For many businesses, social media has become one of their most important marketing channels. But social media is constantly evolving. Advances in technology continue to create new and exciting possibilities. This means that businesses who use social media to market their products or services can benefit from even more helpful features. Here’s a look at what is brewing in the world of social media marketing.
Going beyond social.
Social media platforms are engaged in battle to keep users on their platform the longest. The best way to do this is to keep adding features that will entice users to stay a little bit longer. With Facebook leading the way, those features are now going beyond what social media sites originally were designed to do. Zuckerberg’s strategy to keep Facebook users on Facebook, for example, has led to the integration of features such as Messenger, Instant Articles, Auto-play Video, and Facebook M.
Other social media channels are following suit. For businesses, these new features offer even more possibilities to connect with followers.
A growing emphasis on visual communication.
While long-form articles have a proven value in giving a blog or website the necessary clout, social media, by nature, requires something a bit different. Written text will quickly disappear from view, but visual posts stay visible for much longer. Animated GIFs, memes, infographics, and videos are better at creating engagement and attract a higher number of shares, compared to textual posts. This trend is also noticeable in business-to-business communication.
Communication through image instead of text will continue to grow. Social media platforms such as Snapchat, Pinterest, and Instagram will expand exponentially. Twitter, however, risks being left behind in the next few years, unless they change their format.
Employee advocacy instead of promotion.
Social media management platform Oktopost reports that social media messages sent from an employee account have a staggering 561% more reach than messages sent from a brand or business account, a clear sign that businesses would do well to activate their employees and train them in how to use social media to support the business.
It is high time that businesses put the “social” in social media to better use. More than just another media channel, statics clearly show how social media users respond much better to employee posts, compared to promotional posts from the business itself. This approach requires a change in thinking, however. Instead of using social media for promotion, it should be viewed as an instrument that enables individual employees of the business to contribute to a larger marketing strategy.
Influencers are becoming more professional.
No one can deny the popularity and influence of various bloggers and vloggers. While mainly operating under the radar before 2016, suddenly these young influencers are everywhere, including on television. This trend hasn’t gone unnoticed by major companies, who have been quick to hire them to help promote their products and services to a young audience.
Increasingly, blogging and vlogging are becoming a legitimate business, as young people position themselves as influencers to a large audience of consumers. Many new influencers are trying a more professional approach. Instead of pranking or joking around, they focus on one interest, such as food or makeup, and build up a legitimate audience of interested people. Their professional attitude and ready-made audience makes them attractive to businesses looking to expand their reach.
It seems that social media is growing up and becoming more professional in the way it can be used by businesses to expand their reach. There are more marketing tools and channels available than ever before. That sounds like a positive development for business, don’t you think?
