Nowadays, due to the growth of the Internet, we get used to having instant access to information as well as interact with each other. In fact, at present, social media sites outweigh traditional communication methods in providing significant benefits for socializing activities.

Despite personal usage, social media sites are also important media channels utilized by digital marketers. In fact, many social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Yelp now allow companies to run advertising campaigns targeting specific segmentation. The campaigns can serve to increase brand awareness, engage with the audience, or acquire more customers. In fact, successful social media campaigns can lead to viral buzzes and massive word of mouth. However, it is not easy for an ad to stand out among the endless list of articles in a personal news feed. As a result, digital marketers have to get and continuously push for creative ideas. In fact, here are the top trends in social media advertising within the year 2016:

1. Live streaming is the next big thing. Social media allows companies to communicate directly to customers, but video streaming takes a step further by allowing real-time engagement. The method gives off a feeling of authenticity which is something that all brands want to achieve. It is unedited or unfiltered but also able to reveal emotions and passion that the viewers can instantly catch on and relate to. Video streaming builds up a deeper connecting between the brand and the customers resulting in higher brand recognition and brand attachment.
2. Mobile is inseparable from the social media world. Since the beginning of 2016, the number of mobile users has surpassed the number of desktop users (Smart Insights). Moreover, users tend to spend more time on the mobile devices which projects to induce higher engagement level and actions taken. In fact, 80% of social media time spent is on mobile devices (Marketing Land). Because of the customer behaviors, it is crucial for all companies to make sure their ads appear on social media sites responsively. In other words, going mobile-friendly for social media campaign is a must. Other different strategies such as optimizing ads for mobile clicks, impression, and high-traffic time should be taken into consideration for better results.
3. Next thing you know- it already goes viral. Social media sites have trillions of visitors per day. It is not exaggerating to say that trending topics on social media accurately reflects what happen in reality. Due to the use of #hashtags, relevant content can be found within seconds. As a result, without proper monitoring, companies can easily get caught up in controversy especially when they fail to deliver the message they wanted. As a result, before launching any social media campaigns, having a checklist is necessary for any companies. Indeed, reviewing the ad content, the targeted audience’s interest and behaviors thoroughly would help companies to avoid appearing biased or cultural inappropriate on social media.