Over the past year, social media has seen a shift in marketing strategy. Transparency and engagement have long been important factors in the success of a social media campaign and it looks be more important than ever.
Here are just four of the major trends predicted for the next year.
Joining the conversation
Peer reviews and communication are vital parts of selling a product or service to an individual. However, it’s something a company has little or no control of. A way to leverage this is by ‘joining the conversation’ and engaging directly with customers. Businesses should do this in an informal way, becoming a peer as well as a brand.
Although chatbots have long been touted as the way forward, people want a personalised and humanised service. 2019 will see brands engaging with followers even more with customers in a chatty and relatable way.
Micro influencers
Influencer marketing has been a growing trend for a while. However, many of the original ‘major influencers’ have become celebrities, with an unattainable lifestyle that most people can’t relate to. This gives way to the rise of more local ‘micro’ influencers.
Brands thinking of delving into influencer marketing in the next few years will be more likely to utilise smaller bloggers and Instagrammers with highly engaged followers.
Ephemeral content
Social media users value ‘in-the-moment’ content because it feels more authentic. Stories are already becoming a popular way to share quick and informal updates with followers, and this isn’t due to change in the year ahead.
Brands need to use this to show a more human side, rather than perfectly preened content.
Paid advertising
Channels like Facebook and Instagram are making it more difficult for brands to get noticed. This doesn’t mean they are less effective than before. However, it does mean that businesses will have to look at paid social advertising as a means of getting their content out there.
Want to know more?
Get in touch with RED to find out how we can help with your social media marketing.
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