1.
@C AR L O S G I L 83
c a r l o s g i l
50+social media marketers were polled and asked the following:
what's your social media prediction for 2016?
What will be the most important social media channel in 2016and why?

2.
@K I L B Y 76
Aa r o n K i l b y
In 2016visual content will be everything. I feel that Instagram &
Snapchat will onlygrowbecause of this. I think brands will also start to
see the importance of live-streaming apps like Periscope and Blab and use
them in creative ways to promote their product or services.

3.
@AS K AAR O N L E E
Aa r o n L e e
Showmarketing will definitelybe the trend for 2016.This is where
businesses post visuals and share RESULTS of what people can get with
their product. Thanks to platforms like Instagram,manybusinesses have
changed the waytheymarket on Instagram.Theyrealized people aren't
engaging with boring content.What works is when businesses showhow
products look like in realityinstead of a photo in the studios.

4.
@AL E W I T E S
Ad a m L e wi t e s
2016is the year where insights and data from social media will be
incorporated into all business strategy,outside of direct social
marketing teams.Cross-channel marketing (i.e.Instagram to Twitter)will
rise and continue to drive marketing's move toward scaled,personalized
consumer experiences.

5.
@AD E L D M E Y E R
Ad e l d e M e ye r
Live streaming video,including micro video and social advertising,will be
big players in 2016.Social advertising budgets will be increased and I think
more companies will experiment with platforms like Snapchat.

6.
@AH N AH E N D R I X
Ah n a H e n d r i x
Facebook will be the most important social media channel in 2016because
they're going to continue integrate and growtheir services to weave into
our everydaylives.From banking to live streaming -it's going to be
interesting to watch what the largest social network will accomplish in
the coming year.

7.
@AL B E R T Q I AN
Al b e r t Q i a n
Blab will be the most important social media platform in 2016.As people
move awayfrom wanting to read content and would rather watch,videos
will take precedence and popularity.Additionally,video will offer more
rawemotion for those taking part,adding another angle to social media
marketing.

8.
@AAM P T Y
An a b e l l a Ac o c a
2016will be a great year for two platforms:Youtube and Snapchat,
the first one bythe earlyadopters (Gen Z)and the later byincreased
popularityamonGst Gen X'ers and BabyBoomers.

9.
@AN T H O N Y D E N AR D I S
An t h o n y D e N a r d i s
I feel that Facebook in itself is the most important channel but facebook Live
will take this to a whole newlevel.live will deepen relationships with
novice users and businesses will find that theywill be able to reach manyon
the platform.

10.
@B E N F I G O
b e n p h i l l i p s
Snapchat is going to continue growing dramaticallyas it matures.More and
more small businesses will jump on it as it is overtaking LinkedIn in active
users and will soon encroach on the "big 3".

11.
@B E R N I E B O R G E S
b e r n i e b o r g e s
In 2016,Twitter will be acquired either byGoogle or IBM.It won't make
Twitter the most important social channel.But,it will enable a newlevel of
data insight.If Google acquires Twitter,the data will largelyfuel their
advertising machine.If IBM acquires Twitter,the data will largelyfuel
cognitive engagement.Myhope is the latter will happen.I want to see social
become more cognitive.

12.
@C AR L O S G I L 83
c a r l o s g i l
with millennials expected to outspend babyboomers by2017,social media
marketers will shift to platforms such as snapchat and periscope to
create content (as "micro moments")which connects their brands with
younger,yet engaged,audiences.

13.
@C B AR R O W S
C h r i s B a r r o ws
The evolution of live streaming will be essential but the qualityof the
audio around it will be even more important.People have a demand for high
qualityaudio meaning podcasts will continue to growin 2016with the new
additions to Spotifyand Google Music.

14.
@C M I K U L I N
C h r i s M i k u l i n
Just as video and live streaming dominated 2015,expect to see more and
more of this.I think there will also be more focus on interactive media such
as Facebook 360and Snapchat's newchat feature.

