Social media trends are like friends; they come and go.
However, the best friends and trends end up sticking around and evolving into permanent parts of our lives with qualities such as integrity, dependability, trust, quality and even ROI.
The bad friends and ‘trendamies’ need to get weeded out before too much time, and resources get depleted.
Social Media Channels: That Was Then, This Is Now
You know social media channels are here to stay when you consider:
Daily Activity
Almost 3.5 billion social media users worldwide coexist with devices.
Users
More than 90% of millennials are active social media users.
Time
Almost 2.5 hours a day is spent on social media.
Effect
More than 73% of marketers say social media is effective with positive ROI.
Customer Impact
If customers get positive vibes from your brand on social, they tell friends and family.
Mobile
More than 91% of social media users access via mobile.
Multi-Networking Is Out
Even though the average social media user has 8.5 social media accounts, “over the past year we have seen an appreciable slowing in the number of accounts held per internet user, across generations,” according to a GlobalWebIndex report.
Social media users are beginning to have a less is more pattern when it comes to social media accounts with more focus on a few accounts than may accounts.
Video Crushes It
More than 28% of users from four major social media platforms engage with live streams each month on any one of these services.
“Video is the hottest platform on the planet right now and the cheapest to distribute through social media,” said Matt Johnston, CEO, and Founder of Guide Social, an exclusive video marketing agency that experienced a 400 percent growth spurt in the last six months. “A reminder to brands, video does NOT have to be expensively produced to be effective.”
Privacy Prevails
Thanks to an eye-opening last year of blatant and sobering privacy snafus, privacy is the new normal, totally connected is out.
“The future is private,” according to Mark Zuckerberg’s keynote at Facebook’s 2019 F8 conference.
Messenger
Zuckerberg called it. Actually, he owns it. ”With over 1.3 billion users, Messenger is primed for business and personal use with the plans to seamlessly blur the lines between WhatsApp, Messenger, and Instagram with a privacy first in mind.
Digital Detox
As the world becomes social media savvy and saturated; mental health and real-time personal relationships suffer.
Community
Social media has emerged into a mecca of communities crossing verticals, organizations, causes, interests, and topics.
Talking Threads
If you are wondering if your social media team is publishing like it’s 2009, look and see if they are doing link posts with headlines.
Yikes. Say hello to threads.
Made almost famous last year and tested by the Buffer team, it looks like threads are an emerging trend for engagement and exposure.
New Friends, New Channels
TikTok
Real. Short. Videos.
This is how the latest social media channel darling, TikTok describes itself in its Twitter bio.
Not on TikTok?
Part of the Music.ly family since 2018, TikTok was one of the most downloaded apps in the Apple Store for 2018 giving Facebook and Instagram a run for their money.
It’s storytelling with no primping required happening in short videos of 15 seconds or less.
Influencers like Gary Vaynerchuk and Rachel Pedersen are having fun on the latest social channel to hit the early adapter scene using TikTok for business.
Remember when Facebook was fun, easy and rewarding? Push the TikTok to play button for an authority fast pass now, keeping your audience in mind.
“I have grown an audience of 5600+ followers on the platform in just eight weeks,” said Pedersen, CEO of Social Media United & The Viral Touch Digital Marketing Agency.
Why TikTok?
TikTok’s platform is an opportunity to secure authority on an algorithm that reminds me of Facebook circa 2012.
It’s one of those rare opportunities to quickly establish a massive platform with the algorithm working in your favor.
Videos on TikTok have a longer ‘shelf life’ and are discovered for a long time after they’re created.
TikTok Tips & Tricks
- Use TikTok to build an audience you can market future offers to. Pedersen uses videos appealing to her ideal audience – including work at home moms, social media managers and busy moms.
- Advertising on TikTok is not available to everyone – but is something that is being rolled out to popular creators.
- To be effective on TikTok, business owners must utilize elements of strategy from the platform.
- The hashtag game on TikTok is crucial, combining trending hashtags with niche down hashtags to be discovered. There is no limit to the number of hashtags, but the limited characters in the description of the video force you to be creative with what combination you use.
- Using the hashtags #foryou and #featureme open up the possibility of being discovered on the ‘for you’ feed – TikTok promotes specific videos that they believe will perform well.
- Engaging with other people in your niche brings new opportunities for engagement and followers – you can find these people using hashtags of your chosen niche and industry.
- Consistency is king on TikTok. Most of your followers will thrive with 1-2 videos created each day.
- Avoid being promotional on TikTok. People sniff out inauthenticity and sales on this platform, including product placement. They desire entertainment, education, and engagement.
- Pedersen’s best performing videos on TikTok include her sharing everyday struggles, fears, daily experiences; you attract a massive audience that is ready to engage! Follow @themrspedersen on TikTok for social media inspiration.
IRL
Pre-digital social networks are making a comeback like meetups and business masterminds.
IRL or in real life network – the old school way of actually being human meeting in a brick and taking physical objects and creating something special to send to another human in real life.
Small group peer and interest meetups bring like-minded people together IRL. Masterminds such as Baby Bathwater for entrepreneurs meet up twice a year for three days of brainstorming and business support.
It’s the non-digital side of content. It’s about being real, tangible with an eye-to-eye contact. The art of the thank you note, the handwritten note or getting creative and working outside a computer.
Things you can touch and feel, people you can hug and have a drink with are making a come back.
Medium
Medium is a blogging platform that lets you tap into the world’s most creative and insightful storytellers.
From female disruptors to the news changing the world, Medium has a story for everyone. Its audience is real and could be the home of your best content reaching and discover new audiences.
AR/VR
Audio AR
If you were at SXSW this year, you must have heard about audio AR, destined to transform your environment into an interactive audio-visual soundscape.
