The past year has brought enormous change to our favourite social media platforms.
Twitter got a revamp in the form of voice tweets as well as the addition of ‘Fleets’; essentially a story feature that was first brought about by Snapchat.
When TikTok soared in popularity – its creators can thank the pandemic for that – Instagram, keen not to lose the attention of its users, introduced ‘Reels’. Much like TikTok, these are short-fire videos that are ideal for creating quick, fun content.
The biggest change of all, and one we are still getting used to, is a whole new tab dedicated to Instagram shopping.
As we move into the new year, we’ve gathered our predictions on how our platforms might change in 2021.
Some social media experts predict that the addition of extra features, such as Instagram’s shopping tab and Reels, could see platforms moving towards a one-app-fits-all approach.
James Read, founder of digital agency Giant Peach, said this is already common in other parts of the world, like China.
‘If you look at China, WeChat already encompasses that ‘one-app-fits-all’ approach with the chatting app also allowing stories, updates and buying. However – as much as western social media platforms will inevitably try to follow that platform, it’s unlikely that they will be allowed to play the role fully as in China,’ he told UNILAD.
He explains that because of data privacy concerns, increased regulation will make it too difficult for platforms to access that much control – ‘which might not be a bad thing,’ he added.
In China, it’s commonplace to not only buy everyday items through social media, but also invest in big purchases such as a house or a car simply after watching a live stream, Domenica Di Lieto, CEO of Emerging Communications, said.
