A report by State of Social 2018 revealed that businesses are extensively using social media to market their brands. The report concludes that even the small businesses are using Facebook (96%), Twitter (89%), LinkedIn (70%), Instagram (70%), and YouTube (57%). The research also concluded that 85% of the brands are producing more video content than any other form of content.

In this digital era, it is not just important to keep an eye on social media trends; it is the necessity of every brand to monitor the social media trends that are about to happen in the year 2018. Big Data for professionals is helping brands to analyze and implement data that is serving them big time.

We assume that the strategies that were working last year will work this year in the same manner. Ignoring the ever-evolving technology, we suffer a lot in the short run, which causes us to grieve in the long-run.

Here are seven social media trends that will fuel-up your business in the year 2018:

1) Augmented reality is finally mounting-up

It all started to change when the master of innovation – Google Lens altered the way we perceive technology. A new shift in the mainstream media.

Since then, multiple companies are using AR, whether be it AR apps, VR headsets, or even sophisticated product demos are being done in AR. AI is changing the way companies do business.

The year 2018 continues to do so. The advancement of augmented reality continues to grow. Moreover, if you want to excel fast and stay above the sea level, you need to jump into the AR.

It would be best if you used the power of AR to engage, fascinate, and influence your customers to buy from you.

2) Live product demos

Although this might seem to be an old concept now. However, a professional digital marketing agency uses social media marketing to brand, market, and engage their products via live product demos.

A study revealed that internet users are consuming live content 81% more than they were in the year 2016.

However, 80% of the consumers prefer live video feed over some text-based social media update.

By the year 2019, social media updates will move from product updates to live demos of the products. Product launches will be viewed as more vigorously than product reviews on the blogs.

3) Privacy will shift gears

With Facebook scandal giving tongue to the critics, it is even more critical for brands to worry about their social media privacy policy.

The smart users know that information is being sold to advertisers and keeping this in mind they retaliate to give personal information on social media.

However, as a brand, you need that information to offer personalized services to your customers. The customers are not hungry anymore for the latest app that you’ve created that they give their personal information and take the risk.

Establishing trust among the users’ needs to be your priority.

4) Gamify your apps on social media

Attention is the new name of the game. Users of this era want excitement, they want engagement, and they want something that will keep them busy without worrying about their troubles.

Games have the advantage of grabbing the attention of the users without working any extra bit. In the year 2018, you need to gamify your social media apps. Games provide an experience that creates engagement and hooks the users to stay in the game for long hours.

You can use games that complement your product and ask users to try out your product. In the state where users are busy, brands are trying so hard to boost their online presence.

5) Organic is good; Ads are better

It is a known fact that Facebook has demoted brands that are just using organic reach to grab customers. If you’re not using ads to enhance your range, you’re doomed.

Even Google is forcing users to target customers with specifics. The visibility of the post and the engagement of the users is much higher on the ads than on organic results.

Huge brands are putting an immense amount of budget in ads. So, the coming year will be crucial when it comes to ads and reaching your target audience the right way.

6) Keep your brand alive

It is not okay to create a brand page on every social media platform and forget about it. As the New Year just started, you need to know which social media channels are more beneficial than others.

It is not just about surviving in the heard. It would be best if you stayed on top of your competition on the social media train.

You need to evolve and see what is working for your brand. Brands like Coca-Cola and Pepsi are giants, but still, they are using social media to keep their brand alive. They are maintaining their reputation to stay alive in the hearts of their customers.

7) Make it personal, make it memorable

This one is part of the previous point. If you want your brand to be alive, you need to learn the art of storytelling. It would help if you made every experience personal. You need to make the customers feel that you’re creating an experience just for them.

We expect to see a sudden increase in the personal interaction of brands with the customer in the year 2018. Responses within minutes and resolving problems of customers on the go is the name of the game.

Now, for the main question. Are these trends enough to keep you above your competitors? Not at all. It is not about know wins and who loses, it is about adopting the trend and keep evolving your brand as per the market.

Don’t hesitate to change when there is a need. These are just predictions that are concluded after an immense amount of data and practical examples. Follow these and move on to the next level.

Author Bio:

I’m Muhammad Osama qualified professional with a ground-breaking experience in developing SEO campaigns, analytics, and monitoring the ranking in Google search pages. A clear communicator with an experience of digital marketing and improving the ranks of a brand within a few months.