I recently did a Blab with my friend Phyllis Khare where we talked about setting yourself up for social media success in 2016 and we also gave some of our social media predictions.

#1 Streaming Video Use Will Increase (and all Video)

This was our biggest take away.  Places like Periscope and Meerkat helped usher in the age of streaming video early in the year and Blab helped really ramp up the streaming video excitement.

I personally think that Meerkat use will decrease as people gravitate to the platforms where more people are hanging out more.

My personal favorite is Blab because of the multi-person format.  You can have up to 4 people at a time on the video and people can easily hop in and out of the conversation or just watch.  Plus you can easily record the video and upload it to YouTube after you are done.  We had Debra Jason on the Blab video echoing the same comments on streaming video.

I also think all video use is going to increase for marketing.  People want to get to know you and have a deeper connection with you through video.

#2 Facebook Live Will Change the Game

Mike Stelzner came on the Blab at around the 35 minute mark and gave his prediction that Facebook Live will be a major game-changer in 2016.  Jed Record also joined in and talked about some of the benefits of Facebook Live with the comments giving continued life to the video.

I personally think that Facebook Live could be a Periscope killer because of the built in audience that Facebook has.  But there are benefits to Periscope and an audience that is already using it.  Currently Facebook Live is rolling out and is only available on iOS.

1,500 people watched Joel Comm talk about the snow 🙂

#3 Facebook is Still Where It’s At

Janet Kennedy came on at around 25 minutes and predicted the viability of Facebook.  Facebook will still be where it’s at in 2016.   It’s the highest volume site and will continue to reign supreme.

I second that opinion but think that advertising on Facebook will also grow.  Organic reach is not dead but it’s challenging.  Facebook ads can give you a highly focused reach and make a huge difference in your business.  My Facebook Ads course can really help.

#4 Podcasting will Grow

Podcasting will grow.  Janet Kennedy also has a podcast for healthcare and sees the listener base growing due to the rising accessibility in cars.

I think that podcasting is a great way to have a more personal connection to people and the fact that people can listen while they do other things is a reason for the growth in podcasting.

#5 More Companies will Reach Out to Influencers for Marketing

I predict that we will see more sponsored content coming through influencers in the different niches as companies try to figure out better ways to reach their target audience.

I’m already seeing that through mom bloggers partnering with brands, large companies sponsoring podcasts, and people using affiliates to sell products.

This is the perfect time to grow your brand as an influencer and to do that you need to be creating content about your niche.  I was able to grow my own following around social media and Facebook marketing and it led to a book deal.  The way I did it was through Grandma Mary and my love of wearing wigs so you need to stand out and be a little different.  Listen to the story at:  Grandma Mary Says Don’t Be Afraid to Be Different

#6 Audiences Get Smaller But Are Engaged

As more and more platforms come out, we can’t be everywhere.  Focus on doing one or two platforms well and don’t stress about being on every site.

It’s like when cable tv came along and grabbed the audiences from the top 3 channels.  So audiences will get smaller but they will be engaged.

#7 Online Training Isn’t Going Away

We had a question about online training and if it makes sense to create an online product.  Now that there is so much content for free, should we forget about online products?

I personally think that there is still a market for your voice and your presentation of the content.  Yes, it may be more challenging but you have a unique perspective and there will always be a reason to learn something from you rather than your competitor or free content that may or may not be updated.

Listen in to our Blab – we had a lot of fun! (You can also see the original Blab here with the comments and discussion)

What about you?  What is your social media prediction for 2016?  Share your thoughts in the comments below!