Gear Up with the Top Social Media Marketing Trends for 2019
The year 2018 was a year of revolutions, which introduced big-scale improvisations and a long list of innovation most notably in the field of technology. As fast-paced advancements unfold new ideas, big techniques, and immersive means to establish relationships, the digital landscape seems to be massively transforming. Although it’s hard to tell what path the marketing industry will head to in the future, some of the tech savvy and expert marketers have already predicted the leading trends related to the many fields of digital marketing.
Social media marketing, in particular, is experiencing a major shift as augmented reality and the superhuman intelligence of AI are gradually dominating. Where paid marketing, search engine optimization, and content can help with higher page rankings, SMM is a game changer. You can enhance online visibility, brand recognition, boost conversions and accelerate onsite traffic, all by getting your hands on some of the best techniques to engage and appeal your followers.
So, without further ado, let’s learn the top social media marketing trends for 2019 and take a leap to success. Read on!
The Increasing Incline Towards Visuals
As observed in 2018, the year 2019 is all about videos and visuals. To attract customers with their preferences in mind, marketers have to focus on creating videos and appealing visuals, in addition to ephemeral content. Around 78% of online users watch videos every week and over 55% watch every day. By 2020, online videos will contribute up to 80% of consumer traffic. That’s how video continues to take over social media and marks a prominent place in the trends list.
With the unstoppable success of YouTube, it highlights the creation of more videos to go viral in the blink of an eye. Videos are the easiest and most effective way to spread your brand’s message. You can efficiently plan to increase your company’s online recognition by simply appealing your target customers. Once you succeed in capturing their attention and sustaining it for longer, you just have to sit back and let your customers do the work for you.
In regards to social media tactics, brands need to focus on two of the most prominent things in the year 2019. The first thing is “to engage and build relationships with influencers” to invest in a long-term influencer relations campaign and secondly, to “invest exponentially more in a newer content medium.” They must make an effort to pop into the newsfeed of their followers and fans and make the most out of short-lived stories, live streaming, and captivating visuals.
“Brands need to move from a text-first approach to a visual-first mentality when communicating, and similar to how every business became a media company with the advent of social media, they now must transform themselves into a visual magazine if not a television station to continue to be heard by the audience that matters to them.”
— Neal Schaffer – CEO at Maximize Your Social
Augmented Reality
Augmented reality is a lot more than a speculative field, introducing many immersive projects and bringing about huge transformations, particularly in social media trends. AR sets a fire that is and will amuse onlookers with the inclusion of its features on top platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Snapchat.
As tech giants and industry leaders tap into the use of AR by inventing out-of-the-box techniques and devices, it’s high time for you to infuse AR into your social media marketing campaigns. One can easily speculate the fast-paced success of AR as it’s predicted to integrate into almost every other platform.
In recent times, different AR-based advertising surfaced in the industry, initiating improvisations and advancements in social media. From AR-powered content delivery methods to 2D/3D forms of content, it is gradually becoming the face of SMM.
Among the leading platforms, Snapchat is #1 with it’s AR integration, giving users a much more advanced way to entertain and thrive. Furthermore, the AR-based adverts will unravel much bigger outcomes and will motivate viewers.
The Rise of ‘Live Video’
The rise of live video began when Facebook and Instagram incorporated the feature, giving their followers an interesting means to set up interactions. It opens an avenue for marketers to practice promotional activities using compelling live video features. It offers enhanced interactivity among brands and their customers. It acts as a powerful tool to create a connection and strengthen the foundation of marketing campaigns.
Moreover, if you take a look at the bigger picture, the two most important steps involved in conversions–trust and authenticity–cater these videos. The viewers become satisfied and impressed by the quality and level of professionalism. In short, it’s best to go with the flow while innovating along the way. You can make the most out of viral videos if you add a bit of creativity to highlight a distinctive trait.
Moreover, observe the type of videos that are enjoying the limelight. These particular videos offer quality and appeal using excellent production techniques. You do not have to ponder on your hairdo or the sparkle of your dress but on the camera angle, content quality, and production technique.
