January 27, 2020

3 Social Media Trends You May Have Missed

The new year brings about new sets of trends, none more so than in social media. The pace of the industry makes for constant changes and updates, usually for the better. Broadly, 2020 is going to reshape how we measure social success. We’ve seen a hint of that with Instagram’s global ‘like hiding’. TechCrunch suggests they’re still deciding the test’s outcome, with positive well-being vs. negative platform earnings at the core of the analysis. Read ahead for a quick, informative breakdown of the top 3 trends you may have missed.

Trend 3 – Advanced social advertising

Coming in as our third pick are advanced paid promotions. Brands are investing more, for a pretty good reason. Why? Well, these ads lead to more direct business due to us being more comfortable with social shopping as a whole. With cookies personalising our experiences, we’re digesting more relevant content with a greater tendency to hit the CTA. Therefore, as ad options are broadening, there’s more room for growth and acquisition as they’re more targeted.

Trend 2 – Micro-influencer investment

In at second is the growing influencer marketing trend. Influencer marketing used to be for celebrities and VIPs, although nowadays more brands are investing in the services of micro-influencers (2-50k followers). These micro-influencers are more likely to have higher levels of trust from their audiences, are more relatable and have great capacities to engage with fans. Such as our very own Co-Founder & Director Jake Cawthorne @thedebonair. He will vouch for the emphasis on this growing trend; feel free to glance at the account and see for yourself.

Trend 1 – Important performance metrics

Finally, our first pick. Amongst others, likes are a key indicator of content success. However, since the aforementioned testing on Instagram & Facebook, we’re seeing a shift in how best to measure post success. Comments will be crucial for social listening, figuring out what’s being said to see what’s working and what isn’t. Additionally, follower count, shares and views make important KPIs, with long-term engagement the ideal overall goal.

Stay tuned for the latest news, trends and updates by following us on Twitter and Instagram. Contact us here with any queries you may have.

December 30, 2019

Key Things to Consider When Strategising for 2020

We’re at the end of 2019 and what an eventful year it has been! Especially in social media’s realm, with hundreds of updates and changes to platform rules and regs. Although 2020 is right around the corner, there’s still time to revisit social media strategies to boost performance next year. With this in mind, we discuss notable predictions from social experts and thought leaders to gauge how best to move forward.

Granted, were basing our advice on the predictions we feel to be most likely. However, we’ll know more as the year starts to pan out, so stay tuned for blog updates on how best to revise marketing strategies. Anyhow, Emarketer suggests social media is currently used by 90.4% of Millennials, 77.5% of Gen X and 48.2% of Baby Boomers. Meaning your demographic is on social, but what current predictions might hint on how best to target them?

Our top 2020 predictions

The New York Times hints Facebook’s planning to integrate messaging functionalities on Messenger, Instagram and WhatsApp. Enabling users to communicate between the apps, whilst integrating cross-posting via their Stories tools. This broadens the opportunities for marketers to connect quicker and easier with their audience.

Furthermore, Instagram look to maintain its current course with focus on user health and wellbeing via ‘like hiding’. This looks set in stone as an official feature for 2020. Coupled with a further shift towards monetisation, influencer marketing will continue to dominate in the new year. Businesses aught to improve their marketing spend on influencer marketing as it can be cheaper and more effective than running paid ads. So moving forward, marketers should look to work with multiple smaller influencers, as opposed to singular celebrities.

SocialMediaToday offers realistic views on AR, VR and their impact on socials’ future. AR filters like on Snapchat are gaining popularity, with digital overlays offering creative alternatives to standard content, upping user engagement. Alternatively, VR looks to be the future of social interaction, with Facebook already heavily investing in Oculus. It’s safe to say their’s plenty of potential to gear a marketing strategy towards these trends in 2020.

Happy New Year from the Momentum Social team. Contact us with any questions, we hope our insight kick-starts your 2020!

