Social media has changed the marketing landscape in a big way. It’s no longer enough to rely on traditional marketing methods; businesses need to be where their customers are, and that’s on social media.
But with so many businesses competing for attention on social media, how can you make sure that your voice is heard above the noise? The answer is by staying ahead of the curve and understanding the latest trends in social media marketing. Here are three trends that you need to know about.
1. Chatbots
One trend that’s currently taking the social media world by storm is chatbots. Chatbots are computer programs that mimic human conversation, and they can be used to automate customer service or sales conversations. While chatbots have been around for a while, they’re only now starting to be used by businesses on a large scale.
The reason why chatbots are so popular is because they offer a number of advantages over traditional customer service methods. For one, they’re available 24/7, which means that even if your business is closed for the night, your customers can still get the answers they need. Additionally, chatbots can handle multiple conversations at once, which means that your customers won’t have to wait in line for an available customer service representative.
If you’re not already using chatbots on your social media channels, now is the time to start. Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp are two of the most popular platforms for chatbot development, so those are two good places to start.
2. Visual Content
Another trend that’s reshaping social media marketing is the increasing importance of visual content. In a world where we’re constantly bombarded with information, visuals help us process that information more quickly and easily. That’s why businesses are increasingly using video content, infographics, and other types of visual content on their social media channels.
Not only does visual content help grab attention in a crowded feed, but it also helps boost engagement rates. Videos, in particular, are very effective at driving engagement because they evoke an emotional response from viewers. If you want your social media marketing to be successful, make sure to incorporate more visual content into your strategy.
3. Micro-Influencers
The last trend on our list is the rise of micro-influencers. An influencer is someone with a large following on social media who has the power to sway public opinion. In the past, businesses would partner with celebrity influencers in order to reach a larger audience. However, these days it’s more effective (and more affordable) to partner with micro-influencers instead.
A micro-influencer is someone with a smaller following than a celebrity influencer but who still has significant influence within their niche audience. For example, a fashion blogger with 50,000 followers would be considered a micro-influencer whereas a fashion blogger with 500,000 followers would be considered an influencer. The advantage of working with micro-influencers is that they typically have higher engagement rates than celebrities or macro-influencers (influencers with over 1 million followers). They’re also more affordable and easier to work with than their celebrity counterparts.
If you’re looking for ways to reach a larger audience on social media without breaking the bank, consider partnering with micro-influencers in your industry. Chatfuel (https://chatfuel.com) is one platform that can help you find micro-influencers in your niche.
These days, social media marketing is essential for any business that wants to succeed online. But with so much competition, it can be tough to stand out from the crowd. The key is to stay ahead of the curve by understanding and embracing new trends as they emerge. By understanding and utilizing new trends like chatbots, visual content, and micro-influencers, you can give your business the edge it needs to succeed on social media.