Big Internet Predictions for the New Year
December 7, 2018
2019 is set to go off with a bang in the internet world, with many social media companies standing to finish with high numbers and loyal followers. Every year predictions for the coming annum appear across the internet, and while not all of these assumptions are correct, some will prove themselves to be true as the year progresses.
Here are 5 of the top predictions for social media marketing and the internet world in 2019. Read along to see whether these new trends will affect your business or if they’re too farfetched to come true.
1. Ad Fraud Will Become Criminal: Okay, so ad fraud is a real thing and spam is already seeing some penalties associated with it, although this comes mostly in the form of banning and deletions from social media and search engines. Experts suggest that 2019 is going to see more than a slap on the wrist for fraudulent ads, particularly those associated with politics or weapons. Both topics have been banned from Facebook and other social median platforms to remove temptation from wrongdoers using the platforms for personal gain.
It appears that those persecuted for this fraudulent advertising activity, on social media, or anywhere else, may be in for a nasty surprise. If the activity becomes criminalized it could even call for jail fine, although at present it appears that a hefty fine is the most likely outcome. Either way, you’ll see more social media accounts and websites at large banning and removing spam ads next year.
2. Data Privacy Will Become a Real Thing in the United States: Following the Cambridge Analytica scandal which Facebook faced last year, social media platforms have been cracking down hard on privacy regulations. Europe has had privacy laws in place to protect their citizen’s data for some time, but 2019 will mark the first time a United States legislation is passed to specifically protect the online rights for privacy.
It may be called the world wide web and be an open source of information for millions around the globe, but this doesn’t give rights to companies to collect and share the private information of social media users. In the past, this information has been used to collect polling predictions for political means, to build political propaganda and government campaigns, and to sell better and bigger to consumers.
3. Amazon Will Break Through the Glass Ceiling: Amazon has been growing in popularity and value over the past decade, coming very close to competitors like PayPal, and overtaking others like eBay. With Facebook marketplace, Google shopping, and various other popular online purchasing spots, it’s surprising to see just how big Amazon has gotten in past years. In 2019, most internet business gurus are predicting a huge rise in Amazon stock as the company surpasses current highs and increases by billions of dollars in revenue with at least a 15% growth overall as a company.
The popularity of Amazon is surprising to some, who don’t consider the online marketplace a threat to social media stars like Snapchat and Instagram. However, Amazon has proven that by continually evolving for its consumers, it is a relevant contender in the online world.
4. Facebook Will Continue to Dwindle: The demise of Facebook has been a prediction for some time now. In fact, many experts suggested that Facebook would die off sometime throughout 2018. The company has held its own, keeping up with competitor platforms despite the scandal it caused when information was leaked containing private user data including friends and family.
While the company is still on the rise, seeing growth regularly, many celebrities have pulled out and moved onto “greener pastures”. If Facebook disappears, the internet community can expect a spike in user numbers on other social media sites, such as Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.
5. There Will be More Internal Apps for Social Media: Social media platforms used to be apps in and of themselves, now each platform has a series of sub platforms which consumers use to browse the online marketplace, watch movies with friends, or even rent an apartment for a night. From Facebook to Twitter and everything in between, there are plenty of ways to use social media and 2019 is about to see some big changes.
Experts are predicting that new and old social media platforms will see updates and “renovations” as sites feel the pressure to keep up with the growing demographic online. Having one social media app per platform just isn’t enough anymore. Take Snapchat for example; the newly acquired Bitmoji makes it possible for chat users to create send and display cartoon images of themselves to those they befriend online. This sub-app has worked perfectly with the main platform, because it is a photo sharing chat platform. 2019 will see more advancements of this type, including additional apps for Facebook, which already carry several sub-apps, such as Messenger for online chat between peers, friends and family.
Will these predictions meet your expectations or prove inaccurate? With the constantly shifting tides of the internet, it’s difficult to tell which way some of these predictions will go. Some make more sense than others, but one thing is sure, 2019 is bringing some big changes and improvements with it.
Follow along with later posts to see if the latest online news confirms or denies these predictions, and make some of your own for the future of social media marketing and your online business.