Social media allows brands to tell stories and connect with customers on a deeper and more intimate level. Brands can use social media to regularly engage users. Drive them to their content hubs, or toward higher-value actions. Like visiting a product page, downloading a gated asset, or purchasing an item. We thought it would be helpful to review social media trends for 2018.

When leveraging new social features, content marketers must not lose sight of the ultimate goal of content marketing. To tell exceptional stories that drive people toward positive business results.

Here are some of the highlights:

• Creativity is the new productivity.
• AR/VR (Augmented Reality/Virtual Reality) is the new social media.
• Instagram is the new Facebook.
• Facebook is the new TV.
• Snapchat is the new MySpace
• LinkedIn blue is the new black.
• Medium is the new blog.
• Twitter is the new social movement.
• Emojis are the new universal language.
• AI is the new customer service
• Talkwalker is the new Google Alert.
• Podcasts are the new radio.

Social Media Use in 2018

A Pew Research Center survey of U.S. adults finds that the social media landscape in early 2018 has been defined by a mix of long-standing trends and newly emerging narratives. Facebook and YouTube dominate this landscape. As notable majorities of U.S. adults use each of these sites. Younger Americans between age group 18 to 24 uses Facebook and YouTube, 78% of younger individuals use Snapchat, 71% Instagram and 45% Twitter.

Facebook and Privacy

Facebook’s recent crisis is just one of many privacy issues that company has had to deal with in its relatively short existence. Those privacy issues are now front and center. Facebook’s loose handling of how its data was acquired by app developers. It has plunged the company into the biggest crisis of its 14-year existence. Facebook has caused all sorts of headaches for social media marketers in the first months of 2018. By announcing that they’re looking to shift the focus of their News Feed onto meaningful interactions

In 2019, it is estimated that there will be around 2.77 billion social media users around the globe, up from 2.46 billion in 2017. Social network penetration worldwide is ever-increasing. These trends will keep continuing till we all use cell, internet and social media.

Social Media Stats Zimbabwe

Source: Web Professionals