Social media marketing is no longer a "nice-to-have" but a necessary communications tool in the integrated marketer's toolbox. In fact, social media is such an ingrained part of most users' lives that it takes a concerted effort on the part of SMBs to stay abreast of new developments and audience usage. Fortunately, Entrepreneur magazine has compiled this top 10 list of emerging social media trends that will be essential to marketing brands this year.
- Building/Rebuilding Trust in Platforms
Whether due to individual platforms' ineffective handling of trolls, bots, and fake accounts or because they simply took their collective eye off the ball when it came to what really matters to users, social media has taken a real hit over the last few years. Millennial and generation Z users base their brand loyalty on shared values and authenticity, so expect to see a lot of effort being put into rebuilding that lost trust with users.
- Storytelling Needs to be a Focus for Brands
At the heart of social media, people are sharing their stories with those they care about through posts, photos, and video. This has paved the way for brands to do the same, sharing stories that inspire audiences and exploring how people use products or services in their everyday lives and work.
Closely aligned with their human stories is the brand narrative that businesses communicate on social media. This includes what your community says about you and the compelling messaging you share with that community in order to drive them to act.
- Quality & Creativity Beats Out Quantity
Rather than drowning your audience in uninspiring content that could potentially turn them off, take the time to create truly engaging content. Well-thought-out, purposeful and creative posts that inspire them are more impactful than heavy-handed, salesy or boring content.
Think of the Virgin Group, and you immediately "see" Sir Richard Branson. Apple? Steve Jobs. Ben & Jerry...well, you get the picture. These companies have all discovered the power of aligning behind a real, human face. It helps the audience connect with the company, making it feel more personal and relatable. Consider whether your organization has a personal brand worth sharing.
- Influencer Marketing Continues to Grow
Influencer marketing is likely to continue its as-yet-unstoppable rise. These figures-and their large followings-remain attractive to integrated marketers pursuing the same types of audiences. This is partly due to both the real-human factor and the perceived authenticity of their guidance. Influencers help brands build credibility and connect in a genuine way with users.
The selfie photo has now evolved into the selfie video and they are wildly popular with users. Capturing a moment in time allows the video-maker to communicate and connect personally with viewers in a more authentic way than with photos. While typically short in duration, these videos have a strong impact-viewers often spend hours on the platforms that host them. This is an emerging opportunity for brands trying to reach younger demographics who may be turned off by traditional advertising.
- Segment Your Audience for Maximum Social Effectiveness
Few businesses have only one audience-typically they have several. By segmenting these audiences into manageable groups, SMBs can tailor their social media messaging to each. For this reason, businesses need to do their homework: know who you are targeting and what drives them so that you ensure that the right message is getting to the right people at the right time.
- Take Advantage of Hyper-Targeted Personalization
Also known as retargeting or remarketing campaigns, this is the most effective way to extend special offers and discounts to the right audience(s). Take advantage of the audience filtering options available on each paid social media platform, but also be sure to capture whatever relevant customer data you can without being too pushy (and within legal constraints!).
10. Understand the Available Social Platforms-And Use Them
When you have a good grasp on who your audience is, you can then determine where to find them. User data is available for each social media platform explaining which groups are on them. Compare that information to the ideal profiles you have built for each of your audience segments. Look at the age, region, preferences, etc. of each sites' user base and match that data to your existing and ideal customer information and you will know where you should be spending your time.
Last modified: February 19, 2019
