When was the last time you checked your personal social media account? If you’re like hundreds of millions of users out there, it was likely within the last hour. That’s a lot of clicks, swipes, and hash tagging going on every minute. So when it comes time to look at the current trends for 2016, it’s no surprise that social media is a major focus.
We’re halfway through the first quarter of the year, and already social media is starting to see some big changes. There’s a spending shift towards social marketing that is increasing for the year. During 2016, social networks are projected to take in 18% of all U.S. digital spending. That’s a good chunk of change, but before you go rethinking your budget, it’s important to know how to get the most bang for your advertising buck.
The Super Bowl once again gave us the pinnacle of television advertising, but aside from that one cultural event, TV commercials aren’t taking as large of a portion of advertising money. Ad dollars that were once used for the tube are now getting allocated to social media. It will still get your ad into your customer’s living room, it will just be in their hands on their mobile device. TV still is your traditional “mass” media format. The benefit of mobile platforms is transportability, giving you even more access to your audience.
Speaking of mobile, there are some emerging approaches that mobile users are responding to more frequently. Video is a big trend. Apps like Periscope, Snapchat, and Instagram are creating avenues for live streaming and real-time video that open up a whole new world of advertising interaction with your audience. Messaging apps are another new frontier, as Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp are becoming global powerhouses in the mobile realm.
There are many other ways you can reach your social media audience. This medium is growing at light speed, and that can feel overwhelming. That’s why we stay up on these trends, because we’re focused on our customers and want to work with you on the best way to get your message out there. Social media advertising could be a bold new step for your brand. So get social with us, and let’s work together to give your ideas new life.
