E-Business

2016’s Biggest Social Media Trends for Business

Published

8 years ago

December 30, 2015

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This year, social media adoption hit a new high. Around the world, there are now more than 2 billion active social media users (growing at a steady pace of 25 percent a year).

This means more people now regularly use social media than the entire populations of the United States and China, combined.

The runaway expansion of social media hasn’t, of course, escaped the notice of businesses.

Social media, much more so than the web itself, has become the new ‘front door’ for business today. Nine out of 10 US companies are now active on social networks. 90 percent of businesses see increased exposure as a result and more than half report improved sales.

In 2016, the pace of social media change will accelerate even more.

The good news for businesses is that major social networks like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter are figuring out ways to make it even more simple and productive for companies to engage with customers—and employees.

Meanwhile, more and more tools are emerging that make it easier to track the impact of social media business use, whether for marketing, customer support or HR.

So what exactly is in store for 2016?

Here are 5 key social media trends for 2016 that businesses should be looking at:

Social media at work is on the rise.For years now, we’ve been promised that a new generation of internal social networks—for use inside company walls—will spell the end of email.

No more hunting through your inbox for information. No more group email threads from Hell. And yet email has lumbered on in the workplace.

Well, until now. Slack has proven a game-changer.

Its intuitive interface, built around themed chat rooms and searchable archives, has propelled it to more than a million daily active users in just two years time, from the team at NASA to the team at your local coffee shop.

Meanwhile, Facebook’s new workplace networking platform Facebook at Work is officially being used in trial mode by 300 companies (including mine).

With studies showing that using social media at work increases productivity and engagement, it’s only a matter of time before more businesses get on the bandwagon.

Companies turn to their own employees for bigger social media reach. Nearly 80 percent of businesses now have a dedicated social media team.

But many still struggle to reach an audience. 2016 will see companies turn increasingly to an underused resource in the effort to get the word out: their own employees.

Employee social advocacy programs, which encourage staff to share updates about the business on their own social media accounts, have grown by 191 percent since 2013 and are due to take off in the year ahead.

When done right, the payoff can be impressive: companies not only expand their social media reach dramatically, they also get measurably better results.

Content shared by employees, by one recent measure, gets eight times more engagement than content shared by brand channels.

A new generation of tools to facilitate employee sharing (including one that Hootsuite developed) should help this approach go mainstream in 2016.

Companies start paying attention to social messaging. Here’s an eye-opener: Globally, there are nearly 4 billion active users of messaging apps, from WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger to WeChat and Kik.

The top 5 apps in the world in terms of frequency of use, in fact, are all messaging apps: users are popping them open more often than even Facebook or Instagram.

What does this mean for companies? So far, not much. Messaging remains largely in the black box known as “dark social.” Right now, it’s kind of a mystery what content is being shared among users and how that affects web traffic and “conversions.”

Intrepid brands—fromHellman’s to Absolut and HBO—are testing the waters, but by and large messaging’s huge potential remains untapped.

But 2016 may well be the year that analytics and insights become more readily available, enabling companies to develop full-fledged strategies around social messaging.

All the major social platforms now have messaging components, and it’s only a matter of time before they figure out how to make that data available to businesses for marketing purposes.

In the meantime, messaging is already emerging as a key channel for one-on-one social customer service.

Twitter lifted its character limits and follow requirements on direct messages earlier this year with customer support in mind, and Facebook Messenger has been busy piloting customer service features of its own.

Social media advertising (really) takes off. Haven’t noticed the exponential increase in ads on your social media feeds?

That probably means they’re working. In contrast to old-fashioned banner ads, the new generation of “native” social media ads like Facebook and Instagram sponsored posts and Twitter promoted Tweets look and act a lot like normal social media updates from friends and followers.

They’re also targeted with an uncanny degree of precision: Advertisers are able to drill down not just by age and gender but by interests, location, company affiliation, role and more. So the ads you get are probably the ones you actually want to see.

For all those reasons, companies ramped up social media advertising in 2015, withspending increasing 33.5 percent to nearly $24 billion (especially impressive because a few years ago that number was $0).

Expect to see those trends continue: By 2017, social media ads may account for a full 16 percent of all digital ad spend globally.

Fueling the growth: a host of new tools that let small businesses design and pay for social media ads in a few clicks—simplifying a process that was once the exclusive domain of high-priced media buyers.

Social video takes over. In case you missed it, social video is exploding.

Last year, Facebook more than doubled its daily video views to 8 billion, reportedly overtaking YouTube.

Twitter launched native video of its own in 2015, while Snapchat now reports 6 billion daily video views in its own right. In total, adult users now consume a total of 66 minutes of online video, each and every day.

Expect that total to climb to lofty new heights in 2016. ‎
Facebook is readying to roll out features like Suggested Videos and maybe even a dedicated video feed, andSnapchat Stories are growing ever more popular and feature rich.

Little wonder that70 percent of companies now say video is the most effective tool in their online marketing belts and two out of three businesses expect it to dominate their strategy going forward.

