We can probably bet you’ve heard a heap of complaints and confusion from your grandparents—and maybe even parents—who don’t understand how social media works. And who can blame them? Our favorite social media platforms release updates super often. This week, we’ll give you a recap on the updates from Mr. Zuckerberg and friends, and then, we’ll take a stab at predicting the future of social media for business.
Where We’re at Now
Alright, so before we look into the future of social media for business, let’s remind ourselves of where we’re at right now.
Facebook allows more possibilities for ads
Facebook, probably everyone’s favorite of the social media platforms, has recently been doing more and more for businesses. Currently, companies can better measure engagement with their ads, sell their products within a new collection format, and insert ads into live videos. Seems like the tycoon is trying to get more businesses to join their still-growing community. And to be honest, we’re here for it all.
Twitter fights harassment
One of the biggest updates to our brevity-loving friend, Twitter, is their attempts at reducing harassment and spam. Users can now choose which content they would and would not like to see. Twitter will also notify users more quickly with updates about reported profiles, as well as putting more abusive users in a Twitter timeout. They’re showing that Twitter’s no longer a place for bullies.
Instagram shows it’s a contender in the stories game
Despite being criticized for its copycat nature, Instagram is still putting up a good fight in the social media race. They recently released tons of updates for their version of Snapchat’s Stories, like clickable hashtag stickers and new selfie filters. Also, businesses can now sell their product directly inside the app. Another win for the business owner!
Where Social Media for Business Is Headed
Ready to take a look into the future? Here are our predictions for the future of social media for business. Bear with us—some are a tad silly.
- Live streaming will not stop. If you tend to get annoyed by your Facebook friends constantly streaming live video of a grocery store visit, sorry, it’s not going anywhere. We predict more and more people will use products like Google Glass and Snapchat Spectacles to record and share what they’re doing—all the time.
- Like Disney, Facebook will probably buy all the things and monopolize the social media industry.
- There are already billions of Facebook users. We predict these numbers will continue to grow as more third-world nations gain access to the Internet. Because of that, businesses will probably have to pay even more for advertising and boosting posts to reach their target audience.
- Neopets will make a comeback and become the new emojis on social media. Need to express an emotion or action? Share a gif of your adorable Neopet.
- As technology continues to advance, so will the algorithms social media platforms use to help users personalize their feeds. Users will probably be more powerful in deciding which content and posts they prefer to see.
- Big Brother will continue to watch you. In the future, you probably won’t even have to type two letters before your phone guesses what you want to search. Cool, but scary.
- Your mom will follow you on Snapchat. It may take a few years, but she’ll figure it out.
- Everything will be mobile. If your business isn’t optimized on mobile or active on social media in the next five years, your business may (will) be in trouble.
- Video sharing will become a lot easier. Now, only the experts in video editing will get the most reach. But, as more software comes out to help the laymen edit and share video, there will be an influx of uploads and new channels on YouTube.
What are your predictions for the future of social media?
What’s In Your Business’s Social Media Future?
There’s no time like the present to start social media marketing for your business. Contact us for a consultation on how social media can benefit you—now and in the future.
