The Write Angle TWA marketing, formerly known as The Write Angle

Four Things You Can’t Ignore on Social Media in 2016

We’ve almost made it people: a new year is nearly upon us! As we approach Christmas, it’s time to start thinking about what 2016 holds in store for social media, so here’s our four predictions for the year ahead:

1. Visual content

2015 has been the year of the GIF and now that they’re supported by Facebook and Twitter with auto-play, you can expect to see a hell of a lot more of them.

What we have noticed is the rise in reaction GIFs – Kim Kardashian’s crying face is a personal favourite! With that in mind, video will remain, by far, the strongest piece of social content in 2016, with brands developing new and innovative ways to push their messages using the moving image.

2. You get what you pay for

It can sometimes feel like every man and his dog is on social – which is literal in some cases! Brands can no longer just expect to create great content that will immediately be found. There’s so much noise with individuals and brands fighting over the same space, so don’t be surprised if you see more advertising opportunities becoming available across all platforms to amplify your content. After all, Facebook is a public company and has shareholders to keep happy!

3. Buy Now!

Social media will continue to embrace ecommerce in 2016 with ads already starting to dominate our feeds. Brands will take this a step further by introducing ‘Buy Now’ buttons, something that will work particularly well with fashion and beauty retailers.

4. Fewer newcomers

Historically, we’ve seen young and exciting social media platforms take the industry by storm, take Instagram and Snapchat for example. However, there’s likely to be a shift in 2016 as the newbies are quickly snapped up by the bigger fish in the market, meaning there’s less opportunity for independent channels to generate a foothold.

What is undoubtedly clear is that 2016 is set to be another superb year for social media and we cannot wait to see how it develops.

As experts in social, brand, content and PR, see how our skills can complement your business goals and ultimately boost your bottom line. Get in touch today on 01772 450990.