Social media marketing trends are constantly evolving across a growing number of platforms. From Twitter to TikTok, the power of social media expands each year. Posting and reposting photos, life updates and news links may be what many people think of when they consider social media. But what’s trending today is short, live videos and disappearing posts. The ability to share quick bursts of content for just a day or go live at any moment are changing the game in social media marketing.
As trends evolve again this year, there are patterns for high performance across all platforms. Including captions on videos is one simple trick for gaining traction. Taking a conversational tone also makes a difference. Responding to comments, cross promotion among industry peers and engagement with relevant online communities all add up to expanded reach.
Stories, Snaps, Captions and Cookies
Starting with Snapchat, stories became a very popular way to post because of their impermanence. With this feature, users add a photo or video to the profile that only lasts for 24 hours. As this abbreviated option grew in usership, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and even LinkedIn added story features to their apps.
Along with stories, most social apps also now contain explore pages. On these pages you can view news articles, watch videos and see content from people you don’t already follow. This feed is curated to your interests and gives you the ability to discover new accounts and information. Through the explore pages you also find advertisements for products that you can buy directly through the app. Facebook launched Facebook Watch last year. With this feature, Facebook users scroll to see videos that are curated much like TikTok. Instagram recently launched a very similar feature called “Instagram Reels.”
The overall impact of social media is also affected by outside influences. Recent changes in privacy policies will make the use of third-party cookies much more restrictive. Beginning in 2022, Google has banned the use of this popular digital targeting tool. While tracking visitors to your own site is still permissible, the bottom line effect for online advertisers is likely to be significant. This change will only amplify the importance of social media and carefully curated audiences built on those platforms
Video Content is King
Long and short format videos are kings on social media. Wildly popular among younger demographics, TikTok was built entirely around video content. On this platform, users post videos between three seconds and three minutes. The three minute maximum was just increased from one minute due to growing demand. On TikTok, users scroll through what is known as the “For You Page”. This feed is curated to your interests based on other TikTok videos you liked.
Understanding and acting in accordance with these trends is essential when it comes to advertising. The right audience for your brand has never been more accessible. Strategy is still required for success. Matching messages and mediums is Advantage Marketing’s speciality. Reach out today to talk more about social media marketing.