Social media marketing is an asset for those companies who are able to leverage its true potential. However, social media marketing has grown every day to become a powerful force in the realm of online marketing.

If we look back to the past, social media was a finicky creature that got a lot of flak from several marketing gurus on its viability. Now, social media platforms are solid and have transformed to become a trusted advertising medium for many. Still social media is changing with the arrival of a host of new platforms.

If history and the new trends are to go by, 2016 will witness new trends that will change social media optimization forever; let us read up on some of these trends, now.

In-the-moment updates matter

Social media is characterized by in-the-moment updates. The recent news of Twitter acquiring Periscope also points to the growing need of receiving (and giving) constant updates. (That is because Periscope is a platform that allows users to broadcast live videos—of a defined length—that are related to their lives.)

“Buy” call-to-action buttons will be used

Pinterest and Facebook were the first to use a “Buy” button in their sponsored advertisements. That is, if some Facebook or Pinterest users will see a preferred product/service in the sponsored ad section, they can buy it in one click (on the “Buy” button). Instagram and many other social media platforms will soon catch up with this trend.

In-app functionality will continue to rise

In-app functionality is on the rise, and the pioneer of this technology/trend is Facebook. The social media behemoth has introduced a range of in-app functionality features, ranging from Instant Articles (a new way to publish) to in-post search engines (finding posts and write-ups on the platform).

So these tips should be kept in mind by every business—whether big or small—while designing its next social media strategy.