#DigitalMarketing #Trends of 2016

As the most rapidly growing and recent addition to the world of marketing, social media can be pretty tricky to predict, especially in the long run. We can suppose with a fair amount of accuracy how social media will grow through the coming years, but any insight into its generational evolution can only ever be speculative.

With hindsight we can explain, quite simply, the leaps social media has made, whether fuelled by a boost in computer technology and innovation, or a significant unification of user behaviour. We have the story in front of us; all we have to do is read it. Although, this story has just began, it is far too early to predict the ending, but what we can do is explain what’s happening right now, independently from its grand  evolutionary arc, like a cog in a clock.

So that’s exactly what we’ll do. We’ll take a look at some of the most interesting new trends in social media marketing we expect to see in 2016.  

Here’s what my colleagues had to say:

Firstly I went in search of our Editor and head content writer. Who better, I thought, to shed some light on trends to come than the guys with forever one ear to the web. Supported by various other predications across the cyber-sea, Sam and Callum suggest that News articles and creative content are the horses to back in 2016’s marketing efforts.

Callum explained that the interactive nature of The News on social media has engaged audiences to become more responsive and reactive to the stories they hear. Ultimately, he supposes, this has and will continue to reduce media bias as every article immediately delivers a vast platform for discussion. Continuing into next year faith in the mainstream media will continue to decay, forcing the big boys to report more truthfully or get the funk out the way.

Already we have seen a rise in the credibility of smaller newsagents such as Buzzfeed, even UniLad, purely based on their more even coverage of events. Callum asks us to take Jeremy Corbyn for example; one look at the mainstream media would lead you to believe he hadn’t a hope in hell in securing the Labour leadership. In reality the ball was rolling online and gathered huge momentum resulting in a landslide victory. This has prompted the public to reassess their relationship with the press.

Sam, our humble Editor here at Social Songbird, described organic, creative content as next year’s big earner. He believes that people have wised up to obvious adverts disguised as articles and are, on the whole, writing more honestly online. This, he concludes, will place a higher incentive before companies to behave in way more beneficial to the entirety of society and, therefore, more likely to be discussed positively online. In short: be sound and people will do your advertising for you.

Next, I skipped across to our Managing Director and Head of Marketing to delve deeper into the crystal ball. The Former, Jack, is convinced ecommerce is likely to take the biggest leap in 2016. He enlightened me to the fact that Facebook already have plans to open a new, in-site, sales channel that will partner up with Shopify. Soon, he proposes, all social networks will include on-site buy buttons, allowing us to do the majority of our online shopping from the comfort of our own e-homes. So if you haven’t already, get set up and to grips with as many of the big social networks as possible so you can enjoy a running start towards the future of ecommerce.

Emma, our Head of Marketing, offered an interesting take on the rise of live streaming within social media. She observes that since the birth of advertising sellers have clung to the famous for help in popularising their product. With the height of celebrity culture towering over society this is marketing exercise is becoming increasingly expensive, and so businesses are now turning to the new-somewhat cheaper- generation of social media stars to advertise their companies. Vine, Snapchat and Facebook all offer live-streaming services that have proved to be tremendously popular with their audience. It is only a matter of time, she suggests, until the online video market becomes saturated by advertising and promotional ploys. The simple message: eat the pie whilst it’s still hot, by the end of next year the dish may be cold and empty.

My final port of call came in the form of the ever-popular Mr Daniel Swan, our in house Head of Graphic Design. He explained that the aesthetic landscape of the internet develops even more rapidly than the functionality of the sites themselves. He believes that in the past year there has been a shift from appearance to information. This can be seen as more and more sites swap out flashy videos and loud colours for simple, straightforward information. People our becoming wise to websites using nice images to entice them. They no longer hold the belief that jazzy backgrounds and buzzing fonts indicate a trustworthy business, rather, they feel bombarded and patronised by attempts to distract them from the facts.

So now we see clear messages written in larger, simpler fonts that pride themselves on directness and honesty.

Following our brief round-up it seems we can conclude that there has been a slight power shift that has gifted, us, the consumer a little more say in how we are approached by businesses. Honesty and clarity seem to be the underlying message for all who wish to be successful in their marketing campaigns next year, simple and effective.

From all of us here at Social Songbird, we wish you a happy new year and the best of luck with your future campaigns.

Leo Donnelly 

Ever wondered what would happen if you gave a half-crazed, semi-concussed, unstoppable maverick a platform to write about social media? Follow him @LeoAtSMF

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