There’s always a flurry of digital marketing predictions at the beginning of the year. It’s an exciting time of looking into the future. But, a couple months later the dust settles, and we get a much clearer picture of what to expect in the coming months.

Now is the perfect time to look at the trends in social media that are fueling changes and how business can adapt and prosper along the way. Here are four social media trends that we see making a big splash in the digital marketing pool. 

The Facebook Algorithm

The second it hit the news businesses everywhere started twitching in their seats. Facebook was changing its algorithm and it was going to be the death of marketing on the platform.

Except that it isn’t, not at all.

In case you haven’t heard, Facebook has decided to prioritize content that users want to see the most. Meaning engagement with friends and family trumps your business pretty much every time. What we’re forgetting here is that Facebook still wants your money, and they want you to be successful on the platform. They just want users to get more from the experience.

This is actually a great trend for social media, and smart brands will use it to their advantage. This means businesses need to start focusing on creating content that’s more naturally engaging. It’s important to not bait engagement, however, brands are going to find that focusing on content that followers love, instead of lukewarm ads is going to enhance customer relationships and build an even more loyal following.

Following Hashtags on Instagram

Late last year Instagram announced the ability to be able to follow hashtags. This one feature adds an entirely new level to Instagram marketing.

The ability to follow hashtags makes it even easier for users to identify and connect with brands on Instagram. This has the potential to increase your brand’s reach across multiple communities and niche interests on the network

This is really good news because Instagram is exploding. Their user base is at about 800 million, which is up from 600 million just a little over a year ago. More users means that you need to take advantage of every opportunity to set your brand apart and get noticed. Hashtags have always been a great way of doing this.

The Push for Live

Video is the digital marketing buzzword of the year, but we’re really seeing a push toward live video content on multiple platforms. Audience love live content, so it’s smart to adapt your video strategy now while the trend’s hot.

But, with the drive towards producing video content, brands need to be mindful of keeping the goal in mind, and that’s to connect with their audience. Now’s the time to push aside the dream of viral content because it doesn’t matter. Live video content should be focused on reaching a targeted audience, not the world of social media at large.

Social media is fluid, it never stays the same. You need a digital marketing strategy that’s adaptable. We want to help build a strong digital presence for your brand. Contact JLB Florida today and let us help your business create a winning digital strategy.