2018 is a just a few weeks away, and marketers are finalising their strategies for the new year.
Social media marketing is constantly changing. Data-backed trend projections for the new year help organisations understand how to better connect with their audience.
Below are three digital media marketing trends to watch over the next 12 months.
1.Video’s dominance continues
By 2019, video will be driving 80% of all online consumer traffic.
Around 80% of brand audiences would rather watch live video than read a blog post, according to a Livestream survey. The survey found that 87% of the participants would prefer live video over traditional television broadcasts, if it meant more behind the scenes footage.
In total, videos on social media are shared 1200% more than text and images. Viewers also retain 95% of the message on video, compared to 10% in text.
Behind the scenes clips on Snapchat or Instagram provide a great opportunity to connect with your audience. I’ve also found live streaming press conferences and event openings work well, and receive great user engagement.
I’ve used Facebook Live for updates on projects, particularly for initiatives I knew the target audience was interested in.
The barrier to entry to start creating Live videos is low. I have shot all my Live videos using my Redmi smartphone. Grab a Gorilla pod and you’re good to go.
Amy Porterfield has a great podcast outlining how to get started on Facebook Live, and you can listen here .
Buffer’s digital strategist, Brian Peters, gives a quick rundown of how affordable it can be to set up your own video marketing kit. You can watch here.
2.Mobile-ready content
When you’re creating that video, make sure its optimised for mobile.
It is projected that by 2018, 80% of internet use will be on mobile.
Mobile already represents close to seven in ten minutes on digital media. Facebook is a major player here, and it’s the top mobile app for United States users. Snapchat and Instagram also feature in the top ten.
Images, and shorter paragraphs are important for mobile content. Neil Patel put together a useful check list for how to create mobile content.
https://neilpatel.com/blog/how-to-create-mobile-friendly-content/
The folks over at Buffer have rounded up some of the best apps to help you get started on your mobile content today.
3.A drop in organic reach; increase in social media marketing budgets
It is estimated that the average Facebook user could see 1 500 stories in their news feed each time they log in. We only see about 300, according to Facebook.
Facebook said the decline in organic reach is due to increased competition. Its algorithm therefore filters posts that users are most likely to engage with.
While organic reach on Facebook continued to dip this year, a Facebook test which removed page posts from the news feed saw reach dropping by two thirds for Slovak media pages.
To combat the drop in organic reach, social media advertisers are increasing their budgets – by 74% year on year on Facebook alone.
Talkwalker roped in the experts for their advice. Matt Navara, the director of social at the Next Web, said marketers needed to optimise their content and develop a “smart paid social strategy”. Ian Clearly, the founder of RazorSocial, said brands would have to go out and find their audience, through channels like email marketing and paid advertising.
To boost reach on Facebook, Live video will continue to be a good channel. Facebook Live videos have a 186% higher organic reach than videos linked from other sites.
Mention also recommends using very specific targeting for your social media posts to make sure they reach your audience.
