What we’ve learnt about Social Media trends in 2016 (so far)
This year has been something of an enigma; one minute you’re surrounded by #dryjanuarys and following @thebodycoach on Instagram after a particularly indulgent festive season, then all of a sudden it’s August, schools are out and everyone you’ve ever met is on holiday. Nevertheless, now we’re just over halfway through the year, what better time to pause and reflect on 5 lessons we’ve learnt so far this year.
- The success of Instagram knows no limits
In June, Instagram reached an astounding half a billion users and is widely believed to be the fastest-growing, major social network.
While its army of dedicated, young users continues to drive it forward with approximately 58% 16-24 year olds having an Instagram account, there has also been a recent increase of users aged between 55-64 joining this social media giant.
There are now 2.5 times more users falling within this age range than there was this time 2 years ago. Very impressive.
- Snapchat stands out
Although the first half of 2016 has undoubtedly been a great year for Instagram, its success may just be overshadowed by that of Snapchat.
Summer 2016 saw the ‘self-destructing’ mobile app valued at over $20 billion dollars. Due to the creative, recreational nature of Snapchat, it’s not surprising that its biggest audience is the younger age groups. The sheer size of this audience however is truly overwhelming.
Recent research puts just over half (51%) of 16-24 year olds in the UK on Snapchat, closely followed by 47% of Americans users of the same age group. With such an extensive reach to such an important market, we think Snapchat will be the most popular kid in class by the end of 2016.
- Music to our ears
While it all seemed quiet on the music front for a while, the arrival of Apple music and new kid on the block, Tidal, earlier in 2016 saw something on a shape up in the way we listen to music in 2016.
However, that is not to say that there has been any great transformation in the way we pay for music with 63% of people using music streaming services each month but just 1 in 10 claiming to pay a subscription fee.
However, that 16-24 year olds are the most likely to be paying for their music means that further developments may be on the horizon.
- Hear me now
In-keeping with the above point, it seems that 2016 could be the year that the soft-softly approach comes into fruition with voice search tools also creeping up the charts in terms of popularity, particularly among the younger age groups.
Due in no small part to the likes of Siri and Google. Now recent research by the team over at GWI has found that 1 in 5 online users have used a voice search function within the last month.
While this advancement may seem like a slow burner to some, to others it is a logical and time-saving development in a society which spends increasing amounts of time tapping away on their smartphone.
- Calling time on the Tablet
With all the prosperity and success seen in the first 6 months of 2016, something had to flail. Perhaps due to the impressive advancements in smartphone technology in recent years, or maybe as a result of economic uncertainty, the tablet is now officially in decline.
Despite the glory days at the beginning of the decade when online tablet users more than trebled to over 1 in 3, the rate of increase hit the brakes back in 2015 before officially starting to decline in the first quarter of 2016. To many, the tablet can appear as a luxury item over the more essential smartphone, a perception which may need to be assessed if this gadget is to persevere.
By Aisling Lewis