Social media has been constantly changing as trends come and go. More than half of the world population actively uses some sort of social media, whether to express themselves personally or promote a business or organization they’re involved in.
Fresh ideas are brought in almost every month, which is something you can make use of if you run a business. And we have some ideas on how following these trends can give you an advantage.
Some of these trends have already been recognized in the past couple of years, but will surely grow even more in the following ones.
A brand’s sustainability will determine its value
Brands that come and go obviously won’t run a good business. One of the main reasons this happens is that brands are unable to grow and evolve simply because they don’t have a clear direction.
They probably do have a plan that works at first, but they stick with it for too long without learning about new trends.
As a brand, you have to define your goals and figure out who your target audience is. What most brands do is consult digital marketing specialists and social media marketing companies that give them clear direction based on the company’s vision.
If you want to learn more about how social media works for business promotions and you live in Los Angeles, you can check out DesignRush’s list of Los Angeles social media marketing companies that can work with you to boost your business’s sales.
Short videos will gain popularity over longer ones
Making short, vertical videos on platforms like Instagram and TikTok has seen a steady increase, especially among younger generations. The reason for this is that they are easy to make and, because they are short, are up to a point and keep people’s attention.
Instagram’s innovation was “IGTV” with videos that lasted up to one hour, but this trend simply died out due to the app’s implementation of “reels.” Similarly to TikTok, these are short videos that are visually pleasing and combined with catchy audio made to grab your attention.
Long-style videos haven’t completely died off, though; they are still popular on YouTube, which, in a way, rewards its content creators if they make a video that lasts up to thirty minutes or even a full hour or more.
Even this app has its own “YouTube shorts,” where people post some key points highlighted from the original, longer videos. The reason for this trend is because of the decreased attention span of younger generations, plus people simply don’t have enough time to sit around and watch a long video.
Buying products directly from your social media account
Due to years spent in quarantine, people became more comfortable shopping remotely. Even now, when the pandemic has officially ended in some parts of the world, people still stick to buying whatever they want online.
The Internet has allowed us to buy something without even leaving the comfort of our homes. People still go to shops for some everyday purchases, for example, groceries, but everything else can be easily bought with a few clicks and taps since now you can shop from a different country.
Most people don’t even visit a company’s website unless they want some further information; what they usually check is its social media account. For this reason, Instagram and Facebook have installed an “online shop” option, both for bigger brands and smaller, independent brands.
A good social commerce strategy and choosing the right keywords to connect your target audience to your products will boost your online traffic.
Influencers will have an even stronger impact on brand promotions
One of the fastest-growing trends is partnering with influencers who can promote your content on their accounts. Time has shown that most people will trust an influencer who has gained a certain reputation and a large fanbase over a brand that sells the product simply because they are more relatable.
What most influencers do is present how your product works on camera and give their opinion on how it performs, which seems more trustworthy than any commercial nowadays. You can also create a custom discount code that the influencer will promote and use to attract new customers to you.
Brands, especially the newer ones, like to work with micro-influencers. Unlike macro-influencers, they do have a big audience, but they can still interact with their followers to some extent.
It makes them closer to the people who like their content, and it also makes them more trustworthy. Plus, it is cheaper to work with them, especially if you focus on a certain niche.
Augmented and virtual reality
Augmented reality will enable social media users to communicate with each other while they are in a virtual environment. This trend is at its very beginning, and we have yet to see what it will bring and how it will evolve.
Virtual reality is not the same as augmented reality. While augmented reality and its features are somewhat connected to the real world, and you can interact with them, virtual reality is far more immersive. For this reason, it is not growing as rapidly as augmented reality.
With the introduction of the Metaverse, a term coined by Mark Zuckerberg, there has been a lot of speculation on how it will change the world we live in and what it means to us as a society. For now, it will change the way social media operates and bring new trends for doing business online.
Both of them will soon be used to boost customers’ experiences. In some cases, it is already possible, like when testing out clothes without even wearing them while using 3D technology or seeing the size, shape, and color of the furniture in a 3D room shown on a display.
Social media will be used for customer service
As already mentioned, customers are more and more inclined to check out your social media accounts rather than checking your webpage. Naturally, customer service should also be available, if not improved, on a social media platform.
When it comes to your interaction with customers, social media gives you a lot of advantages; it makes it easier for both you and your customers to reach out and directly discuss any possible issues that might arise.
It is much faster than going back and forth with emails since we spend so much time on these platforms. When you respond fast, your brand will be recognized and respected for its quality customer service.
Most of these social media platforms don’t have a specific feature specifically made to be customer service. However, that shouldn’t discourage you or make you feel like you aren’t professional enough if you communicate with them directly, especially in a semi-formal manner.
You could communicate with them via direct messages or, even better, publicly if they leave a comment on one of your posts. It shows you see and hear them and that you are confident in your business, no matter the issue.
Also, communicating directly with your customers helps you create a positive environment on your business account that will surely attract new customers.
To sum it up
These social media marketing trends aren’t that new to us, but their influence is rapidly growing so much that it is hard to keep up with everything.
Staying in touch with everything social media presents as popular will surely benefit your business in the long run.