5 Social Trends That Will Dominate 2017

2016's drawing to a close and it's only fitting that we show how you'll be switching it up a gear in 2017 (you can probably tell it revolves strongly around mobile communication).

1.     Nothing but live

The players: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Kickstarter

What’s the deal: Live broadcasting as opposed to record-then-post

Why go live: More and more brands are broadcasting and engaging with audiences in a personal, authentic manner. Create fun videos, get conversations flowing and receive instant feedback. People are giving their fans a glimpse of the cool things they get up to beyond the brand name and encouraging them to join in on the fun. Dunkin Donuts is just one of the brands to use Live Video to stream behind-the-scenes prep in their kitchen for Valentine’s Day, gaining them a whopping 21,000 viewers within the first 13 minutes. On a similar note, Facebook has also just rolled out Live Audio which could well be the future of radio and podcasts.

2.     Story telling using your creative genius

The players: Instagram, Snapchat

What’s the deal: Quick, personalized photo snaps and videos

Why share snippets: Stories add a personal touch to your profile. While your feed may contain perfectly curated and perfectly executed posts complete with cool filters and hashtags, your Stories provide a nice bit of transparency and ‘realness’. Brands are jumping on the bandwagon and letting the personality of their brand shine. So, get real. Layer on those Stickers and doodles, or create videos with musical accompaniment on Snapchat. Everyone’s having a field day with these quick, candid recordings. Yoga apparel brand Beyond Yoga features real people wearing their gear and going about their yoga workout in daily life.

3.     Immerse yourself

The players: YouTube, Google, Samsung

What’s the deal: Headsets connected to VR compatible devices so you feel you’re right there in the action

Why go life-like: Experiential branding has been all the rage this year – from interactive games to 360 photos and videos – mega names have been investing on what every marketing expert says is the future. YouTube has a cardboard view option, Facebook partnered with National Geographic and launched 360. Needless to say these trends will become integral to how we experience social media. With accessible 360 cameras and VR headsets being introduced all over the market, it is only a matter of time that devices will make necessary adjustments to take on this new lifestyle. The possibilities are endless: own a travel blog? Give your audience a taste of the African safari you’re on. Supermodel Karlie Kloss has just teamed up with Samsung Gear 360 to give us a broad angle peak into her life. Augmented reality is also looking to make its mark and we look forward to what businesses like Snapchat (having just acquired Israel’s Cimagine) have in mind.

4.     A group effort

The players: Snapchat, Facebook, Skype, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn

What’s the deal: Community building

Why group up: So, we’ve been using apps such as WhatsApp for group messaging but big names are jumping in on the trend and creating an even more engaging experience. Group video calls on Facebook Messenger allow up to 6 people/screens in a chat session and you can get creative and invested in your interactions using stickers to add fun to your conversations. With communities to tend to, social platforms have long taken over actual telephone calls in our lives. Community building can benefit business goals, with LinkedIn Groups allowing us to gather like-minded people and discuss common interests. Their Marketing tool allows for lead targeting to grow business networks.

5.     Easy money

The players: Apple, Amazon, Walmart, Starbucks, WeChat, Google

What’s the deal: Mobile transactions- the end of countertop checkouts

Why go mobile: The mobile payment movement is moving mountains worldwide. WeChat is a lightning-fast phenomenon that’s taken over China completely and is on the rise in Africa. With so many looking to get in on this convenient spending process even the biggest skeptics will eventually have no choice but to get with the program. It seems the very near future holds no more cold, hard cash. Forward looking brands aboard this unstoppable train stand to reap many rewards.