Digital video sharing takes over as this years’ top social media trends, and it has completely changed the socialscape for good. More than 200 million people are consuming digital video content in the U.S. Statista says that from 2012 to 2020, the number of people watching online video will climb to 232.1 million people. That’s an incredible number of people streaming content—including your brand’s content.
The numbers get more impressive. For example, video ad spending rose 30 percent from 2015 to 2016. And, eMarketer says digital video will grow by double digits through 2020 going forward. That will reach an astounding $17 billion spent on online video ads by 2020.
This surge in video viewership and viewer expectation, can be attributed to the launch of Facebook Live.
Here are this years’ top social media trends
Facebook Live
In April, Mark Zuckerberg created a simple Facebook post, and then, he was live. It was the launch of Facebook Live. Turn on the video on your phone, point it at your face and start talking to your audience on Facebook — in real-time. It is one of the biggest changes to social media this year.
Numerous Platforms Have Launched Video Sharing
The launch of Facebook Live has been a springboard for the use of video in marketing. Some companies have refined their platforms, creating interesting and engaging access to their audiences. Now, brands have multiple options to select from (and there’s no doubt that using numerous platforms is ideal). Take a look at some of the latest additions.
Instagram Stories
Instagram Stories takes using this photo-focused website to the next level. It allows users to create a photo sequence that lasts about a day. In November, the company launched mentions, links, and inline versions of the Boomerang tool in Stories.
Kevin Systrom, the CEO of Instagram, had this to say about the creation of Stories: “We like to say Instagram makes the world feel simultaneously large, in the sense that you can connect with anyone, and very small in the sense that you’re right there with them.”
Instagram Live
Then, Instagram went ahead and took things even further with the launch of Instagram Live, which lets users broadcast video to followers in real time. The video is available while you are streaming without any access afterward, though. Kevin Weil, the head of product at Instagram, said the company pivoted here. “Instagram should be all of your moments, not just your highlights.”
Snapchat Memories
Snapchat Memories is another tool for video. Snapchat, which rebranded to just Snap this year, allows users to access backups of snaps and automatically pull together those snaps based on location, though it is searchable as well.
Twitter Live
Brand new to the video market is Twitter. It is now possible to broadcast directly from Twitter. And, brands are already using it, including the NFL. The move comes after Twitter purchased the video app Periscope. Now that the two are integrated, it is possible for Twitter users to create and broadcast video easily. Sara Haider, who is the head of Periscope, said this of the process: “Twitter is about real-time and what’s happening in the moment. Live video creates experiences you can engage in and be part of.”
It’s still very new — as in out of the box. However, it is likely that brands with a strong Twitter following already will find this tool exceptional when it comes to making use of live video feeds.
Here’s an image of how to do it, according to Twitter:
One thing is clear: video is one of the most powerful tools for brand marketing, brand development and web presence growth. Without it, along with social media analytics tools and social media listening tools, brands will have a hard time embracing and engaging their audience effectively. It may just be time to update that marketing campaign for 2017 to include more video, more vibrant photos and plenty of live interactions.
How the Rise of Videos Will Impact the 2017
The growth of video on Facebook and the other social media platforms has been mirrored by the rise of video marketing in general. Among even senior executives, 59 percent say that they would rather watch the video when the video and text are available on the same page. Video has become a cornerstone of successful digital marketing, and brands who want to thrive on social media need to embrace it.
The prevalence of Facebook and the growing popularity of video means that in 2017 we expect to see strong growth in video sharing. As the trend builds, however, competition for attention within the space will increase alongside it. This will naturally drive up the quality of the videos and the cost associated with producing the content to the standards that customers come to expect.
Video Content Quality Expectations Will Increase
Once the production of video content reaches its peak saturation point, most brands with a strong social media presence will be creating and posting high-quality videos on a regular basis and videos will become expected, reducing the efficiency as a novel marketing tactic. We expect video content by 2018 will be less about about novelty but more about substance — just like we saw with blogs and other content marketing tactics.
And like Gary Vaynerchuk says, “Give value, give value, give value, then ask for business.” This holds true for video marketing as well to all your marketing efforts. If you are not providing valuable, informative and free content for your potential customers, they will not see you as authorities that they can trust with their business.
