Showing posts with label Facebook. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Facebook. Show all posts

Wednesday, January 2, 2019

Social Media Trends To Watch For?


10 Social media trends to watch..

Users are increasingly leery of the information on social media.



As social media platforms have evolved into full-blown communication channels, more brands are relying on these platforms to reach their target audiences.

Consumer attention is scattered across various social platforms, not to mention apps and other online diversions. Brands that hope to capture consumers' attention and dollars need to keep in touch with how their audiences utilize these platforms. The bottom line is that, as trends evolve on social media, so must the corresponding marketing.

With the start of a new year, it's time to look into the crystal ball of emerging trends on social media. What is going to influence social media users? What does this mean for brand marketing? And what do we need to be aware of to stay current and relevant in 2019?

Here are the top 10 social media trends to keep an eye on in the new year.



1. Rebuilding Trust in Social Media Platforms

Social media platforms continue to grow annually -- in fact, Facebook has more than 2 billion active users each month. However, the picture isn't entirely rosy. Consumer confidence in social media is on shaky ground.

Users are growing increasingly leery of the information they find on social media. And marketers may be contributing to the situation when they fail to properly label paid advertising posts or they bombard a platform with targeted ads that overwhelm users. All of this can leave users feeling distrustful of both the brand and the platform.

Younger generations have little tolerance for marketing that comes off as disingenuous. Brands will need to look for ways to build consumer trust. That means focusing on ways to authentically connect with audiences, and ways to highlight their humanity. Brands need to connect with their audiences on a meaningful level. No one likes being constantly swamped with ads. Even worse is when you're being marketed to and don't even realize it.



2. Social Media Is About Storytelling

Social media's popularity is rooted in the fact that it allows us to share our life experiences with friends and families. We get to tell our stories through our posts, and we get to see a snapshot of everyone else's lives through our news feeds. At first, that was through written posts and photos, but video content is increasingly popular.

Social media is adapting, embracing new ways to allow people to tell their stories and share their narrative with the world. Instagram, Snapchat and Facebook are embracing this trend, and it's changing the way we consume social media content.

This opens the door for brands to share more human stories of their own, which will inspire audiences to try out their product. Storytelling feels real, immediate and personal, but it also demands a mix of more time-intensive video, images and graphics, and requires brands to be more creative and thoughtful in the intent.


3. Build A Brand Narrative

Along with honing their human stories, businesses are going to need to build a strategic narrative behind their brand. Narratives capture moments and experiences shared between a user and a product; they're the conversations that are occurring, and they're often about trying to create a broader, more positive change.

These narratives can be distributed through social media and digital media, and they reflect what a brand's community is saying about them. If a brand can build a larger story, it will have a better chance of success.

Brand narratives need to be compelling and lead audiences to an action. Evaluate your brand story, and ensure it is inspiring and stands out against the messiness of other social media content.



4. Quality And Creativity Over Quality

Marketers often have a knee-jerk reaction to trends by flooding platforms with mediocre and uninspired content in hopes of riding the trend wave.

Would-be customers react by tuning out and quickly dismissing subpar messaging. The threshold for gaining customer attention and trust has grown exponentially. Marketers who hope to gain consumer consideration must be willing to go the extra mile in creating engaging content.

The bottom line is, to have an impact, brands must be purposeful and creative. Less content, if it's created thoughtfully and is well-positioned, will have greater impact than an abundance of content that is uninspired, heavy-handed or seen as shallow or dull.



5. Put A Human Face To Your Brand

Personal branding is a must on social media. Putting a real, human face to a brand is key in building trust and loyalty, especially for small, relatively unknown businesses.

Personal branding gives a business a human element that will naturally connect customers and make the brand seem more relatable. Businesses that learn to foster their human element will have a real advantage over those who hide behind a logo.

One popular trend in humanizing a business is to promote the personal brand of the business owner or a high-level leader. This can be done through guest blogging, podcasts and webinars. Giving the public an up-close view of the company's leader can strengthen its brand reputation.



6. Influencers Continue To Grow Their Communities

Influencer marketing continues to develop and grow on social media platforms. Influencers are social media figures who have gathered a defined community around themselves.

Their large followings (which can range from the thousands to over a million viewers) give them influence over others. They can be incredibly effective as salespeople because we inherently trust the people we follow on social media.

Much like personal branding, when done well influencer marketing gives a human voice to brands. Influencer marketing is less direct than traditional forms of advertising, but it can effectively create authentic ways of connecting with customers.



