Why you need to keep an eye on social media trends

The world has become more social. More and more people are spending time on Facebook, posting photographs to Instagram and tweeting their thoughts on Twitter (no matter how good – or bad – these thoughts may be). And it is these people that you as a business need to reach. 

All expert SEO companies know that social media is a highly effective way to drive more traffic to websites and promotional pages. With the way social media is changing on such a regular basis, it is crucial to keep up with the trends. Not convinced? Below are just some of the reasons why you need to keep an eye on social media trends and news, especially with the recent allegations that Facebook may have been inflating its video metrics for more than a year.  

Consumers expect it
Consumers are some of the highest users of social media to date. People use social media platforms such as Facebook and even Instagram to look for products (and now make purchases, thanks to Instagram’s new shopping app). And if your brand is not on the pulse of these latest updates, you might find yourself losing out on potential customers and clients. 

Consumers expect brands to know about the latest digital trends, and social media is no exception. You will need to keep an eye on everything that is being rolled out, especially on Facebook as it is such a large platform, and make use of the trends that best suit your business. You will find that your reach will improve if you make use of the latest trends to get the attention of your audience. 

Outdated tactics have no Return on Investment (ROI)
If you still think that TV and billboard advertising are effective ways to reach your audience, you’re living in the past. While there is still merit to these methods, it is dying out in the age of always-connected, social-savvy consumers. 

Everyone (well, almost everyone) is on their phones for the vast majority of the day. And they are not only using them to contact one another, but they are also browsing social media platforms and making decisions about brands. Expert SEO companies know that with billboards and TV advertising, you have no way of knowing who becomes a customer after seeing your advert. But with social media and digital marketing, you can easily track these conversions. 

Free exposure is no more
When Facebook, Twitter and even Instagram first started, brands saw these platforms as a way to gain “free exposure” for their products and services. And this worked for a while, but now things have changed and many of these platforms have a “pay to play” method of advertising for brands. 

Expert SEO companies know that you have to create an effective marketing budget in order to make the most of these platforms, and this trend looks as though it is set to stay for a while, at the very least. So, you should start investing in building social pages  — or even acquiring and building a variety of social pages to reach as wide an audience as possible.

What trends should we look out for?

Ephemeral content is leading the pack
One of the biggest trends in social media now is the creation and curation of ephemeral content. Now, you are probably scratching your head, wondering what ephemeral content actually is. It can be understood simply as “short-lived” content such as an Instagram story that disappears after a day. 

Ephemeral content is important because it allows your audience to interact with your brand on a more authentic level. A well-crafted ephemeral content strategy can encourage brand engagement with the right mix of images, influencers and rich media, such as video. Using this content to create FOMO (fear of missing out) in an always-connected world is a highly strategic marketing strategy.

Mobile-ready content is massive
Social media platforms are some of the most-used apps on smartphones today. This means that you have to ensure that your content is mobile ready. This is becoming one of the major trends in social media today, and it is important to embrace it if you want your marketing strategy to have any form of success. 

You will need to use a content management system which allows you to post on mobile. This will ensure that the content is optimised for mobile screens, which your consumers will be expecting. You will also need to shorten all headlines and content to the required character count in order to comply with the platform. Making mobile content will keep your consumers happy and your brand at the forefront of their browsing. 

Brand participation is expected
Previously, brands would simply put an advertisement out into the world and wait for consumers to come flooding in. And while this worked during the time when not many people had computers, smartphones or internet connectivity, it is no longer as effective. 

Brands are now becoming more connected to their consumers through the use of messenger chatbots on social media. This participation allows you to connect with your audience in a more authentic way. Brand participation involves creating personalised content for users using the data gathered from your social media platforms. This way, a consumer will not see an advert or message reply that is not relevant to them and their needs. 

Soak up social trends
Social media is fast overtaking traditional forms of advertising. People are clamouring for brands to become more socially aware, so it is time to pay attention to the latest trends. Outdated methods have little ROI and, as we all know, there is no such thing as a free lunch (or free exposure) any more. 

Expert digital marketing companies like Rogerwilco will ensure that you have mobile-ready content, build up your brand participation and embrace ephemeral content. Consumers are staying ahead of the curve when it comes to social media, so isn’t time you started paying attention too?