In two months 2021 will be half over. Discerning developers will begin in October to polish platforms for Christmas shopping. That leaves three months to relax, go to the beach or kick it at your local pool.
Remember those forecasts in December 2021? You know, the social media trends that would take the Internet by storm in this, the Year of the Rooster? Yeah. We don’t either. Most didn’t happen. But with a narrower time frame, predictions can be more accurate and helpful.
When to Start?
According to Jenn Deering-Davis, Union Metrics’ editor-in-chief, the ideal time to start social media marketing is three weeks before Thanksgiving. That’s when Twitter activity picks up momentum and increases in volume every day. In 2021 there were almost 7 million holiday-related Tweets the week of Thanksgiving.
“Go out too early, and customers aren’t ready for it, and it’s a waste of money,” says Deering Davis.
So what are the trends which will make — or break — Christmas for eRetailers?
Live Video Content Becomes Even Bigger
Live video content is increasing. According to several social media experts, 14 percent of marketers explored the idea in 2021. SME believes that over 40% will use interactive video during the last half of 2022.
Periscope and Facebook Live have the numbers to back up their popularity in a field which is filled with streaming platforms and sites.
Besides Periscope and Facebook Live, Instagram and Twitter inaugurated their concepts of living streaming in the last two months of 2021. Where should your focus be on live streaming? Great question.
Consider where your audience already is and connect with them on those networks. Facebook Live launched 360-degree capabilities on December 12 for NatGeo and everyone else in March, 2022.
Messaging Applications
Brands will continue to lean on messaging apps in greater numbers. If you believe messaging apps such as Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp and WeChat are the alternatives to traditional texting — stop, just stop. Messaging apps are utilized by 4 billion users who present a great opportunity for brands to leverage their presence.
Consider using messaging apps to communicate one-on-with with consumers. Customer service delivery is changing and messaging apps pave a faster and easier road for customers to get needed help and support. Customer service through messaging is scalable and cost-effective as well as providing a positive experience to the buyer. Problems can be solved quicker, and customer retention grows.
Meghan Kearney Anderson, HubSpot’s Vice President of Marketing, believes messaging apps will become a part of every online interaction.
“We shouldn’t be thinking about messaging regarding apps at all,” says Anderson. “We need to look at them as evolving infrastructure.”
Anderson’s theory is supported by research. Twenty-five percent of all downloaded apps are abandoned after one use — except for messaging apps. Marketers need to anticipate less social networking and more messaging for real-time connections to customers.
E-commerce Via Social Media
Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest already provide paths for users to purchase products inside their apps. Snapchat began testing e-commerce features.
According to Aimia, over 55% of potential customers said they followed brands on social media to browse products, and over 30% stated that they’re using social media especially to find distinct items to buy.
These shopping habits need to be leveraged by brands when talking about their social media strategy for the remainder. People show up on social media to interact with compelling content.
Product demonstration videos are the preferred medium when learning about a new product. Animoto says four-times as many customers prefer to watch a video about a new product that just read the details.
Marissa Emanuele, HubSpot’s Social Media Marketing Manager, coined the term. When a platform launches its version of another platform’s successful feature.
For instance. Snapchat began the “ephemeral” or disappearing content sharing trend, and Instagram has launched a similar disappearing feature — with the ability to share live as well.
Don’t abandon professional photography and marketing video in your production lineup. Ephemeral content can be a way to showcase the “other side” of your brand’s personality. Despite critics in the corporate suite, there’s always room for authentic, unscripted, unpolished content.
Now turn the computer off and get some relaxation time in.
Tailor Your Content
The content you create for social media platforms can vary depending on the audience. For example, you would want to share more personal and emotional content on Instagram than on Facebook. To succeed with your social media marketing, you must clearly understand your target audience. It can help you determine what type of content they are looking for and what they like to see.
Some examples of content types include:
- Personal: blog posts, videos, images
- News: blog posts, videos
- Deals: offers, promotion, marketing
- Local: brands, videos, photography
- Celebrity: blog posts, videos
- Product: blog posts, videos
- Education: learning, informative content, videos
It includes all strategies for getting people to follow you on social media sites, connect with your brand, or support you on these platforms. The most popular types of social media marketing include advertising on social media, content marketing, and influencer marketing.
93% of marketers doing advertising, and 3.96 billion users across all social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter is a form of direct-response advertising that targets internet users with an ad to their social timelines. Content marketing includes all strategies associated with creating quality content that is valuable for people to share (blog posts, images, videos) to reach your target audience.