Brands like Bose and MagicLeap are honing in on these next-gen experiences where sound rules.
“Magic Leap’s ML1 Augmented Sound in #AvatarChat was supersonic! As the avatars moved so did our voices! It was even better than if I was standing next to someone. Imagine the possibilities,” said Social VR expert Navah Berg.
Carl W. Adams said perfectly at SXSW 2019 in a Bose AR fireside chat
“Without audio, you can have the prettiest pictures in the world, but you’re going to have a sh@#!y show,” Adams said.
AltSpace VR
Headset required, AltspaceVR is a virtual reality social media network offering an immersive way to connect.
Host a meeting, take a Spanish class, hang out by the campfire, take a VR yoga class all in virtual reality.
What your Business can do in AltSpaceVR:
- Create an Activity
- Create a Portal
- Visit the Campfire
- Attend a Meetup
- Build your brand
- Teach A Class/Training
Facebook Spaces
Facebook Spaces is Facebook’s virtual reality application that allows users on the platform to interact with each other in a virtual environment.
Spaces also will enable you to create your personalized 3D avatar to use when you’re interacting with others on the platform.
Make calls on Messenger, create content using video or images, create artwork, meet up in groups, go Live on Facebook to your favorite Community of profile.
Here is a list of what your brand can do on Facebook Spaces:
- Create content for sharing.
- Have a meeting.
- Hold events.
- Go live and record videos.
- VR to IRL: Place a video Messenger call between VR and IRL.
- Facebook Spaces Help: More here straight from the Facebook Spaces source.
Digital Detox Channels
In 2018, Apple named self-care the App Trend of the Year, so it’s without a doubt there is a social network for you to turn to when you need to be more mindful of your mental and physical health.
Jiyo
The brainchild of Deepak Chopra, this social network is trading selfies for wellfies.
In 2019 and beyond is all about living your best life. Jiyo is a wellness-focused social network that gives you mindful resources.
From articles, meditation videos, and reminders that push you daily to achieve the best version of yourself, this app does it all.
Shine Text
Are you looking for something to change your life and get a daily attitude adjustment? The Shine network is your new BFF.
According to the website, 96% of its members say Shine helps them feel more self-compassionate.
Well, working and living in this social media-obsessed world, we could all use a little more self-compassion and gratitude
Every morning, Monday through Friday, you’ll get a motivational text, email or Facebook message that will remind you to be the badass you are.
Shine even got the Apple editor’s picks for the top nongame apps of 2018. Shine on.
Aloe Bud
Aloe Bud is your gentle reminder that self-care is an essential daily habit to have.
Productivity
Slack
This productivity platform allows you to eliminate the constant need to send an email to your team for everything.
Have a quick question or something urgent to communicate? Just send your team a Slack message.
Asana
Trouble keeping deadlines on track or keeping up with client deliverables? Enter, Asana.
This project management platform acts like a workplace social media network with likes, emojis, and comments along with the ability to drag and drop videos and images. It lets you keep track of every person and client deadline.
Disrupting
Weed Life
There is even a social network for the Cannabis enthusiast. Weed Life serves more than 120 countries and helps connect the industry with Cannabis business and news.
You have a timeline, create a business page and participate in discussions and share your Cannabis news.
Vero
No algorithm? No Ads. No problem.
This influencer marketing network is on its way to the tipping point of everything Facebook isn’t and used to be. Vero is about users.
Launched in 2015, the new-ish social network has been quietly growing.
It works similar to Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and Linkedin with the posting of photos, videos, and updates with a more laid back.
You can customize your connections between close friends, friends, acquaintances, and followers.
Steemit
You’ve most likely heard of Reddit, meet Seemit. It’s a new trending social network where you can actually make money for your content upvotes.
Facecast
It’s the “social video” era we are in. Another video app, Facecast is available in 150 countries and combines the power of live video broadcasts and chats into a mashup.
Byte
Is it Vine 2.0 or something new and blue? Video looping app video platform with a 6.5-second is in the percolation stages, and rumors have it in beta.
Loop into the Twitter handle of Dom Hofman, co-founder of Vine, for progress on Byte.
Trending Honorable Mentions
Some buzzwords in the air worth looking into include:
Docuseries
The art of storytelling mixed with dripping out a series of free content with the intent to bundle it up in one package to sell.
Deepak Chopra gives away his 21-day meditation classes, the only catch – each day is only available for a 24-hour window.
Since most people miss some days at the end of the 21 days of free Deepak sells it in one packaged bundle.
How can you create a docuseries with your content?
Masterminds
If you are an entrepreneur in today’s digital world, your key to scaling and growth could be in the mastermind investment.
Popular ones include the mostly male-dominated War Room by Ryan Deiss to the more female/male balanced Baby Bathwater Institute where you go to a private island or ski lodge to summer camp-like Camp Maverick.
Memberships, Groups, and Funnels
If you have a digital product or service, the business model including memberships, free Facebook Groups, and Secret Facebook Groups and Click Funnels are all the buzz.
PR Podcast Clicks
If you are pitching to be a guest on a podcast, beware!
Most marketing podcast hosts are not in love with PR pros, and they have no problem dishing out the complaints about the spammy pitches.
It seems once you get invited on one, the other inside cliques will welcome you on their show.
Try following the show hosts on Twitter and creating a trusted relationship before any public relations guest pitching starts!
How do you keep up with your social media friends and trends?
Just like Keeping up with The Kardashians, some things are a must-see and some need to be skipped or deleted.
Well, you are now officially a potential trendsetter now that you made it to the end of this post.
Image Credits
All screenshots taken by author
