3 Social Media Marketing Trends To Implement For 2018

2018 is now in full swing, meaning there is not a better time for your business to start implementing all of the latest social media marketing trends.

The power of social media marketing is absolutely undeniable. According to statista.com, the number of active worldwide social media users is set to top 2.95 billion within the next two years, and I don't know about you, but to me that is an astonishingly large audience to expose your company and brand to.

Social media marketing needs to be a crucial aspect of your business. Especially now more than ever, there is no better way to maximise search engine optimisation, to increase inbound traffic to your website, and to boost overall customer relations.

So, what social media marketing bandwagons should you be hopping on this year?

1) Video

Video is the future. But, that is not all. Video is the present! Video marketing is quickly becoming one of the top content marketing methods taking not just a few, but ALL social media platforms by storm.

However, it is a good idea to bear in mind that a video is not just a video, and a social media platform is not just a social media platform. This is where the research comes in. It is vital that you make sure you know exactly where your target audience is situated online, and what kind of video they're after.

Are your buyer personas more suited to a quick video on Facebook? Or are they more likely to search for a longer, more in depth tutorial on YouTube? These are the questions you should be asking, and answering within your social media content plan.

According to socialmediatoday.com, there was an enormous 130% growth of video marketing spend in 2017 for social media, accumulating 90% of the overall content being shared on social media. Now, if those facts and figures aren't enough to sway you towards the infinite trend that is video marketing, then I don't know what will!

2) Live Content

Live streaming marketing is fast becoming a very real, and very viable way for brands to get their products or service seen and heard across many social media platforms. It is not only attractive, appealing and engaging to your current customer base, but it is also a fantastic way to reel in a fresh new audience.

Live content's unique selling point is that it has a very personal sense about it, meaning your customers will feel like they really know you and are a part of something. The intimate and unscripted moments from real people are what will ultimately market your products or services as viewers will be captivated by the sincerity of live content. Many positives will come from this, a couple being the customer loyalty and repeat sales.

According to koeppeldirect.com, 80% of people said they would rather watch a live video from a brand than read a blog article, and 82% of people said they prefer a live video to social media posts. Sharing live content can also become great market research as the instant connection means instant feedback.

3) Messaging Apps

I bet many of you reading this never would of thought that messaging apps were almost as beneficial, if not equally as beneficial, as social media applications. Am I right? I thought so.

Messaging app giants; WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger and WeChat already have amazingly large established user bases, however are these users utilising them to their full potential? Are YOU using these platforms to their full potential?

Messaging apps offer a wealth of opportunities for business of any kind thanks to their innovative and ever evolving features. One of these being the ability to execute targeted and personalised campaigns due to its easy and efficient one-on-one capabilities.

Hopefully this article has helped inform you of all the things you need to know about the upcoming social media marketing trends for 2018. If you have any queries, please comment below or call us on 01332 343281 for an informal chat.