Ah, technology — it’s like the overactive big brother who’s always keeping us on our toes. And yet, especially when you’re talking about social media marketing, it’s the one trend that you absolutely need to stay ahead of in order to remain relevant. In case you haven’t been staying up with the times, here are the hottest social marketing trends that ramped up in 2016 and that you can expect to see plenty more of in the year to come. Take note, and start logging away your own ideas!
Going Visual
For the longest time, Facebook and Twitter dominated the scene, with every other social platform remaining subservient to these mainstays. But as the world gets faster-paced, photo and visual-oriented platforms such as Instagram and Snapchat are coming to the fore and taking on a much larger role. It makes sense when you consider how inclined we are to just scroll past wordy Facebook posts, while lingering over images that are more immediately understandable. Our shorter attention spans are perfectly wired for these visual social platforms, so it makes sense to focus more attention on creating and sharing attention-grabbing graphics and photos and inviting engagement through those means.
Going Live
This year Facebook unveiled its live streaming function, and it has taken the social media world by storm. Now you can find people constantly live-streaming everything from daily activities to unfolding news stories. Seeing live feeds creates an instant connection, as your audience feels as if they are with you experiencing the excitement and taking part in noteworthy events. If you haven’t already dabbled in Facebook Live, start streaming your brand happenings (conferences, product reveals, company news, etc.) to get people connected to your brand and your world.
Going Clutter-Free
Another feature of the visual social media world is expiring content, such as you would find on Snapchat. The stories disappear after a certain time, creating both a sense of urgency (see it before it’s gone!) and also eliminating some of the clutter that can accumulate on non-expiring platforms. Instagram has created its own version of this expiring content in the form of Instagram Stories, which allows users to upload photos or videos that will be deleted after 24 hours. Create your own “limited-time” content to get people checking in with your brand regularly, or even host promotions or giveaways that only last as long as your expiring content does. A sense of urgency is a helpful tool in sales!
Going Automated
With the vast expanse of content floating around the internet, you have to be sharing your own content steadily and frequently in order to keep yourself wedged in your audience’s consciousness. However, posting on each platform daily is a heavy and time-consuming task. If you’re overworked in the social media realm, it may be time to go the automated route. You can now download tools in which you can store up images and other general posts, to be released at times and dates you specify. This allows you to be in complete control of your content, rather than having all your time dominated by it.
With the more visual-oriented trends of technology, your best way to stay on top is by developing your own images. Easil offers thousands of fully customizable templates that help you create graphic art designed to make waves in the social media world. Check out Easil’s offerings here, and start creating!