Generation Z
Generation Z is now entering into their professional careers where they must earn enough to spend on leisure activities. It’s prime time for social media marketers and retailers to target this new generation and to bring out fruitful outcomes for their businesses. Currently, most retailers have adopted SMM to grow their businesses as many ads and compelling posts engage users. Retailers are paying attention to more interactive approaches in enticing their target audience and to indulge them in various interesting activities. As Generation Z was born in the era of rapid technological advancements, it makes them a perfect fit to boost social media marketing performances.
Messenger Apps and Chatbots
The introduction of AI-powered chatbots, integrated into the Facebook Messenger App, is a turning point in social media marketing. The huge success generated via the Messenger app pushes marketers and business owners to make efficient use of it. If you acquire a business page on Facebook and want to run a smooth flow of revenues through it, you can manage the app and let it interact with your followers, offering them quick solutions and effective suggestions.
As per the stats, around 47% of the online customers prefer to buy a product by a chatbot. Moreover, as per the stats, customers use a chatbot more than an instant shopping app to scroll and reach out for their desired product. Chatbots enhance customer experience and let companies roll out huge turnovers. It provides round the clock services and connects with valued customers. Considering the immense advantages of Chatbots, it’s best to pursue business via social media platforms.
User-Generated Content
User-generated content has evolved into a major technique to boost your overall social media performance. The content that unpaid followers and customers create for the brand is called user-generated content. It’s a way to enhance a word-of-mouth approach. The more people talk and share about your brand, genuinely, the better chances are there for you to roll double folds on investment. In addition, you can receive enhanced online visibility and rankings as well.
By means of user-generated content, you can establish a progressive platform and an inspiring foundation for your business. You have to introduce such techniques that customers feel inclined towards sharing their feedbacks via photos or posts. Nowadays, as people are getting a lot smarter, it’s becoming challenging to convince them via mere marketing tactics. You have to win their trust and take command over their attention to bring them closer to your company. Through different polls, contest and free giveaways, marketers are striving to position themselves in the long run.
Moreover, you cannot pitch a product directly to the customer; you have to put in extra creative efforts to build an entire story, to develop the need and urge to grab your product. All of this can be easily achieved via social media platforms. Be a bit more practically connected with your target audience. A strategic approach towards promoting your product/ service can lead you to a prospering level. To give customers a real-life experience of using the product, you can head towards YouTube and use that platform as a powerful tool.
Social CEOs The New Norm
The aloof figure and stereotyping of a CEO working in a corner office is predominantly gone. With the rapid evolution in the technological industry, even CEOs have to step into the social media pool and interact with their followers. Big names like Elon Musk and Steve Jobs shared their business insights, ideas, and opinions over various social media sites, along with keeping a back to back interactive session with their online followers. CEOs have to respond to queries and to take a closer look to strengthen the grounds of their business. They may be engrossed in managing their huge setups but they have to take time out for their social media portals.
LinkedIn Dynamic Ads
The ubiquity of advertisements never changes in the world of social media. According to recent searches, around 66% of B2B marketers prefer paid methods for distributing. More than 80% showed interest in using paid ads to reach out to more potential customers. Just when the paid advertisements continue to breed excellence, LinkedIn Dynamic Ads made headlines with its range of personalized features. You can engage and connect more viewers automatically by customizing ads. It helps to tailor ads to enhance brand awareness and drive traffic. The dynamic ads optimize products and accelerate revenues generation.
By personalizing content, you tend to break the boundaries and acquire the trust of your valued customers, creating an early impact on your overall ad campaign. You can incorporate dynamic ad technique to outshine your rivals in the New Year, amusing customers with highly interactive features.
Social Listening-The Ultimate Power Button
The year 2019 will encourage the norm of listening to target audiences. Quite a few marketers take time out to indulge in conversations, address problems and to learn about the daily issues customers are facing. Since quality services are the cornerstones of businesses, marketers have to pay attention to understand their customers’ needs and compile feedback. In social listening, you can analyze conversations, learn opinions and consider the preferences of users. There will be social tools to fetch buyers’ persona and transform the campaigns in accordance with the interest and likeness of buyers. A targeted approach will be the real essence of each marketing campaign. Brands will socialize to establish connections and to learn about users more precisely.
Wrapping Up
A lot is about to come up in the social media industry. You have to stay up-to-date on the latest updates to drive conversions from campaigns. Stay tuned to headlines and learn about various methods to satisfy the needs of your customers to excel on social platforms. This is the best you can do in such an oversaturated social industry.
