Now that most of us have our feet under us (a month later), we can finally decompress from 2016 and begin to digest what’s in store for 2017. The ever-changing social media landscape is in constant competition, and therefore, has a lot in store for this year.

1) Live video will make its way to the top.

As you have seen, more and more brands and individuals, have incorporated live video on their social pages. Rumor has it that audience’s find it more enjoyable when they can “virtually” attend an event and get the “behind the scenes” feel. Unlike a standard text post, live video allows users to add a little bit of personality while showcasing products, places, and people in real time. Even better – it’s free. So now’s the time to give live video a try, take your audience on a visual adventure, and see what happens. 

2) Purchasing products through apps

Ordering your favorite turkey sandwich, scheduling a much-needed vacation, or finding out where that leak in your roof is coming from, can all be done using an app. More companies are beginning to join forces with social media and messaging apps to give users the immediate service they need, all with the click of a button. Let’s face it, who wants to be on hold for 45 minutes listening to elevator music when they can click a few buttons and finish in minutes. Along with Facebook Messenger, Instagram joined in on the simplicity. Some of our favorite brands are using the platform to showcase new products and drive users to a “shop now” page.

3) Social media will only get bigger

Although some platforms die, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and LinkedIn are only getting smarter. Each platform is always finding ways to evolve through competitive updates that are the world’s hottest trend…for 5 minutes. Whether Instagram is adding their new story feature, Facebook is implementing 360 live videos, or Snapchat is releasing spectacles, the evolving platforms are staying up to speed on our changing world, giving users what they want, and making sure the conversation is always crowd-fueled. Let’s face it: social media has been such a big part in our daily lives, it’s hard to picture life without it.

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