Analysis: Digital Priorities in 2018
In 2018, for the first time ever over half the world’s population will be online – 53% to be exact, or FOUR BILLION people. Furthermore, a new report from Hootsuite shows that 49% of the world’s population will be active mobile internet users.
The report provides some fascinating insights into the biggest digital trends to watch out for in 2018 – and gives guidance on where brands should be focusing their efforts. Below are a few key takeaways that we at LEWIS can agree with:
Mobile First
There’s no doubt social media is an integral part of our daily life. In fact, 44 million people in the UK are now active social media users, with 38 million using mobile as a way to access our accounts. On a global level, for every mobile user in the world, there are on average 1.65 active mobile social media users. It is more important than ever for brands to be thinking mobile-first when building their digital strategy. And we can see that in the way they are spending their marketing budgets. Per Forbes, Facebook mobile ads account for 87% of advertising revenues and stood at $8 billion in Q2 of 2017.
Video Star
The Hootsuite report also shows that in the age of cheap mobile data, video is fast becoming king. Forty-four per cent of us are watching video content on a daily basis – in fact 100 million hours of video content is watched on Facebook every day. This is something the social media companies are well aware of – from streaming deals to video sharing tools, platforms are investing big in video. And it presents brands with an opportunity to build communities around engaging video content.
Say Something
There are more people on social media than ever before, as access to the internet and smartphones continues to increase. As a result, there is more competition between brands on social as marketing teams battle for audience attention. In such a sea of voices, it is more and more vital for brands to stand out and speak up. But there is no point if you’re only adding to the noise. In a recent report by Sprout Social, only 43% of people surveyed wanted their brands to have a trendy social media style. More valued personality traits were ‘honest’ (86%), ‘helpful’ (78%) and ‘funny’ (72%).
Community
Finally, brands need to be part of the movement that is putting the social back into social media. As marketers, building communities that enrich followers’ experiences should be the top priority. With recent changes to Facebook’s algorithm placing importance on quality engagement, content that connects with people will become even more paramount to brand visibility. And on a personal level, as social media users I think we can agree that we’d all like to see more of the things we care about in our feeds.
This Week’s Top Social Stories
1. Snapchat is getting a Live broadcasting feature – but it won’t be available to users yet. Read more
2. User can finally design their own face lenses on Snapchat. Read more
3. Instagram adds new Stories tools, including capability to share other users’ posts. Read more
4. Twitter makes its first quarterly profit ever, and stocks jump 15%. Read more
5. Facebook is testing a down-vote reaction to make flagging problematic comments easier. Read more
Winner
We’ve come to expect cutting wit from brands like Wendy’s on social media. But this week it was Yorkshire Tea delivering a scalding, after a user criticised the brand for not growing their tea in Yorkshire. Giving shade can be a risky social strategy, so the Harrogate firm must be enjoying a well-earned brew. Take a look.
Loser
News broke this week that Pepsi Co were developing ‘Lady Doritos’, and the entire internet became a focus group. A gender-specific product hasn’t failed so badly since Bic for Her. Lady Dorito deniers from Pepsi HQ didn’t improve the situation. We guess it’s too early for April Fool’s…?
Creative
This Tuesday, charities teamed up with Lightful to encourage social media to ‘reclaim social for good’. Reaching over 13 million users in one day, the campaign called for more positivity on social platforms. After a 2017 filled with trolls, hackers, and fake news, it feels good to do some good.
