6 Social Media Trends That Will Dominate In 2017

There are many changes that took place in the social media industry in 2016 such as the features, branding opportunities and the customer preferences. Such changes will continue at a fast rate due to technological advancements. However, it may not be possible to tell the rate at which they will change but the following 6 social media trends that will dominate in 2017:

1. The Use Of Artificial Intelligence Lenses

This is mainly attributed to the rise of Snapchat facial filters which improved the interactivity of the network when compared to other methods. The social media platforms where they are commonly used are the Facebook and Instagram. Facebook tested the facial lens in 2016 while the Instagram launched the Instagram stories. The artificial intelligence will continue to progress and it will be interesting to watch the progress over the coming months.

2. Chatbots

As customers becomes discerning and technologically advanced, the customer care services is becoming a bit demanding and hence a major concern in most of the businesses. The businesses cannot afford to delay responding to the needs and queries of their customers. The use of chatbots is making the whole process easier. The use of Facebook messenger and the slack chatbots reduces the response time and therefore improving the communication with the customers. This is a trend to watch over the coming years.

3. Paid Content Trumps Organic

The social media algorithm have made it difficult to promote the organic content and that is why most of the marketers are using content preferential treatment. The main purpose of creating algorithm is user experience. And the users must be always happy with the news feed. The use of paid content is gradually increasing and is expected to hit and even exceed $41 billion by the end of the year 2017. There are a lot of emphasis that are put on paid content and this makes it a trend to watch.

4. Business Features And Analytics

Since most of the businesses are using social media as a marketing tool, there is a continuous demand for business features and analytics. Twitter analytics and Facebook insights have been in place for some time but Instagram started using the business tools in 2016. The major challenge is using the data to make decisions. It is estimated that a third of small businesses use social media to reach their customers. They usually want the best way to engage their audience effectively. This trend is expected to continue and more businesses are expected to implement some of the tools that are meant to improve their social media marketing efforts.

5. Shunning Away From Automation 

There are many business enterprises that are avoiding automation due to the risk of PR embarrassment and blunders. Even though some are using Chatbots, it is one of a kind since it provides a more detailed and a personal response protecting the PR of the company.

6. The Rise Of Social Commerce 

Trends indicate a rise in social media trade where the buyers are interested in buying what they see. Instagram offer such a feature to the buyers as they can go through the pictures of the products before deciding to buy. Social media has impacted the buyers positively and that is why most of them are switching to social commerce. This trend is expected to rise over time.

There are many changes that are taking place in the social media platform, most of which are beneficial to marketers and business firms.

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