2016 review – What’s hot and up and coming in SM

With 2016 ending, we thought it might be a good idea to review what’s hot as well as what we can look forward to in 2017.

Mobile predominance

According to the latest statistics, there are over 2 billion people who connect to the internet through their mobile devices on a daily basis – and their number is growing. For companies, this means that being able to build mobile responsive web pages and content that is optimised for smartphone consumption will be even more essential. Businesses will need to invest more in mobile apps if they are to engage their audiences. Once upon a time there were the 4Ws of communication: Why, What, Where, When. Now we have a fifth, most important W: Wi-Fi. However, Wi-Fi is still not as widely accessible in T&T as it is in other countries. Faced with limited or unstable internet connection, mobile users in T&T will continue to face challenges in 2017 to access and download data-heavy content on-the-go. For companies, here at home, mobile friendly content thus necessitates ‘light’ content.

Live videos

Capitalizing on user-generated content is the way to go. Live videos are looked upon as real and catchy. Whether it’s sharing a song from a concert, a favourite dish from a restaurant or a breath-taking view whilst on vacation, user-generated videos are becoming the favourite way for T&T folks to engage with friends and family. Facebook live videos, Periscope, Instagram stories and Snapchat are going down this road.

Fresh content

In 2017 we will see an even greater interest in fresh content, which will be created every day. Snapchat, Telegram and Instagram allow people to tell their own stories through messages, videos and photos. To keep-up, companies must create interesting and talked about content every day.

Tailoring is the name of the game

Tailoring content will be key to success in 2017. Paying for catch-all ads won’t suffice anymore. Faced with an overpopulation of posts and paid advertisements, the only way for companies to make a truly meaningful use of social media will be to focus and tailor their attention to relatively smaller audiences or real followers and true fans who genuinely want to engage with the brand.

Artificial intelligence on the rise

Artificial intelligence is going to play an ever greater role in optimizing the effectiveness of company resources, and increasing the efficiency of the way in which companies interact with their customers. Just as artificial intelligence (AI) is poised to soon replace boring telephone operators, it will also play an ever-greater role in helping to address customer needs on-line. The recent announcement made by Mark Zuckerberg of the pending arrival of AI for Facebook Messenger is a clear hint that the future is on our doorstep.

The ‘weather forecast’ for 2017 is clear, and companies in T&T are warned: the challenge to engage people online will be hotter than ever in 2017!