2018 has been an incredible year for social media marketing. Since the last time we made some predictions about the top trends in social media, we’ve seen video and live content skyrocket in popularity, and much more. Though 2018 hasn’t always been a positive year for social media, we’ve heard the murmurings of some amazing new trends begin to arise, and we have no doubt that they’ll dominate in the coming year. Here are three social media trends you can expect to grow in 2019:

1. Stories, Stories, and More Stories!

You might not recall, but Snapchat conceived the idea of Stories way back in 2013. That platform was groundbreaking because of its focus on short-form, blink-and-you’ll-miss-it content. The snaps were easy to consume and gone before you knew it. For this day and age, fast content is all the rage. The addition of Stories allows for short-form content to stick around for a while, and with fun cosmetic additions, they’re the perfect way for influencers and brands to craft compelling, eye-catching content that they can update to keep current.

Scrolling through a Story is faster than scrolling through your feed and reading every single post, so the content in them can be consumed just about anywhere. Instagram quickly adopted Stories of their own, and now even platforms like YouTube and Facebook are joining the fun.

If you’re new to the wonderful world of Instagram Stories, check out our Instagram Stories guide here!

2. Boosted and Sponsored Content

Between algorithms and the flood of content going out into cyberspace every day, there’s just no way that brands can reach everyone they want to reach without a little extra effort. The good news is that we’re not lost amidst the sea of aimless content—we can carve a way for ourselves with careful strategies and budgeting.

Boosted and sponsored posts are cropping up on all platforms because of this dilemma. About one fourth of all Facebook posts now include paid media. Organic reach simply isn’t plausible for the biggest platforms anymore. But this presents a great opportunity, since sponsored posts and ads allow us to market directly to the audience we want, in the parameters we set based on our own strategies. And even small budgets can boost posts—which means the opportunity to reach your desired audience is available to almost everyone. This shift in the landscape of marketing is sure to roll over into the next year, so consider how you plan to adapt to this change in the reach of your content.

(Reach out to a Ghost Tweeting account specialist if you are looking for help creating a social media ad strategy)

3. Rebuilding trust.

2018 was a year of failures on many fronts for social media. Scandals and the proliferation of fake accounts or fake engagement have caused many to lose faith in social media and the authenticity of brands online. This is disheartening, since there is so much fantastic, authentic content out there. Creators and brands need to take responsibility for these failures and work to make them right.

Luckily, there are a lot of changes we can make and practices we can adopt to ensure that our audiences have faith in us. Above all else, the key is to make sure that you live up to the expectations you set out. We are nothing without our audiences and the people we engage with on a daily basis. We owe it to them to be honest and transparent, and to earn back their trust.

Here are some great ways to earn back trust quickly.

Though 2018 had its ups and downs, social media is ever changing, and we have to change with it. What didn’t work out in the past is in the past, and we have a bright future full of new ideas and forms of engagement. We can’t wait to get started!

What 2019 social media trend are you most excited for?