December 24, 2019

The Optimal Times for the Greatest Engagement

Social media is key for generating awareness. Brands and influencers alike can amplify their message by publishing content across desired platforms. This results in engagement, leading to brand development by relationship building. Followers will improve by adding value to content, backed with quality imagery or video. SproutSocial suggests social media is the most relevant channel for 50% of Gen Z and 42% of millennials. But to reach an audience, what’re the best times to post?

The perfect times to post

Sorry, but there isn’t a perfect time to post! Best posting times vary depending on time-zones, the platform, content type, audience and when they browse. However, there are ideal times which suit each platform better, depending on marketing goals set. Generally, Facebook and Twitter perform best in the morning, lunchtime and mid-evening. Whereas Instagram and LinkedIn do better during business hours, ideally 1-5pm. See below for platform specifics:

Facebook is the largest, most powerful platform with 78% of all UK internet users actively using it (Shareable). Although, recent algorithm changes emphasising ‘meaningful interactions’ limit exposure because it favours content from friends & family, not brands. This means timing is important. Time posts to go out later in the week, ideally Thurs or Fri between 1-7pm. Additionally, morning commute times and lunchtimes are good for engagement.

Twitter is for short and sweet messaging with a tricky algorithm. To beat it, post during lunchtime and evenings, so 12-2pm and 4-9pm, with Mondays and Thursdays being optimal for engagement. B2C does well on a weekend whilst B2B does better during business days.

LinkedIn is primarily for B2B content, so posting during business hours makes the most sense. Lunchtimes will deliver the best engagement, with 12pm-5pm midweek being optimal times to post. Weekend posts will generate minimal engagement.

Instagram’s the image led platform, suiting services such as personal training and hairdressing. With over 24M UK users, its popularity is quickly booming. Primary access is through smartphones, so busy activity times are weekday lunchtimes and late afternoons, so Mon-Thurs 12-6pm. Evening posts work well depending on the demographic, with them performing best on a weekend.

Making a content schedule

Broadly speaking, weekday posts at lunchtimes and evenings will perform best. To improve timeliness, look to schedule the content. Paid services like Loomly have been invaluable for some of our content plans, have a look. Experiment with timings to find the best slot for your product/service, you can find this information in the platform’s analytics. Please get in touch with us if you have any questions!

Follow our Twitter page for the latest news, updates and helpful tips. Contact us with any queries!

November 27, 2019

Your Twitter account could be deleted!

You heard us right, Twitter is preparing to terminate thousands of accounts. Those that have been inactive for six months or more will be deleted. Did you know, there’s over 14M TW users in the UK? (OMNICORE) Unfortunately for some, they’ll log back on after a period of absence to discover the worst. Lucky for you, we’ll avoid any trauma with a well timed prompt. So if you’ve not logged-on in a while, we suggest you do so!

11/12/19

You have until the 11th December to prove your account active. After that, your beloved thread of genius memes and unparalleled wisdom will be lost forever. Including users who haven’t posted due to death, as well as any other related inactivity. Oddly enough, it’s the first time TW has done something like this. But they explain it’s down to the new privacy settings. Inactive accounts can’t accept them, going against regulations. So the new change makes sense, seen as their credibility improves by removing dormant accounts. This may well properly reflect users’ legit followers, improving engagement metrics.

What happens next?

Given a whole bunch of accounts will be deleted, this frees up that unattainable username you’ve been after since the beginning. Try your luck after the 11th cut-off, you never know! On the other hand, the firm states future plans include deleting active accounts. A step-up from current proceedings which looks to filter out non-human users. Apparently there’s various ways to gauge genuine human interaction, so we’ll see how this unfolds.

Seen as though inactivity is currently based on log-ins, and not posting or replying etc., bot accounts that auto-tweet are also at risk of being deleted. That’s unless account owners log-in before December 11th. We hope this covers everything and saves you any hassle!

Our finger’s always on the social pulse to keep you up to speed with the latest updates. Contact our team for more info.

October 31, 2019

The Highs and Lows of Influencer Marketing

Using influencer marketing to showcase a product or service can be high-risk, high-reward. Certainly if a demographic is niche. Apparently, 49% of consumers depend on influencer recommendations (DMI). So what better way to advertise its capabilities, than to capture it in real-time, posting to thousands of followers? Momentum manage the entire influencer process, with no reliance on third parties. With our experience, we’d like to highlight some highs and lows, discussing real-world cases.

