If we take a look back at the journey that social media has gone through, I think you’d be surprised at just how many advancements and updates there have been. From MSN to the launch of TikTok, the past few years have seen an immense change in the world of social. And with this, also comes the aspect of unpredictability. When we look at social media, the constant stream of updates makes it quite difficult to predict its future. That and the rapid growth in technology altogether. When thinking about what lengths social platforms can go to, there are endless possibilities. But there is also the question of, will social media die down and will the world do a 180, reverting back to simpler times.
The future of social media
Social media is now way more than just entertainment and communication hubs. From social commerce to marketing and business development, these platforms have opened a whole new world for businesses and offered an abundance of new opportunities. But what does the future of social media hold and what can we expect to see over the coming years?
New platforms
Over the past 5 years, we have seen the launch of platforms such as Bereal and Threads as well as a wide selection of new features on Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat and Twitter. So undoubtedly, there may be new apps that take over our screens, especially as the customer wants and needs change and technology develops.
The introduction of Threads has however proven that creating a new social media platform isn’t as easy anymore. It’s been found that Threads users spend 2.4 minutes a day on the app, decreasing more than 80% from its July peak. It’s also been reported that a number of celebrities and general users are no longer posting at all. As other platforms have been around for several years now, users have built up their following, their content and possibly their businesses, so transferring all this to a new site just isn’t viable. Although not impossible, new platforms will have to really think outside the box and meet customer demands if it’s going to succeed in the future.
Updates to existing apps
Although there could be an introduction to new platforms, the current favourites such as Instagram and TikTok will undergo fresh updates to stay ahead of the times. Thanks to technology, these organisations can easily record and track more delicate information in order to figure out what’s working and what’s not, leading to relevant and effective updates. The lengths these updates could go are endless but things such as video, interactive content, e-commerce and collaboration are highly possible.
New updates may include:
- Improved customer service
- AI and AR technology
- Live commentary
- Social chatbots
- Personalisation
Augmented Reality
The invention of augmented reality provides e-commerce brands and global businesses with new ways to connect and promote products. It’s currently emerging within the world of social media and is present in the form of illustrations and filters, 3D prototyping, try-before-you-buy features (where you can use your camera to place a product) and social ads. Augmented reality is only just starting out, so this technique is bound to bring a whole new set of updates in the future.
Social-commerce
Although it’s still considered a fairly new trend, social commerce is showing no signs of slowing down, and as it is just starting out, is open to a wave of improvements over the next few years. Whilst many online retailers are still jumping on the hype, there are still many brands that aren’t yet reaping the benefits of social commerce. Over the next few years, both online and offline retailers will begin their social commerce journey, with live shows and in-app purchasing taking over, especially within the fashion, jewellery and beauty industry.
Imaginaire’s fashion and jewellery marketing solutions
Censorship
Censorship and social media can come in a number of different parts and there have always been issues surrounding censored content, privacy and a lack of protection online. Whether you consider a rise in cyberbullying or the spread of fake news, it’s becoming more and more necessary for content to be monitored and edited where needed. This is also a rather controversial subject as many people think these measures are a breach of privacy, can affect business or technology can just get it wrong. Over the next few years, we’ll see a lot more censorship put in place in regards to comments, content and communication in order to keep users and the wider public safe as well as limit things such as online abuse, scammers and inaccurate information.
Social media marketing by Imaginaire
Imaginaire are a web design agency based in Nottingham, also specialising in web design, web development, SEO, social media marketing and PPC. Whether you already have your social media accounts up and running or need someone to kick start your journey, we have the skills and resources to great a social presence for your business.
Get in touch with our team on 0115 971 8908 and we’ll be able to help you out!