More people than ever before turned to social media in 2020. The year of staying-at-home brought an influx of changes to the social media landscape. Traditional business practices, such as signage or in-store promotions, were suddenly no longer effective as consumers never went inside a brick and mortar store.
Online retailers who stayed on top of the changing landscape saw record-breaking ROIs for their digital efforts. The point comes down to a failure to keep up with the latest trends on Instagram, Snapchat, Tiktok, and more could be catastrophic for a business. Our digital marketing experts have put together which new social media features every business owner needs to use in 2021.
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Instagram Stories Have Evolved; i.e. The Future Is Video
Video did kill the radio star, and it’s killing the competition on social media right now. The rise of Tiktok, a viral video sharing platform, has completely turned the social media video world upside down.
Condensing information into short clips and blasting them out has turned out to be a shockingly fascinating and addictive way for brands to reach new consumers. TikTok’s short video format turned out to be such a popular social media feature that Instagram and Facebook both came out with their versions.
Instagram’s Reels is similar to Tik Tok in that it allows for a customized, short video on a vertical screen. Consumers love these informational bits, making them a key investment for companies looking to increase their digital ROI. You need a video to succeed in today’s social media landscape. Whether you choose Tiktok, Instagram, or Facebook stories is up to your brand.
Shopping Is Now Directly Integrated As A Social Media Feature
As brick and mortar stores struggle to survive during the COVID-19 pandemic, online retail has been booming. We’ve all seen the jokes about Amazon packages needing to be hidden from one’s spouse, but the truth is more people are buying online now than ever before.
To bolster this, social media features on Instagram and Facebook have made it easy to purchase goods and services directly from their platform. Users don’t need to go to your website to purchase something anymore; make an Instagram post advertising a dress, for example, and you can list the dress for sale right there on Instagram.
Users can then purchase it without ever leaving the app. This benefits the social media platform as much as you: they don’t need to worry about losing the consumer to your website, and you don’t need to worry about losing the consumer to any other website.
Facebook Ads Are Becoming Happier and More Organic
Facebook has lessened restrictions on its paid advertising over the past year, making it easier for your company to come up with truly unique ads. Those unique ads are what will sell you to a consumer. With the massive amount of companies advertising on Facebook across the world, you have a lot of competition.
To make your ads stand out, take advantage of the different options available for this social media feature. Maybe your company is light-hearted enough to include gifs as part of your advertising.
Perhaps your brand would benefit from bold text-based statements. The creativity allowed on Facebook advertising is broader than ever before, but the one consistent our digital marketing experts are seeing across all industries is a lean towards positive messaging. Keep your tone light and your content unique, and you’ll see success with this feature in 2021.
Don’t Neglect LinkedIn Connection Building
LinkedIn marketing gets left behind a lot. It’s ineffective on the contrary because the platform itself has become inundated with poor business practices over the past decade. LinkedIn is a business marketing platform.
While many use it as intended, making connections related to their career and sharing related news and updates, a good chunk of consumers opt to spam their feed with sales pitches and blatant mass marketing.
Combat this by using the platform to build real connections with people in your industry. Post relevant, engaging news, and talk to people with whom you connect. Create personal connections with the professionals who use LinkedIn, the more legitimate you will be in the eyes of new consumers.
Visual Stimulation Lies In Pinterest’s Features
Pinterest is neglected but an important part of digital marketing. In 2020, we saw an influx of baby boomers head over to Pinterest for inspiration. The image-and-video sharing platform has traditionally been a source of inspiration for craft, food, and decor enthusiasts, but has expanded to include just about everything from celebrities to exercise plans. It is so appealing to a massive audience, Pinterest can be an incredible place to market. Posting relevant graphics, informational images, and short videos will help you utilize the social media features Pinterest offers.
For more common digital marketing and other related topics, please contact Success City Online.