Social Media Trends
New Year, who dis?
The start of a sparkling clean 365 days always sends people in a tizzy — so many goals to set, new projects to tackle, milestones to achieve. If stepping up your social media game is on your 2020 to-do list, then let us help you with a few key trends marketers are paying close attention to:
Re-evaluating Metrics that Matter
So many business owners and marketers alike have become seduced by the influencer. You know, the one’s with a MEGA BIG following and perfectly curated content. Now don’t get me wrong, influencers have done great things in the realm of social marketing, but that bubble is about to pop in a serious way. With the constant algorithm changes and Instagram’s commitment to building connections, don’t discredit those content creators with a smaller follower pool. Smaller audiences that are engaged and plugged into the content being shared are far more valuable than short term like-spikes and viral fads. The tight-knit community is about to have a serious glow-up, so think more about how YOU can engage and partner with Instagram accounts that have built a small but mighty cult following.
More Diverse & Personal Social Ads
As social media users, we’ve become increasingly comfortable with social shopping. The whole concept behind ‘Shop My Feed’ and one-touch ordering has made it easier than ever for small businesses to grow rapidly and increase the visibility of their products. Instagram Shopping via shop spots, is a perfect example of direct social selling. Have a Business Account? Have the ability to sell and ship product? Have great, clear, high-res photography? Consider signing up for Instagram Shopping and open yourself up to selling to your target audience on a platform they are spending a lot of free time on.
Get Comfortable with Stories
….because they aren’t going anywhere. Stories have quite possibly become one of the biggest things to shake up the social media scene over the last year. Made incredibly popular by Instagram, stories allow you to give a behind-the-scenes look at your daily life — something users truly crave. The intimacy and level of comfort stories can create between a brand or blogger and their core audience is nothing to be scoffed at. Interactive stories that leverage polls or questions enable you to get instant feedback from your community and can even prompt users to come back for more, as they keep their eyes peeled for you to reveal results or answers. Let’s not forget video too, it literally is king. Bloggers most notably leverage video for everything from makeup tutorials and wardrobe try-ons to exercise programs and recipe sharing. So what’s not to say your business can’t take advantage too? Currently, at Pretty Social, we have a client who leverages Instagram Stories to share sneak peeks at product packaging, new flavor testing and even warehouse tours. Giving that little slice of life action makes your followers feel special that they have access to this more real and raw side of your brand and business. IG TV and recorded Q&As are another great way to leverage video and keep your audience both entertained and educated about what you’re up to!
This is only a small piece of a very BIG and robust social media pie. And it’s more than fair to say that social marketing isn’t slowing down. Giants like the Facebook/Instagram conglomerate are only continuing to push the envelope by creating new tools and functionality to keep users inside their apps longer.
Unsure of where to start? Don’t have the bandwidth? Looking for more in-depth strategy advice or actionable steps YOU can take? Contact us to learn more about our consultation, social media management and content strategy services!