer and promote. Brands need to play their part in society, in caring for people and the planet, and instilling, expressing and inspiring a set of norms and values.
FUTURE TO GENERATION Z
The young (or rather very young since they include 15- to 20-year-olds) Generation Z is the target audience of the future, the one that will most influence companies' digital marketing strategies in the coming years. They are the mobile-first generation in history, who place a central importance on personalization and relevance. Generation Z youth use an average of five devices (compared to 3 for Millennials): smartphones, desktops, notebooks, TVs, and tablets or iPods. It is this generation that we should always have an eye on.
TWITTER IN REBIRTH
Is Twitter dying? Far from it, in fact it is about to become more sectoral than ever. As Luca Rallo repeatedly pointed out to us during Social Media Days, "Twitter is dead, only for those who don't know how to use it" so if you think it's no longer worth it, they advise you to pick it up again because there will be relevant news coming in the new year.
DATA TRANSPARENCY
Given the history of this 2018 and the whole Cambridge Analytica scandal, it is certain that in 2019, issues such as data security will take center stage. We will have the first effects of GDPR that has been in effect for a few months now, and more and more companies will have to organize their internal records to adapt to the new regulations.
FOCUS ON CONVERSION RATE
I believe that in 2019 more small and medium-sized businesses will turn to digital monitoring solutions and software to measure the impact of PPC campaigns, as it is time to measure cost per conversion, not cost per click. Brands will start with exhaustive data sets to define strategy and carry out day-by-day activities.
AIM FOR STEADY GROWTH OVER TIME
All of the different trends mentioned above effectively identify key aspects of creating more engaging relationships with consumers on social media, which in turn could help your brand increase its organic online presence, in work that points to the long term.
Now that we've found out what's in store for the new year, we need to think about how to make the most of our digital strategy for 2019!