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Four Social Media Game-Changers to be on the Lookout For

Posted By Guest Blogger 16th of March 2016 Social Media 0 Comments

Four Social Media Trends to Look out For

This is a guest contribution from Raeleen Hooper.

Once upon a time, people feared public speaking above all things – even death. But it seems we have a new contender.

According to a survey of 1000 people by UK internet security firm SecurEnvoy, two-thirds of people are afflicted by “nomophobia” – the mortal fear of having no mobile phone.

This dependency on mobile technology is largely driven by our addiction to social media networking, underpinning the single biggest trend affecting marketers in the coming year.

The mobile social space offers rich pickings for small business owners as it represents a huge opportunity to stand out from your competition in a playing field where budgets are tight and expertise may be limited.

Here are four key trends that your blog or business should consider using to gain a competitive edge:

1. Mobilise 

The trend: Internet access via mobile has overtaken PCs. According to research by Neilsen, US adults spent on average 34 hours per month using mobile internet on smartphones compared with 27 hours on the PC. This supports Australian figures, with the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) finding that one in five Australians now access the internet only via smartphone.

For example, Australian print, design and website franchise network, Snap Franchising Ltd, has a desktop heavy audience with main traffic coming from the business to business environment, however it still receives approximately 30% of its traffic from mobile devices.

Top tool

  • Facebook lead ads create a seamless experience across mobile devices by enabling customers to sign up to lists without leaving the platform. For example, a retail store can use lead ads to find people who want to receive emails about their latest offers and products. This feature also lets you customise call to action buttons and data such as location, age, gender and phone number, taken directly from the users Facebook profile and auto-filled to the form. 

2. Get Appy 

The trend: Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn continue to be the most influential social media apps, and audiences will be corralled onto these platforms via mobile apps in a way that doesn’t happen in the more free-range PC environment.

Top tools

  • Facebook’s accurate targeting lets you advertise to a highly defined audience of only people who are likely to be interested in your product. When the right people see the right message at the right time, the advertising tends to be more effective. This has the potential to increase RIO on advertising as well.
  • LinkedIn allows you to become your own publisher and share thought leadership pieces in the B2B space.
  • Twitter is now in the video space. The promoted video function allows you to effectively reach targeted and engaged users. It is easy for a business to upload and distribute video on Twitter, and measure the reach and effectiveness of their content.

Within businesses such as Snap franchising, there are certain rules and boundaries that need to be adhered to. For example, a franchise owner is not able to advertise outside of their franchise areas. Therefore social media has enabled Snap franchise owners to specifically target their franchising area online, which is something that has been hard to do in the past.

3. Stalk like a tiger 

The trend: Marketers will have more capacity than ever to stalk and re-stalk until users who are most likely to convert in a subsequent session.

Top tool

  • Google Analytics has released Smart Lists, which identifies the people visiting your website who are most likely to buy from you. The tool allows you to conduct sharply targeted remarketing, for example, a small business can use Smart Lists to create unique email marketing lists based on the customer stage of engagement or behaviour patterns. This is also a useful tool if you are new to using remarketing, as it is a process that is often mismanaged or misunderstood. Additionally, unlike static lists, which require constant updating, smart lists continuously refresh based on your business activity. 

4. Give it to me, baby!

The trend: In the age of Snapchat and Periscope, when audiences can gain instant access to deeply personal micro-moments in the lives of others, people are becoming more voyeuristic than ever – and they want instant gratification like never before. You’ll need to create content on your existing platforms that satisfies this need.

As a small business owner, time is your enemy. Don’t spread yourself too thin by trying to open pages on every new platform just to get into the instant broadcasting game.  Take advantage of new features available on your existing platforms to make more effective use of them. For example, Facebook has just made its livestreaming feature available to all verified users, allowing you to connect with your followers in real time.

Top tool

  • According to comScore, 64 percent of consumers are more likely to purchase a product after watching a video. So now is the time to make a video and start connecting with your audience. There are oodles of apps you can use to do a quick trim or add titles and music. Try VidTrim or Magisto for free, or grab a paid option like Cinefy.

