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2018 Social Media Predictions: What's come to Pass?

May 21, 2024

Reader Disclosure

It's that time of the year yet again! Let's check in with the world of social media to see if the predictions we made at the beginning of the year actually come to pass or are ready for takeoff.

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Checking in with the trends and seeing whether our predictions were accurate isn't just a way to ensure that we're on top of things--it's an effective way to make sure you're up to date of the latest and most popular upcoming trends in social media to ensure you're well-prepared for the end of this year with a big bang.

Now, let's get to the moment of truth!

The Prediction 1: Prepare to Pay

Result: True!

We advised you to be willing to pay for in the case of ads on social media. There are six million advertisers using Facebook. That number alone should elicit the "shut down and steal my cash!" reaction from businesses. However, this isn't a follow-the-crowd scenario.

It isn't enough to have an online presence for social media in the present, as the majority of businesses have accounts. It's becoming increasingly difficult to make a mark in the crowd organic reach isn't the same as it was. Businesses are finding that the most effective way to attract new clients is by using the tried and true method of advertising.

This time around, however, it's the world of online advertising. It's usually a more straightforward once you've got the hang of it and you get deep and discover how you can the best place your ads.

Prediction 2: Say goodbye to Twitter

Results: True--at least in some way.

We didn't mean goodbye to the platform for good, only to the Twitter that we used to know. Marketing and business guru Neil Patel ranked the platform as eleventh in his ranking of the top and most popular social media platforms for 2018. What we predicted most likely to take place to Twitter in 2018 is that there would be changes--and it has been some.

To combat fraud and shady activity as well as bots and spam, false news as well as spam, Twitter recently published new guidelines for using the platform. In a nutshell, Twitter is now restricting users from posting identical or similar original content on different accounts, in addition to allowing simultaneous actions across those multiple accounts, despite the use of the use of automation tools, such as social media dashboard managers.

If the new rules aren't followed, Twitter may even restrict accounts. We hope that the new rules will bring Twitter back as one of the most-used and most-trusted platforms. However, the effects may not be apparent for a few decades.

Prediction 3: Video kills the Text The Star

Result: True!

Text isn't going away--at least, not right now. But video is by far the most popular method for marketing: 53 percent of people who watch it say they would like to see more videos as it's more personal and engaging.

Did you know that 77 percent of people watch videos until they end? Of course, the most popular videos run two minutes in length, but you can convey a lot of information in 120 seconds. And remember that going viral isn't necessary--what's important is that you create an engaging video of high quality that is able to reach and engages your target audience.

The most common videos do not require a large set or big script! You can use your two-minute videos to explain the product or service you offer or service, provide a brief demonstration, offer a free DIY or how-to tutorial as well as ask your best customers to share testimonials (and the last choice will help you out from being in front of the camera! ).

4 Prediction: Live or Go Home

Result: True!

Live video is still thriving on social media platforms. Do you remember from our post how Forbes media experts said live video is a requirement for marketers on social media today?

According to the findings of a new research that found 95 percent of brands use live videos in their content marketing strategies, about 60 percent of employees and customers feel that live videos add the human aspect in digital marketing. Additionally, nearly 56 percent of respondents say that it is more engaging for customers than other social media.

Here's one more statistic that may send you scrambling to set up a live video camera: 80 percent of viewers say that they would rather to watch live videos rather than read an article.

If you're still hiding in the shadows of live streaming (or trying to hide from the bright side! ), we'll just leave this list of sixty-two facts on live video right here for you to overlook. Lights, camera, action!

However, before we move out of stream-of-motion, we should quickly talk about the other type of live streaming which is expired (or the ephemeral) content. To give a quick overview of the subject, remember that this type of content first appeared on Snap and is now being headed to the top via Instagram (owned by Facebook obviously).

2100 million Instagramers are currently using this Stories feature. There are several reasons that this type of video content is extremely popular. first, it's temporary. must watch it immediately prior to when it will expire.

It doesn't clutter up people's news feeds and timelines since Stories feature Stories feature (both for Instagram as well as Facebook) can be found at the upper right of the screen, allowing you to scroll left to right and choose the Stories you want to watch.

5. Let's Get Personal

Result: True!

Although we are in the age of digital media, we anticipated that users would desire a more personal experience. One way brands and companies are increasing their personalization has been through messenger applications, which have, indeed, been one of the most significant rises of social media in 2018.

Customers can chat directly with companies they like rather than through a page posting for all users to see, and the responses, whether automated or not, are directed just toward users. And even though it may be a chatbot that answers to users, they still experience a more personal connection.

Chatbots are another area of social media expanding across platforms, with one reason for this is because they're an inexpensive and time-effective way of responding directly to users. The year 2018 also has seen the rise of personalized content, perhaps for the simple reason that with many options of content, audiences are looking for specific content that can be directly addressed to them.

Conclusion

That's pretty exact predictions! However, there is one which we couldn't have predicted that it was something you should know about: Augmented reality. This sounds like a futuristic idea, don't you think? It's a cliche, but pardon it, but today is the time to be in the future!

Augmented reality--which takes something real and transforms it with technology is a fun way to engage customers. Have you seen the cool filters available on messaging apps? It's called augmented reality. Did you enjoy Pokemon Go? It was an augmented reality game that you could play (and in fun truth, the company that developed Pokemon Go is going to unveil the Harry Potter game soon--yessss!). We suggest you get on board with this new trend today and are having fun while playing it.

 What are your predictions for the rest of the year? Please share your thoughts in the comments below!

Lindsay Flanagan       Lindsay Flanagan is a senior editor as well as project and social media manager. She completed her Master of Arts in English as well as Creative Writing and spent over a decade in higher education before becoming part of as a member of the Eschler team. She and her husband are proud parents to two beautiful daughters. They make their home at Heber, Utah.