15.
@C H R I S S T R U B
C h r i s s t r u b
Live streaming will continue to elbowits wayinto the mainstream,as
traditional media slowlybut surelyadopts to the changing waypeople
consume information.Facebook Live and Periscope will exchange blows,
eliminating Meerkat from the national conversation altogether,while each
moving in a direction of user collaboration.

16.
@C K R O K S
C h r i s t i a n K a r a s i e wi c z
n 2016,I predict that we’ll see a huge push into live streaming video.2015gave us a taste on the
power that live streaming services can offer from the likes of Periscope,which was named app of the
year and Meerkat.Towards the end of 2015,we sawthe introduction of another live streaming tool
called Blab.At the time,it onlyseemed to catch on with marketers so it still has lots of room for
growth.At the beginning of December,Facebook rolled out Facebook live video to everyone.
With Facebook making a jump into live video,I feel this has set the bar for live streaming to become
mainstream in 2016.I expect more and more social networks to offer a direct tie-in to their own live
streaming tools within their core product.

17.
@C H R I S T I N K AR D O S
C h r i s t i n K a r d o s
Live streaming channels (Periscope and Facebook in particular)will
be pivotal in 2016because they'll see the most audience growth.

18.
@D AN I E L N E W M AN U V
d a n i e l n e wm a n
Marketers Will (Finally)Recognize Social Media as a Channel,Not a Strategy.
Social media isn’t marketing,and it doesn’t work as a “strategy”on its own
—something that seems to have finallysunk into the collective marketing
consciousness.Social media is one platform of many,a tactic that does a great
job of supporting broad campaigns but flounders byitself.This distinction will
shape marketing strategies and budgetaryconsiderations in 2016.

19.
@D E N N I S Y U
d e n n i s yu
"Social media"doesn't mean anything anymore. The channel level specialist is
dying,because everyone must understand goals,content,and targeting--which
are channel independent. If you embrace this,then think about the customer
across all the tools,instead of mastering just one tool or channel,but not
understanding the customer in depth.

20.
@D I N O D O G AN
d i n o d o g a n
Social media platforms will continue to be less and less social while becoming more and more
deliverysystems for ads. As more people realize that the use of our favorite platforms
leads to status anxietyand depression,we'll see the resurgence of social media platforms
that allowand encourage anonymity.As the cost of development drops down we'll see a
proliferation of newsocial media networks that are niche specific.LittleMonsters.com and
Triberr.com are harbingers of this trend.

21.
@D O M G AR R E T T
D o m G a r r e t t
I believe it is going to be Snapchat.Theyhave the user base that is consistently
growing and theyare creeping into the mainstream,average user base.The demo
for them is the 18-30crowd and theyare becoming the decision makers. I feel
that the presidential campaigns will find a wayto focus content for that
platform and bydoing that actuallyfind a wayto get that all important voting
group to the polls as well.

22.
@E K AT E R I N A
e k a t e r i n a wa l t e r
Holistic experience management will trump fire-and-forget engagement
approach.To earn the trust and loyaltyof the educated,socially-savvy,global,
connected consumer it isn't enough to distract them with short-term dazzle
campaigns anymore.To spark customer advocacylong-term,companies need to
showthat theycare,byrepeatedlyenabling and managing meaningful
experiences at everytouchpoint.

23.
@I AN C L E AR Y
I a n C l e a r y
Twitter will start to see a decline in users numbers. There are so many
competing channels and we can't afford to spend the time on all channels.
Twitter is not as important as it used to be,it should sell before theystart
seeing the decline.

24.
@J AS O N M I L L E R C A
J a s o n m i l l e r
2016will be the year of amplification and personalization of content using
social as the distribution tool of choice for driving results.Less focus on
organic,increased focus on paid,targeting,and personalization.

25.
@J AS O N F AL L S
J a s o n f a l l s
Facebook.Because that's where the most people are and the most social
engineering talent is.Plus,theycare about improving their product while
growing their business unlike almost all other platforms.