Despite the stats, many companies are still reluctant to get into the social video game for one reason: the cost of professionally shot video can be prohibitively expensive. But alternatives are multiplying.

Shorter formats, from 8-second Vines to 15-second Instagram videos, not to mention streaming video like Periscope and Meerkat, offer a hassle-free entree into the arena.

Meanwhile, crowdsourcing campaigns and tools are emerging as an ever more popular way for companies to gather and share video.

The biggest trend of all for 2016, however, hardly requires a crystal ball to see.

Around the world, social media is quickly becoming business as usual for companies. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and other networks have fundamentally changed how companies reach and interact with customers, offer products and services, communicate with employees and — in a nutshell — do business. And that wave hasn’t even begun to crest.

Culled from Ryan‎ Holmes‎’ blog (LinkedIn Pulse‎)

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E-Business

FG to Fnalise National Intellectual Property Policy Soon– NCC Boss

Published

1 day ago

April 27, 2024

Comms Week

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Dr John Asein, director-general, Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC), has said that the federal government is taking steps to finalise its National Intellectual Property (IP) Policy and Strategy for the country.

Asein disclosed this on Friday while commemorating the 2024 World Intellectual Property Day with the theme “IP and the SDGs: Building Our Common Future with Innovation and Creativity’’ in Abuja.

The that the Day is observed every April 26 to celebrate the importance of intellectual property (IP) rights to encourage innovation and creativity.

The director-general was represented by Mr Emeka Ogbonna, director of Legal.

NCC boss said the policy would serve as a blueprint for a more efficient modern and responsive legal and administrative framework for the country to leverage on its creative and innovative potential.

He said that the day underscored the power of innovation and creativity in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and shaping a sustainable and inclusive future for humanity.

According to him, the SDGs represent a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure prosperity for all by the year 2030.

“IP rights play a pivotal role in fostering innovation, creativity, and technological advancements. They provide the framework that encourages men and women to develop new solutions that address global challenges.

“It is the lynchpin for incentivising the use of creative and innovative ideas to solve many of the challenges that confront humanity.

“This year’s World IP Day reminds us that intellectual property can be a powerful tool for social, economic, and environmental development.

“It encourages individuals, businesses, and governments to leverage IP rights to drive innovation, create jobs, and build resilient communities.

“By aligning our intellectual property policies and strategies with the objectives of the SDGs, we can accelerate their achievement,’’ NCC boss said.

He said in the spirit of the “Renewed Hope Agenda’’ of the present administration, government had also shown appreciable commitment to the creative industry as a major sector of the economy.

“As one of the agencies responsible for the wholesome development of the creative sector, the Nigerian Copyright Commission will continue to provide the needed institutional, legal and administrative support for the protection, promotion, regulation and enforcement of copyright.

“The commission will pay particular attention to using the copyright system to advance Goal 1 (No poverty); Goal 4 (Quality education); Goal 5 (Gender equality).

“And Goal 8 (Decent and economic growth); Goal 9 (Industry, innovation and infrastructure) and Goal 17 (Partnerships to achieve the goals).

“We are aware that the goals would have to be adapted to fit the peculiar needs of intellectual property which is an intangible asset.’ ’he added.

The director-general, who said that the commission focused on the 17 SDGs to address emerging challenges, called on authors, innovators, users, IP experts and other stakeholders to reflect on the vulnerability of the nation’s fragile knowledge and creative ecosystem.

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E-Business

NITDA, ICF Train 100 Schoolgirls in ICT Skills

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1 day ago

April 27, 2024

Chike Onwuegbuchi

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The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) and Illmi Children’s Fund (ICF) have trained 100 schoolgirls in digital and Information and Communication Technology skills training.

Mrs. Maryam Augie-Abdulmumin, ICF Executive Director, confirmed this in a statement on Thursday in Lagos.

The graduation followed the training of the schoolgirls in ICF and NITDA’s DIGITGALS 2.0 programme, a collaborative initiative aimed to equip adolescent girls in Abuja with critical digital and ICT skills.

Augie-Abdukmumin said the DIGITGALS 2.0 centred around essential digital literacy, programming fundamentals, digital marketing and communication skills, and cybersecurity awareness.

She added that the girls were equipped with the confidence to compete and excel in a globalised digital economy. The graduation was in commemoration of the 2024 International Girls in ICT Day celebration on April 25.

DIGITGALS 2.0 is in its second phase and empowered 100 senior secondary school girls selected from five government schools in the Federal Capital Territory.

The girls aged between 15 and 18 years were equipped with the knowledge and tools needed to thrive in the digital world and address the growing demand for ICT skills in the 21st century.

Augie-Abdulmumin reiterated the importance of bridging the digital gap in the country starting with the girl-child.

“This graduation ceremony on International Day of Girls in ICT is a powerful symbol of our commitment to closing the digital gender gap.

This programme made possible through our partnership with NITDA, and signifies a crucial step towards bridging the digital gender gap.

