Are you putting together your social media strategy for 2019? Wondering what trends may affect your marketing plans? Use 3 helpful resources in this post to learn more about predictions from industry leaders, and then check out 5 tips we’re sharing with our clients.
(1) 5 Data-Backed Social Media Trends You Need to Know for 2019 | Buffer blog
Five trends in this post on the Buffer blog:
- Trend 1: In-the-moment content will win out over highly-produced content (the rise of Stories – ephemeral content – that is predicted to overtake our normal newsfeeds soon)
- Trend 2: AI-driven personalized customer experiences (chatbots, Ads optimization, overall customer service changes)
- Trend 3: Brands can no longer afford to ignore social media ads (organic reach continues to decline; an ad budget is necessary)
- Trend 4: Rise of social media TV and vertical videos (IGTV and users watching videos on mobile devices)
- Trend 5: The evolution from multichannel to omnichannel marketing (this trend “emphasizes the importance of reaching and interacting with customers in all channels”)
(2) 10+ Marketing Predictions for 2019 From Top Marketers | Social Media Examiner
A few of the ten marketing predictions in this post on Social Media Examiner:
- Audio integration/voice search
- Using a human-centered approach to interacting with customers
- Augmented Reality
- Facebook’s continued push for video (on Facebook and Instagram)
(3) Top 5 Social Media Trends in 2019 (And How Brands Should Adapt) | Hootsuite
Five trends from the Hootsuite blog:
- Rebuilding trust
- Storifying social
- Closing the ads gap
- Cracking the commerce code
- Messaging eats the world
(4) Five tips for our small business clients
Some of the trends mentioned are aimed at much bigger companies, so we like to share the tips we’re giving to small business owners and entrepreneurs/home business clients who may not have the same resources available.
- Facebook should not be your only social media platform – Reach has been steadily declining for business pages over the last few years, and while most businesses will find some of their target audience on Facebook, this is a good time to expand your efforts beyond one platform.
Depending on your type of business, you should look into at least one other platform:
If you have a business-to-business (B2B) company, then check out LinkedIn or Twitter.
If your business focuses on products/shopping or selling/servicing consumers, then check out Instagram or Pinterest.
2. Stories are worth testing – this newer type of content (“ephemeral” or disappearing) has shown a significant rate of growth, with some experts predicting “Story” feeds will soon overtake traditional news feeds.
Creating this type of content has its own set of unique challenges, but new tools and shortcuts are rolling out all the time now to help.
So it’s definitely worth testing Stories for your business. You’ll find Stories on Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat, but Instagram Stories are the most popular right now.
3. Video is more important on all social platforms – and continues to attract more engagement in general.
Professional video production requires money and staff/outsourcing, but it can be worth it for a few videos that share your company’s history or message.
With the video tools/cameras available on our smartphones, it’s not too difficult to create shorter, more “casual” on-the-go video clips that can be shared on all social media platforms.
4. Instagram is one of the hottest social platforms and will continue to grow this year – Facebook owns Instagram and will continue to focus on this platform. So it makes sense for you to take a look at it even if you’re not sure if it will work for your business.
Create a business account on the platform and make a simple content calendar that focuses on visual content (photos and short videos).
If you don’t have time or resources to take your own photos, check out some free stock photo sites to get started.
5. Your “Owned” space is more important than ever – with increasing concerns over privacy last year and some discontent from users, it’s more important than ever to have a business presence on digital space that you own.
A website that is mobile-friendly and updated on a consistent basis.
An email list that allows you to keep in contact with customers and prospects.
Integrated offline/online strategies, as more users decide to take a break from social media: old-school actions such as thank-you notes, printed newsletters or postcards, real-life events in your local area, etc.
So how can we help? Do you have questions about any of the resources or tips here? Leave a comment or email us: service@leaguecomputers.com
And don’t forget that we offer a free consultation for social media and digital marketing:
2019 Social Media Trends and Tips for Small Business Owners
About Terry League