Social Media Pundits Provide Predictions for Digital Media Changes in 2016

Social Media Pundits Provide Predictions for Digital Media Changes in 2016

Each year, Ideas in Motion Media asks avid social media users for their thoughts on what they think will happen in the digital media realm. We asked that question again to see what insights we receive as 2016 unfolds. What will be new and up-and-coming, what new strategies and avenues should we explore, and what is on its way out?

We got a lot of great responses and you can read them all below. If you would like to give your input either leave your thoughts in the comments section below or email them to share@ideasinmotionmedia.com

John Marx, JM2 Web Designers | Facebook | Twitter
In 2016 we see a continued growth from what started out in 2015 with a true emphasis on the customer experience. Whether this is the interface of your website or the personalization to provide content rich information for consumers. We do see some shifts in the way the Internet works with the improvements in computer algorithms (had to say we are programmers after all). These are due to the major players (Google, Microsoft, Apple, Twitter, and Facebook) taking on more personas to make the Internet a more personable experience for users.

  1. Security
  2. Content continues to move onward and upward
  3. Video Marketing
  4. Social Media
  5. Mobile Applications
  6. Mobile Websites
  7. Search Engines

Click here to see further explanations of each topic.

Darlene McCarty Cohn, D. Cohn Communications | Facebook | Twitter
Facebook will be rolling out some new features that will make doing business right from Facebook even easier, so stay up-to-date on improvements on the platform. It's already possible to create special Facebook offers that email coupons to customers who click on the offer. The Call-to-Action button also lets you customize ways to actively draw users attention to the content they most want and need, including direct links to your website. Watch for developing tools that allow direct sales as well.

Live video is taking over social media, and will become a much more visible and common tool for marketers. Apps like Periscope and Meerkat already allow users and organizations to share live video on their platforms, and link to it on platforms like Twitter. However, Facebook will be adding a feature called Live which will also allow users to share live video, and Snapchat's dynamic platform -- which has been mostly out-of-reach for small to mid-sized companies -- will be expanding. So video content will become all the more important, and companies should begin working it into their digital marketing plans.

Steve Neville, Ideas in Motion Media | Facebook | Twitter
As the "Wild, Wild West" era of social media comes to a close and mediums become more controlling of their brand's platform, and more rewarding to natively published content, digital media producers will have to start adapting their content to each medium to be successful. And while that may seem like a task, I think the challenge for content creators to think outside the box means 2016 will be a great year in tech developments and creative, forward-thinking content sharing. As they say, the cream rises to the top.

Robert Blaszkiewicz, Chicago Tribune | Facebook | Twitter
When it comes to digital media, the one constant in the ever-changing landscape is compelling content. Find a good story to tell, figure out the best way to tell it and you're halfway to success. The other half of the equation is getting that content in front of your audience. A trusted reputation built on consistent delivery will earn loyal visitors, but media companies also need to draw unique visitors through social media sharing or content aggregators like Google and Yahoo. It's no easy task to marry the science of SEO and analytics with the art of a well crafted social media post.

Brett Fuller, Ideas in Motion Media | Facebook | Twitter
I think video is going to be everywhere on social media in 2016. With Instagram, YouTube, Facebook and Twitter's native video, Vine, and probably a dozen more avenues that I am forgetting or even don't know about, there are a ton of ways to use video to get out a story. Video has been growing for a few years now but I think 2016 will be the year where brands sort of "figure it out" and use the medium in unique ways.

Steve Dalton, Cender and Company | Facebook | Twitter
I think that the election will dominate social media. Things that will let people share their voice are what will be popular in 2016. The private social media stuff that was popular like group texting and Snapchat will be less popular and people will want to go public again because they will want to have a voice.

Richard Orelup, General Growth Properties | Facebook | Twitter
I think what will be good going forward is voice recognition technology like Amazon Echo - that seems to be picking up steam. I think Twitter isn't going anywhere but it won't be gaining popularity. I think that virtual reality will lose popularity with things like Oculus Rift and Google Cardboard.

Nathan Press, White Lodging Services | Facebook | Twitter
Google is taking over the booking engines of just about every hotel website, every online travel website, and it's growing at a crazy rate. It's a big challenge for us because costs increase, but it's a more streamlined process for travelers.

Karl Tatgenhorst, South Shore Networks LLC | Facebook | Twitter
I'm a technologist and I'm watching the conversions between technology and how people use it. I see people buying smart systems for their homes; smart thermostats, security systems, smart lights... I see a convergence between things that are in the home but also on the Internet and people's social media. They will be tying those things together in some way.

Chris Mahlmann, Ideas in Motion Media | Facebook | Twitter
The tools we are using for digital media continue to change, but the underlying premise of social media that is sharing oriented vs. broadcast will dominate success on any of those platforms. Users can read, view, or watch anything they want all the time on any device and if you talk at them they will ignore you. A flood of companies have come onto the social scene in the past few years because they recognize the need to, though few have any idea of what they are doing and networks are prioritizing true engagement to the detriment of broadcasters and the encouragement of community creators and engagers.

Kathy Sipple, Imparture | Facebook | Twitter
I think that the new buzzwords that we are going to see, at least in corporate marketing, are "lead to revenue management". There used to be a thing called the 'sales funnel' where buyers world enter our world and they would go through predictable steps to get to the endgame. Now you can see a tweet that could lead you to a YouTube video that could lead you to a landing page and then who knows where. Lead to revenue management is more holistic and lets you map paths all the way to the end. I think that landing pages are going to gain more attention. People, including me, have wanted to stay on social media and we neglect our websites and landing pages. I think that is the territory that we own. We don't know when the algorithms are going to change with Facebook or anyone else so I think wise marketers will be paying more attention to their own turf.

Dave Woodson, Prime Real Estate | Facebook| Twitter
Programs like Snapchat, Blab, Periscope will still remain popular. Anything video-related is still taking off at this point and it will have longevity attached to it because it's easy to do. We have phones now so it's all at our fingertips. Ease of use is a big game-changer for video.

James Flynn, Open Door Co-Working | Facebook| Twitter
I think that video is going to become even more popular. It's being democratized; everyone has access to editors, HD, GoPros, and they can take videos anywhere with their phones. I can create and edit a video on my phone immediately if I wanted to. With trends going up and trends going down it's hard to gage what will be popular from one day to the next, but I think that Twitter is not on its way out necessarily, but instead it will remain in the same position it's in. There are so many more ways to get your ideas out there and a seven-second Vine video will say more than 140 characters.

Eric Zosso, Zoseco Coworking | Facebook| Twitter
I think anything visual is going to be popular as the year goes on because the access to visual media is becoming more and more prevalent. We as a younger generation are using visual aids as a way to share ideas. We laugh about emojis but really it's truly emotion and thought without so much text but more of a visual reference. So anything visual is on its way in, and text based things are on their way out.