6 Social Media Changes You’ll See in 2018

Social media is one of the most effective ways to expand your reach, connect with your target audience, and grow your business. That’s why brands are getting smarter at targeting their content and messages to drive traffic. Just like any technology, social media is always changing, and you need to stay up-to-date with these innovations so you can stay current. Let an Atlanta digital marketing agency help your business!  

Here are the top 6 social media changes you’ll see this year.  

No More Begging for Engagement  

How many posts do you see on Facebook that say “Tag a friend and say nothing” or “Tag a friend, and if they don’t respond in fifteen minutes, they have to buy you Starbucks”? Facebook wants to put a stop to that.  

Facebook is now going to begin punishing “engagement bait” by reducing the offender’s reach. However, the social media king will not stop missing child reports, fundraisers, and traveler tips from being virally shared.  

Say Hello to AmazonTube  

According to MarketingProfs, Amazon has recently trademarked a new application called AmazonTube. It is going to share “non-downloadable pre-recorded audio, visual and audiovisual works via wireless networks on a variety of topics of general interest.” Does this sound like YouTube? These two media giants will be facing off over the next year.  

Less Professional, More Personal 

Twitter is taking a step to encourage more interaction between brands and consumers. These new features will allow for easier communication between the two. Businesses will have an editable welcome message when creating Direct Message Cards. This will help them keep their messaging relevant to the current campaign. Users will be able to see whether their messages are being read by a human or a chatbot.  

Reddit’s New Tools and Features  

Reddit launched a series of updates to its iOS and Android apps that have stepped up their mobile game. This has made for a much better mobile experience for users. Reddit apps can not only handle photos, GIFs, and video, but also live comments, tools for moderators, and an in-app chat.   

Facebook’s Anti-Harassment Efforts 

Facebook has made several strides to stop harassment and is now blocking users from creating fake accounts. Some of the actions they have taken to prevent this is by scanning IP address and stopping unwanted messages.  

Perhaps one of the biggest advances on Facebook has been a new facial recognition technology. This works to notify users if someone uploads a photo of them, even if they haven’t been tagged in them.  

Ads Are More Personal  

LinkedIn’s Vice President of Marketing has some major predictions for 2018. This will be the year that brands re-evaluate where and how they advertise.  

Businesses will also begin using their own employees for their marketing content as consumers look for a more personable and authentic story.  

Even though automation is efficient, it doesn’t always tell good stories. Now more than ever, brands have to convey their messages in a personal way that will attract followers.  

Let a digital marketing agency like Blueprint help grow your social media marketing. Blueprint specializes in creating strategic social media marketing campaigns for clients of all sizes. Contact us today to learn how we can help you grow your business.