Social media is a beast that never sleeps. It was a constantly changing market in 2015 and 2016 will likely shape up the same way. So how will the social media landscape change over the course of this year? Unless you’re a fortune teller there’s no way to know for sure, but here are three social media trends to keep your eye on in 2016.
In-app functionality will diversify.
For better or for worse, Facebook is the leader in increasing in-app functionality. If there’s a chance it might stick, you can count on Facebook to try it out. Over the last year Facebook has rolled out new features like a new publishing format called Instant Articles, a new search engine, and videos that play instantly as you scroll. Facebook’s most recent attempt to prevent users from having to leave the app is integrating Uber with the popular Facebook Messenger app. Facebook users can now summon an Uber driver and track their progress without ever leaving the Facebook app. Expect to see other social media networks following Facebook’s lead.
“In-the-moment” updates will dominate.
Social media is inherently “in the moment” by nature, but some apps take it further than others. Take for example the live video streaming app Periscope (which was rumored to have been bought by Twitter for $100 million). Each and every day Periscope users watch more than 40 years of video – that’s nearly 15,000 years of video watched in a given year. The app allows users to live stream video directly from their smart phone to anyone around the world who would like to watch. To borrow a quote from Periscope’s website, “a picture may be worth a thousand words, but live video can take you someplace and show you around.” Even Facebook has caught on; the social media giant has begun testing its own live-streaming option.
Social media users will care about privacy more than ever.
Big data breaches were widespread in 2015 – just ask any Ashley Madison user. Consumers are quickly waking up to the reality of the modern internet, that keeping personal data secure is more important than ever. This desire for online privacy will be reflected in social media usage patterns. One of the main reasons Snapchat is so popular is because it allows users to securely share private photos and videos. Facebook has caught on too, taking strides toward transparent data policies.
What social media trends do you think will emerge this year? Let us know in the comments.