7. Selfie Videos And Branding

The selfie culture continues to flourish on social media, with the popularity of selfie photo evolving into the self-recorded video. These "selfie videos" are drawing high user interest on social media. Like the selfie photo, the selfie video allows users to capture a moment in time, but the video format allows users to communicate in a deeper and more personal way than a photo ever could. Selfie videos tend to be short and feel more immediate than a written post with a photo.

Businesses need to take note: viewers spend hours watching friends' videos on Snapchat, Instagram and Facebook. Brands would be wise to look for ways to incorporate first-person "selfie video" content as part of their marketing strategy.

Traditional advertising can be off-putting to younger audiences, who are more cautious about their purchases and want a more authentic experience with their brands. The selfie video can help a brand seem more relatable and trustworthy.

 Related Article: YOUR Video Content Is King?


8. Segment Your Social Audiences

While brands talk about their customers and audiences, the reality is that most businesses will have multiple audiences. Segmentation is the process of organizing your audience into manageable groups (or segments) so you can tailor your messaging and communications to the preferences of each group.

Social media is most effective when you segment your audiences so you can be relevant to the right groups of people at the right time.

Making assumptions about your audience and lumping them all together could limit your ability to reach more people. So the more you know about your audience and the various groups that make up your audience, the better you can adjust your messaging and narratives to fit each segment.


9. Hyper-Targeted Personalization

Customers have come to expect brands to tailor special offers and discounts to their wants and needs. To keep up with expectations, businesses need to step up their game when it comes to targeted advertising. Nearly every social media platform offers some level of audience filtering when you opt to pay for advertising. These options range from simple geographic targeting to advanced filters that refine audiences into highly specific segments.

In the coming year, brands will increasingly turn to hyper-targeted personalization to reach their audiences. This is often achieved through retargeting or remarketing ads. Ever wonder why you're seeing an ad on your social media site for something you were shopping for earlier? That's hyper-targeted personalization at work.

Using "cookies" while you browse online, marketers collect data on users, such as online habits, the area they live in and any other pertinent information. But marketers will need to find a balance between being too pushy and being able to offer personalized advertising that will genuinely interest customers.



10. Know Your Platforms

Businesses should carefully consider which social media platforms to focus on, as each platform tends to be used by different groups. For example, over 80 percent of Pinterest users are female, and more than 50 percent of users are from the US. So, if a brand is targeting American women, posting on Pinterest could help isolate that group.

Meanwhile, Snapchat users tend to be younger than those who use Facebook. And career-focused professionals spend more of their time on LinkedIn. Brands that use multiple platforms should use these distinguishing characteristics to decide where to post content and on which platforms to focus the majority of their marketing efforts.

Guest Authored By Deep Patel. Deep is the author of A Paperboy's Fable: The 11 Principles of Success. The book was dubbed the #1 best business book in 2016 by Success Magazine and named the best book for entrepreneurs in 2016 by Entrepreneur Magazine. Follow Deep on Twitter.





"As social media platforms have evolved into full-blown communication channels, more brands are relying on these platforms to reach their target audiences.." -DeepPatel


  • Post Crafted By:
    Fred Hansen Pied Piper of Social Media Marketing at GetMoreHere.com & CEO of Millennium 7 Publishing Co. in Loveland, CO. where I work deep in the trenches of social media strategy, community management and trends.  My interests include; online business educator, social media marketing, new marketing technology, skiing, hunting, fishing and The Rolling Stones..-Not necessarily in that order ;)
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Thursday, September 27, 2018

The Future Of YOUR Social Media Platform?


The future of social media platforms and ways in which businesses can utilize them..

Ever since the Cambridge Analytica scandal and the resulting backlash from the media about the negative effects of social media on our lives, users have been flocking from Facebook in droves.



In fact, according to Pew Research as much as 40 percent of U.S. users have taken a break -- sometimes for weeks on end -- from checking their account.

Not only are these users concerned about corporations' misuse of their data, but they're tired of watching other people's life highlight reels. Those highlights often come across as a fabricated reality that makes many of us doubt our own life choices and compare our achievements and happiness to others'.

Cyberbullying has become a growing concern among teens, as well, and studies have found that excessive use of social media can generate "Facebook depression." If you've ever felt a pang of envy seeing an old college friend climb Machu Picchu or meet for drinks in a Paris nightclub, you can most likely relate.

Your own life, stuck behind a computer, starts to seem inadequate, even if you tell yourself that it's not reality you're seeing. Then there are the endless posts about people's babies, photos of what everyone is eating and mundane daily activities documented for the world to see.



This panorama is occurring amid general frustration with untargeted, unscrupulous social media and people who have a thousand "friends," the majority of whom they'll never meet.

