The “new normal” brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic requires every company to put extreme importance on everything digital marketing. Although search optimization and e-mail are still critical components of the marketing strategy, social media is what people like to do online and a place where businesses can connect with their audiences.
However, social media marketing is often one of the most challenging things for a brand to do well. Many still see it as an advertising or promotional channel rather than the perfect showground to collaborate with other users, customers, or influencers, forming a relationship funnel for your brand. With 70% of consumers saying they search for products they need to buy on Facebook or Instagram and an average of 2.5 hours per day per person spent on social media, brands need to get their strategy right.
The way people use social media is changing all the time as technology and behaviours evolve. Businesses that keep up with social consumers will come out on top.
This article discusses four of the top social media marketing trends that you cannot ignore.
Video Has Killed The Radio Star
According to a study by Cisco, by 2022, 82% of all online content will be video. If you are not taking advantage of social video now, you absolutely need to be as soon as possible. Brands that use video on social media gain access to powerful data as they take users on a journey. For example, if someone watches an entire video, you can treat them as a hot lead and market accordingly. Meanwhile, those who watch half a video or abandon it even earlier can be sent something different that will resonate better with them.
Video gives brands the opportunity to test different styles and tones on social media, communicate with multiple audiences and zero in on what is most effective for every target market.
Buzzfeed utilizes video exceptionally well, and since 2017, “Tasty” has been one of the company’s fastest-growing sources of revenue. The videos take a simple recipe and merge them with shots of the cooking process, in what some describe as creating “food porn.”
All popular social media channels such as Instagram and Facebook now offer brands the ability to post live videos. A live video boosts your social authenticity and establishes trust, as well as potentially reaching a vast number of consumers in minutes via likes and shares.
As people scroll through social media feeds, it’s difficult to grab attention with long-winded paragraphs of text. Only the compelling content makes them stop and take note. Video allows a brand to be concise and capture interest within a few seconds using more digestible snippets and ideally leave them wanting more.
Merging the real and virtual worlds with augmented reality (AR)
When you hear about augmented reality, the first thing that comes to mind is probably Pokemon Go. However, the technology has come on leaps and bounds since the game was released in 2016, and there are several ways to use AR to boost social media marketing. First, brands can use custom filters to promote their products and services. Although it might sound weird, Taco Bell created a Snapchat filter to turn faces of followers into tacos.
