With social media changing so rapidly, it’s always important to stay on top of social trends. But which ones should you pay the most attention to? We have done the hard work for you and compiled a list of the 5 social media trends to watch out for in the New Year!

Increase in Non-Verbal/Non-Text Communication 💬

We have seen this trend already develop with Facebook’s reactions and Apple’s new iMessage features, but expect to see emojis everywhere in 2017. Users on social are moving away from comments to reactions. It is no longer seen as insensitive to comment with an emoji. Instead, emojis and visual content are a more creative way to express your thoughts on social media. Try to incorporate non-text captions within social content to stay on top of this trend! You’ve got this 👍

Embracing the Temporary with Live Content

Now that Facebook and Instagram have options to broadcast live to followers, it is time for your company to embrace live content! Live content makes your users feel like they’re a genuine part of the experience. This ability to connect so deeply with followers cannot be ignored. Live content can be scary in that there is no ability to edit, but with careful prep and planning, live content can go smoothly and be extremely effective in connecting with followers. A great place to start is live streaming exciting events or announcements at your company. For example, if your dealership just got in new inventory, show it off with a live streamed announcement. Be sure you have a plan of action on who and where you are filming. You can even practice by recording a regular video and then, when you are ready, start your live stream! If you aren’t ready to dive right into live content, Snapchat and Instagram stories would be a great place to start testing and developing live content.

Reinventing the Follower’s Viewpoint

With this trend, you’ll need to channel new, creative ways to produce social content. With more and more companies embracing social media each day, it is even more important to stand out on a follower’s social feed! Consider reinventing the way followers view your content. Try embracing 360° photos or even capturing drone footage of your business. Keep thinking of new ways followers actually view your content, especially as virtual reality is introduced on social media.

Increase in Reviewing Capabilities

More than any generation, Millennials feel compelled to share their experiences, both good and bad, online. Review sites like Yelp and Foursquare are becoming a more integral part of the customer path to purchasing. With reviews already available on Facebook, expect to see reviewing capabilities spread to other social media channels. What can you do now? Make sure you check your business’s review daily and address both the good and bad reviews. Also, stay updated on new feature releases on social channels and embrace them as soon as they go live!

Capitalizing on Multi-Channel Touch Points

Overwhelmingly, social media users visit more than one social media channel a day (Check out these stats for more detailed info). Social media users utilize different channels to satisfy different touchpoints. As a company, it is important to take advantage of multiple social media channels to address each touch point with customized content. Try to avoid duplicating content on all of your channels and get strategic with what and where you are posting!

Which one of these top trends are you most excited about? Let us know in the comments section below! Now that you know what to look out for in 2017 on social media, why not give some of these a try, and be a trendsetter yourself!

Thank you for joining us in our New Year’s resolution series, we’ve gathered up all of our digital marketing resolutions for you to hang onto, in case you need reminding come February! 😉  As always, you can reach us at marketing@commercialwebservices.com for ideas, questions, or accountability with your 2017 digital marketing initiatives!