Social networks are part of our everyday reality and this is boosted by their unstoppable growth. According to Elogia’s 2018 annual Social Networks study, 85% of internet users aged 16-65 use social networks. More precisely, in Spain this entails more than 25.5 million users in our country.
It is a sector which is going through a continuous evolution and permanently adapting to user behavior. So, which have been the predominant trends over the last year?
2018: Instagram’s Reign
Instagram carries on growing. Although it is still in third position in terms of users (below Facebook and Twitter) it is the network which registers the highest increase in terms of visits frequency.
It has been a brilliant year, given that 49% of social network users access Instagram, having experienced an extra 4% increase in its community since 2017. Since its launch in 2010, Instagram has experienced an unstoppable growth. Its leaders announced this year that the social network has more than 1,000 million active users across the world.
Instagram’s latest updates have not left anyone indifferent. Instagram has a new algorithm that prioritizes those publications that generate more interest among the users, based on their behavior and tastes. In addition, we can now include music within our stories and publish videos of up to one hour with IGTV.
Social Networks: influenced by Influencers
According to IAB & Elogia’s 2018 Annual Social Networks Study, 72% of users follow influencers on their social networks. For this particular purpose, Facebook and Instagram have become the preferred platforms.
Generation Z – from 16 to 23 years old – is the one that uses social networks the most and also the one most interested in following influencers.
It is estimated that 46% of professionals have contracted services in influencer networks, mainly using Instagram as their search tool.
The proven effectiveness of actions driven by influencers explains the creation of a Masters Degree in Social Influencer Business, focused on influence management as a digital marketing tool for companies.
Video formats ahead of the rest
As we discussed in our previous post about Video Marketing, users are attracted to the video format. Video and music are the key contents which drive user interaction within social networks. According to SGAE’s Yearbook of Musical and Audiovisual Performing Arts 2018, 56% of social media users choose these platforms essentially for video and music consumption. This happens above all with YouTube, Spotify and WhatsApp.
Smartphones dominate the game
Smartphones are the preferred device for accessing social networks, thanks to communication applications such as WhatsApp. According to AIMC, 91.3% of users choose to access via their smartphone device.
The time frame in which most connections happen is between 20:30 and 00:30 at night, according to Elogia’s 2018 Annual Social Networks Study.
Ultimately, social media is here to drive user interactions, brand promotion, video and music consumption, but above all, they provide users with a space of their own, defined by their interests and personal preferences in real time.
Moreover, Instagram, due to its predominantly visual format, provides the most suitable channel to drive user interests in the most agile and attractive manner and this explains their successful evolution and bright future perspectives.
Source: Telecoming ad-tech
