12 Things That Changed Social Media As a Digital Marketing Tool In 2018
Some of the biggest changes we’ve ever seen happen in social media took place in 2018. From the Facebook Apocalypse to the launch of IGTV and the demise of Google+, let’s take a look back at the changes across social media from a digital marketing perspective, and how these changes can help small to mid-sized businesses succeed in 2019.
- Facebook News Feed
The year started out with a bang, as Mark Zuckerberg announced massive changes to Facebook’s news feed in mid-January 2018. The new algorithm would favor content posted by family, friends and groups over branded content – and initially, it did, at the expense of many businesses, both large and small. As organic reach declined miserably for most company pages, businesses threw money at paid content in competition for precious real estate in the news feed. Many Facebook users became frustrated, however, at being bombarded with ads and seeing the same posts over and over. Although Facebook’s algorithm has since improved and we’re all seeing more of what we want to see, it permanently changed both personal and business marketing habits. We’ve gone from scrolling past with a quick “like” to engaging in conversations. Although some businesses were apprehensive about this change, it ended up bringing loyal brands to the forefront to support their favorite brands.
- Privacy Concerns
Facebook tested just about everyone’s trust, at least temporarily, in the wake of the Cambridge Analytica scandal. Concerned about both privacy and the news feed changes, it seems big brands stopped sharing as much content. The good news for small to mid-sized businesses is that this ultimately led to less competition for space in the news feed and more visibility.
- How We Use Facebook
At Brehm Media, we’ve noticed a few changes in Facebook habits, especially the trend for people to catalog their memories, rather than share moment-to-moment status. Gone are the “eating pizza for dinner” updates in favor of sharing photos and videos of our kids, vacations and memories. The shift to authentic content means that the time we are spending on Facebook has become more meaningful, and we are looking for the same in return from the brands we follow.
- Video as a Marketing Tool
Thanks in large part to Facebook’s algorithm change, live video became “the next big thing” in 2018. Although live streaming has been around for a while, improvements in technology and the widespread adoption of mobile-first platforms attributed to its rise in popularity. Live video brings higher engagement, better ROI and improved brand authenticity. If you’re not creating live video, consider yourself late to the party.
- Return to YouTube
Video growth wasn’t just limited to Facebook – it also took off like wildfire across other channels, especially Instagram and YouTube. As a result, viewers have returned to YouTube as a place to get informed and now spend more time on the platform watching longer videos. This again reinforces that people really want valuable, authentic content, presenting the ideal opportunity for small to mid-sized businesses to really shine in 2019.
- Closed captioning
Adding closed captions to videos not only benefits hearing-impaired viewers, but it also has a significant impact on search results. A recent study showed that captioned videos receive 7.32% more views and increased engagement. Since closed captions are actually a text file, they’re readable by search engines, attributing to SEO and improved search engine rankings.
- LinkedIn As A Recruiting and Sales Social Channel
If we told you LinkedIn has been around since 2002, would you be surprised? The B2B networking tool has really gained traction as a recruiting tool over the last couple of years, and we’d go so far as to say that 2018 was a breakthrough year for using LinkedIn as a sales channel. With over 260 million active users each month, LinkedIn is the place where decision makers spend their scrolling time seeking out content that will change the way they do business. It’s a great channel for marketers and professionals of all industries to reach a finely targeted audience.
- Demise of Google+
Not all stories have a happy ending. After years of trying to make Google+ catch on as a social networking platform, a 2018 security breach was the final nail in the Google+ coffin.
- Snapchat
Speaking of dying a slow death…is Snapchat on its way out? Not quite yet. While it’s definitely lost a large share of the market to Instagram thanks to Stories, this sinking ship is still bailing out water.
- Instagram Founders Step Down
2018 was a big year for Instagram, from the launch of IGTV to the departure of its founders Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger due to reported clashes with Facebook CEO Zuckerberg. As a result, Instagram and Facebook are becoming increasingly more entwined, with Instagram on track to provide $20 billion in revenue by 2020. As a result, Instagram is becoming noticeably e-commerce driven, making it a great channel for sharing authentic, creative content that really gets your brand noticed.
- IGTV and Instagram Stories
With all the hoopla surrounding the launch of IGTV this year, we expected more. Yet the vertical video platform hasn’t really captured its share of the market, despite collabs with YouTube and Instagram influencers. Instagram Stories, however, really took off as a marketing tool this year for both influencers and brands.
- Year of the Influencer
Marketers are no strangers to the concept of hiring a celeb or other well-known personality to promote a product or brand, yet social media has taken endorsements to a whole new level. Why? Think ROI. Social influencers are the best way to tap into your niche market, leading to greater exposure, higher engagement and a clearer path to your sales funnel. In 2019, we predict even more small to mid-sized businesses making smart use of their marketing budgets by leveraging influencer marketing.
It’s been an exceptional year for brands and marketing on social media. We can’t wait to see what 2019 brings.