Business in general is constantly changing. The way companies, employees and consumers interact rapidly changes with the ever-developing technology world. With the development of technology comes changes in how people interact online and in person. It is making waves in trends of businesses. Here are some trends you can look out for in 2019:
More and more live streaming and brand interaction
Streaming and brand interaction have both increased significantly in 2018 and will continue for the entirety of 2019. Brands are finding that consumers want interaction of nearly any type — whether it be streaming live videos, posting interactive Facebook and Instagram stories or just posting more regularly on social media. The more interaction, the better. Companies that are lacking in this area are being trumped in engagement by more interactive tech-influenced companies.
Companies that even aren’t banking on social media engagement are also stepping it up in this area. For example, if a data security company is only catering to other larger businesses, these other businesses still want to see these brands on social media. No companies of any sort have room to brush off their chance to live stream a product launch or post an engaging Instagram story. We will see more brands develop open personalities from this—it could be a good thing. It will definitely be more interesting.
Social learning is beginning to take over the remote learning trend
Online boot camps were popular in 2018. They will continue to be popular in 2019, but they will shift gears a bit. These programs are finding that there is a form of social learning that is missed out on when every learning transaction is online. Social learning, for example, is the possibility of co-workers making coffee and striking up conversation that leads to the spark of an idea. These online remote boot camps and workspaces are going to start creating ways to get social learning online. This could mean anything from class chatrooms to regular video calls.
The development of remote working has lead to companies realizing that there is a need for social interaction that isn’t purely based in work transactions. Some remote companies are even starting to plan yearly meetup events where they take a trip together. It will be interesting to see where this aspect of business heads in 2019.
However, a lot of aspects of a business will still be outsourced because it is more efficient. People can expect an increase in outsourced accounting services and other areas of business.
Brands are focusing on serving the community and not just customers
With this increase in a consumer desire for content and engagement, brands focusing on their overall community and not just paying customers will increase. Brands will begin to change their way of thinking about visitors to their website, etc. Any form of engagement makes brands more credible, which is a huge part of this way of thinking. Businesses want their companies to be known and thought of by those who aren’t even potential customers (yet).
Technology is making companies see that they need to keep up with competition that is more prevalent online. There is no longer a way to lay low online and stay successful in 2019. This will lead to improvement across the board on social media and in marketing departments for nearly every industry — even restaurants and service industry businesses.
Exciting things are to come as the business world grows together with new technology. Things will speed up and change in 2019 and coming years, so keep on your toes!
