Looking back at Social Media changes in 2018
Social media is undeniably a potent marketing tool, and it is therefore imperative to keep up to date with its changing trends. 2018 saw some exciting changes for social media, and we have decided to look back over the previous year at some of the significant changes on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.
2018 was extremely busy for Instagram and its one billion users. Many features have emerged from this ever-evolving platform such as regramming, story music stickers, close friends, and Instagram shopping, to name a few.
One of the most notable changes that Instagram has made during the past year has been IGTV; the new Instagram feature specifically designed for smartphones, which allows users to broadcast videos up to an hour along (unlike the one-minute restriction given on Instagram posts). This feature allows large accounts to produce edited videos of higher visual quality.
Another change that Instagram has made this year is its algorithm. It now prioritises the newest posts at the top of the timeline, with other posts ordered based on how likely your audience is to engage with your content. This change is one for businesses to take note of, as they will need to produce particularly engaging content and carefully consider when their Instagram audience will be active for their content to be seen.
Instagram wasn’t the only platform to experience an algorithm change. Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg announced a change in January last year where posts from family and friends are now prioritised. Although some brands may find it slightly more challenging to appear near the top of the feed, gaining engagement through reactions, sharing and comments will still help businesses thrive in the Facebook community.
For Twitter, as of September 2018, live streams are displayed at the top of the timeline, which increases the opportunity to boost views significantly, and is, therefore, an excellent feature for brands looking to reach a wider audience.
Furthermore, you are now able to bookmark tweets and save them for a later date. This is incredibly useful from a user perspective, given the vast quantity of news circulating on the platform. This has also been popular for brands wanting to save a tweet discreetly without having to press the ‘like’ button.
In the world of social media, 2018 was an eventful year with a plethora of changes on all platforms, which have universally increased community engagement, as well as helping brands to thrive and flourish. What will 2019 bring?
Whatever new changes are afoot, you can always count on us at Team Air Social to be up to speed on all our clients’ behalf.
Email us on team@airsocial-build-com.stackstaging.com or give us a ring on 01483 789434 to talk about any social media queries you may have – we’re always happy to help!
