The social media world rarely stands still for long, and while 2015 was a big year for social platforms, 2016 might be even bigger. We're entering a new era of online access, mobile usability, and social interactions, and that's going to be reflected in the type, diversity, and utility of social apps in the near future.
If you're a business owner, a marketer, a salesperson, or just a social media enthusiast, keep your eyes peeled for some of the biggest social media shakeups headed our way.
1. "In the Moment" Dominance
Social media has always been about updating people in the present, but lately, platforms have shifted toward an even more "present" version of the present. Several years ago, it was common to write status updates toward the end of the day, or as a retrospective recap of a certain event. Now that mobile devices with Internet access are commonplace, this settling period is no longer relevant. Everyone has the freedom to update any platform at any time, and social brands are trying to force this "in the moment" style of posting on their users. Twitter's Moments is a perfect example of pushing hyper-present moments, as are video-broadcasting apps like Meerkat and Periscope. Expect to see more of these features and platforms develop in 2016.
2. Social/eCommerce Hybrids
Facebook ads have been around almost as long as the platform itself, and the small shopping ads we see on the platform today aren't particularly unsettling or surprising, but there are big waves coming in the world of social shopping. Pinterest took a massive step forward last year, introducing and then expanding a new feature called "buyable pins," which takes the platform as it is but adds a simple buy button to select items to turn the platform into a social/eCommerce hybrid. Thanks to Pinterest's enormous success and increasing pressure for social platforms to turn profits, you can expect to see more, similar hybrids in other areas.
3. Virtual Reality
Facebook is the leading voice in virtual reality (VR) integration with social media. Deep details are being kept secret, but Facebook has actively publicized its relationship with Oculus Rift, one of the forerunners of modern VR technology due out on March 28, 2016. Facebook plans to fully support Oculus Rift integration, including 360 degree videos and new interfaces. If the release and new medium is successful, you can count on almost every other social media platform out there lobbying for a unique VR experience of its own.
4. In-App Content Rising
Since most social media platforms rely on the use of device-specific apps (and not browser-accessed web pages), it's more important than ever to keep users onsite for as long as possible. For platform developers, that means coming up with new features that prevent users from ever leaving, such as Facebook's Instant Articles (which load content fully within the app) or status-based search engine to find links. These changes are heralded as improvements to user experience, but they also increase user exposure to ads--expect to see more of these in the coming years.
5. Personal Digital Assistants
Personal digital assistants like Cortana and Siri have seen major improvements in the last few years (as well as increased user activity), but thus far, they've all been device-specific. Facebook plans to change that with Facebook M, a digital assistant that's a hybrid of an artificial intelligence program and a network of human helpers. It's hard to say exactly how or when this in-app assistant trend will catch on, but it could change the in-app social experience into something more automated and more versatile.
6. Greater Focus on User Privacy
It seems like every year, there are more data breaches, more unpleasant stories of lives ruined by over-available information, and more ways for governments and motivated individuals to track your online habits. While some platforms like Facebook have responded to increasing privacy concerns by updating their privacy statements and giving more options to consumers, privacy concerns could hit a peak this year, and force the arrival of a privacy-centric app. DuckDuckGo is a rising star in the search engine world because it doesn't keep any user information, and SnapChat's instantly deleted messaging system has exploded in popularity--expect to see more new platforms like these.
7. Decreased Organic Visibility
Facebook has admitted to slowly declining the organic reach of its company pages' posts. The company claims it's simply a move to ensure the most relevant posts for its users' timelines, but any company with a motivation for profit knows that fewer organic posts means Facebook can prompt more pages to invest in paid advertising to make up for the loss in visibility. As social platforms get more popular, more necessary, and hungrier for profits, you can count on overall organic visibility slowly dwindling toward nothing.
There's never a guarantee in how technologies will develop or become adopted, but the major social players of our age (Facebook, Twitter, etc.) have given us clear indications of their priorities and future moves. Some of these might not develop fully in 2016, and some may be released to negative backlash, but you can bet that almost all of them will be on the back burner. Keep your eyes on the future, and be ready for change at a moment's notice--all it takes is one major shift to change how we do social forever.