If you get caught up looking for one singular social media focus or specific platform, you might find that you’ll feel like a dog chasing its tail.
Today, Twitter might be the place to put your post, and the right type of post is a long-form blog with tons of information. Tomorrow, that could change to a TikTok video that shows your authentic side. It’s nearly impossible to pinpoint only one social medial channel and type of content to offer because the target is constantly moving. With that in mind, here are some of the top trends that could assist your social media content in becoming some of the best.
Turn up the radio for some social audio
Video-based content is booming worldwide, but audio content has become a huge hit. Three of the top social platforms have some form of audio content for you to share or react with. Facebook has soundbite reaction tools, Twitter has voice tweets and Twitter Spaces, and LinkedIn has Audio Events. Audio marketing might be the next big thing, although it might feel like you’re moving back to a time when audio was all we had.
Customers are becoming the influencers that drive “word-of-mouth” advertising
Word-of-mouth advertising has always been one of the most powerful forms of marketing. The explosion of social media platforms allows this type of advertising to reach a much larger audience than before. One of the most useful trends for your social media focus is customer testimonials that are turned into influencer content. Using these real reviews and reactions linked to your content, you can offer your audience authenticity in your marketing efforts.
Social media will become the place to share crisis response information
Most businesses face some type of crisis during their time, and the past few years have shown us that the entire world can experience a crisis at once. Rather than sending out emails that end up in spam folders, and making commercial announcements that will be ignored or overlooked, many companies can turn to social media to share information related to how they’re responding to these crisis-level events. This gives consumers a place where real-time information can be shared quickly.
Are gaming platforms actually social media forums?
The social media focus could benefit by shifting to gaming for more marketing and interaction. The world of gamers being so introverted that they seem to be in their own little world has mostly ended. Gaming is something many people do with others, spending time online making friends in places they might never visit. The gaming industry is huge, and advertisers need to treat it as an advertising platform that can be more effective than some social media platforms.
New social media platforms continue to emerge
There was a time when Myspace ruled the social media world, and Facebook was nothing more than a small-time platform used by colleges. It might be hard to believe, but the platforms we use haven’t always been around. Although some users might think of LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook as old-school, these three platforms were once new. It’s important to stay aware of new platforms and offer some marketing in these new spaces. This is a bit risky for advertisers, but it could be a risk worth taking when the platform takes off, like TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat have.
More authenticity and less selling are required
Before hitting the send key to post an advertising campaign, think about if your social media focus is authentic enough. It’s more important than ever that your marketing reach customers on a personal level, create an authentic human connection, and build an emotional connection. Advertising is no longer about being pushy and only showing the sales offered for a few items. If your products and services add value to your customers’ lives, show it in your marketing efforts.
The entire screen is being used for content
Many videos used to only take up a small portion of your screen. This is still the case for some videos you’ll see, but the growth of TikTok showed the benefits of using the entire screen for videos with control buttons overlayed across the screen. Other platforms caught on and have done this to offer vertical videos which are much more visually appealing than those from the past. Knowing your videos show on the entire screen allows your company to capture the attention of your audience more completely.
Social media turned into the customer service platform
The buying process for most products has changed. Many customers now turn to social media to connect with companies, poll other users, and learn everything they can before making a final purchase decision for any product. If your social media focus doesn’t offer a customer response and care section, you’re missing out. This is an amazing way to connect with your potential customers and possibly gain a long-term shopper that will be with you for several years.
Social commerce continues to grow
Many social media posts offer an easy shopping button to allow you to quickly purchase a product without leaving the social media page to visit the company website. Using social media to purchase products and connect for services will only grow in the next few years. Shopping on websites still outperforms social media pages, but that’s quickly changing, with many shoppers turning to their social channels to buy what they want from the posts they see from trusted companies.
Video marketing continues to be the top content format
Video content and marketing have been on the rise for the past few years, with more users viewing and consuming videos than ever before. Most users perform searches while using mobile devices, and they want to see products and services demonstrated, not just read about them. If there is one place for your social media focus, it’s in video content and marketing. This format will gain you the most attention and bring your audience to your posts and pages to give you the desired attention.
Where are you putting your social media focus? Are you updating your commerce structure, adding more videos, trying new platforms, or exploring audio content? You’ll want more than one focus this year, which is why we give you ten that could work for your company.
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