Fact Checking is Coming
Facebook came under fire for its algorithms trending fake news during the American election, and potentially skewing the election. Regardless of the validity of the accusations, according to Pew Research, as much as 62 percent of U.S. adults get their news from social media websites like Facebook. And, 18 percent say they do so often. Considering this, we have to wonder what Facebook is going to do to protect the authenticity of its product.
In a piece written by Mathew Ingram for Fortune, he writes, “Regardless of what it calls itself, however, the reality is that Facebook is doing its best to host and distribute an increasing amount of news from companies (including the Washington Post) through features like Instant Articles, which hosts fast-loading versions of mobile stories for mainstream news sites.” He continues, “The company claims it cares about the fake news problem, but if it’s not a media outlet, then why should it? If a story is being shared a lot and clicked on a lot or is generating a lot of comments, what difference does it make to Facebook whether it’s fake or not?”
On December 15th, Facebook released this statement about the problem. Among the steps they plan to take include:
- Making reporting hoaxes and fake news easier to do
- Flagging stories as disputed. This is a key component of fact checking. This could become a part of the platform. Google is already experimenting with that feature.
- Informed sharing, as in learning what the community is sharing, can help minimize the spread
- Disrupting financial incentives for spammers is also a target, so those creating fake news can’t profit from it.
What Does This Mean for the Content You Produce?
As a brand manager or company owner, you have to wonder about your own content publishing. What does it mean if Facebook begins to take this path? What happens if publishing standards on Facebook change? This could limit the reach of certain marketing initiatives.
What can you do about it?
- Always publish high-quality content. There’s no excuse for shoddy work. It’s really as simple as that.
- If you are publishing through Instant Articles, and we agree that you should keep doing so, be sure your content is not meant to be clickbait. In other words, provide value, not a headline that’s meant to scare or threaten a reader in some way in order to force them to open the file.
- Your marketing is still very important. Carefully use social media listening tools and social media analytics tools to gather information about your audience and tailor truly beneficial – and newsworthy – content to your reader.
Quite frankly, boosting the quality of content and news through Facebook helps brands. And, in the long term, it benefits Facebook as well. While fake news is still out there, your content doesn’t need to be.
Integration of Social and Ecommerce
A significant change is coming to social media that any brand, especially small brands, need to take advantage of to capture a larger market share. Social media is no longer a jus fun place to hang out. We’ve seen brands blossom here, but the goal has always been either to get a customer to know your brand and visit in-store or visit your website.
Now, a break in that process is coming. Customers will more readily and more effortlessly be able to see your social media page and buy directly from it. The integration of ecommerce and social media will be an incredible component of marketing in 2017.
People Are Buying on Mobile Devices Constantly
Most social media happens on cell phones. Most people don’t leave home without their mobile phone. They browse the internet in the car, at their desk at work, and even waiting in the doctor’s office. That’s led to a significant increase in the number of people buying using their mobile devices.
- Adobe reports that Black Friday’s online sales record hit $3.4 billion this year.
- That’s a 17.7% increase from 2015.
- Black Friday traffic was up 220% over a normal day, according to Qubit.
- Mobile sales hit $1.07 billion this year on Cyber Monday – that’s a 34% increase from 2015 according to MarketWatch.com.
- Of the sales taking place on Cyber Monday, 31% of them were done on smartphones or tablets.
Ecommerce’s transition to mobile is easily proven, but how does this translate into the marketing plans for brands? As noted, the integration between mobile devices, social media, and ecommerce is rapidly occurring, creating a sense of urgency for brands of all sizes to take advantage of this market or be left out. The good news for small companies, even those with limited budgets, is that it may not be difficult or expensive to be a key part of the process.
The Ability to Buy THROUGH Social Media Is the Change to Watch
Customers want the easiest way to buy. They want to buy from the brands they trust. And, if you’ve worked to develop your social media campaign, you know that brands build trust through social media. Keeping this in mind, consider the following.
Nicole Jennings, the senior vice president of paid digital media at PM Agency makes a point when she says, “Consumers have found that they can receive the same, if not even more, customized experience from a brand on mobile that they may not necessarily get across other platforms.”
For more discussion for on social media trends for 2017, please check out the full webinar here.