26.
@J E D R E C O R D
J e d r e c o r d
Paid amplification of content will become the norm for companies trying to get
their content in front of viewers.This will include more influencer marketing
as well as a bigger shift towards social SEO activities.

27.
@J E S S AB AH R
J e s s b a h r
The most important social media channel is the one your future audience is on.

28.
@J E S S I K AP H I L L I P S
J e s s i k a P h i l l i p s
Acompany's blog is the most important channel because it's their home base.I knowit's not
technicallya social media channel but it should be the most social place for a company.It
should be the beginning and the end point of interactions with their target audience. If you
want to get technical of an actual social media channel I still feel Facebook will reign for
most businesses because it's been their comfort zone and with all Facebook is doing with
their Ads,lead capture video AND what they're rolling out with Notes.

29.
@J O E L C O M M
J o e l c o m m
With mobile devices nowas ubiquitous as coffee,we'll see a sharp increase in the
number of people creating live video content. Just as YouTube brought rise to
stars,Periscope and Facebook Live will find us engaging with all kinds of new
talent.Live streaming is the newblogging!Facebook is still the one to watch.They
are pulling together the best features of other social sites under one umbrella.
With no slowdown in site,it's likelythat Facebook will continue growing and
becoming a one-stop shop for all things social.

30.
@K M S K AL A
K a s e y S k a l a
With Facebook opening the doors for more brands to utilize instagram
sponsored posts,it will be interesting to watch howthe platform evolves
and matures.Current data indicates Instagram is a more highlyengaged
platform,but just as Instagram provides a lot of opportunityfor brands to
capitalize on the platform,it also provides a lot of opportunityfor brands
to misuse the platform and ruin its appeal for consumers.

31.
@K E R I J AE H N I G
k e r i j a e h n i g
Regularlypublishing brand content will be of high importance as social media
and content marketing are maturing. Those savvyenough to use a varietyof
media types to do that will lead their niches. As our societybecomes more
visual-oriented,social networks offering image and video will soar in
popularity. Those using video in their strategies will win,as this offers such an
awesome opportunityto connect with customers and target market.

32.
@L I S AM L O E F F L E R
L i s a L o e f f l e r
More people are becoming comfortable with sharing their personal and
professional knowledge on social media as a means to help others.I hope to
see more break out of their fear shells and become the teachers they
innatelyare.When we read real thoughts from our friends and colleagues
it inspires us to push harder toward goals,happiness and experiences we
want our lives to hold.

33.
@L U C Y R K 78
L u c y R e n d l e r -K a p l a n
Sadly,I think it will be Facebook.People will payto playand maximize their
messaging.Nowthat FB has added live streaming native to the app/site
itself,I think that will definitelyattract people to the platform.

34.
@M AR C G U B E R T I
M a r c G u b e r t i
The most important social media channel in 2016will be Instagram.
Instagram ads recentlyrolled out and manypeople will want a piece of the
action.Businesses who start using Instagram nowwill have a head start.

35.
@M AR J I J S H E R M AN
M a r j i J . S h e r m a n
Twitter will become more important as Periscope continues to grow,and as
other networks continue to increase advertising prices.It will be one of
the onlynetworks in 2016where marketers can still be organically
strategic in targeting relevant audiences.

36.
@M AR K W S C H AE F E R
M a r k S c h a e f e r
Quite simple.Overwhelming information density!This is the mega-trend
impacting everystrategy,budget and innovation in our field right now.How
do you cut through and stand out?Facebook's aggressive move into
publishing will disrupt manymarketing plans and jeopardize the
traditional inbound marketing model.

37.
@M AR S H AC O L L I E R
M a r s h a C o l l i e r
For social media outreach to be successful,it needs to connect with a
customer.Unless your goal is to be an "internet celebrity",your strategy
needs to become less "look at me"and more "engage with me." Social media is
a partnership between you and your community-not just your top 100
followers.Build a community.

