2 Social Media Trends to Follow in 2019 By Jessica Byrnes

Hi, I’m Jessica Byrnes, and I’m a member of the AEA marketing team.

Now that 2019 is in full swing, it’s time to put your social media goals and strategies for the new year into practice. Below are two top trends to keep up with in 2019 to take your online presence to the next level.

Trend 1: Authentic, Quality Engagement

In 2018, social media users across the board questioned the privacy, accuracy, and ethics of their social networks. Because of this, Hootsuite recommends focusing less on maximizing reach and more on generating transparent, quality engagement in 2019.

Hot Tip:
Try taking part in (or leading) a Twitter chat—a public discussion on Twitter around a specific hashtag or topic. Twitter chats are a great way to build community by generating lively discussions around your followers’ interests. We recommend trying the #EvalTwitter chat.

Trend 2: The “Story” Feature

Stories—a feature that lets users post photos and videos to Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat that vanish after 24 hours—are overwhelmingly visual and meant to be consumed on the fly. Stories’ immediacy and personal nature make them popular amongst users.

Hot Tip:
Start incorporating Stories into your social media marketing routine! Stories can be as easy to create as you choose, and because they often disappear after a day, there’s more room for fun and experimentation.

If you take part in either of these trends—or are planning on giving them a try—let me know in the comments below!

Do you have questions, concerns, kudos, or content to extend this aea365 contribution? Please add them in the comments section for this post on the aea365 webpage so that we may enrich our community of practice. Would you like to submit an aea365 Tip? Please send a note of interest to aea365@eval.org. aea365 is sponsored by the American Evaluation Association and provides a Tip-a-Day by and for evaluators.

7 thoughts on “2 Social Media Trends to Follow in 2019 By Jessica Byrnes”

  1. Hello
    Social media is the biggest platform in the world. Everyone has some type of social media rather it be Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, or Twitter. I personally only have Snapchat and I like the fact that you can only see stories for 24 hours. They are so many ways to use social media to your advantage. I have seen so many people make millions by making YouTube channels or going viral. I really enjoyed your tips on how to stay up with the latest social media trends.

  2. Catalina R Devarona

    Hello Jessica,
    I love the tips you gave in your post. Social media has become one of the most valuable resources to get information to the public and start a discussion with a big group of people. I like how you included stories into the discussion, as almost all social media platforms have some form of story usage now. I really enjoyed the tips on your blog post and hope they help people spread the word of program evaluation in the future!

  3. Hi Jessica!
    This article really hit home with me, as I am a firm believer of Social Media bringing others together. We are already personally engaged with each other via social media, however reaching out further and creating that true quality engagement on a variety of topics can allow minds to be stimulated. I can also see it opening the eyes of others around, that may be close-minded, which in turn can be a great benefit. We, as people, are so quick and eager to put our life out there in a sense of showing off to others, (because not a lot of us publicize our bad days), so I love this idea. It can also allow children and young people to see how social media is available for growth and understanding, not judgements and scrutiny.

  4. I did not think stories would be a good advertisement move, but after trying it myself, it really works! I know when I am bored I go through all my stories and when I see someone advertising something, I like to take a quick look at what it is. I am not on twitter, but I plan on starting. Thank you for the tips.

  5. Hello Jessica,
    I really appreciate the tips that given in this article because I have been on the fence about whether or not I should start my own blog. The biggest issue I’ve came across is how can I reach followers or what can I do to trend. I like the fact your brought up the hashtagging the topic, because I myself do that when I am searching for something specific to follow. The story feature is probably one of my favorites because sometimes instead of reading you may want a visual in to the world that someone sees their light when they express different topics. Awesome tips!

    -Denae

  6. Hi Jessica,

    I believe that social media is an effective tool to stay connected with members of your professional community domestic and abroad. Using Instagram, I have “followed” several teachers around the world to witness their approach to learning and follow along on useful tips and tricks they utilize in their classrooms. After joining the Twitter community I have been able to express and share my thoughts/ideas on certain teaching approaches and pose questions to educators all around the world. Through the use of hashtags I am able to easily locate topics and questions that are of interest to me and participate in collaborative communication. Currently, I read a book about leadership hacks and how online tools can be used to showcase student learning in the school community by allowing students to take over the school social media accounts. I believe this is a great idea but there are some concerns raised against this method. The internet and social media can be a wonderful learning tool but at the same time a scary place for children as well. We want to ensure that our students, parents and staff feel safe navigating online by educating students on the practice of internet safety.

    Thank you for your post!

    Amy

  7. Hello Jessica!

    Your article really stood out to me for a variety of reasons. Firstly, as a grade 7 teacher, I am always curious about new social media trends and uses. Secondly, as someone starting up a small business making cards, I find that social media is an essential tool in that process! In particular, the story feature on instagram. While I regularly post my finished work to my profile as a permanent picture, I like to post pictures of me working on my cards, or pretty posts of supplies and such to my story. I agree with you that there is something more personal about this feature.
    My one concern is that people need to remember that any image they put on the internet, even if it only “lasts” 24 hours, is no longer private. I remind my students of this frequently in the hopes that they continue to make good choices online.
    Thanks again for this interesting post!
    Laura

Leave a Reply to Laura K Friesen Cancel Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.