While news channels and newspapers are becoming outdated, social media has become the new source of information for most individuals. User-friendly interaction is one of the main reasons why it plays such an active role in society. Most people feel the need to be seen and heard, so social media provides the perfect environment for their needs. Users can now communicate beyond social and local boundaries and thus, transcend pre-imposed limits. Since social media is such an important tool for the people, it has inherently become an important tool for businesses. Here are the top 10 hot social media trends on the market today.
Being original and authentic
One of the most popular trends this year is originality. The more authentic your posts are, the more attention will be brought to your channel, meaning more customers will start following your posts and engaging with your services. The realness of emotions and naturally captured moments is what stands out today. The more real your photos are, the more “alive” they look, which is exactly what today’s usual customer is looking for. People are tired of fake posts and smiles, so being original and authentic is something you definitely want to promote if you’re into this business.
Being honest
Most of you work with influencers already – they help you promote your products or services. One of the most interesting discoveries I’ve made lately is that the most appreciated influencer content is honesty based. Sponsored content has lost its power and is becoming less popular among influencers – most of them simply prefer to give a genuine recommendation of a product or service. People can tell when someone is trying to sell them something, so the honesty route is something important to implement, if possible.
The dark social
In a nutshell, the “dark social” refers to shared content on private channels. It is a type of an esoteric circle for only some of the few customers that the channel chooses to interact with. Many users will see this as a good thing – they will take it as a company effort specially designed to communicate directly with them. Authentic communication becomes the key, so sharing info privately should be something to look into. You cannot do this by using traditional social media marketing techniques, so here’s the downside.
Personal branding
A personal brand will tell customers many important things about your company – firstly, it will teach them about your company’s personality. Then, it will expose your business’s values and mission. Last but not least, it will highlight the success of your company, how much you care about your clients, how experienced you are, how much you work and how much time and effort you put into supporting your business. Combine personal branding with full-transparency and you’ll be unbeatable.
Voice marketing
Social media is making our lives easier, so voice marketing is the hottest trend in the future market right now. Students will be able to write essays online by giving vocal instructions on their assignments. Customers will be able to inquiry about the products that they’re prospectively purchasing by pressing the voice button. Many changes will occur in the next year, so be prepared to deal with the even newer trends that are about to come.
Instant messages
The popular interest in mass social media marketing has decreased over the years – as I mentioned before, customers need one-on-one interaction nowadays. They actually prefer it over mass communication, which makes instant messages a hot trend to follow. Users rely on private messages on Facebook, WhatsApp, or Instagram to communicate with one another, so they find it natural to experience the same thing when interacting with a company. This makes the company feel more friendly and trustworthy, which is a solid foundation for an on-going relationship.
No more likes
Instagram is considering removing likes for posts, which has surprised many people around the globe. They believe that this new policy could allow users to focus more on the content presented – video or photo – rather than on the popularity levels. However, users will be able to see how many likes they would technically get on their posts through an engagement analysis. Hiding likes has already been tested in countries such as Brazil, Canada, or Ireland, and it proved quite efficient.
Interactive content
Instagram features some of the coolest interactive features of all the social platforms available, yet many business users don’t know about them at all. Using these features – such as storytelling, for example – can bring about higher levels of engagement, which can capture attention more visibly. Using high-quality content is also important, so ensure that your business stays on track. Watching a story at the end of a high-quality video is the cherry on top!
Targeted advertising
Searching for a target audience is an incredibly important trend to follow – and to be completely honest, it has been for a while. Instead of advertising for the mass, you’ll advertise for your specific few. This can bring serious cuts in costs and a better overall understanding of your customers. Using automation as a planning tool is another feature that you could look into to save time and money.
No more mass following
The last trend we’ll discuss is not a trend anymore – ain’t that ironic? In fact, I want to underline that mass following is not a thing anymore. Instagram or Facebook used to be a competitive environment for those of the most popular – today, businesses are starting to focus on interface and organic followers. Buying followers is not a trend anymore – companies want real engagement with their posts.
Conclusion
This year is a good year to provide high-quality content for your posts while following the hottest trends. Do not be afraid to express your business’s culture and mission – be outstanding, be original, be you!
About the author
Justin is one of essay writers. When he is not writing, he loves to share his thoughts and opinions about education and blogging with other people on different blogs and forums.
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