By Tate Foxell, Jennie Holland PR
Social media is constantly changing and evolving, and it can be challenging to stay up to date on the latest trends and insights. Whether you’re an individual user or a business owner, it’s crucial to understand the latest developments in social media to effectively leverage its power.
Here are some of the most significant social media insights to keep in mind:
- Video content is key
In today’s digital age, video content has become increasingly popular on social media, with platforms like TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube leading the way. It has emerged as a powerful tool for businesses to grab the attention of viewers and engage them in a way that text or images alone cannot.
By incorporating this into your social media strategy, your business can showcase their products and services in a more dynamic and interactive manner, with the added bonus of the algorithm favouring video content.
Video content can also be used to share valuable insights and expertise, helping business establish themselves as thought leaders in their respective industries.
- It’s all about UGC
User-generated content is content that is created and shared by users of a particular brand or product. UCG can help provide a more authentic and relatable perspective on a brand or product.
By encouraging customers to share their experiences and opinions through posts, comments, and reviews, businesses can tap into the power of social proof and create a sense of community around their brand.
Sharing user-generated content showcases the authenticity and diversity of a brands customer base, while also building trust and credibility with potential customers.
Not to mention, UGC can provide valuable insights into customer preferences and behaviours, helping businesses improve their products and services based on customer feedback.
- Ecommerce on social media
While social media has always been a place for users to encounter promotions, it has now evolved into a marketplace where users can make direct purchases.
With this shift, businesses have a unique opportunity to promote and sell their products or services in the same place, turning their social accounts into lucrative sales channels. Within just a matter of clicks, brands can make sales through a seamless and convenient purchasing process.
Platforms like Instagram shop and TikTok shop have all grown in popularity over the past year, encouraging more brands to try out this new avenue of selling.
Yet it’s important to note, this change also means that social media users are now being exposed to more commercial content, so it is vital that your brand stands out in this competitive environment.
- Algorithms
Algorithms determine what content a user sees on their feed. However, these algorithms are constantly evolving, so simply posting content is not enough to guarantee success- it is vital to understand the algorithm to achieve optimum engagement.
For example, Facebook’s algorithm now prioritises content from family and friends over business or promotional content, whilst Instagram prioritises content based on engagement rate, and TikTok’s is primarily based on the users’ interests.
We’ve put together a few ways brands can take advantage of the algorithm:
- Consistency
The more frequently a brand posts, the more likely its content will be pushed out to its users.
- Hashtags
Relevant and trending hashtags are an easy way to increase the reach of your content, making your posts far more discoverable.
- Engaging with your audience
By actively engaging with your audience through comments, direct messages and other forms of interaction, businesses can signal to the algorithms that’s their content is engaging and generating discussion.
So, whether is creating high-quality video content, encouraging UGC, or leveraging e-commerce features, social media presents endless opportunities for growth and success of your business.
For advice on how to grow your company social channels, get in touch with one of our team!