As a business owner or marketer, the ever-changing world of
social media can be confusing and time-consuming trying to stay on top of
trends. Your clients are present on social media and to stay connected with
your current and potential audience, restructuring your marketing approach
regularly is essential. So, what are the latest trends in social media?
1.Social Commerce
Many social platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, and
TikTok have built-in shopping features that allow consumers to purchase
products without ever leaving the app! Businesses like yours can now reach a
younger audience, such as Gen Z and Millennials, and foster brand loyalty by using
social media marketing to receive a more customized buying experience.
Audiences may log onto the social app and see their favourite influencer
wearing an outfit that they can purchase within seconds. This shortens the buying
process by eliminating the task of leaving the app, opening a search engine,
finding specific websites, searching for a product, and finally purchasing said
product. By using these platforms to advertise it creates a virtual storefront
that simplifies the buying experience for your clients.
2. Short-Form Video Content
It’s no surprise that producing radio, television, or print
advertisements can be both costly and time-consuming for companies. Short-form
video content is a quicker and more cost-efficient way for you to promote
brands and products. Many platforms have introduced shorter video content into
their marketing strategy due to their shareability, success in lead generation,
and increase in engagement. With short-form content having a large influence on
buyers’ purchasing decisions, using platforms such as TikTok and Instagram
Reels is a great way to connect you to your audience while simultaneously
highlighting your products. Though it is important to be on-trend, we recommend
staying focused on creating videos that align with what you are promoting, your
brand identity, and what you want to reflect as a company.
3. Ephemeral Content
Ephemeral content is a piece of media that does not
permanently stay on your feed. This type of social media marketing keeps your
brand on customers’ minds, without bombarding them with an abundance of
traditional posts. You get to engage with your audience through polls,
Q&As, giveaways, product demos, and more. As we all know, audience
engagement is key! Instagram and Facebook stories are a common outlet for this
type of content creation and allow your team to see insights about these posts
including their viewers, interactions such as likes or comments, and the number
of people visiting the profile after viewing. There is less pressure for marketers
when making these short-lived posts because they disappear, making it a
suitable place to test drive new products or promotional deals.
4. Influencers
With influencers becoming more and more popular, it’s time
to stray away from traditional celebrity endorsements and utilise these online
figures to promote your products. Influencers specialise in content creation
and know what type of posts best appeal to their specific audience. Celebrities
drive more recall than influencers due to their status and memorability, though
they have more difficulty appealing to niche groups and specific demographics.
These internet moguls are much easier to contact than celebrities and are
cheaper to work with. Audiences respond well to this type of social media
marketing because, with the relatability of influencers, it can feel like
taking recommendations or advice from a friend.
5.Addressing Social Issues
As a company with influence, you may feel the need to use your
platforms to address current issues and injustices. In reality, it is difficult
for brands to make neutral statements that do not result in some audience upset
or a loss of support. Because it may be considered disingenuous for
corporations to make statements regarding social issues, your brand should
consider both your target market and company values before posting a public
stance on a controversial topic. For example, the shaving company Gillette
released a social campaign during the controversial #MeToo movement that
aligned with their core values and appealed to a wide audience, effectively
growing their demographic. Unless your company has the resources and expertise
to make a difference and purposefully influence the issue, then speaking out
about an issue may not be the right choice for you.
The task of adapting to these new social trends, posting
styles, and marketing tactics may seem daunting and difficult. Media platforms
are swiftly changing as new ideas emerge, making it increasingly more difficult
to navigate this complex social environment.
Here at Think Creative Agency, our qualified team of
professionals does the hard work for you by staying up to date with the latest
social media trends. We are dedicated to making your social media presence as current
and engaging as possible. Get in touch today to see what we can do for you!