The result is that the prospects of social media seem to be changing fast. And that's a good thing, because it means that a new generation of social networks is cropping up to offer a different value proposition --one meant to be more personal and real.

Social media isn't going to disappear. In fact, almost 42 percent of the world's population has at least one social media account, according to new reports from We Are Social and Hootsuitet. But, "the new social" doesn't aim to target everybody anymore. Instead, the future is niche, as more networks arise to unite people who share a common interest -- be they neighbors, parents, women, shoppers, entrepreneurs or members of any other group.



Despite their latest efforts to curb the reach of brands and marketers, traditional social networks have become less about people.

They've failed their users by selling their data to advertisers, causing a wide range of adverse and long-term side effects.

As a business owner, you need to be aware of these changes and adapt your content to keep up with these trends, especially as new social platforms become more user-oriented than their predecessors.

It's Time To Return To The Personal Touch

In this context, any social media platform that provides its users with a more personal experience is more likely to gain a place in their lives. This new wave of social media is ready to capture the attention of internet users and, as these media grow, they will open new business opportunities for marketers and advertisers.



A new women-only social network, FindSisterhood, for instance, allows users to discuss personal issues from entirely anonymous accounts.

The platform encourages women to ask any question, with no barriers. That feature makes this social network a goldmine of valuable insights for marketers.

"The special thing about our app is that it's an anonymous social network for women only," says founder Ana Pompa Alarc'n Rawls. "We use one-way cryptographic to make every single post and comment untraceable. No one, including our team, will ever know who posted what."

"Anonymity is what allows users to be candid, and that could prove to be very fruitful for businesses. Let's say your company wants to know more about the lifestyle of your target market. Simply ask the right questions and you'll get all the information you need, to build an effective marketing strategy. The social platform also uses sentiment analysis for content analytics. So, you can track hot topics in a specific geographical area and the reactions those topics generate.



For example, when moms from a particular New York neighborhood talk about the difficulty of juggling work and childcare, that information could benefit a local daycare business, which could then address these concerns to capture the attention of its target audience.

This is the kind of valuable information that could help you to build highly personalized content for your target audience.

Keep It Neighborly

Businesses can find potential customers with NextDoor, a safe platform where users can easily exchange information with their neighbors. It's an effective way to keep up with everything that's going on in a given neighborhood. Since the app uses geographical location to display posts from other users in the area, it's a goldmine for finding people nearby.



Marketers may find this app difficult to monetize at the beginning because the platform checks all addresses before accepting an account, through a procedure similar to the one used by Google My Business.

Moreover, business pages aren't available in all countries for now.

However, there is an option for users to recommend businesses they have had positive experiences with, and considering that many users ask questions that are typical for a newcomer to a neighborhood, such as where to find the best tailor or family-friendly restaurant, there are plenty of opportunities to get word-of-mouth advertising, which can steer dozens of customers to a business.

Once businesses gain a foothold, they can track discussions in the neighborhood and identify the topics that generate engagement in the area. The platform can also be used to drive targeted traffic to websites or blogs and raise awareness on specific topics related to the community.



Small Communities Perform Better

One of social media's biggest problems is size (it matters). Every minute, Facebook registers around 300,000 status updates and half a million comments, according to a data roundup published by Zephoria Marketing. Every second, 6,000 new tweets are registered on Twitter.

Many internet users are looking for smaller platforms, for more authentic interactions with their friends, families and followers.Users want platforms that have no algorithms in place to filter information and that have a higher purpose than just a place where users can chat and share viral videos.

Care2 is such a place. It's a community of around 30 million members. That's eight times less than the size of Facebook in the United States but that doesn't necessarily make it less powerful as a marketing tool. Care2 users are looking for ways to change the world for the better. Its main topics are petitions, causes and healthy living. Care2 also promotes brands willing to support causes and get involved in the lives of their communities.

The platform opens up a different kind of business opportunity for brands looking to connect with members using those people's core values. The intent is to make things more personal, which is exactly what internet users are looking for when they switch rom the giants to smaller social media.



Businesses Must Provide A Curated Experience

As you migrate from Facebook to niche social media, be sure to align your message with the new expectations of your audience.

Come up with a fresh approach that will allow you to strike up user-centered conversations, without alienating or annoying that audience.

Guest Authored By Jennifer Spencer. Jennifer is founder of Energent Media and head of content at Blocknauts, growth marketers for the blockchain industry. She is passionate about helping brands leverage content to share their stories with the world. Follow Jennifer on Twitter.