Nike’s what’s inside Nike Air VaporMax?

https://bit.ly/2N5H6aN

Nike take showcasing a product’s functions to the next level. They collaborate with established YouTube channel, ‘What’s Inside?’. Creating a series of sponsored videos to really show what the product’s made of. This let potential consumers see inside and out, thereon influencing purchasing decisions. After all, quality and durability are key factors in buying sporting goods. The video campaign did very well, generating 6M views and 47k likes. It successfully helped Nike create hype along the product range. An example of successful influencer marketing with healthy RIO. However, it’s not all sunshine and rainbows…

Man City’s attendance & atmospheric booster

https://dailym.ai/2BXtpnW

Although Nike saw success, Man City’s recent efforts fell short. They sought the help of influencers to boost the attendance and atmosphere of their European home games. They drew some less known teams in the Champions League this season. Naturally, this is an attempt to improve ticket sales and the overall experience. However, their agency posted something City were quick to distance from, falling short of the club’s social standards. The brief displayed above with the accompanying post were created without their permission. A lesson learnt in that taking initiative isn’t always the right call. High-profile brands rely on professionalism at every stage, something that we at Momentum are extremely proud of.

Both cases highlight the highs and lows, showing that influencer marketing is high-risk, high-reward. When done right, the benefits outweigh the drawbacks. We guarantee ROI, proven with our growing portfolio of global brands, and track-record of successes. We’d love to discuss your ideas, so please get in touch.

For all queries regarding influencer campaigns, contact our team, we’d love to hear from you!

October 21, 2019

Scarily Strategic Halloween Engagement Tips

The spooky season fast approaches! A favourite time of year where we spend to scare across the Western world. As well as eating and drinking too much, with kids running riot on a surplus of sugar. Halloween is an opportunity brands can exploit via trendjacking. By publishing engaging content in-line with trending themes. Truth is, 51.5% of UK consumers spent on the occasion last year. With it right around the corner, we’re offering three strategic engagement tips so your brand can benefit. Don’t miss out!

1. Create a strong Halloween campaign

First of all, good engagement requires a solid holiday campaign approach. Use seasonal content that’s already performed well to start. Then, add a touch of personality to resonate with your audience by applying the theme to your product or service. For example, restaurants can decorate their dishes with Halloween items, then post a shot or video from the seasonal menu with #HalloweenDishes. Continue this tag in other content, such as a holiday competition to involve your consumers; totalling an effective campaign. See how we can further develop restaurants online!

2. Harness a unique opportunity

So you’ve got the pumpkin rolling and thought of some campaign ideas. What next? Well, Facebook IQ data from 2018 shows top word pairs over the occasion as ‘Happy Halloween’ and ‘Halloween Outfit’. It’s crucial for your posts text to include trending terms and #s, with any linked content search optimised. The one off post of your boss, or office pet in non-traditional costume might just be what the plague doctor ordered. Given costumes’ importance, and the surge of creativity social media whips up, why not take advantage?

3. Interact with the audience

Audience interaction is vital for deepening engagement. Create excitement by making them a part of creative content. For example, after posting the office pet in a silly costume, ask followers to reply and comment shots of their pets in silly costumes! This is a fun way to involve people in the conversation. If followers are having fun with your brand, the likelihood of product/service sales are higher.

Turn up the engagement factor this Halloween with Momentum Social.

September 30, 2019

Social media likes; the end of an era?

Recently, we highlighted noteworthy feature updates and their impact on users. A common trend surrounds likes and their usage. Likes are a hot topic! Platforms are reviewing the metric in terms of its benefits and drawbacks. In fact, Instagram intends to scrap likes for ‘Saves’, regardless of the platform getting 4.2B likes a day (SproutSocial). So in this article, we’ll discuss these impacts in detail, keeping your finger on the social pulse.

