Our Social Media Strategist Blanche, presented on the latest trends in social media at the Tauranga Chamber of Commerce DIY Digital Skills Day.  Her presentation explored the many platforms of rapidly growing social media apps and trends highlighting that 2016 saw a massive growth accumulating 1.9 billion mobile users and 2.3 active social media users worldwide.  We have recapped just a few of her significant points/forecasts from her presentation.  

Advertising

Social networks are smart just like search engines. They use algorithms to personalize the organic social content based on what their users will love.
This makes it harder for businesses to have their posts seen.
This is why brands spend massively on social advertising year after year. According to Content Marketing Institute, paid advertising on social ads increased year after year. In 2016, the social ad revenue crossed $1.53 billion throughout the globe.

Live Video

Live video is still new but we saw it taking Facebook by storm in 2016 with it recently announcing it will roll out a 360-degree video for live users. 
Live Video allows businesses to interact with their audience and customers in real time.  Many major platforms like YouTube, Twitter and Instagram already have this feature. 
 
Social Influencers

Social influencers will grow like anything in 2017.  Old school advertising techniques don’t work anymore with over 47% online consumers using ad blockers.   Influencer Marketing is found to be a much better marketing approach.  Over 84% marketers reported that they plan to use at least one influencer marketing plan in the next 12 months. 

​​We were so excited to attend Fashion Week in September and support our clients, Nichola and the other Maori designers who were part of Miro Moda’s 2017 show, our highlight of Fashion week.  Adrienne Whitewood’s solo show was breath-taking from start to finish and we left absolutely blown away by the quality of Maori fashion designers that were showcased.  Of course to truly experience fashion week, one has to include a Stolen Girlfriends show and 2017 did not disappoint. 

The week long event which attracts thousands of fashion-focused delegates from around the world is a impressive example of how powerful social media is, with all the coverage it generates and generated in addition to the millions of dollars that were spent through other channels of media. 

The role of the Influencer was much more apparent this year with a noticeable shift from a previous celebrity crowd and presence to the Influencer, who plays a significant role in leveraging brands throughout the week across their personal social platforms. Audiences and followers of these influencers, a powerhouse of their own are exposed to a week of designer shows, after parties and most persuasively their multiple designer outfit changes per day.  It's an opportunity to extend the brand presence of both designers and themselves.