Social media is a constantly evolving marketing tool. It can be a challenge to keep up with the evolutions of the “old timers” like Facebook and Twitter, and the introduction of the “newbies” like Instagram and Snapchat. How users view social media platforms changes too. Forbes recently reviewed the The Top 7 Social Media Marketing Trends Dominating 2016, noting the following:
- Quality still counts – Posting fewer, high quality bits of content rewards your followers for engaging with you. Quantity does not win here – too many irrelevant posts turn into noise, which leads your target market to ignore or unfollow you. Offering compelling content, whether that is useful advice, access to a special sale, or silly entertainment, will keep your customers engaged.
- Niches are evolving – Originally social media platforms mostly offered the same functionalities, differentiating themselves through who they targeted. Now, providers are developing niches based on how users interact within their space. For example, Snapchat allows people to communicate through short, fleeting messages and Facebook is offering live streaming. These variations make social media marketing even more complex, requiring brands to more closely examine the appropriateness of each platform, as well as their messaging.
- Live stream is growing – The ability to share what is happening right now is growing in social media through tools like Facebook Live. Brands are experimenting with these new capabilities, watching how their followers engage in the content. Live does not mean unplanned, however; to be effective, these tools still require understanding the goal, the target audience and the appropriate content for the streamed event.
- Purchasing from social media sites is getting easier – Businesses began selling their wares through Facebook in 2009 which led to some larger brands moving to Facebook Stores in 2012. Both initiatives flopped, but last year Facebook was joined by Pinterest in trying out a “buy” button. Purchasing technology seems to be keeping up this time, making the shopping experience more accessible within the platforms.
- Communication is becoming more direct – While not straight-forward to put into place, Facebook Messenger for Business allows customers to connect with a business privately. Twitter has allowed this type of interaction essentially forever through their direct message capability, as long as both parties follow each other. This move toward personal connection between brands and their customers has tremendous potential for businesses.
- Customization and personalization is desired – As we discussed in our recent blog post, Why Brick and Mortar Retail Stores Should NOT Fear the Internet, our society is experiencing a shift toward a more personalized and rich experience with the brands they support. In response to this desire, social media platforms are tweaking algorithms to feed posts offering topics users have signaled as interesting to them. This trend is related to the first in this list; creating quality content your customer base engages with leads the algorithms to offer up more of your content.
- Apps are getting deeper – The move to mobile has led many social media users to interact with social media mobile apps rather than websites. In response, social media platforms are deepening the capabilities of these apps (which are typically scaled-down versions of the full website), with the goal of keeping users on their platforms longer. Businesses must keep mobile in mind when they are planning their social media strategy.
While you are mulling over the implications of these social media trends, here are some ideas to keep in mind:
Strategy first – With users becoming impatient with irrelevant and impersonal posts, the success of your social media efforts will depend upon having a clear strategy behind them. Understanding why you are on the platforms, as well as what and how often your customers would like to hear from you are key to effectively engaging your target market.
Social media is part of a whole – Social networking sites are jut a few channels within a holistic marketing plan. Putting all your marketing eggs in one basket means you are missing out on reaching the customers who are not on those platforms. Remember, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn etc. are part of the sales funnel – not THE sales funnel.
Invest first in what is yours – As a marketer, one of the most frustrating yet invigorating aspects of my job is the constant change within the social media world. At Fresh Figs Marketing, we craft digital marketing strategies around the functionalities of today, knowing that we will have to scrap the whole thing when a platform decides to change themselves up (Note: there is no “if” in that sentence. They all change – often.) For this reason we always advise our clients to invest first in the digital space they own – their website. The majority of your social media posts should lead your target market back to your website, getting them used to interacting with you there rather than on someone else’s site. If you invest all of your digital marketing activities in Facebook, who decides tomorrow to block every bit of your content for some reason, all of your efforts will be wasted.
Have you seen evidence of these social media trends in your business? We’d love to hear about it. Leave a comment below!