Benefits of likes

CEO Mark Zuckerberg makes his view clear during a public Q&A. Presenting button semantics, he states likes as a force for good. However, giving people various ways to express emotion and reaction is something to consider. This came to fruition with different ways to react on FB as emojis. Meaning users can comfortably express their reaction, without the negatives associated with disliking content. Additionally, likes present an effective metric for marketers to measure content quality, when reporting engagement analytics. The question is, can they be a bad thing?

Drawbacks of likes – A hinderance?

It could be the end of an era for our beloved like metric. A mounting, but inconclusive body of research suggests they have a direct impact on the self-esteem and wellness of their users. With mental health in question, is the like button now a force for bad? The validity of recent studies is questionable, but they point to poor body image, sleeping habits and increased depression. Coupled with FB’s struggles to police hateful content, they’re taking steps to address the issue. Similarly to IG’s like hiding, FB now follow suit. They’re testing hiding the number of likes, as well as video views in Australia. it’s yet to be confirmed if they’ll carry the test out internationally.

With like hiding as the platforms’ key focus, we can assume likes have stirred up quite the storm. Primarily, a force for bad which will see replacements in the form of ‘Saves’ and other variants. The impact on the user will be beneficial. However, less can be said for influencers who rely on the metric to make a living.

Stay ahead of the curve with the latest news. For all queries and suggestions, don’t hesitate to contact the Momentum Social team.

September 22, 2019

Social media’s latest feature updates

Platform updates are fast and frequent, so it’s hard to keep track. In fact, Savvyaps suggests successful apps release 1-4 updates per month! This means noticeable changes to app UI’s, navigation and algorithms. A number of changes can be confusing, in what was a familiar setting. Therefore, we’ll get up to speed, rounding up the latest, noteworthy feature updates whilst highlighting their impact.

Facebook & Instagram

Facebook’s dating service finally arrives in the US, after international testing. It’s said to launch here in the UK early next year. We can assume access to new features. Including added Instagram integration, linking accounts to their profiles, letting users add followers to a ‘Secret Crush’ list. On the other hand, FB updates its News section, highlighting verified accounts to avoid fake stories. In addition, FB’s ad listing got a little easier. We can now boost Marketplace ads, similar to regular ads to show content to more users in the area. Furthermore, Instagram emphasise ‘Saves’ as the new quality metric. In a bid to overhaul ‘Likes’ as the primary metric. We will see Saves become the new indicator of trending content.

Twitter

We’ve all noticed Twitter’s big redesign. The July overhaul is well received! An upgraded experience that simplifies navigation. However, TW’s hit with some controversy recently after launching their ‘Hide Replies’ feature. Whilst testing commences in the US and Japan, it allows users to hide unworthy replies to their tweets. Although, the reply hides behind an extra click, not a perma-delete.

LinkedIn launches ‘Skills Assessments’, tests that let users develop their professional credibility via the platform. A significant milestone, giving users the tools needed to improve their recruitment and selection process. These short, multiple-choice questions verify users’ knowledge in key areas. A successful global launch proves the feature quite popular.

Here we’ve rounded up the latest platform updates, touching on noteworthy features whilst highlighting their impact. We’ll be back again with the latest rollouts once they drop, so that’s all for now.

Stay tuned for #MomentousMondays, catch the latest platform news and feature updates right here with Momentum Social.

September 2, 2019

Developing restaurants online with Momentum Social

Driving restaurants into the digital era.

Online platforms are a haven for gaining new custom. After all, the hospitality industry relies on its customer base. In fact, Monetate suggests over 1B UK restaurant visits are customers influenced online. Additionally, 84% trust online reviews as much as word-of-mouth for dining options (Bright Local). With this in mind restaurants must utilise a socials potential in strategic ways. Coupling a dish’s image with a positive review and posting testimonials are great ways to generate the all-important awareness!

But that is only the start. As social media becomes more and more saturated, it’s crucial for your restaurant to not only stand out, but to thrive! So let’s improve yours shall we? Here we take a look at some of the the key ingredients to a tasty social media presence:

Best practices; beginning your digital journey.

