Social media marketing is constantly evolving, and it has become a pillar for business growth. In 2016 there are over 2.2 billion active users and social media has become the marketing channel with the most potential. We love the findings in Simply Measured’s most recent State of Social Media Marketing report, and we would like to add trends we have also observed over the last year as social media marketers.

The State of Facebook

It’s no secret that Facebook is the most popular and widely used platform available to social media users. With over 1 billion daily active users, the possibilities to build a community around your brand are endless. Essentially, a lot of businesses consider Facebook an extension of their website where people can give feedback and frame a conversation around their brand. The Facebook conversation in 2016 rallied around video content, and we can only expect that to increase in the coming year. Interestingly enough, 85% of consumers watch video content without sound, so it’s important to create videos that are also visually appealing or include captions. It’s also no longer enough to simply post on Facebook. If you want your content seen, you have to pay for it (The great news? It’s affordable!).

The State of Twitter

It has been a rocky year for Twitter. You might have heard rumors of an acquisition and noticed stock decreases this year. With 100 million daily active users in 2016, Twitter has evolved into a hub for news, entertainment and conversation. It’s still imperative for brands to be active on Twitter, but most businesses are focusing their advertising dollars on community growth over content boosting for this platform. Simply Measured reports that the key to success on Twitter is consistent content and regular 1-to-1 engagement with your audience.  A challenge for marketers on Twitter has always been the 140 character limit, so update to let links slide will open up more possibilities for brands to create more in-stream content.

The State of Instagram

Instagram is THE place for people to find ideas and inspiration in 2016. It is the newest and fastest growing social media platform that brands, especially B2C, take advantage of. With 400 million monthly active users, they have become the go-to platform for brands to share their stories creatively. Instagram has not yet made the push to make advertising on their platform mandatory, but we can expect them to follow in Facebook’s footsteps in the coming years. Although the content shared on Instagram is mostly photos, we have seen a push towards video on the platform this year with Boomerang and Instagram stories.

There is no question that social media plays a part in almost everyone’s lives, and it will only continue to grow and change from year to year. As marketers, what we can do is understand the inter-workings of these platforms and continue to measure and improve our social media programs. If you look at social media from the beginning on 2016 to the end, it can only make you excited for the changes and improvements to come in 2017.