Social media is constantly changing and we all know it. 2017 was a year of some big ones. In terms of organic social, Twitter updated the word count to 280 characters, Instagram Stories surpassed daily Snapchat viewers just one year after launch, influencer marketing started to surge, and brands began targeting a new generation (what’s up, Gen Z?).
So what’s to come for paid social in 2018, you might ask? Read on to find out.
Less organic reach in 2018
Let’s face it, most markets are over-saturated and organic posts aren’t reaching numbers the way they used to. Look for more brands in 2018 to seriously take advantage of paid social advertising.
Influencer Marketing
Influencer marketing is a billion dollar industry. This one doesn’t seem like it’s going to go away, even with the FTC rules and regulations. You would be hard pressed to name a major, industry-leading company who doesn’t employ the social influence of brand ambassadors or paid social influencers. Influencer marketing is like a pot of gold these days. It’s an instant way for brands to reach their target market. Studies have shown that 67% of marketers surveyed thought that influencer marketing campaigns helped them achieve that all important brand recognition.
Video Advertising
Then there is video. It’s stimulating, it’s a mini-movie in your hand (wow!). Video on social is growing, especially on Facebook. According to studies, videos on Facebook get 135% more organic reach than photos. So what does that mean? Videos perform better than photos in Facebook advertising. The prediction is that video ads on Facebook in 2018 will yield more engagement, and thus we will be seeing a lot more of them.
Facebook Explore Feed
An explore feed for Facebook? This is a nightmare that might potentially become a reality for brands on Facebook. Think Instagram’s explore feed, only brands have to pay to get into it. From a note in regards to this feature that is being tested, publisher and page content is being put into the secondary feed even if you DO follow them.
That means there are zero organic branded posts. If page organic reach was not difficult enough, this will kill it. This year, businesses on Facebook will increase their paid spend dramatically.
Generation Z
Generation Z will be paving the way for social trends. This younger generation’s purchasing habits are more likely to stem from social media than from sales and discounts. The eldest of the Gen Z’s are entering the workforce and now have some buying power. The platforms adored by them are Instagram and Snapchat, so retail brands are likely to shift focus to those platforms to target them.
Organic Side Of Things – Chat!
Who has time anymore to hop on a phone call and deal with 12 different bots or just go around in circles without a solution regarding your question to X company? Messaging platforms are the answer as there would be more developments in this field in 2018. Facebook Messenger is already paving the way.
Twitter… Are you still out there?
We see Twitter’s advertising platform falling behind Facebook, Instagram, and SnapChat. Some major changes will have to happen in 2018 to keep this social platform afloat. Perhaps Twitter can start selling to private investors or opening up the platform to be more than just Tweets.
So there you have it. Generation Z will take over social trends, Facebook publishers are going to have to shell out more money, influencer marketing will continue to rise, and videos will dominate news feeds across all audiences. 2018 is looking to be another year of major changes in the paid social market.
