Social media management platform Hootsuite has uncovered five anticipated social trends for 2019.

The Social Trends Report

 

outlined rebuilding trust, messaging apps, storifying social, closing ad gaps, and cracking commerce code, as primary focus for marketers in the next 12 months.

In light of 

GDPR

, the research suggested audiences were increasingly aware of who they are engaging with online. This means businesses are having to become more individual and authentic to gain interaction.

Of the clients surveyed for the report 69% said they felt more confident about a brand if they messaged directly. This correlates with the outlined trend that messaging apps are quickly eclipsing traditional social networks.

Sharing stories has also risen in popularity over feed-based sharing, which the report suggested would be a major change in focus, and marketers most adapt their content to suit.

The report said finding ways to make content more interactive and seamless will also be key.

The research also stated that 

competition on paid social had heightened

 which had pushed marketers to produce higher quality work.

Penny Wilson, CMO at Hootsuite said 2018 has been a tumultuous year for social media, and the trends indicated by the report highlight new opportunities for brands.

“Concerns around privacy have led social media users to more private channels like 

Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, and WeChat

, creating unique opportunities for businesses to develop one-to-one relationships with customers, particularly as those customers increasingly prefer messaging for interactions like support.”

The report surveyed 3250 Hootsuite business customers and interviewed industry specialists.