It also fostering a future where women are active leaders in the tech industry. This is also an opportunity for these girls to take charge of their own future,”.

Mr Kashifu Abdullahi, the Director-General of NITDA, commended the collaborative efforts of ICF in making the DIGITGALS 2.0 a reality.

According to him, building a diverse and inclusive digital workforce is critical for Nigeria’s success.

“We are proud to collaborate with ICF on DIGITGALS 2.0 to empower these young women to become active participants in the tech industry. This programme showcases the importance of collaborative efforts in bridging the digital gender gap.

These girls have been equipped with essential digital skills, and ICF and NITDA are confident they will become active contributors to Nigeria’s thriving tech landscape,”.

ICF is a non-profit organisation dedicated to improving the lives of children, from underprivileged backgrounds, through education, healthcare, technology and entrepreneurship initiatives.

NITDA is a public service institution established in 2007. It functions as the ICT policy implementing arm of Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Communication and Digital Economy.

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E-Business

Confronting the Google Monolith: Survival Strategies for Online Businesses

Published

3 days ago

April 25, 2024

Comms Week

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By Reuben Kalu.

In the vast expanse of the digital realm, Google looms large, an omnipresent force shaping the way we navigate, search, and conduct business online.

From its humble beginnings as a search engine to its current status as a multifaceted tech behemoth, Google has entrenched itself deeply into the fabric of the internet.

Its influence is undeniable, its reach unparalleled, and its ubiquity seemingly inescapable. But can you truly run an online business without Google?

The answer, in today’s digital landscape, is a resounding no. You have no choice.

Google’s dominance extends across multiple facets of the online world, making it virtually impossible for businesses to thrive without engaging with its ecosystem.

From search engine optimization (SEO) to online advertising, email services to analytics, Google’s suite of products and services permeates every aspect of the online business landscape.

Attempting to operate without Google is akin to swimming against a relentless tide, fighting an uphill battle fraught with obstacles and limitations.

At the heart of Google’s influence lies its search engine, the gateway through which billions of internet users navigate the vast expanse of online content. .

Google’s search algorithms wield immense power, determining which websites rank prominently in search results and which languish in obscurity.

For businesses seeking to attract organic traffic and expand their online presence, optimizing for Google’s search algorithms is not merely advisable—it’s imperative.

But Google’s influence extends far beyond search. Consider Google Ads, the company’s advertising platform that enables businesses to reach targeted audiences through paid search, display, and video advertising.

With billions of searches conducted on Google each day, Google Ads provides unparalleled reach and visibility, allowing businesses to target potential customers with pinpoint accuracy.

Attempting to compete in the online advertising arena without leveraging Google Ads is akin to entering a battle unarmed—a futile endeavor destined for failure.

Moreover, Google’s suite of productivity tools, including Gmail, Google Drive, and Google Workspace, has become indispensable for businesses seeking to streamline their operations and enhance collaboration.

With seamless integration across devices and platforms, Google’s productivity tools offer unparalleled convenience and efficiency, empowering businesses to work smarter, not harder.

Attempting to eschew Google’s productivity suite in favor of alternative solutions is not only impractical but also unwise, depriving businesses of the tools they need to succeed in today’s fast-paced digital landscape.

Furthermore, Google Analytics stands as the gold standard for web analytics, providing businesses with invaluable insights into their online performance and audience behavior.

From tracking website traffic and user engagement to analyzing conversion metrics and customer demographics, Google Analytics offers a comprehensive toolkit for optimizing online marketing strategies and driving business growth.

Attempting to gauge online performance without leveraging Google Analytics is akin to flying blind, devoid of the critical data needed to make informed decisions and drive meaningful results.

But perhaps the most formidable aspect of Google’s influence lies in its role as a gatekeeper of information and access.

With billions of users relying on Google’s platforms and services each day, the company wields immense control over the flow of online traffic and the dissemination of information.

For businesses seeking to connect with customers and expand their reach, Google’s dominance presents both a tremendous opportunity and a formidable challenge.

Attempting to circumvent Google’s influence and establish an online presence independent of its ecosystem is a Herculean task, fraught with uncertainty and risk.

In essence, attempting to run an online business without engaging with Google is akin to swimming against a relentless tide, fighting an uphill battle fraught with obstacles and limitations.

While alternative platforms and solutions exist, none possess the ubiquity, reach, and influence of Google’s ecosystem.

To thrive in today’s digital landscape, businesses must embrace Google’s dominance and leverage its suite of products and services to their advantage. You have no choice.

In conclusion, Google’s pervasive influence permeates every aspect of the online business landscape, making it virtually impossible to escape its grasp.

From search engine optimization to online advertising, productivity tools to web analytics, Google’s ecosystem encompasses a vast array of products and services that have become indispensable for businesses seeking to succeed in the digital age.

While alternative solutions may exist, none possess the ubiquity, reach, and influence of Google’s ecosystem.

To thrive in today’s digital landscape, businesses must embrace Google’s dominance and leverage its suite of products and services to their advantage.

You have no choice.

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