Remember the mannequin challenge? How about planking? Velour tracksuits? Thankfully, trends are constantly evolving. And that goes for social media trends, too (RIP MySpace). Check out what we think will be some of the top trends in 2017.
1. Instagram Takes Over
In 2016, Instagram added some big features to its app—think stories, shopping, bookmarks, and albums—which helped it reach the impressive milestone of 500 million users. In 2017, we expect nothing but growth from the app as it continues the battle for social media ownership of in-the-moment content. With all of Instagram’s changes, we are curious to see if Snapchat becomes a distant memory by the end of 2017.
2. Video Tailor-Made for Social
Every year it seems our attention spans grow shorter and shorter. As a result, social media marketers are adapting to consumer habits with shorter videos and other dynamic assets:
- Don’t be surprised if you start seeing more cinemagraphs pop up on your feed. These dynamic photo/video hybrids are extremely captivating and grab the attention of even the most jaded Instagram-scroller with small, isolated movements within otherwise still photographs.
- 2D videos (still photos with moving backgrounds and foregrounds) will also be making more appearances on social media. As with cinemagraphs, these assets turn still photos up a notch and grab your attention.
- Get ready to step into the scene more often with even more 360 videos that allow viewers to explore the scene in full.
3. Everyone’s an Artist
From Snapchat filters to neon drawing tools on Instagram, social media platforms continue to provide users with more and more creative tools. Animation, design and video capabilities allow users to express themselves and provide an authentic spin on their own experiences. In addition, Snapchat’s geofilters and Instagram’s location tags give hotels the opportunity to discover shareable content to use on their own platforms.
4. From Macro- to Micro-Influencers
In the past, companies used celebrities and athletes (“mass-influencers”) to endorse their products. Step into 2017 and you’ll see the emergence of what we call “micro-influencers,” or Instagram users with high followings and more niche audiences. These users have the ability to influence their followers with a more organic form of advertising, which followers find to be more trustworthy. Not only will the use of micro-influencers encourage referral traffic back to brand channels, it will also increase organic reach by generating impressions (a social media marketer’s dream!).
So, regardless of the bandwagon you decide to jump on, there are a bunch of exciting social media trends to explore in 2017.