Social Media Marketing Trends
All Businesses Need to Know
Social media changes constantly, but businesses have to keep up with the trends. From Facebook to Instagram, more consumers want to connect with companies online. If you want to create a successful social media strategy, then pay attention to the following business trends.
Create a Dedicated Team
Many businesses have learned that having a dedicated social media team is important. You cannot expect one employee to handle Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram and other accounts, especially for a big company. In addition, it is often difficult to convince current employees in other departments, such as advertising, to take on more duties by managing social media. According to Maryville University, this is why 39 percent of surveyed companies are hiring new digital marketers to focus on business strategies such as social media.
Focus on Live Videos and Chats
Whether you use Facebook Live or do a Twitter chat, consumers enjoy interacting with businesses in real time. You can engage with your target audience and learn from them. Live videos and chats also help humanize brands and make them seem more approachable. Although it may be tempting to curate all of your videos on YouTube or another platform carefully, consider expanding to do live videos. Going live can help you build trust, authenticity and loyalty.
If you decide to this, be aware of the risks of going live. Some of the most common problems are technical difficulties that either delay or stop the videos. Other issues include trolls, negative comments and unprepared presenters. Make sure the person doing the live video is prepared to handle all of these complexities. Consider doing test videos with trusted staff members to see how they react.
Make Amazing Visuals
Customers are growing tired of seeing the same stock photos show up on social media. If you want to stand out in a competitive market, then you have to make your visuals better. You may need to invest in photo editing software like Adobe Photoshop or a vector graphics editor like CorelDraw. This means hiring people who know how to use the software to create amazing social media images.
It is important to move from a text-first to a visual-first strategy on social media. People scroll through their feeds at a fast rate and rarely stop unless an image captures their attention. They notice the picture first. Then, they read the text that is around the image. Businesses have to keep this in mind as they create content for social media.
Be Transparent
Social media allows you to react and post right away, so it is often useful in building brand transparency for businesses. You can increase transparency by admitting mistakes and apologizing right away. Consumers also appreciate knowing about a company’s actual pricing, manufacturing practices, employment diversity and financial performance.
Responding to customer questions and complaints right away is also important. Do not delete negative feedback and block people without a good reason on social media. Instead, try to answer them honestly and show that you care about their concerns. Businesses that respond in a positive way online show other customers that they are professional and ethical.
Pay Attention to Reviews
Facebook reviews and other comments on social media can affect your business online. Consumers are relying more on social media reviews to form their opinions about a company. They will often read these reviews before buying a product or service and may decide to go with a competitor based on what they find.
On Facebook, the reviews are at the top of the page for businesses. It is impossible to miss them, and a one-star review is hard to ignore. Some businesses have decided to turn off the ability to review them on Facebook. Others are simply paying attention to them and addressing the concerns. One thing you can do is to ask your happy customers to always leave a review and remind them if they forget.
Consider Using Influencers
Although influencers are becoming more popular on social media, you have to decide if they are right for your business. Influencers can help promote your product or service by creating content on social media. For example, they can make a video wearing your shoes, or they can post photos of the juice you sell. However, some influencers have fake followers and do not create real engagement online. You have to be careful if you decide to use them and do a lot of research first. Also, track the return of their content to see if it is a worthwhile investment for your company.
Social media trends will continue to change over time, but businesses must stay ahead of them. You can help your company grow online by paying attention to these social media trends and implementing them at the right time.
