Are you struggling to keep up with changes in social media? Don’t blink! The internet and more specifically social media continue to be one of the fastest-changing industries in the world today. Here are a few trends that promise to dominate in 2017.
Social Messaging
Social messaging sometimes takes a backseat to all the chatter about social networking but the truth is that messaging apps have always been a preferred method of communication among millennials and this year, messaging will find its way into business as brands start to be part of the conversation in these channels.
Cracking Down on Fake News
The 2016 presidential election spotlighted the worst of what was termed “fake news”. As a result, social media networks are taking a stance against the guilty news outlets that regularly circulate bogus information and shutting them out. In 2017, there will be new standards put into place to regulate “news” and its validity. If some news outlets are not careful, they could find themselves in the middle of a defamation lawsuit. They would need some help from a California defamation lawyer or someone similar depending on their state. Fake news can have a serious impact on the publically perceived character of the individual, which can hurt the earning potential of entities affected by the misinformation.
Live Video Streaming
Unfiltered live video continues to be all the rage. Live streaming video first appeared on Twitter. It was recently launched on Facebook and Instagram is in the wings testing its own live video option. The trend will certainly continue through 2017.
Filtered Reality
We are all familiar with Snapchat’s filtered lenses which have become commonplace across generations. Other social media platforms are poised to offer copycat apps that can be applied to photos and live video. With more than 75% of millennials enamored by virtual reality, we can expect more on that realm as the year unfolds.
Chatbots
The opportunity to have a conversation with a chatbot in the customer service capacity has become more and more commonplace on websites today. The tool has brought with it improved customer service reviews and companies are starting to find out how to make a bot themselves as well, which means that we can expect to see more of this technology in the future. It is no doubt easier to have a text conversation with a computer on a social media site than to navigate through an automated phone. We are slowly be trained to function in our future world.
