7 Social Media Marketing Trends

Social media marketing is on the increase: tens of billions of dollars were spent in the industry. Do you know what’s hot and what’s not in the world of social media?

Are you considering increasing your company’s social media presence? Then you need to know the latest social media marketing trends.

In this article, we’re going to take a look at the top marketing trends.

Ready to start making the most of social media? Then read on, and start improving your company today!

1. Social Influencer Marketing

When you picture a social influencer, who do you think of? Is it Kim Kardashian or maybe Cameron Dallas?

Think smaller. It’s predicted that marketers are going to spend $15 billion on influencer marketing. Not all of that cash is going to end up in the pockets or clutch bags of celebrities, though.

One of the most popular social media marketing trends is hiring influencers with smaller follower numbers. This allows advertisers to target much smaller segments and get greater leverage with them.

Smaller social media figures are seen as trustworthy. They’ll also cost less to recruit, meaning that several campaigns can run for the cost of a single high-profile one.

Research your market and find smaller figures who your customers follow. Recruit them and start spreading your brand on a smaller scale.

2. Video Marketing is Going to Be Even More Important

Video marketing is predicted to make up 82 percent of online traffic. Video marketing is predicted to make up 82 percent of online traffic by 2021.

Consumers love watching videos. Something to avoid is to copy the traditional ad format, though.

Instead, make your marketing videos engaging, shareable, and fun. Try and encourage your customers to share your videos on a large scale, which will increase your marketing.

Including a video on a landing page can increase conversion rates by 80 percent. Using videos in social media is a crucial marketing technique.

3. Social Media Stories Will Be Used to Their Fullest

If you’ve been keeping your eye on social media marketing trends, you’ve probably noticed the rise of stories. Starting on Snapchat, almost every social media platform now offers a story feature. You can find them on Instagram, Facebook, and Youtube.

You need to know how to use them to their fullest. Adding interactive features to your story can dramatically improve engagement. This could be a poll, a quiz, or having your viewers ask you questions.

Utilizing story features lets you improve engagement and excitement with ease. What’s more, they’re a cost-effective way to run a campaign.

4. Becoming a News Resource Will Increase Traffic

The stats speak for themselves here: One-in-five Americans get their news from social media. News drives traffic.

This doesn’t mean that you should try and become the next New York Times. What it means is that you should start sharing stories about news relevant to your company on your site. For example, if you’re in the computer sector, create posts about the latest advances in hardware.

If you make your site a go-to for customers looking to hear the latest news, you’ll instantly see a boost in traffic.

5. Market Segmentation Will Get More Sophisticated

Social media marketing already offers marketers fantastic opportunities to segment their audience. Want to find people who follow sites like yours in the 18-25 age range? You can do that.

Social media companies are using AI (artificial intelligence) to abolish fake news, resulting in marketing segments getting smaller and smaller. This means that you can deliver your content to an audience that are more likely to become customers.

6. Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality Will Become Mainstream

The huge array of filters available on Snapchat and Instagram is just the start of augmented reality becoming mainstream. Successful social media marketing will help you become involved in the early stages of this new age, and grow with it.

For example, Amazon is developing an app that will let you “try on” clothes before you buy.

The tech behind filters is complex, but not too difficult to use in a campaign. If you’re marketing any kind of cosmetic product, augmented reality is going to be a necessary component of your campaigns.

Virtual reality headsets are also going to become more widespread. This will let you market events, destinations, and shops in a more tangible way. What better way for a customer to preview a shop or restaurant than with virtual reality?

7. Customers Will Be Able to Buy Direct From Social Media

Online shopping doesn’t just mean Amazon and eBay. It’s common to see links to product pages, but social shopping goes one step further than that. Instead of an ordinary call to action, you will be able to encourage your customers to buy directly from your social media page.

You can add a buy button to your ad, letting your customer buy your product or service within seconds. While this hasn’t become mainstream yet, it soon will be. Conversion rates are going to be through the roof for well-made ads.

Around 25 percent of businesses are already selling through Facebook. A huge 40 percent use social media to generate sales. This is one social media marketing trend that’s only going to get bigger, so start today!

Staying On Top of Social Media Marketing Trends

Social media marketing trends can seem almost ephemeral. They quickly come and go, but some stay the distance. The trends that we’ve covered in this article look likely to stick around, but there are many we’ve not covered yet.

If you’d like to ensure that you have a social media presence that will help your business, then get in touch with us! We’re happy to answer any questions you may have to help your business grow.