With 75% of our 2017 social media predictions coming in so accurately, we decided this year we would have a little competition amongst all the Social Media team. Who will be crowned ‘The Crowd Social Media Fortune-Teller’?
Megan:
Instagram 360: With the number of 360 photos and videos having greatly increased this past year on Facebook, I definitely see this as something Instagram will be looking to tap into next year, especially as it is a photo and video-based channel.
Facebook AR: This feature has been mentioned in a large number of other 2018 social media predictions, but I definitely agree that Facebook has something up their sleeve in regards to Augmented Reality (AR). While Snapchat has kind of centered in on this already, I predict Facebook have a whole other level of AR ready to launch. Think something along the lines of pointing your phone at a restaurant and it is able to recognize what and where it is, giving you the low-down of that exact restaurant: reviews, menu, photos, opening times… This is the future!
Twitter Characters: With the new 280 character release approaching, I see a large number of people boycotting the new feature and sticking to their guns with the 140 character limit - there have already been Chrome extensions created to boycott the new feature, and it hasn’t even been fully released yet.
Snapchat’s Decline: As a die-hard Snapchat fan, I can’t believe I’m saying this, but within my social media predictions I see the use of Snapchat really declining in 2018. I’m even starting to notice the number of stories from my friends seriously start to decline… My bets are on Instagram stories wiping it out within the next couple of years.
LinkedIn Videos: With all the other social channels having jumped on the video bandwagon, I feel like 2018 is the year for LinkedIn. I’m envisioning blog-style videos on profile pages to give potential employers a deeper sense of the personality and characteristics of that person prior to meeting them in real-life.
Sam:
Facebook - From early reports, it seems that Facebook is going to have quite a revamp in 2018. It seems they're having a big algorithm change by moving away from ‘pages.' I think there will be a big decline in the reach that businesses get. Unless they pay… The Fightback Continues For Twitter - I think there will be a fight back for Twitter in social media predictions for 2018. Whilst I don’t see it threatening Facebook anytime soon, I think it will see good growth. In 2018, I see Twitter converting into more of a live news update site, and becoming the go-to place for social news. Instagram To monetize - Instagram will continue to be the ‘cool’ platform. I think it will incorporate things like 360 to keep it fresh. Like Facebook, IG may also clamp down on small businesses getting a free ride in order to maintain user experience. The last throw of the dice for Snapchat - It seems that no matter what Snapchat do, they’re on track to an untimely end. SnapMap, Snap Spectacles, TripAdvisor integration etc. may slow this. With Facebook going for the jugular it’s going to be hard. Snapchat’s recent move towards AR may provide a lifeline, but I can’t see it. LinkedIn to win 2018 - I believe LinkedIn will flourish in 2018 as it still probably offers the most unique appeal. They recently added native video and I feel they may try to get in on the live video market too.
Jacob:
Facebook's Virtual Future - I see more of an appeal to VR. Although this is a given, with Facebook already testing virtual friend meetings online. I think this will play out similarly to the way that Wii took over the virtual side of spending time with friends with Wii sports. In addition to this, we could start to see Facebook become more gamer-centric to combat the rise of Twitch. Facebook's diverse targeting will help make this happen.
Twitter, the dying star - Needs to majorly diversify their game or risk being drowned out by other channels. Despite their dislike of Trump, his presence on the platform has boosted the authenticity element to users. Providing an unfiltered way they can get news direct from the horse's mouth.
Instagram, The Facebook Mimic - Instagram (Facebook-owned) similar things as Facebook. More fused together between the two.
Snapchat Ads Revolution - More interactive experiences in line with the Snap spectacles. Advertising and news will fund their continued rise.
LinkedIn Supremacy - LinkedIn is going to seriously up their game in terms of advertising and offerings to people. Very fast growing platform. Alongside videos, we'll see the introduction of location-based communities and more of a Facebook-type approach to the channel.
Jacob's Overview
With regards to overall social media predictions in 2018, all platforms will up their virtual reality offering. As consumers turn more towards this technology in everyday life. Shopping, real estate, events will start to become virtual experiences for consumers. Social platforms will provide a medium for people to share these experiences.
As we go into the New Year, we shall see which of these social media predictions come true and which were simply wishful thinking. Next up is part 2, stay tuned!
