In the already fast-paced field of digital marketing, social media marketing is often the most turbulent Social Media Industry is Changing Overnight changes happen quickly, making it easy to fall behind when managing multiple social networks for your brand.
With social users growing to 4.7 billion (with 227 million new users over the last year), failing to adapt to the latest social media trends means missing out on a significant audience. Here are some of Fifth & Cor’s best tips to help you keep up with the changes.
Stay Informed on Social Media Updates
The most authoritative source on the latest social media changes will be the channels themselves. Often, you can find significant updates on individual networks. You can easily track changes on their brand accounts or email newsletters, from new features to algorithm updates.
Instagram features announcements on its product blog and business blog, while TikTok shares updates through the TikTok Newsroom and a Creators Newsletter. LinkedIn’s Pressroom provides the latest news on the business-focused platform, while Pinterest’s Newsroom does the same for the inspirational, visual network. Staying informed through these direct sources ensures you have the most vivid details on social media changes as they are announced.
Collaborate with Influencers and Content Creators
For many influencers and content creators, social media channels are their primary source of business and income. Keeping up with changes and social media trends is part of their job. On top of that, you need to create engaging content, which is the difference between success and failure. Influencers are experts in the latest updates in their primary channels out of necessity. And because of this, it makes influencers a beneficial resource for your brand.
These content creators have a strong base of followers. And these followers can help you grow your brand audience. You’ll also get to know the types of content most effective right now due to recent social media changes. For example, SproutSocial’s Ultimate Guide to Influencer Marketing is a great place to start when developing or building your influencer strategy.
Partner with a Marketing Team
Like content creators, marketing companies must stay on top of new features and social media trends affecting the top channels. The good news is that you can benefit from using your marketing team’s digital marketing and social knowledge. Either by providing guidance or recommendations on content formats, trending topics, and even new channels. Armed with this information, you’ll be better prepared to create an informed strategy supported by these trends and updates. You’ll also be free to dedicate more of your time to crafting compelling posts and social ads, along with all the other aspects of digital marketing.
Follow Social Media Experts on Social Channels
There is another resource you shouldn’t miss — social media experts. They can give you updated news and recommendations on social media trends and strategies, which is a must-know for marketing.
These industry leaders regularly notice social media changes before they are officially announced. So, building a platform based on their social knowledge is essential for your brand. You can find these experts across channels, such as LinkedIn, Instagram, and even TikTok.
Although, of course, Twitter is still the most up-to-the-minute source of social news and trends.
For more well-rounded social media updates and tips, Kim Garst Pam Moore, Michael Stelzner, and Dan Zarella should be at the top of your follow list. In addition, Viveka von Rosen shares LinkedIn expertise, and Mari Smith is a Facebook thought leader, among many other social experts you can learn from on Twitter.
Keep Track of Social Media Trends
Love or hate them; trends are an inherent part of social media. On top of that, they are also an integral factor in your success on these channels. These trends include everything.
You can see them in the latest audio and challenges on TikTok and Instagram, to popular meme formats shared on Twitter and LinkedIn. In addition, trends can include size and type of images, length of video content, rising hashtags, and other technical factors.
Most social channels make it easy to see the most popular content and topics in real-time. For example, Twitter’s Explore feature highlights trending themes, which can be further refined by creating your own Twitter lists.
Instagram and Tiktok also have similar “Explore” channels built into the apps. By using this feature, you can instantly see the top content and apply trends to your strategy.
Make the Most of Multiple Platforms
Not limiting yourself to one platform is good advice for marketing in general. However, it is primarily the key to a successful social media strategy. Eventually, you’ll likely find one channel that best fits your brand and audience.
While it makes sense to prioritize that channel to some extent, you will miss out on entire audience segments if you don’t take advantage of other social media platforms.
Staying organized is essential to managing multiple social channels. Even more so if you want to avoid posting the same content on every site. Every post should be adapted to fit the channel and your target audience best, even if the posts have the same focus.
Social media management tools can help you keep this element of digital marketing organized while keeping the content fresh and effective in each place you share it with.
Keep an Eye on Your Competitors
Competitors are a more unexpected resource for keeping up with the myriad of social media changes. By following your top rivals on each channel, you can see the types of content they are posting, how they are adopting social media trends, and what posts serve them best.
You can then apply the best of this information to your marketing strategy, building on those successes.
Watch for the Next Relevant Social Media Channel
Trends and updates affect social media and the function and features of the individual channels. New platforms appear regularly, catering to specific content formats, industries, or niches.
For your digital marketing strategy, it’s essential to look for new channels that may be a good fit for your business, then research them to see if they are relevant and suit your goals.
Social media marketing is a challenging field within digital marketing, further complicated by constant changes, new features, and new channels. If your business is looking for help to optimize your social strategy, reach out to Fifth and Cor.