3x social media trends for publishers

Our regular readers have noticed that we’re all about trend forecasts around the new year. Before you roll up the sleeves and dive into work, it’s good to look up and see where the industry is headed. In the past two posts we’ve discussed the future of digital advertising and how CES trends impact the publishing industry. Both worth a read, by the way.

Next, we focus on social media trends that are essential in digital publishing. Social platforms – Facebook in particular – have become somewhat of a frenemy in the publishing industry. The audiences are there, eager to consume content, yet site clicks come at a cost. With the recent Facebook and Twitter reporting mishaps, publishers are event more diligent to deliver exacting stats.

Regardless of the controversy, there is no doubt that social media is a powerful tool for driving traffic – many of our publisher partners say they couldn’t do business without it! Check out three novel social approaches that will grow your traffic (and revenue) in 2017.

The Rise of Real Time

We discussed the live-streaming boom in our CES post, yet it’s worth mentioning again. Facebook for one is pushing live video and audio on its namesake platform, as well as on Instagram. People are more than willing to tune in on the action in real time.

How can publishers leverage the momentum? News broadcasters are already repurposing video content, pushing out infographics, and taking viewers on local tours on the Instagram Stories feature. Going (and staying live) requires resources and planning, yet it’s a great way for publishers to build brand relevance and loyalty with their audience.

Ad Renaissance

Forbes predicts that we’ll see an ad renaissance on social in 2017. The demand is on the rise – social platforms are rushing to develop interesting creative formats to keep advertisers coming back.

We predict that social advertising will drive innovation in the display and video ad industry in 2017. Publishers are well advised to reconsider their ad strategy and decide if their current tech partners can keep pace in the next twelve months.

Branded Content and Instant Selling

2017 is the year that consumers will become accustomed to either purchasing directly off social media or immediately after they’ve viewed the product. Could publishers turn their social feeds into a marketplace? Websites such as Who What Wear are successfully monetizing shoppable content. We believe we will see more publishers monetize on brand narratives that creatively mix social product content with advertorials.

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