Social Media Trends
to Grow Your Business

Table of content

5. The Rise of Micro-Influencers

Introduction

Social media is no longer the same. But, if you’re a B2B professional, that’s great news! While much of social media is still flooded with “throwbacks” and funny cat videos, it has also become one of the most potent tools for digital marketers. With close to 3.5 billion social media users in 2019, social media helps you reach a vast audience in no time at all. As a digital marketer, you must know how to make the most of it.

Possessing a well-rounded understanding of social media isn’t enough. It is also essential for you to be aware of the most popular social media trends (past, present, and future). Unless you are familiar with viral social media trends on your platform, it will be challenging to take advantage of them.

These are some significant social media trends in marketing that have been more impactful and that we’ve noticed in recent times. Pay close attention to and learn how to leverage them, and you will be able to make the most of your social media marketing campaigns.

1.Live Video

Ever since social media platforms enabled live streaming, the popularity of live videos took flight. And that has continued well into 2019.

Research indicates that 80% of audiences prefer live videos over reading blog posts.

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Live videos are a fun, engaging way to get your audience excited. They’re a great medium to humanize your brand. By going live to promote your business and responding to comments in real-time, you stand to generate an increased number of new leads for your company. Social media trends, such as live video, has the potential to go viral quickly, as proven in the past!

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2.Chatbots:

While chatbots have been around for some time now, they’ve now gained greater prominence. One cannot ignore their usefulness as an effective communication tool.

Today, chatbots are highly sophisticated and have been extensively programmed to deliver specific automated responses. Chatbots takes a considerable weight off your social media team, involving them as and when necessary. They are also a very cost-effective option.

Chatbots saved businesses in the banking and healthcare industry $20 million in 2017. Estimates state that it is to rise to about $8 billion by 2022.

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3.Declining Organic Reach:

Let’s face it. It’s not easy to reach users organically anymore. It’s well known that social media platforms tweak their algorithms from time to time. With priority given to updates from friends and family, it becomes necessary to look beyond organic reach.

This is where you need to revise your strategy. Pay attention to other social media trends through which you can reach more users, such as paid advertising. Facebook, in particular, is a very effective lead generation platform through paid ads.

4.Paid Advertisements:

If you want to raise your advertising game on social media, you’ll need to pay for it. And, for a good reason.

Thanks to social media, it’s possible to reach both diverse and precise audiences. You can target users based on demographics, interests, and previous history. Social media also makes advertising an easier task. It’s open to experimentation while helping you to keep a track on your budget. It’s no surprise why digital marketers love social media!

Research indicates that by 2020, spending on social media ads is set to surpass newspaper ad expenditure.

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5.The Rise of Micro-Influencers:

The unexpected rise of micro-influencers is one of the more surprising social media trends of late. Micro-influencers are the individuals on social media channels who have a strong base of followers without actually being a celebrity.

While they have fewer followers than macro-influencers (more than 100k followers) and celebrities (over 1m followers), they are an option that cuts cost while boosting engagement.

In a study, engagement due to micro-influencers is responsible for a 22.2% increase in average weekly conversions. Due to their close ties with their followers, they, at times, trump the credibility of most celebrities.

WHY MICRO-INFLUENCERS

Trusted

Opinions evoke high degrees of credibility and confidence from friends and followers.

Brand Relevant:

High connevtion with brand, product, and brand-relevant topics.

High in Volume

Exist in greater numbers than mega-or macro- influencers, able to generate content at scale

Are Loyal

Have existing brand relationship based on purchase history and positive brand affinity.

Will Advocate

Will recommend or publically support brand and products.

Have influence

Able to drive friends & followers to take a desired action.

6. Ephemeral Content:

Ephemeral content refers to short-lived content that disappears after a given time-frame (usually 24 hours). Example – An Instagram story. Short-lived content is useful because it’s perceived to be more genuine than sponsored ads.

As of May 2018, ephemeral content across four platforms was being used by one billion people each day. And there’s no indication that it will change anytime soon.

They are popular among users due to their temporary and interactive nature. They are a viable alternative to live videos, with similar effects.

Conclusion

Though the channels through which we market change, the tenets of marketing remain the same. It’s always necessary to know what’s happening around you, what’s creating a buzz and what isn’t. These days, possessing a social media presence isn’t enough. It is crucial to stay aware of the most viral social media trends to be able to make the most out of it for your business.

Thankfully, social media provides plenty of tools to help you do that. Features such as live videos and stories help you reach audiences even beyond your follower lists!

And by allocating a portion of your budget towards paid advertisements, you get to choose who you want to target, and how. While still in its infancy stages, these social media trends will play a crucial role in shaping the future of social media marketing. Pay close attention and make the most of them.A well-crafted social media strategy helps in doing what everyone else is, only better. If you’re interested in learning more about the benefits of social media marketing, Subscribe to our blog!

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An established author and former B2B content marketer, Joseph has been around long enough to see content marketing grow from a buzzword to an industry. Currently a freelancer, he also plays an advisory role with ReachStream’s content team. During his time off, he enjoys a quiet day by the beach with his three dogs.