Skip to content
BlackFin360 – Innovation To Reality

BlackFin360 – Innovation To Reality

Tom Edwards is a professional futurist and keynote marketing technology speaker covering data, digital, artificial intelligence, marketing technology and emerging media trends

  • BlackFin360
  • Blog
  • Keynote Speaker
    • Tom Edwards | Speaker Spotlight
    • Innovation To Reality™
    • Podcasts | Interviews
    • Awards & Recommendations
    • Book Tom Edwards
  • Advisory
    • Subject Matter Expert
    • Technology Evangelism
    • Advisor | Board Member
    • Adjunct Professor | Lecturer
  • About
    • Tom Edwards | Awards & Recommendations
    • Tom Edwards | Speaker Spotlight
    • Tom Edwards | Linkedin
    • Contact

Tag: Shift from Social Media to Social Messaging

Posted on February 17, 2016April 11, 2017

Social Media To Social Messaging

Today, Twitter announced the integration of native GIF search support.  This feature is designed to enhance a conversational user experience and is yet another signal of an impending shift that validates the importance of supporting visual language usage behavior (emoji, stickers, GIF’s).

Over the past few months I have talked a lot about the seismic shift in consumer behavior towards intimate sharing as well as platform and publishers integrating new features and testing conversational user experiences to keep pace with the shift from social media to social messaging.

Tom Edwards Social Messaging

This shift will redefine how brand marketers approach connecting with consumers. It will be less about the hallmarks of social media marketing which included personification of the brand in a witty way and more about enabling conversation and finding the key points to passively enable a conversation through visual language or by creating compelling customer experiences through messaging channels.

Publishers such as Facebook and Twitter as well as ephemeral platforms such as Snapchat are redefining the future of social media. In recent briefings with the Snapchat team, they stated emphatically that they are not a social network. And some brand marketers may not be comfortable with the pending new normal.

I recently discussed with iMedia how Facebook’s Messenger and WhatsApp’s go-to-market approach is key to their long term strategy to remain relevant with younger audiences and serves as a precursor to the shift that is coming.

Facebook is a microcosm for what’s happening in the industry. They have over one billion users engaging monthly, yet they are laser focused on evolving beyond social media and are doubling down on social messaging.

Facebook sees that consumer behavior is shifting towards intimate connection vs. broad-reaching social platforms. As a result, messaging apps, like Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, and SnapChat are dominating engagement with key demographics.

facebook messenger

In addition to stickers, animated GIFs, and emojis, messenger applications will also focus on enabling customer service to serve as a primary commerce hub for publishers. Facebook has already tested programs connecting local service providers with consumers through Messenger, as well as enabling third-party developers to create new experiences that enable the messaging experience.

It’s not just about Messenger and WhatsApp. Facebook owned Instagram now has improved DM capabilities that focuses on intimate shareability of content. Instagram made it easier to share content without tagging as well as the ability to share with up to 15 people, respond with emoji or add additional images with a threaded approach. This is another signal of the importance of a conversational user experience.

instagram

Now Twitter is continuing it’s product evolution by adopting new functionality that is already prevalent with ephemeral messaging platforms. They announced support of native GIF search functionality across iOS, Android & web.

Screenshot 2016-02-17 14.59.48

This is in addition to their recent testing of Snapchat stylized doodles and photo editing and expanding the character limit via direct messaging.

images

It is important to consider the macro shifts in consumer behavior combined with the signals given by the platforms in response to where they are placing their bets for the near future. If the Asian markets are any indication of future behavior in the US, we will see the rise of micro-messaging branded initiatives similar to WeChat.

singleenlarged_starbucks-china-wechat-app-01

Here is an example of Starbucks leveraging WeChat in China to conversationally connect with consumers. By sharing their emotion they can engage with branded content and offers.

From a marketing perspective, it is important to begin thinking about how to create or leverage a conversational user experience as well as begin to understand the shift in approach to supporting messaging apps with an “enabling” approach vs. social personification or brand centric messaging.

Consider the role that sponsored brand chats, stickers, emojis or a 3rd party app in the Messenger app ecosystem can provide towards building connections with consumers.