38.
@M AR T I N J O N E S AZ
M a r t i n J o n e s
Facebook will continue to be the most important channel even though
organic reach for brands has diminished.Facebook has unmatched reach,
tools and targeting ability,and theycontinue to lead in adapting and
acquiring technologies and platforms as social trends and interests evolve.

39.
@M AR T I N S H E R V
M a r t i n S h e r v i n g t o n
Virtual realityis the next platform,and next year we will see the start of
it appearing in Social.This will radicallychange howwe produce and
consume content,as well as push the boundaries in creativityand
connectivity.

40.
@M E G H AN M B I R O
M e g h a n M . B i r o
I like to look at the world of social through an HR Tech and organizational
branding lens.I think that social media will continue to growas a recruiting
tool,building social brands that will attract active and passive candidates.
The evolution of reaching more than just friends -including customers,
influencers and even potential employees -is rapidlychanging.

41.
@M E L O N I E D O D AR O
M e l o n i e D o d a r o
In 2016I see more marketers participating in live streaming.It is a unique wayto
engage in a more meaningful waywith your community.I think with Facebook Live
entering the live streaming arena we will see more mainstream adoption which to
date has been a little challenging for newplatforms such as Blab and Periscope. I
also see marketers becoming more active in producing videos as you no longer have to
invest in expensive high resolution videos,people are looking for more authentic
content versus polished and professional videos.

42.
@M I K E _S T E L Z N E R
M i c h a e l S t e l zn e r
The year 2015started an era of live casting with the introduction of newtechnologysuch as Periscope,
Facebook Live and Blab.2016will take some of these live broadcasts to an entirelynewlevel with the
introduction of live 360degree broadcasts that will allowpeople to move their mobile phones and
experience the action as if theywere actuallypresent and moving their heads. In addition we'll see the
wide scale adoption of cost effective virtual realitydevices that will enable fullyimmersive 3D
experiences that are live.Much of this will be enabled bylowcost 360cameras like the Ricoh Theta
combined with economical devices like Google Paper that transform the smart phones everyone
alreadyowns into a virtual realitydevice. This represents an entirelynewopportunityfor marketers
to give factorytours and anyother form in-person experience the mind can imagine.

43.
@M I T C H J AC K S O N
M i t c h J a c k s o n , E s q .
People and not channels will dominate social media for 2016.Digital platforms and solutions that
easilyallowpeople to showtheir human side byusing real-time bi-directional live streaming (think
Periscope,Facebook Live and Blab)will rule the social space for manyyears to come.I knowmarketers
and influencers all love podcasting,and this maynot be verypopular to say,but just like what
television did to radio years ago,I think live streaming will do to most of the social media channels,
including podcasting.The fact of the matter is that people like to look other people in the digital
eyeballs.Live streaming allows you to do just that.Nowthat we’re all 24/7mobile publishing
companies,live streaming is going to be a game changer and frankly,will change the world!

44.
@N E AL S C H AF F E R
N e a l S c h a f f e r
I believe that Facebook will become the Google of social media in the not so distant future and
therefore will continue to be the most important social media channel in 2016.What's App and
Messenger provide opportunities for Facebook to become a central mobile platform for communication
and commerce such as what WeChat has achieved in China,and the recent addition of Facebook Moments
as well as experiments with a Yelp type of site at https://www.facebook.com/services mean that
Facebook continues to successfullyposition themselves as being in the center of our social media
activities.Don't forget that Facebook nowowns the 2nd largest social network in terms of monthly
users,Instagram,too .

45.
@N I C K C I C E R O
N i c k c i c e r o
Myprediction for 2016is that we'll see brands start to use influencers more
intelligently.I think we will start to see more brands looking to popular
YouTubers,Snapchatters,Podcasters,to help build a relationship with their
audience,and not just make a quick splash.

46.
@N I C K AT L O O T
N i c k h a a s e
In 2016we will see the deepest engagement tools ever created on social,360
interactive video,explode. Not onlyis the engagement ideal for brands
(interacting with video provides strong purchasing information and data),it
will lead to more 3D content that will drive VR adoption and the ultimate
social media holygrail -VR social media networks.

