From consumer preferences to brand opportunities, social media channels have developed new upgrades to their products and services to cater to the emerging trends that are changing the market. New channels emerged to be the leading platform in the industry, while some changed the way social media functions. From using social media to connect with family and friends, social media is a now a platform to influence people by speaking out about social, political and environmental issues. Advertisers take advantage of these situations by placing their ads on a famous person’s channel or on a trending content. They do so through use of image, video or text that can redirect the user to the advertiser’s website or social media page.

In 2018, developments in social media will include improved video marketing where user experience is personalised, and brands are given opportunities to promote their content. From new filters to higher video definitions and longer stories and live streams, video content marketing in social media will now include the virtual reality experience.  To lead this innovation, Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat have developed their programs to ride this emerging trend and expand their market.

Known as the app which made timed video messaging a thing, Snapchat is now moving toward more business-friendly options to cater to the 178 million daily users of the app. Through Advertisements that pops-up while browsing Snaps (Snap Ads), or filter options that appear when you make a Snap (Geofilters and Sponsored Lenses), businesses can promote their brand and drive traffic to their website. And in the new Ad Manager that Snapchat just released last June 2017, by buying video Snap ads, advertisers can now select their intended audience and target the market on which they can best leave an impression. And if you are familiar with running Facebook and Instagram ads, payment for Snap Ad Manager also happens to be per-impression or per-goal. And compared to ordinary snaps which are only viewable for 24 hours, Snap Ads last until your campaign ends. Lastly, Snapchat also developed a desktop-friendly application, making it easier for users to personalise their profile and view snaps, and for advertisers to create and manage their campaigns.

Facebook Spaces allows users to connect with their friends through virtual reality. It is a VR app launched last April 2017 and is expected to be as popular as Facebook Ads in the next years. Just like regular Facebook, Facebook Spaces allows you to personalise your user experience by creating a VR profile and providing you with space where you can interact with your friends by posting images and videos and viewing your friends’ updates. What’s special about Facebook Spaces (aside from the fact that you are using virtual reality!) is that you can customise the person that appears in your space to look just like you. By uploading a new photo or getting an existing photo that you were tagged in on Facebook, you can make an illustrated image of yourself and adjust your appearance as you deem fit. This illustration will then be the one who’ll appear in your virtual reality experience when you connect with your friends. Currently, Facebook Spaces only allows you to connect to up to 3 friends provided that you use VR systems—which is now still limited to Oculus Rift and HTC Vive.

Instagram Stories is a fun way to share your day especially if you have thousands and millions of followers who want a daily update on your activities. Users can make multiple stories that are shown in succession until each story expires after 24 hours. Captions and illustrations can be added to stories, and currently, verified accounts now have the option to place a link to their story where their followers can swipe up and be redirected to your website. Users tag each other, and they also have control over who can reply to their stories. Instagram stories have now developed to support live streaming where your followers can react and comment on your video activity in real-time. Though the live stream disappears after it ends, users have the option to save their live stream to their camera roll. Instagram stories also support other apps such as Adobe Spark Post, PicPlayPost, Videoshop and more, where you can edit your photos or create gifs and videos. And lastly, Instagram Stories is also a platform for advertisements where business can make campaigns through Ads Manager.

Mobile apps began in 2008 when operating systems such as Windows, Apple or Google, made programs specifically designed to make the user experience easier on their device. Since then, countless mobile applications have emerged, each catering to the kind of experience the program wants to provide. And as of 2017, mobile apps have been downloaded 197 billion times, with 352 billion downloads as projected in 2021. From mobile games to camera accessories, photo and video editing tools, social media channels, and others, app downloads continues to increase each time enhancements are made, and new trends emerge.

In 2018 emerging apps focus on social media managers such as those who schedule posts and allow editing of photos and captions before automatically uploading them on social media channels. These apps include Planoly, Sprinkles, and Hoosuite Amplify. Other trending apps focus on giving necessary updates such as providing you current news as the case in Swipe, informing you of your data usage in Datally, and reminding you to take a break, through meditation in MindFi.

But developments in phone-based applications aren’t the only thing emerging; computer-based apps are also trending especially with numerous enhancements from Google and other large online players. Enhancements in computer-based applications range from new versions of existing programs to computer versions of previously exclusive mobile apps. All of these can benefit companies especially when they use these mobile or desktop apps for their digital marketing strategy, especially for social media management.

Drive File Stream is a new desktop application that Google built to replace the old Google Drive app. This program is designed to make files more accessible by having them on your desktop without consuming drive space from your computer. Both personal Google Drive and Team Drives will be easily accessible and files, and changes will automatically be synced to the cloud. But since this desktop app uses the cloud, internet access is necessary if you want to get the latest version of your files. But the option to keep files or folders available for offline use is always there. Part of the G Suite brand of cloud-based tools, the Drive File Stream also includes access to common apps such as Microsoft Office and Adobe Photoshop.  With the new Drive File Stream, users can now store unlimited video content on their computers.

The new Google Hangouts is an innovation from the previous Google Talk, Google+ Messenger and the old Google Hangouts program. The new app features online instant messaging, video chat and SMS. But aside from these, Google Hangouts also responds to Google Voice, making instant communication more accessible and convenient to use. Google Hangouts can be managed through your Google+ profiles where you can connect with millions of people and join Circles or group discussions. What’s special about Google Hangouts is that a conversation can include up to 10 people in one video chat, and when you activate the On Air mode, millions of people can watch your live stream via Youtube. And even though users do not have Google Accounts, they can join video chats under the Guest mode.

Periscope is a live video streaming application that was previously exclusive to mobile phones but since then developed desktop apps that allow users to video live stream videos simultaneously through the Periscope TV. Acquired by Twitter before its launch in 2015, Broadcasters or Scopers who sets up a live stream can tweet a link where people can see the video, leave comments and send out hearts while the live stream is on-going. Broadcasters also have the option to set their live stream in public or allow only to select people to be reached by their scope. Accordingly, Scopers are also allowed to block out users who do not comply with the rules set by Periscope. Users are also provided with a map view where they can see which locations currently have a live broadcast.