Social media plays a vital role in the success of your business. But in a world where things are constantly shifting, how up-to-date are you with the latest social media trends? Here’s some trends that you should start implementing for your business now.
Think outside Facebook and Instagram.
When it comes to social media, you need to think more than just Facebook and Instagram. Whilst they’re definitely the main players, channels like Twitter, Snapchat, LinkedIn and YouTube can be vital cogs in your online presence. Even just using Youtube as a way to communicate your message or product to the masses can be incredibly effective. Just look at how popular unboxing videos have become.
You’re going to have to start paying to play.
You might’ve heard about Facebook’s recent news feed algorithm change, but do you really know how it’ll affect your business? Put simply, the change was made to prioritise content from friends, family and groups, effectively minimising the organic reach business pages used to enjoy. But rather than looking at is as a negative, it’s worth looking at it as a way to work harder to earn your way into people’s lives – and that can only be a positive, right? If you’ve got the budget, put more money behind your posts so they can reach your audience. Additionally, ensure your content is relevant and timely, so people actively want to engage with your brand. Drink brand Maximus, whilst not everyone’s cup of tea, does this incredibly well. Check out their strategically targeted Facebook page.
It’s time to get real.
Part of the battle for relevance really comes down to how well you know your brand and how well you can authentically communicate it. Consumers are savvier than ever before when it comes to a brand’s online presence, and will lose trust if you don’t live up to expectations. Honestly, consumers don’t care if you stuff something up, it’s about how you respond that really sets the tone. Just look at how online fashion brand ASOS recently responded to their unfortunate typo. Instead of hiding in silence, they took to Twitter to own up to the mistake, turning the small error into a gold standard piece of online marketing.
Brands are people too.
Brands that communicate with other brands feel more genuine and ‘human’ than brands that don’t. After all, social media is a ‘social’ medium and if you’re only using it as a one-way communication platform then you’re not using it properly. Remember to engage, react and respond to trends and news in your industry and outside of it. If that means you get into a conversation with another brand, good for you. Consumers see that as a positive. A great example of this is how American fast food chain, Wendy’s, communicates on Twitter. Strategically, they’re a challenger brand to McDonalds. So, they behave like it. Often leveraging witty challenger content based off McDonald’s, or other brands, own social posts.
Social media is a full-time job.
These days, managing a business’s social media presence is pretty much a full-time job. If you don’t have the time, think about handing it off to a staff member with their finger on the pulse and the desire to do it right. If that’s not an option, and you really want social to work for you, there are a number of qualified marketing agencies that can do it for you.
With that all said, if you think social media is the way forward for your business, the era of making it happen for free is over. With big changes to Facebook and other social channels, businesses need to work harder and smarter to earn their way into consumer lives. This means spending time and money on creating relevant content, and even investing money on social ads to increase audience reach.
If you need a little more capital to make it happen, speak to us about our fast, flexible business loans and give us a call on 1300 660 681. So, how do we use social? We regularly post relevant and interesting business and industry news. Check it out for yourself and find out how other businesses are making money happen!
