By Judith Lee

In 2015, social media truly “arrived” as the way marketing and advertising works. More than 1 billion people are now using Facebook, and more than 80% of small businesses use social media for their branding and marketing efforts. Among the biggest global brands, almost 99% have a social media presence. Here are 5 predictions on social media trends for 2016.

More e-commerce

Facebook ads already allow click-through directly to merchant websites, and it’s not surprising if other networks allow this kind of feature. We may also expect a shopping cart in one of these big social networks soon.

A visual world

More than 50% of social media users say that videos and images are more engaging as compared to simple text posts. Even on micro blogging platforms like Twitter, posts with images get more engagement despite the short captions. This only shows that people are more likely to respond to visual stimulus. Podcasting and audio content may also become a powerful new ad medium.

More ads

More and more companies are using social media ads in addition to Google ads to promote their products. It’s safe to say that in the next few years, our News feed will be dominated by ads and businesses will spend more money on them. It’s also expected that social media platforms will allow more advertising functions, including automated ads and pop-ups.

Security

Because of the rising social media trend, more users have become victims of cyber crimes. Such concerns call for better security in divulging personal information online. In the coming years, social media platforms will probably have better security features which will prevent identity theft, cyber stalking, and phishing.

More will rise…and fall

The big three of social media—Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter—are the most prominent platforms for businesses. Therefore, they have the biggest money in circulation. Smaller platforms will most likely appear, and they may either become slightly popular enough to stay in the game or get acquired by a bigger business. Many companies have been acquired by the Big Three in the past, with Instagramand WhatsApp as the most notable examples.

Bottom line: Social media has opened up new possibilities to online users. Company websites and shopping sites still dominate e-commerce, but in 2016, social media will steadily rise up to the game.

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Judith Lee is a marketing and communications professional who focuses on social media and email marketing based in Atglen. She is a SCORE Volunteer and the Chair-Elect of the Southern Chester County Chamber of Commerce. She can be reached at 610-368-2058 or via email at judithlee@epix.net.

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Top photo credit: Black Ink Grunge Stamp Texture Social Media Icons via photopin (license)