Predicting the Future use of Social Media

We all love, or love to hate, social media. Even our new President is a fan and avid user; empowering him to voice his opinions and initiate worldwide debate in a  moment's notice. Whichever way you swing, this online communication is here to stay so what are the "experts" foreseeing for the future use of social media?

Back in October 2014, barely two years ago, CNBC reported 1.3 billion active Facebook users, 270 million on Twitter, 4 billion videos viewed daily on YouTube and 60 million photos uploaded on Instagram. Wow! Expectations at that time were projected to continue on its upward trajectory and  within four years (Oct 2017) 2.44 billion of the world's population will be on social networks.

Fast forward just two years and let's review where Buffer Social found businesses in 2016. No one has left Facebook. Buffer's report found that 93 percent of marketers use Facebook for business and 72 percent of respondents said their use of Facebook has stayed the same or increased in the past 12 months. On the Twitter platform, Buffer found 88 percent of businesses, 63 percent on Instagram and 56 percent were on youTube.

The big take away? Businesses see the value in social media and have integrated it into their master communications plan.

According to January 2017 reports, Facebook is seeing a 17 percent increase year over year in active users boasting 1.86 billion active monthly users currently. Worth noting: CNN reported that there are 83 million fake profiles on Facebook.

But wait, there are now 600 million monthly active users on Instagram! This little gem of a tool has launched itself from a quiet image share platform to a massive social network - perhaps due to the Facebook backing that it has secured. Social Media Examiner gives a great report of how to use Instagram for business if you're feeling left out.

2016 was a huge year for video in business and across all social media platforms. Did you know that adding a video to your website can increase the chance of a front page Google search result by up to 53 percent and on social sites, audiences are 10x more likely to engage, share and comment with video content.

So what is your business take on the future use of social media? Are you a blogger, a thought leader, a videographer or just a quiet site waiting for the craze to die down? 2017 is already a month gone, so take a chance and take your business to a new level. At PK Tax Services, we did just that with our newest digital tool "MyFirmsApp". This gem of a tool makes it simple for you to organize receipts and miles, read blogs and find tax tools, and stay connected to our team of experts. Download this app today on either your android or apple device and discover how we are working to make things easier and simpler for your. NOTE: Once you see how great this tool is, please share it with your friends!