As we come into 2021 change is palpable in the air. A new president will be sworn in shortly, financial markets around the world are reeling for what is to come, and the ever evolving landscape of Social Media is changing at break neck speeds.
What can we expect in 2022 in Social Media? Let’s take a look at 4 trends that are sure to have transformational impact in this area.
- Video – The 800 lb gorilla. Video is going to be king in 2021. Recently, Cisco published a white paper where they predicted that in just three short years- by 2020, over 80% of internet traffic will be video. Yes, over 80%! At their first annual recap published on Medium, Periscope announced that viewers watched 110 years of Live Video EVERY DAY!Not only is video
spreading at wildfire rates, it is getting more and more sophisticated every day practically. Facebook recently launched Live 360 video from NetGeo – very soon, everyone will be able to stream 360 video as well.Periscope recently announced “Periscope Producer” which lets you stream to Twitter from pro cameras, apps and VR. This allows producers to expand beyond just amateur video by making it possible to stream from a variety of devices including professional cameras and studio editing rigs, games, Drones and VR Headsets.Video is everywhere now and with the explosive growth of Live Video Streaming across the major Social Platforms, Social Media will be absolutely impacted by it. - Ecommerce on Social Media. The “Big 4” Social Media networks – Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram offer consumers the ability to purchases directly within the apps. Over 1/3 of online consumers state that they are actively using Social Media to look for products to buy, and more than half of them follow brands they
like on various Social Media channels. The visual aspect of social, along with the ease and convenience of having access to the content on your mobile phone which is permanently attached to us makes social and mobile commerce a winning combination for retailers in 2017 and beyond. - Mobile advertising will reach boiling point. As brands realize the enormous reach that they can have with the millions and millions of mobile users across the globe, it is only natural that mobile advertising will be omnipresent. Every major Social Media network offers advertiser the ability to reach their user base. Facebook’s $7 Billion in social media ad revenue in 2016, was 80% from mobile ads. A statistic that can not be understated.
- Virtual Reality – This is a relatively new format, yet one that is garnering a lot of attention. It is an exciting and vastly different experience which can ONLY be found, in virtual reality. Brands are quickly realizing the value of the immersive experience this platform offers to engage users with their product in a very unique and memorable way. Early adopters like TOMS are blazing a trail that will soon have many followers. As video evolves and grows, VR video is a trend that will have a significant impact on Social Media in 2017.
These are exciting times for consumers, Social Media Managers and brands. The landscape is not quite formed and quickly evolving. There is so much opportunity in just about every area for everyone and 2021 will be a year to be remembered.
