Written by our Social Media Coordinator, Kelly Cooksey
The only thing constant about social media is that it’s not constant. Social media is a crucial part of every marketing strategy, and it is critical to stay on top of the latest trends so you can connect with your audience in a way that works. In this blog post, we will discuss 5 social media trends on the rise and how to capitalize on them.
Social Commerce
Social commerce is the online overlap of community and shopping. Whether you realize it or not, any time you buy or sell products on a social media platform, you are participating in social commerce. All major social networks have realized that consumers want to have experiences where they are already spending time. Thus, they have invested in social commerce and are making it easier to enable shopping activities on their platforms.
According to research conducted by The Harris Poll, 73% of businesses are already participating in social commerce while 79% expect to be doing so in the next two years. So, if you are planning to launch shops across different social media platforms, a good place to start is looking into how ‘shopper friendly’ your accounts are.
Authenticity
People are craving authenticity now more than ever. With such a large amount of content being published daily, more and more brands are looking to showcase their personality to connect with their consumers. A key element in being successful in this is posting quality, genuine content to give your post a purpose that goes beyond a sale. Simply showcasing your product or service is no longer enough- your content should also reflect your brand’s perspectives and values. Through tools like stories, reels, and lives, companies are showcasing both the polished side of their brand and the behind-the scenes version of their brand.
Short form videos
With the rise of TikTok, short-form video features have become a dominating trend among social networks in 2022. Instagram’s reel feature is receiving twice the number of engagements compared to photos. Twitter even debuted a new video look, shifting their focus to short videos. Additionally, YouTube launched YouTube shorts- which acquires an impressive 15 billion views every single day. This short form of video content gives brands an opportunity to capture their consumers’ interest and hold their attention.
Customer Service through social channels
Social media is the perfect place to communicate and connect. An increasing number of companies are allowing it to serve as a bridge between their brand and their audience through customer service. Brands are now utilizing their accounts to answer questions, offer information, address concerns, and are shifting their focus back to the basics of relationship building and customer service.
TikTok continues to grow
TikTok does not seem to be slowing down any time soon. A whopping 69% of US teens are on the app and 90% of users login daily. The company even claims that 47% of users have “bought something seen on TikTok” and that 67% agreed that the app inspired them to shop even when they weren’t planning on it. That being said, if TikTok is not currently in your social media strategy- it may be time to consider it. The short form videos are an effective way to generate brand awareness and engagement.
Ready to get started? JSK Marketing has the experience required to design social media campaigns that will boost your brand and catapult your company forward. Contact us today to learn more.