The digital marketing industry is expanding worldwide and is set to grow with its achievement. Some social networks already point the way forward. In this post, we will list some significant trends that we are experiencing this year.
Nine out of ten organizations are present in social networks with a corporate profile; almost 50% have a company blog or micro blog and share multimedia content. These data accumulations show that the actions of social marketing have been fully integrated into the global communication strategies of the companies.
“Marketing through social media is far from being a fad, on the contrary, it has been incorporated as a channel of communication between brands and consumers and not managing it technically can take its toll,” says Claudia Elvir, Digital Marketing Analyst In Digital Boost (by Stratasys)
How is social media marketing evolving over the year?
Although the digital world is undergoing a constant transformation, Digital Boost experts have produced a report with the “10 Golden Rules of Social Media Marketing in 2017”. This article presents some trends that, without being magic formulas, are undoubtedly helping the companies to increase the efficiency of the digital strategy and that is concretized in:
Social Services and Bots
The messaging applications are the current great frontier of interaction between consumers and brands with the arrival of chatbots. In addition to WhatsApp, which has consolidated itself as the leading service platform for SAC 2.0, chatbots (automatic response software) create chats-chatting, managing questions, and answers during an interaction with real people.
The growth of bot-type messaging technologies will also be relevant in social networks throughout rest of the months of the year 2017. Generation millennial is a generation that is already accustomed to social messaging, whether in WhatsApp, Facebook, Messenger or others. Businesses are adopting these technologies to communicate directly with the large audiences that already exist in social networks.
Live Video
The video is imposing in fast and accessible formats. The public consumes very quickly, so they should be direct enough to provide information in a small amount of time, and what is the better way than go live. Video content and its live format is a top priority for the most efficient networks like Facebook and Instagram. here are some of the best video editing tools.
YouTube
A strategy widely used in this channel is one that makes use of influencers. In France, YouTube and L’Oréal have launched BeautyTube, a new online beauty Vlogging school where fashion designers and beauty or fashion promoters are helping brands to make the most of their presence on other social networks where they act.
For the most part, they have been focusing their actions on networks of more targeted professionals (Twitter for example). Secondly, they are taking the viewers of the videos to Instagram or Pinterest, turning images into shopping.
“Shoppable” and Social Business Content
The information flows are changing. In the past, it was simpler, with the brands publishing on channels such as websites and blogs and publishing on social networks. Now, this can be done with some weight and relevance, but there are several channels, each of which requires specific content and an individual approach.
Content marketing is now “shoppable.” It is no longer enough to generate this information but rather enough to reach the audience and invite them to consume it almost gradually. Social networks are also fine-tuned in offering more focused content to generate sales.
Facebook Instant Articles and LinkedIn Pulse are just a few examples of how social media has become an editor in and of itself. Another strong trend is working with dedicated news applications such as the New York Times VR; these new channels completely reshape how you communicate and create content, leading to engagement and real experiences.
Increase in Social Advertising
More and more social networks have been limiting organic reach, so brands are supposed to invest more in this channel to spread their messages. This together with the effectiveness and scope of audiences that are achieved when investing in social networks.
Custom made suits
Consumers are becoming increasingly reluctant to mass advertising, so the development of personalized communications for distinct types of people is a priority. They take into account tastes and needs, but also times and places. These are tailor made suits.
Presence in Instagram
More and more brands are betting on this social network, and more and more consumers are using it as a search tool. In addition to the large number of users that this social network has, it is implementing new features such as Instagram stories, which is converting into a social network of high relevance.
Connection with influencers
The presence of influencers also seems healthy and the production of the authorial content of the brands are favoring their autonomy in their digital channels. This is the high point for the content. The time has come for consolidation.
Although sometimes their projection is momentary, influencers remain a great ally. At this time, its level of influence is so broad that it is comparable to that of excellent figures of journalism, politics, and the artistic world.
Transparency
This more than a trend is a ‘must have’ within any social marketing strategy. Being transparent has ceased to amaze users, and brands have assumed that it is one of the main rules of the game. However, it is clear that there are still no mistakes in this line and if by mistake negligence is committed, you have to know how to manage them.
Customer Support
Providing the right answer, at the right time and through the right channel (as bots can provide) are three of the aspects that most value a consumer. For these demands to be met, brands are more strongly able to anticipate and offer innovative and efficient solutions.
To conclude, the invitation is to restructure your brand with confidence and influence, and to feed it organically with the praise of its customers. The challenge for brands lies in the creation of “electronic empathy ” to connect human beings in a deeper, more intense way.