It starts with choosing the social platforms that best suit your goals. Typically to attract new custom, produce repeat business and establish a good reputation. There is however a big difference in having a social presence, and utilising a social presence. Luckily for you, Momentum offer a Michelin-starred service, so here’s some key tips:

Post visually appealing content – A restaurant’s most effective CTA is food/drink. Professional photography and videography is key to this and will help posts stand out in the newsfeed
Post promotional offers – Highlighting exclusive online codes & vouchers is a great way to gain repeat custom. This can be done with eye-catching graphics and video
Use Facebook’s online booking service – Your new customers can book a table via the platform, cutting out much of the booking process
Utilise a chatbot – Chatbots are the digital assistant you never knew you needed. This will likely be your customer’s first point of contact, helping stay on top of bookings
Highlight the customer experience – Posting good reviews and hygiene ratings will create transparency, enticing new custom. Making a content plan and schedule important

A Michelin-starred service with Momentum Social.

Our aim is to generate online awareness for restaurants. Using social media, we will create a local database of new and existing customers with unlimited outreach. This will prompt healthy business growth. To do this we will compile a thorough, detailed strategy unique to your targets and customers.

What’s more? We will utilise our expertise to deliver a tiered package of crucial marketing techniques. Such as creative design, content creation, social strategy, chatbots and community management. Designed to capture, retain and repeat potential custom. These techniques are tried, tested and likely to deliver maximum ROI. So what are you waiting for…

Is your restaurant coasting, waiting to be driven into the digital era? If you’ve a project to discuss, or any queries on our package, please get in touch with our team.

August 31, 2019

Saves; Instagram’s newest & hottest metric

Instagram is currently testing like hiding internationally. Further to this, they’re now testing ‘Saves’. They act as a super-like, similar to Tinder. With the like button being hit on average of 4.2B times per day (AdEspresso), it’s out with the old and in with the new. Saves are currently the hottest engagement metric. Brands are tracking this metric, for good reason. They’re likely to replace likes as IG’s key quality metric. Let’s get into why.

Out with the old, in with the new

Are likes a thing of the past? with IG testing their removal, saves has become the primary metric to track success. Success metrics are moving away from public likes. Instead, shifting to the private saves. They’re a key indicator of how IG’s algorithm works. So the more saves a post gets, the more it will appear on peoples feed. Therefore, saves directly boosts reach. How do they work? By tapping the ‘bookmark’ icon in the bottom right of a post, adding it to saved posts to find again. These posts are organised through ‘collections’. Letting people classify posts as they wish, as a personal library.

Saves; their importance to IG’s algorithm

The more saves a post gets, the more likely the algorithm will position/rank it higher in the user’s feed. The algorithm uses 7 key factors to position a post in the feed. These include saves, comments, views and likes. It reads the saves as a crucial indicator of quality. In fact, due to this shift, the number of likes a post gets is losing value. Especially to brands when it comes to tracking a posts quality/success. Due to IG’s like hiding, the focus is now on engagement, such as the number of comments and saves. Therefore to measure this engagement, tracking saves is crucial. To help measure this, businesses are using the ‘true engagement calculation’:

Engagement Rate = (likes + comments + saves) / impressions x 100

IG’s saves are a great indicator of a post’s value, seen as users wish to revisit the content at a later date. It’s no wonder it’s about to leave likes in the dust…

Have any questions regarding IG’s new performance metric? Feel free to get in touch with our team.

August 26, 2019

Podcasts with Momentum Social

Reasons for starting podcasts

Two-way comms with audiences adds crucial brand value. Transparency and familiarity are key to building trust. New tech lets us build on this trust. Through consistent engagement and reliable content. Connection is vital. Connectivity through podcasting is growing in popularity. In fact, podcasts are booming in the UK. Ofcom suggests 6 million adults now tune in each week. Around 1 in 5 adults 15-24 tune in. So it’s no doubt podcasting should be a top strategic priority!

