Social media has swiftly developed over the last twenty years, producing such moguls as Facebook and Instagram, among others. As a result, new trends surface every year that cause massive growth for the industry and change how users interact with each platform. Some of the major innovations of this year include wannabe influencers; music as social media; social media as a direct sales tool; and emerging social channels.
Among the most notable trends are wannabe influencers—that is, users on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter who attempt to make waves in the social landscape. These individuals try to stand out from the sea of bigger influencers with curated, sometimes questionable, content. According to a recent article from Daily Mail, 75% of elementary school children aspire to be a YouTuber when they grow up, and many have already started pursuing careers as content creators on other social media platforms.
Along the same vein, apps such as Musical.ly and TikTok have revolutionized the dissemination of music to the masses. These channels allow children and adolescents to gain traction by lip-syncing over songs or skits, which has afforded many artists newfound fame. A recent example of this is “Old Town Road” by Atlanta native, Lil Nas X. “Old Town Road” achieved a cult following due to videos posted on TikTok using the song and even generated a new movement of songs adopting the “meme rap” style.
Many companies have also begun using social media as a direct sales tool. This is especially common on Instagram, where startups can develop ads in which consumers can browse and purchase products without leaving the app. Similarly, small businesses can post images of their products and their design process along the way, effectively transforming social media into an e-commerce platform. Such innovations afford small businesses new market segments and revenue streams that were previously unheard of.
In the past several years, we have seen dozens of new social media platforms rise and fall. This will continue to be a trend as the landscape changes and consumers embrace new beliefs and values. According to a recent article by Social Media Week, the industry continues to innovate with platforms such as Vero and Steemit, which have achieved measurable success with consumers. However, these social media analysts advise that not all new platforms will stand the test of time, and that consumers should expect to see many rise and fall over the next few years.
Lastly, perhaps one of the most resounding impacts of social media innovations is the ease and speed of information dissemination. Instead of waiting for the morning newspaper or watching the news at set times throughout the day, we have nearly infinite, instantaneous access to information at the click of a mouse or the tap of a finger. 24/7 sources of news such as Twitter allow consumers to remain up-to-date with the latest worldwide events. Our world is becoming increasingly interconnected, supplying us a wealth of new experiences every day.
