Believe it or not, 2018 has come and gone and we’re looking at a brand-new year with fresh new opportunities and challenges. As we start to implement our marketing plans for 2019, what are some trends to be aware of in social media for 2019? 

• Social listening. This is nothing particularly new, but in 2019, organizations will be using social listening/monitoring to generate leads and boost social selling. Some social listening platforms are starting to include a lead generation feature. However, brands will continue to use this tactic for customer service and reputation management.
• Video content. Videos have become increasingly popular on social media and are predicted to become 80% of online content consumed. Live videos are particularly in favor and serve to increase the trustworthiness of a brand. It has gotten so easy to film videos that it seems almost neglectful to not use them to increase engagement on social media.
• Micro-influencers. We’ve seen a lot of “rock star” social media influencers over the past few years, with their millions of followers consuming every post, vlog or tweet. However, the price for using these influencers has increased a great deal. Many brands are turning to micro-influencers – people with under 10,000 followers but who are trustworthy and believable. They are highly engaged and are often considered to be experts in their particular niche.
• Personalization. It has become much easier for brands to learn about their audience with all the data that is available. Marketers love that it’s easier to personalize the customer experience, although some consumers may find it a bit creepy that brands know so much about them. However, the convenience of having the right information served up to them at the right time can negate, at least to some extent, the feeling of privacy invasion.
• Timeliness. People have become used to the “always on” feel of social media. No matter where they are or what time it is, they can interact with others online, search for information and order products or services. Features such as chatbots, AI, constant social monitoring and have made it easier for brands to respond in real time. Immediate response has become the expectation for consumers and brands must meet this expectation.