Social Media Marketing Trends
Long gone are the days when companies could reach their target audience without social media marketing. Today, social media presence isn't optional, and the market is getting more and more saturated.
Any proof needed? Let the numbers speak for themselves: over 80 million SMB are on Facebook on a monthly basis, 25 million businesses promote their products on Instagram. 7% of marketers consider Twitter as the best social media platform for customer engagement, and 94% of B2B marketers distribute content on LinkedIn.
With the great number of brands on social media, Internet users are spoiled with the amount of information they receive daily. Marketers need to find actionable ways to stand out from the crowd. To outsmart social media algorithms and hook an audience's attention, marketers should keep up with the changes on social sites.
Knowing the latest trends is a proven way to change your social media marketing strategy and sustain company's success. Click To Tweet
Since 2019 is drawing near, proficient marketers are looking for current digital trends to create a winning social media marketing strategy for the next year.
1. Gen Z
If you have been focusing on millennials, we have bad news for you then: Gen Z has entered the workforce, and this generation has over 75 million people who are not teenagers anymore - they are consumers who influence $600 billion of family spending.
The good news? As specified in the Nielsen report, 85% of Gen Zers learn about products on social media and 59% of them are more likely to connect with brands online.
For marketers, it's high time to take Gen Z seriously and connect with this generation. When it comes to hooking Gen-Z consumers, it's important to understand their social media preferences: favorite platforms, type of content, messages.
According to an infographic from Upfront Analytics, these people love using Snapchat and Instagram, so you'd better adapt your strategies with a focus on these platforms to target Gen Z.
If you want to bring your business to the next level, you'd better find out new creative ways to communicate with Gen Z on social media. After all, this group of people will dominate the market soon.
If you have been focusing on millennials, we have bad news for you then: Gen Z has entered the workforce, and this generation has over 75 million people who are not teenagers anymore - they are consumers who influence $600 billion of family spending. Click To Tweet
2. Lifestyle Photography
Social media content is not just about overly-polished ads. It's about connecting with your customers in a genuine way, so marketers should show off their products without being too salesy. While marketers use social media ads as a way to reach their target audience and deliver their brand message, there's a better way to sell on social media.
Although you can upload multiple photos in a single post to demonstrate your product from different angles, it's better to create lifestyle photos. First of all, it sells the lifestyle, not your product. Plus, it hints at what they can get after buying your product. It's no wonder people love lifestyle photography.
For example, Lululemon has a focus on sports lovers, so the company promotes a healthy lifestyle, and it lays a bet on photos that show how to use their products in its intended environment.
If you publish content that promotes a lifestyle that your buyers associate with themselves, they are more likely to like, comment, and share your content. All in all, it's a proven way to increase a post's visibility on social media, and therefore attract more potential consumers.
3. Influencer Endorsements
Modern customers don't trust traditional ads: 92% of people look for online word-of-mouth recommendations while making purchase decisions. Since customers rely on influencer endorsements, it's no wonder 39% of companies plan to increase their influencer marketing budgets.
Nowadays world-known celebs like e Jenner work with different brands to promote their products on personal social media accounts. Since these people have a great impact on their following, it's no wonder brands want to do business with top stars.
Obviously, working with top stars can be expensive: the more followers an influencer has, the more he or she charges for a post. For example, Kylie Jenner makes an estimated $1 million per sponsored post on her Instagram.
The good news? N0 matter what influencer marketing budget you have, you can with the same target audience, and the engagement rate is collaborate with micro-influencers to spend less money on promoting your product. Moreover, niche influencers have better engagement, so it's even more cost-effective for both big and small brands to work with micro-influencers. When it comes to influencer marketing, the key to success is to find the right influencer social proof.
The good news? N0 matter what influencer marketing budget you have, you can collaborate with micro-influencers to spend less money on promoting your product. #socialmediamarketing Click To Tweet
4. The Rise of Vertical Video
If you wonder whether your business needs video marketing, the short answer is yes: 90% of customers say videos help to make purchase decisions. What is more, 75% of worldwide video viewers use smartphones to watch videos, so there's a rise of vertical video.
Over the last year, there's 80% increase in time spent watching video on Instagram, and the platform is seeking out alternative ways to keep their users engaged. In June 2018, Instagram rolled out IGTV, a standalone vertical video application, that allows users to upload video files up to 60 minutes.
For brands, it's a perfect opportunity to interact with their followers. From sharing tutorial videos to recording offline events, there are many ways for brands to hook their audiences. For example, Sephora kills two birds with one stone: posting how-to videos, they not only educate their followers, but they also promote certain products.
To produce content your customers want to consume, you need to create vertical videos and use IGTV. No matter what marketing goals you have, there are different video ideas for you to consider.
You can use behind-the-scenes videos to build trust, tutorials to increase brand awareness, product reviews to boost sales, and much more. Just give vertical videos a try and engage your followers.
5. Ephemeral Content
Who else wants to invest in content that disappears within 24 hours?
At first blush, marketers should focus on evergreen content. It's proven that you can turn your followers into customers with ephemeral content.
Ephemeral content, also known as short-lived content, is getting more and more popular among users: 400 million accounts use Instagram Stories daily, 2.24 billion users watch Facebook Stories and 63% of social media users watch live-streaming content regularly.
Since this content vanishes after 24 hours, a FOMO (fear of missing out) effect works well. Customers are afraid of missing something important, so they consume ephemeral content. For brands, it's a perfect way to encourage customers to take an action without wasting much time. Moreover, you can share content without clogging the main newsfeed up with posts.
Here's the list of ideas for Stories:
- time-limited offers
- product launch
- behind-the-scenes content
- user-generated content
- breaking news
No matter what social media platform you use for business, whether Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook. It's important to create ephemeral content to interact with your customers and beat social media algorithms.
Since this content vanishes after 24 hours, a FOMO (fear of missing out) effect works well. Customers are afraid of missing something important, so they consume ephemeral content. #socialmediastories Click To Tweet
6. Augmented Reality
With the rise of modern technologies, augmented reality (AR) has gained popularity. AR creates the illusion that virtual objects are in the same space as real. Plus, it allows users to be in touch with the real world while interacting with virtual objects around them. It's no wonder people are interested in AR.
Although most people associate AR with the gaming industry and fun, it has huge potential for ecommerce as well. According to Statista, the augmented and virtual reality market is expected to reach a market size of 209.2 billion U.S. dollars.
Moreover, businesses can use augmented reality to interact with their customers in an interesting and funny way. Here's a little case study by Michael Kors: it is the first company that has used the AR ad format. The brand used AR to let a shopper try on a pair of sunglasses.
Customers can't touch the product when they shop online. Thus, augmented reality helps them to see whether your product suits their needs. As a result, consumers make purchase decisions faster. Whether you allow your potential customers to try new virtual hairstyles or place furniture in their homes, there are limitless possibilities for integrating AR into your business. For brands, it's high time to jump on the bandwagon and give AR a try.
The Final Thoughts on Social Media Marketing Trends
Social media marketing is constantly changing and evolving. To reach your target audience and engage your social media followers, you need to know what they love. There's no better way to do it than keeping up with the latest trends is a must.
Moreover, 2019 is just around the corner. It's time to adapt your social media marketing strategy to make the most out of your campaign.
What do you think of the social media marketing trends for 2019? We'd love to know more in the comments below!
Social media marketing is constantly changing and evolving. To reach your target audience and engage your social media followers, you need to know what they love. There's no better way to do it than keeping up with the latest trends is a must. #socialmedia Click To Tweet
