Page 8 - AeM_Dec_2018

RESEARCH, ANALYSIS & TRENDS

A look back: The most important social media

trends of 2018

2018 was a huge year for social media, with many which organic content will resonate with your audience
changes to navigate including privacy scandals, a new on Facebook is key. By posting highly relevant content,
algorithm at Facebook, the impact of influencer brands regain engagement and get love from Facebook
marketing, and the rise of Instagram. Social media users, even with the overall decline.
marketers found themselves having to aim for targets
that were not only moving but morphing into new entities The dramatic rise of Instagram and Stories
altogether. For brands that need to reach more
consumers and raise brand awareness on social media, Perhaps the biggest story of 2018 is the rise of Stories.
here are the biggest trends from 2018. These have helped drive a growing transfer of social
media marketing initiatives.
Facebook’s decline of organic content’s
engagement This year, Instagram hit significant milestones,
dethroning Snapchat as the most-used social media
Examining the metrics for engagement on the Facebook platform among teens. The volume of brands posting
app, an undeniable trend is the steady decline of Instagram Stories also increased by 400 per cent in
engagement and reach for Facebook organic content. 2018. Instagram began with a feed similar to Facebook
Some believe this may be tied to the introduction of the but the introduction of Stories to Instagram changed all
new algorithm at the beginning of the year. But our that, increasing engagement with users and attracting
numbers show that the decline of engagement with the attention of brand advertisers. Although Instagram
organic Facebook content began months before the new posts still garner more impressions than Instagram
algorithm was introduced. In just over a year, audiences Stories, the trend is clear. Stories are the new stars of
have shifted away from engaging with this type of social media, and you can expect to see a continuing
content. uplift in impressions and engagement with them in the
year ahead.
However, if your audience is still mainly on Facebook,
you should keep posting relevant content at high Even with all the new attention, brands are still moving
volume. With the decline in engagement, and the new slowly to catch up with this trend. We still see many
algorithm that punishes spam, the ability to understand brands investing most heavily in traditional Facebook

8 December 2018 - Customer Experience & Customer Journey