Podcasts are the current talking point. Where industry trends, news and hot topics are the focus. Discussions reveal key insights. These deliver valuable learning experiences. Building trust through connectivity. Therefore, we list the top 3 reasons to start:

Podcasts build trust and connectivity
Podcasts capture audiences’ attention
Podcasting positions brands as industry leaders

Strategic power of podcasts

Voice is a strong and emotive tool. Storytelling is key to engaging imagination. In addition to connections and relationships. Radio revolutionised this. Out with the old, in with the new; podcasts now champion storytelling on digital mediums. Why? Podcasts allow one-on-one time with audiences. Immersing listeners with stories. These form deep connections. Of which can be built on; giving value over time.

So how do we measure their success? Apple provide analytics features. Used to track listeners consumption and time spent per device. This gives a good idea of trends. Additionally, podcasters can make strategic choices from metrics. Better content decisions can be made going ahead. In terms of length, format, music etc.

#SocialSessions with Momentum Social

Tune in to our #SocialSessions via #MomentumPodcast every month. As we discuss hot topics in the social media sphere. We keep our finger firmly on the social pulse. So, stay tuned for guest appearances from notable, influential people in the industry. Look forward to reactive, engaging conversation on trending topics. Stay ahead of the curve with the biggest news, every month!

Stay ahead of the curve with Momentum Social. Tune in and listen to our #SocialSessions #podcast here.

July 31, 2019

IG’s like hiding; the ticket to secrecy or authenticity?

Like hiding in international test

Instagram’s currently testing the removal of likes on its platform. “Like hiding” carries out internationally, inc Australia, Japan, NZ, Ireland, Italy, Brazil and Canada in May. The trial lets users see a user name “and others” under posts. Why? Users can still view the amount of likes on their posts. However, there’s growing concern social platforms are detrimental. Contributing to low self-esteem and poor mental health in young people. Although, minimal studies back this claim.

Quality over quantity

IG want followers to focus the quality of what’s shared. Not the number of likes. However, the two often link. Number of likes can equate to its quality. Anyhow, only the account user and user that shares will now see its total likes. Effectively removing the metric from the equation. This will better gage a posts overall quality. IG now seek to hide total likes from photos, videos (main feed), profiles and permalink pages.

The ticket to secrecy or authenticity?

Adam Mosseri’s main aim is to reduce stress while posting, as users compete over the number of likes. However this is no surprise. IG likes have turned into money making metrics. With Influencer’s chasing every like to boost engagement and post royalties. So, instead of like competition. The trial looks to help users engage and connect more with people. What does this mean for influencers?

Like hiding is IG’s ticket to improve authenticity. Likes currently measure the popularity of a post. This equates to success. Although, IG will change this, with authentic posts appearing as the most successful. Users are more likely to engage with a post on its merits, as opposed to overall reactions. This means that so long as influencers’ content engages, they shouldn’t need to worry. Shares as well as likes should come in, regardless of who sees them. Post analytics will still be measurable. However, they may need to look at combining other metrics to gauge a post’s success.

Stay tuned for more blog updates! Have any questions regarding Instagram’s new direction? Don’t hesitate to get in touch with the team.

he 5 P's of Social Media Marketing featured

July 27, 2019

The 5 P’s of Social Media Marketing

A detailed infographic

Below details the 5 P’s of social media marketing. Taking you back to basics; learn the starting point for social media strategy. The infographic outlines Plan, Produce, Post, Promote and Perform. The five key components for an effective social campaign. Planning well with clear objectives will ensure campaign success. Using these points, develop SMART social strategies that give your campaigns momentum ?

An infographic detailing the 5 P’s of social media marketing. Plan, Produce, Post, Promote, Perform, the basic starting point for social media strategy.

Stay tuned for more infographic updates regarding the basic principles of social media marketing. Have a question? Get in touch with us!

January 3, 2019

Building your brand presence through social media

Getting the branding right when managing your social media campaigns is key. Messaging across social platforms with focussed, clear and relatable content ensures it resonates with an audience. Doing so consistently builds trust with them. A by-product of brand trust is more engagement, followers, traffic, leads and sales. Therefore, we discuss the ways and benefits of effectively building brand presence through social. Any queries? Don’t hesitate to get in touch!

