Social Media Trends 2016
Once a week here at BORN SOCIAL HQ we gather the whole team together for half an hour to talk through bigger topics relevant to either us as people or as an industry. As 2015 draws to a close what could be bigger than the prospect of 2016 and the excitement that it brings?
We decided to use the time this week to put our collective brains together and discuss what we see leading the way in social media for 2016. What would Facebook bring out next? Is A.I. going to take over the world? Will we be living in a Virtual Reality world? Here’s just a few of the things we discussed:
1. Video Content… (Again)
Before you roll your eyes, hear us out. Video has been among everyone’s predictions for at least the past five years and to be fair they haven’t been wrong. Each year video content has evolved; from long form YouTube videos to a six-second Vine. In 2016 expect that evolution to continue with the introduction of 360-degree video and VR technologies. On a smaller scale, with consumers getting closer and closer to their favourite brands, it is only natural that they don’t want to only see the polished finished product, but also want to experience the behind-the-scenes. With the introduction of live streaming apps such as Periscope in 2015 and the ongoing evolution of Snapchat Stories, this has become a very real possibility. We’ve already seen pioneering brands such as Burberry stream their runway shows live to the everyday consumer and in 2016 we’re preparing for this to go mainstream. Expect more raw video content giving communities an uncensored look into the inner workings of their beloved brands.
2. Tool For Change
From the ice bucket challenge to change.org, we’ve already seen the seeds of activism being sewn, but often this has had few real-world implications. However, recent activities from trans activists: such as protesting Germain Greer’s appearance at Cardiff university, and voicing mass disappointment with films like Stonewall and Zoolander 3, have had impactful and magnified results on influencing discussion and even behaviour. Is 2016 the year that democracy started to truly move online? Will we see social media movements begin to shape political policies? It is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore the voice of the masses with individuals becoming more invested in protecting their online reputation. Perhaps this will lead to online conversation becoming synonymous with real world action.… The question is, how will this impact the perception and positioning of brands?
3. Facebook Fever
Facebook will continue to evolve from a ‘social network’ to something a lot bigger… their ecosystem of apps will continue to grow, with the goal being that everything you do through your mobile is done through a Facebook app. M (Facebook’s new virtual assistant) will be baked into Messenger, Instant Articles will encourage brands to publish directly to Facebook, Instagram will continue to dominate the photo space, and e-commerce integration will become slicker. 2016 will be about continuing this shift.
4. Influencers
Over the past year there has definitely been a lot of activity in the world of Influencers. Brands have begun widely utilising them to reach and engage new audiences while platforms have been defining their stance on the matter, i.e Youtube introducing terms and conditions to brand sponsored videos. The question in 2016 is how will this develope? Some say the world of influencers is going to become oversaturated. With more options for brands will influencers find working with brands becoming less lucrative? Or will influencers continue to rise in popularity among brands but risk losing their authenticity and therefore, popularity with their own communities?
Only one thing is for certain, if you thought 2015 was fast paced, then you better buckle up for 2016. Watch this space.
