This document discusses predictions for the future of social media. It suggests that video content will continue to be very popular and engage users. It also notes that simplicity in design and user experience, as seen in apps like Instagram and Snapchat, remains very appealing. Finally, it posits that social media could increasingly provide truly immersive experiences through virtual and augmented reality or integration with wearable devices. The overall message is that while the specifics are unpredictable, social media will continue integrating more fully into daily life through authentic human connections.

1. What’s Next
in Social Media

2. 2 | What’s Next in Social Media
What’s Next in Social Media
We’ve come a long way since the days of Friendster and
MySpace. These early social networks were almost solely
focused on what we now think of as the basics of social
media: bringing friends together, proudly listing your
favorite bands and movies, and allowing you to create an
online identity that matched (or in some cases, improved
upon) your real world one.
Fast forward more than a decade later and things are
so much more complicated. We’re living in a world of
Facebook, Twitter, Vine, Instagram, Tinder, and Snapchat,
all of which are social networks that do so much more than
simply bring friends together.

3. 3 | What’s Next in Social Media
What’s Next in Social Media
While some might argue that bringing people together is
the driving force behind social media networks, the fact
that social is such a huge industry has made its story that
much more complex. For instance, widespread mobile
phone adaptation has given birth to social networks
that rely heavily on geolocation (Tinder, Grindr, and
Foursquare). And with people spending an average of
40 minutes on Facebook each day, major corporate
advertisers are paying big money to make sure they
show up in your newsfeed.
If you’re a business owner, chances are you’re using social
marketing to connect with customers. But in order to do
this, you need to know not only what’s happening in social
media today, but what will happen to it in the coming years.
Here are a few things to look out for in 2015 and beyond.

4. 4 | What’s Next in Social Media
Video Content Will (Still) Rule
+75%
Any digital strategist worth his or her salt will tell
you that video content performs exceptionally well
online. This is for the simple reason that people find
moving images set to sound more engaging than,
say, a lengthy article or a static image.
But while brands and business have long known that
giving their fans and audience well made video content
will always pay off, Facebook recently announced that
they’ve seen a rise in video content created by their
users. In fact, as of January 2015, the social network
announced a 75 percent increase over the previous
year of user-posted videos, globally.

5. 5 | What’s Next in Social Media
Video Content Will (Still) Rule
There’s evidence on other platforms that video is king.
For instance, Twitter recently announced a feature
that allows people to easily create, edit, and post
videos from within the Twitter mobile application.
And cool-kid app Snapchat recently announced a
feature that allows users to add music to their snaps,
a move that shows a dedication to helping users
create engaging video content.

6. 6 | What’s Next in Social Media
Faith in the Beauty
of Simplicity
In September 2014, the digerati were buzzing about a
new social network called Ello. The site promised to be
everything that Facebook wasn’t - simple, beautiful,
and free of advertisements that seemed to be butting
in on every conversation. But a few months later, people
seemed to have moved on. While no one can tell what
the future holds, it seems that for now the world has
decided Ello is not the new Facebook.
If there’s one lesson to be learned from Ello, it’s that the
promise of simplicity will always be attractive, whether
that’s simplicity in design or use. After all, this simplicity
is what has made Instagram, Tinder, and Snapchat so
appealing and successful.

7. 7 | What’s Next in Social Media
Truly Immersive Experiences
So much of what we experience on social media is meant
to make us feel like we are actually there. That’s why
Instagram photos take up so much space on your phone’s
screen, and why clicking on a hashtag puts you in the
center of a specific conversation about a particular topic.
But the future of social media will also be about literally
making you feel like you’re in the middle of the action.
You’ll probably first experience this on Facebook. A recent
CNET article points to Facebook’s 2014 purchase of virtual
reality startup Oculus VR as proof of this. While it’s not
clear what Facebook plans to do with the technology, one
imagines it could be used for everything from creating
a truly immersive experience out of a friend’s vacation
photos, or replacing Facebook games like Farmville and
Words With Friends into more interactive first-person
experiences.

8. 8 | What’s Next in Social Media
Truly Immersive Experiences
In a similar prediction, CNBC quotes Cory Bergman,
co-founder of BreakingNews, as predicting that the future
of news will become more of an immersive experience,
sourcing video from a variety of users to make the viewer
feel like they are actually there.
In the same article, Refinery29 Creative Director points
to the rise in mobile adaption as the first step in a trend to
merge technology with our bodies. With the Apple Watch
and other wearable tech poised to be the big stories for
2015 and beyond, we don’t doubt her for a minute.

9. 9 | What’s Next in Social Media
We Probably Can’t Imagine It
While pundits love to predict what’s next, the truth is the future is totally unpredictable and dependent on factors that
aren’t totally under our control. For instance, war, climate change, longer lifespans, or major economic shifts could give
rise to social networks that offer services we have yet to dream up. After all, do you think anyone predicted six years ago
that we’d have a service like Snapchat that goes out of its way to delete content right after you view it?

10. 10 | What’s Next in Social Media
We Probably Can’t Imagine It
However, the social media experts quoted in the
previously mentioned CNBC article seem to generally
agree that social media will soon just be media. Instead
of a hot trend that all the cool kids are hopping on, it will
be come part of the fabric of our daily lives.
So what’s the takeaway for this for business owners?
Well, the message is nothing new. If social media is all
about authenticity and connecting people, then your
social media strategy needs to do exactly this. Take a hint
from Ello and Instagram, keep it simple. Use social media
to drive home the important messages that you want your
customers to know, and always be sure to talk to them like
people. Technology will change, and trends may come and
go, but authentic connections will always be king online.
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