Here are seven landmark social media marketing trends I predict we’ll see in 2016:
1. In-the-moment updates will dominate. Social media is already “in-the-moment” by nature, but there are some posts that are more “in-the-moment” than others.
2. Buy buttons will take over. Facebook and Pinterest are just two of the platforms that gained attention this year by introducing new “buy” features for their advertisers and users.
3. In-app functionality will diversify and spread. Facebook is the king of adding new functionality. In the past year, they’ve introduced Instant Articles (a new form of publishing), an in-post search engine (to find articles you’re referencing), and videos that play instantly when scrolling.
4. New publication options will be available. Facebook’s Instant Articles are only the beginning.
5. User privacy concerns will hit an all-time high. After another year full of high-profile security breaches (like the one with Ashley Madison), user concerns over privacy are going to hit an all-time high.
6. Competition for organic visibility will increase.
7. Fewer small platforms will emerge.