The future of social media lies in one-on-one conversations with your fans and followers, exchanges in which they not only want to take part but take the lead.

The less intrusive you are as a business, the higher your chances will be of building a substantial community around your brand, getting new leads and increasing conversions..

    • Post Crafted By:
      Fred Hansen Pied Piper of Social Media Marketing at YourWorldBrand.com & CEO of Millennium 7 Publishing Co. in Scottsdale, AZ. where I work deep in the trenches of social media strategy, community management and trends.  My interests include; online business educator, social media marketing, new marketing technology, skiing, hunting, fishing and The Rolling Stones..-Not necessarily in that order ;)
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    Location: Draper, UT 84020, USA

    Wednesday, May 23, 2018

    A Look Into Future Social Media Trends?


    5 Social media trends that will be hot in 2018..

    Important and happening things on social media in the immediate future and the potential they have.



    From a bunch of online platforms that started off merely so that people could remain connected, social media has evolved into an industry of endless possibilities that was worth over 28 Billion Dollars in 2017.

    But for one of the fastest growing industries today, social media is still quite the game of cat and mouse with trends that change every year and businesses trying to latch on to these trends at the right moment.

    So with 2017 tagged and bagged, what does the year look like on the social media space. Here are five trends I am certain will be hot in 2018!



    1. Resurgence of Independent Content Creators and Bloggers

    Branded content became mainstream on social in 2016 but 2017 saw the social media space literally exploding with it. Easing off the branded content fatigue this year, bloggers and micro-publishers will be a huge trend and a much-needed relief to say so.

    With average engagement rates almost thrice as much as branded content, bloggers and micro influencers are creating content that is certainly at par with content agencies and publishers, and this is certainly the year of their resurgence.



    2. The Year of Volatile Content

    In just a year of its launch in August 2016, Instagram stories had over 200 million daily active users, and we already know how popular Snapchat is. Adding to the trove of volatile content, Facebook recently announced that they are inches away from launching desktop uploads for their stories.

    Sum all of this up and one thing is certain -- 2018 is the year of volatile content and why not.

    After all, variety is the spice of life isn't it!



    3. VR - Finally!

    Virtual Reality has been touted as the next big thing for a while now but 2018 is the year that brands will be able to leverage its power and connect to users on an experiential level.

    Social media platforms have already proven how useful they are for content driven campaigns and VR takes the content experience to the next level altogether.

    For example: reading about how a university's new campus makes it THE place to be is a great way to connect with prospective students but giving them a VR tour of the campus on their Facebook timeline immerses them in the experience you actually want to provide.



    4. Social is LIVE

    As the focus of social moves from millennials to Gen Z, a generation notorious for their low attention spans, live streams have become a rage. Besides, with brands investing a lot in video capabilities, live streaming and HERE & NOW content will become one of the most definitive trends on social media this year.

    What's really making live content a big rage is the fact that it gives brands a better insight into their audience engagement since it's highly likely that an audience is paying attention to your content if they are willing to spare time and watch it when it's live.



    5. Gamification and Leaderboards

    Rewarding participatory behavior from audiences is a trend that has been around for a long time and now it's taking the world of social media by storm. The trend of rewarding positive brand interactions and getting audiences to compete for top honors has led brands to social media success in 2017, a trend that's only going to get bigger in 2018. Besides with the advent of connected apps on social media and communities of engaged audiences, gamification and leader boards will be immensely popular in 2018.

    Guest Authored By Ankit Khare. Ankit is a digital media specialist with a proven record of success in Online Advertising, Media sales, and Digital marketing.He is well-versed with the emerging E age Media space and have rich experience on various online advertising platforms like Google Adwords, Facebook, Google Adsense, Global Ad exchanges, behavioral Re-targeting, Ad networks, Email marketing, Affiliate Marketing etc. He is currently heading Unipro Education a Digital Media Company, which is set to offer strategic digital media solution to education category advertisers in emerging markets. Follow Ankit on Twitter.





    "As the social media industry is poised for yet another year of staggering growth, 2018 promises to be a year of content in motion, with video leading the way.

    Indeed, we have a come a long way from the kitten video rage started by 9gag back in the day! -AnkitKhare


      • Post Crafted By:
        Fred Hansen Pied Piper of Social Media Marketing at GetMoreHere.com & CEO of Millennium 7 Publishing Co. in Loveland, Colorado. I work deep in the trenches of social media strategy, community management and trends.  My interests include; online business educator, social media marketing, new marketing technology, skiing, hunting, fishing and The Rolling Stones..-Not necessarily in that order ;)

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      Location: Loveland, CO 80538, USA
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