47.
@O W E N H E M S AT H
O we n h e m s a t h
YouTube will win the next year and here's why-everyone will be Periscoping,Blabbing,
Facebook Live'ing,and whatever newtech becomes available next year.YouTube however
owns watch time.YouTube owns brand sponsorship,YouTube owns sales funnels.The other
cool apps will be great for engaging audiences and maybe even make a prettygood income
for talented creators.But fortunes will be made on YouTube's platform because it exists
on mobile,desktop,televisions,and other streaming devices.The other apps will be used
like blogs-teasers for the big content found exclusivelyon YouTube.

48.
@R AC H E L L O U M I L L E R
R a c h e l M i l l e r
Digital eyeballs...wherever you choose to showyour face in real-time will be
your most powerful communication channel.No more hiding behind stock
photos and clever words -people want to see you being real,raw,and
bringing your best.

49.
@R Y AN P AU G H
R ya n P a u g h
Even more opportunityfor CommunityManagers.As the social media
landscape continues to become overpopulated brands will seek out talented
communitymanagers who can cut through the noise and build meaningful
relationships with people.If building communityis your thing,it's a great time
to invest in building your personal brand so newcareer opportunities come
your wayin 2016.

50.
@I R Y AN P E N A
R ya n P e n a
the most important channel could be different for different people and
where their audience is at.However,platforms like Periscope and Snapchat
will continue to push other big players to evolve in the live video space.
We're alreadyseeing it happen,but it will carryinto 2016in a big way.

51.
@S AB AS E D I G H I
S a b a S e d i g h i
We have reached a point where most social networks have become robust,
noisyand "payto play"platforms.2016will be all about the most engaging
content -360videos/gifs will rule our feeds.Also we will see increased
partnership with current utilityapps we use such as uber announcing their
integration with facebook messenger.

52.
@S AM J O Y K
S a m a n t h a K l e i n
We will witness the death of everybrand desperatelytrying to create
their own "Oreo Moment."Brands will start focusing less on real-time and
more on right-time.To achieve this,marketers will start doing more
listening and less talking.

53.
@P R S AR AH E V AN S
S a r a h E v a n s
We will see more live video integration with the abilityfor viewers to
interact through purchases,shares,etc.The development of more "real"
campaigns (e.g.REI's closed on Black Friday)with companies being held more
accountable to being good stewards.Abilityto do more e-commerce through
social channels.

54.
@T AY O R O C K S O N
t a yo r o c k s o n
live steaming will become the tv shows of choice for millennials and
companies like Facebook and Twitter will incorporate more live streaming
components to their platforms.

55.
@T E D C O I N E
T e d C o i n é
Influencer Marketing will be the "it"next practice of 2016-we're already
just about there.The Wild West chaos we face regarding influencer paywill
be at least partiallytamed.Brands that payfairlywill reap outsized
rewards till their competitors catch up.

56.
@V I N C E N T O R L E C K
V i n c e n t O r l e c k
I see live streaming as a whole growing in a big way.We are alreadyseeing
Facebook launch live video to the masses,and I see that functionality
growing there as well as on Twitter.I think Twitter starts integrating
Periscope even further into users'feeds so that as you scroll you will see
live streams as theyare happening from people you follow,and even
sponsored ads featuring live streaming video.

57.
@L I N K E D I N E X P E R T
V i v e k a v o n R o s e n
As content deliverygets more sophisticated,I predict that we will be given even more
accessible and affordable tools that marryanalytics with content delivery. Whether
its more sophisticated marketing automation,content micro-deliveryto veryniche
markets or newplatforms built to host and deliver specific content...one size fits all
doesn't fit AT ALL anymore.It's prettyobvious that tools which allowus to curate the
best content to our best audiences with the best conversion will get our attention and
our moneyin 2016!

58.
@C AR L O S G I L 83
c a r l o s g i l
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