Social media is constantly revolving, and it may be difficult for companies to stay tuned to new trends. It’s important to leverage these trends as they’re occurring and to anticipate any new ones. Doing so will prepare your company for competitive marketing strategies and set you apart from other businesses. Here’s what the future of social media marketing looks like.
Video is a growing marketing strategy that fares well on social media. Consumers would much rather watch a short clip than read paragraphs of text, especially while browsing social platforms. It creates lasting engagements, and advertisers are used to it, it gives off the impression of TV, which they are very familiar with. Video personalises user experience, helping you connect with your consumers on a more relevant level.
To attract and retain attention, you can implement video on your business’s website, Facebook, Instagram or Snapchat, but recognize which integrations work well and which do not. Don’t expect as much success with video marketing on LinkedIn as you would on more informal platforms.
Secondly, endorsements are a popular way to promote brands, by paying social media influencers to help promote their brand. These people are often well-known personalities or even celebrities sponsored to endorse a business’s products or services, often on Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat and other social media.
While you might think that you’ll find more success with more renowned endorsers, statistics prove otherwise. Companies experience a higher level of sales when they sponsor individuals with a smaller, yet notable, following.
Another strategy to employ is integrating social media and email marketing, this leverages two or more strategies at once. The idea is to combine marketing strategies to impact a broader audience. For instance, you can broadcast your Twitter feed on the side bar of your website, or include a video of your brand’s mission on your company’s Facebook page.
When leveraged correctly, social media and email marketing can have a synergistic relationship for brands, with social media driving email subscriptions and emails bringing more followers to social channels.
It’s important to note that each channel is different from the next and is intended for different purposes. Snapchat and Instagram don’t have the same level of broad search functionality that Facebook does, and are geared more toward friendly connections than professional ones, but this doesn’t mean you should write them off entirely. Marketers should craft media campaigns that highlight the strength of each site.