Follow Tom Edwards @BlackFin360

2016 Header

Recent BlackFin360 Posts

  • Generative AI & ChatGPT January 17, 2023
  • Hamilton Mann Conversation Episode #68 January 16, 2023
  • 10 Takeaways from CES 2023 January 9, 2023
  • 2023 Trend Report January 2, 2023
  • Marketing 2.0 Outstanding Leadership Award December 26, 2022
  • In The News: Tips from Award Show Jurors September 21, 2022
  • Judging the 2022 Drum Awards August 22, 2022
  • NAPSL 2022 KEYNOTE August 1, 2022
  • Blending Reality As An AI Avatar July 18, 2022
  • 10 Most Inspiring Tech Leaders To Watch July 1, 2022
  • Judging Fierce Pharma 2022 Awards June 30, 2022
  • 2022 Evolution of Experience Live Keynote May 22, 2022
  • 2022 DFWIMA Marketer of the Year April 29, 2022
  • SK Life Science Omnichannel Keynote March 29, 2022
  • Digital Champions Show February 25, 2022
  • 2022 OnCon Top 10 Marketer Award x2 Winner January 21, 2022
  • Truth Be Told – Future of Data December 16, 2021
  • Evolution of Experience Keynote – NextPharma November 23, 2021
  • AI & CX Masterclass October 5, 2021
  • Judging The 2021 Drum Awards September 15, 2021
  • Advertising Research Foundation Keynote August 30, 2021
  • 2021 Fierce Pharma Awards August 5, 2021
  • 2021 MARsum Top 100 Award June 29, 2021
  • OMC Hive Podcast May 24, 2021
  • Announcing Omni Health April 20, 2021
  • 50 Most Influential Business Leaders In Tech March 20, 2021
  • 2021 Top 10 Marketer Award January 20, 2021
  • Interview: Personal Reputation Management January 20, 2021
  • 2020 Digital Marketing Professional Award December 10, 2020
  • 2020 CX Digital Summit December 5, 2020
  • Virtually Speaking Episode #24 November 5, 2020
  • 2020 Immersive Tech Digital Summit October 5, 2020
  • Innovation To Reality Recap September 29, 2020
  • Episode #44 E-Commerce Business Podcast September 21, 2020
  • 2020 Telco Global Forum Recap September 8, 2020
  • Passion Drives Performance Keynote August 30, 2020
  • Telco Global Forum 2020 August 19, 2020
  • Business Access Podcast Episode 15 July 28, 2020
  • Gifters Podcast Episode 800 July 20, 2020
  • 7 Tips To Prep For Keynotes & Public Speaking July 1, 2020
  • All Business Show Interview w/Jeffrey Hayzlett May 20, 2020
  • Digital Transformation, Brand Marketing & COVID-19 April 27, 2020
  • Quarantine Doesn’t Mean Isolation for Gamers March 31, 2020
  • Futurithmic 2020 5G Event Recaps & What’s Next February 19, 2020
  • Futurithmic 5G Articles – Enhanced Entertainment January 24, 2020
  • 2020 OnCon Icon Top 50 Marketer Award January 18, 2020
  • Tom Edwards Q&A with EDgage Magazine January 2, 2020
  • Fortnite & StarWars Redefining Marketing December 14, 2019
  • Futurithmic 5G Articles – Live Entertainment December 5, 2019
  • Futurithmic Podcast – Tom Edwards November 16, 2019
  • Path To Purchase Expo 2019 Keynote November 14, 2019
  • Mobile World Congress 2019 Trend Recap October 29, 2019
  • DFWIMA Headliner Keynote October 26, 2019
  • Headliner Keynote – Industry 4.0 October 9, 2019
  • AI Transforms HR via Intelligence Augmentation September 24, 2019
  • 2019 Tech Titans Technology Advocate Award August 24, 2019
  • In The News: Ad Age & Google Android OS August 23, 2019
  • Dallas Business Journal Tech Titan Interview August 21, 2019
  • In The News: Mixer, Ninja & Brands August 15, 2019
  • 2019 Professional of the Year Marketing & Emerging Technology Award August 6, 2019

Search BlackFin360

Previous Posts

Follow BlackFin360 via Email

Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Categories

  • 5G
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Augmented Reality
  • Awards
  • BlackFin360
  • Blockchain
  • Conversational Experiences
  • Data
  • Digital Humans
  • E-Commerce
  • Events
  • E^3
  • Facebook Marketing
  • Gaming
  • Google+
  • Innovation
  • Instagram
  • IOT
  • Keynote
  • Linkedin
  • Marketing
  • Media Mentions
  • Metaverse
  • Mobile
  • NFT
  • Personal
  • Pinterest
  • Podcast
  • Robotics
  • Social Media
  • Tumblr
  • Twitter
  • Virtual Reality
  • Wearables
  • Web 3.0

BlackFin360

  • A special thank you to @Dassault3DS for the #CES2023 prize pack! I really enjoyed the booth experience! https://t.co/TEdmLkql9d 1 week ago
  • I wanted to share insight into #generativeAI and #ChatGPT for pharma, impact on creativity, prompt engineering, eth… twitter.com/i/web/status/1… 2 weeks ago
  • Thanks to @HamiltonMann for having me on your show. Enjoyed talking #CES2023 #Sustainability and the future of mark… twitter.com/i/web/status/1… 2 weeks ago
  • Recently received an outstanding leadership award from the @marketing2conf team. https://t.co/VJkkjBh5ET 3 weeks ago
Follow @BlackFin360

Subscribe

 Subscribe to BlackFin360

BlackFin360 Posts

BlackFin360™, LLC © 2023  |  About |  Contact | BlackFin360™ is a registered trademark SER. NO. 85-932,075

Privacy Policy

Privacy
 

Loading Comments...