Trends that will help rebuild trust on social media in 2019
Data breaches forced a seismic shift in social media last year. It was hard to miss. 2018 became a moment of digital crisis as soon as Facebook & Cambridge Analytica news hit in March. That coupled with Mark Zuckerberg taking the stand to testify before Congress in April drove consumer trust in social media platforms to a historic low.
A study from Sprout Social discovered that 86% of Americans believe transparency from businesses is more important than ever before. Naturally then, the social media trends of 2019 will be in response to these concerns. The stakes are even higher with a need for trust and genuine engagement.
1. Create real, close-knit communities
Users are increasingly conscious and curious about who they’re interacting with on social media. Brands will need to adapt and understand what successful engagement truly means. It’s less about reach and more about being real and fostering communities. Let passionate people talk to each other! A trend we expect to see in 2019 is private Facebook groups, which allow for dialogue in a safe environment. These more niche groups can be a powerful way to bring interested users together.
2. Find authenticity and niche with micro-influencers
Celebrities endorsing products may not hold as much weight as they used to. These partnerships could be seen as strictly commercial ones, especially with big stars promoting multiple brands at the same time. All of this makes it hard to gain credibility among users. Enter the micro-influencer: People with a smaller social media presence that are revered in niche communities. These influencers don’t require a big budget to work with them and have a loyal, engaged audience. Plus, they can be easier to reach since they aren’t inundated with thousands of messages every day.
3. Get more 1:1 user interaction with chatbots and AI
Instant gratification and the need for real-time responses on social media is nothing new, but the rise of smart assistants has evolved this space. Expectations for high value and private interactions will likely increase in 2019. According to Twilio, 90% of consumers would like to use messaging to communicate with businesses. Chatbots and AI can offer replies that range from streamlining customer service queries/FAQs to providing real, helpful advice. Brands can highlight these new services by running social media campaigns that incorporate messaging apps.
4. Share a more personal side with Stories
Since Snapchat first brought us ephemeral content, the short-lived “Stories” feature is just about on every social media platform (most recently, LinkedIn, to mixed reviews). It was a good year for Instagram Stories, with plenty of updates including interactive stickers and shoppable tags, to name a few. Stories also gained popularity as a marketing vehicle. Facebook’s CPO predicts that Stories will overtake newsfeeds within the next year, as use of the feature is growing 15x faster than feed-based sharing. Brands should consider a balanced diet of content styles, using Stories to reach their audience in a spontaneous, personal, and lo-fi way. AR and custom GIFs could be a more advanced way to use this feature in the new year.
5. Show how your products/services can fit within daily lives
Product discovery on social media platforms has become even more seamless. Instagram’s shoppable posts, for example, now allow users to make purchases without ever leaving the app. Video in particular is playing a big role in social commerce, with 74% of viewers drawing a connection between watching a social video and making a purchase, according to Brightcove. Brands can highlight their services with product description videos, live-stream demonstrations, and user-generated content.
2018 ushered in the age of social skepticism. For brands to be successful this year, they must remain trustworthy and deliver a personalized experience to users. Listen to your audience! They want to be involved, interact, and co-create with you.