Consistency in your voice & creative

The first step to getting your branding right is a consistent messaging voice. This includes the wording and images used on your profiles, as well as post and ad copies. They should all follow one distinct voice. This means your writing style should remain similar across all posts on your social channels. Be it conventional, formal, or a bit of both; pick a style and stick to it in your campaigns. Tone of voice heavily reflects your brand’s image!

Similarly, consistent visuals are important. Stick to your brand’s primary, secondary and tertiary colour scheme. Additionally, use the same fonts in all creative. This will help consumers identify your business through its colour scheme. Regardless of visible logos. As a result, brand awareness improves making it more dependable.

Brand your logo & ensure content is relevant

Visual content is imperative on social media. Images and videos whether short or long-form generate great engagement. Therefore, to get the branding right, label this content with your logo. Using a logo strengthens your social presence and boosts brand awareness. However, if you’re yet to develop a logo, contact Momentum Social. Our in-house experts are well equipped to take your ideas from rendering to reality!

Furthermore, build brand presence by sticking to a topic theme that represents your business. Relevancy is paramount; ensure the content reflects your product/service and gives the audience value. This helps to attract the right customers and develop relationships.

These are a few ways and benefits of building brand presence. Consistency in messaging voice and visual creative is important. Lastly, branding visual content with a logo and ensuring posts are relevant, whilst representing your business is key for success; generating awareness, engagement and developing customer relationships.

Stay tuned, keep up to date with the latest social news. Contact the Momentum Social team for more information.

December 31, 2018

2018 in review; social media roundup

It’s been an interesting year in the social media world. We’ve seen platforms update and diversify to compete with rivals. As well as technological advances in AI/chatbots and voice. Facebook’s been busy with Instagram, Watch, Dating and Gaming. In addition to the Cambridge Analytica scandal. So it’s time for us to look back on 2018 in retrospect. Whilst we can’t cover everything, we’ll roundup the newsworthy events to conclude the year ahead of 2019. Let’s get into it!

Facebook’s 2018

June 2018 saw Facebook’s Instagram launch IGTV to rival YouTube. The long-form video feature enhances storytelling through portrait video on mobile. Videos are up to an hour long, working similar to Stories. A rival to Snapchat, Stories has improved with each update throughout the year. 2019 will surely see more updates in the vertical video landscape.

On the other hand, Facebook launches Watch to rival YouTube. The video add-on features ‘Watchlist’ and ‘Top Videos For You’, as well as ‘Watch Parties’. In addition, their e-dating alternative Dating began testing in South America, determining its success. Additionally, Facebook Gaming came out to rival Twitch and YouTube. While it gained momentum with popular streamers, top streamers and the majority of gaming viewers remain on its rivals. Furthermore, 2018’s latter stages saw Facebook struggle with data breach scandals. We’re all aware of the Cambridge Analytica mess. Zuckerberg got a grilling from the US Congress, whilst EU bodies were calling for a full audit. It looks like data privacy and trust remains an ongoing issue for the new year!

Technological advances

2018 has seen major advances in AI tech. The Huffington Post suggests 60% of millennials use AI and chatbots on a regular basis. Therefore, brands are utilising them via messenger apps and chat windows to communicate with their audience. That’s because chatbots are flexible, effective in quick comms and customer service. Their always on approach provides instant gratification 24/7, freeing up time for personnel to engage in other activities.

Voice search in the digital sphere is advancing. Whilst podcasts are regarded as the OG of social content, voice controlled AI are deemed the future; surging in value. Early adopters like Gary Vee look to utilise the feature, with tech giants like Amazon and Google launching Alexa and Home devices. Voice is gaining momentum so expect to use ears as well as eyes in 2019.

Facebook and Instagram’s developments were newsworthy events shaping how we consume social content in 2018. The data breach scandals set in motion an issue of trust and data privacy which will continue in the new year. Finally, AI advancements in chatbots and voice are changing how we communicate and search for content across social media. Here’s hoping for a fruitful 2019!

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