Campaign ideas

One of the biggest developments is the cry for authenticity. People are weary of slick slogans and over-Photoshopped images. They want you to make an effort to understand their frustrations, add value to their lives and provide them with worthwhile solutions.

Social media marketing is the perfect platform for this style of marketing, so the number one thing you can do to cut through the noise is add value.

Give your clients information that genuinely helps them with issues they are dealing with in their lives. Then, when you have built goodwill, you will be in a position to provide a solution to those issues that revolves around your product or service (delivered with a compelling offer).

Slideshare is one of the most shared and engaging mediums for Snap and offers the audience solutions in quick and easily digestible format such as tips, hints and top lists. It aids in amplification as people are open to receiving bite sized chunks of information and remains one of Snap’s most shared and engaged medium of content. With its association with LinkedIn, it makes B2B marketing a little easier when it comes to capturing the attention of small business owners.

With engaging with customers becoming increasingly important, how do you plan to use social media?

Raeleen Hooper is the General Manager of Snap Franchise Services.

About Guest Blogger
This post was written by a guest contributor. Please see their details in the post above.
Comments
  1. Hi Raeleen,

    I like sticking to existing platforms. For years I spread myself thin. Being a jerk of all trades ;) And master of none. Like trying to really know my stuff on twitter and FB and G Plus and LI. I have accounts on each and have a presence too but focus heavily on twitter and follow with light FB and G Plus work. Social works if you play on a few social networks of your choice. Super tips!

    • Hi Ryan,
      Thanks for your comment. I am glad that you found my article useful! Yes, over doing it can sometimes do more harm than good. I always suggest really knuckling down and learning the ins and outs of one or two platforms rather than vaguely knowing about four or five. This will help you in the long run to better connect and engage with customers. Thanks again Ryan, Raeleen.

  2. larisa says: 03/16/2016 at 6:15 am

    You share interesting information, but you have to take into account that not all small business owners sites support mobile devices, with Google using your algorithm will lower such sites in the issue, I think businessmen will be useful for your article, and they will do their sites for mobile devices. I also think the popularity of social networking is not just growing at a rapid pace and soon many businesses will be only on social networks. Your article very interesting thank you http://angrygif.com/

  3. i read your blog..and i get the best knowledge about social media game changers tool ..now this information will definitely help me..

    • Hi Taylor,
      Thank you for taking the time to read and comment. I hope that you can use these tips to help your social media strategy. Thanks again, Raeleen.

  4. Very informative post. The percentage of internet users via mobile phones have been increasing day by day. Even traffic of our blog via mobile phones have increased a lot as compared to last years.

    • Hi Lakhyajyoti,
      Thanks for taking the time to read and comment! I am glad that you found my article interesting. I hope that you can apply these tips to better connect and engage with customers online. Thanks again, Raeleen.

  5. Hi Raeleen,

    Nice share. These days, especially, with new search engine algorithms valuing social signals, engaging on social media sites is increasingly becoming an important marketing activity.

    Number three, has never been a favorite strategy for me…, but all the rest make sense.

    Also I agree with the advice of not spreading yourself too thin by joining every new network and platform. You can use the new tools in your existing accounts instead.

    It’s a good thing that the old platforms are aware of the trends, and are adding new tools for us marketers, to save us time we would spend joining each social platform..

    Thanks!

    • Hi Mickiyas B,
      I’m glad you found my article useful! Yes, as search engine algorithms start placing more value on social signals it’s now more evident than ever to invest in quality content, as it will improve time on site and it also promotes social sharing. Thanks, Raeleen.

  6. Adaire says: 03/23/2016 at 10:00 am

    Exellent tips, with thanks. I am particularly interested in the authenticity of marketers as a new trend. I am constantly amazed at how many people in my niche’ area (Babyboomers as new biz owners – using Facebook as a medium) like to ‘hide’ behind a logo or slogan and wonder why they are not generating more business from their social media efforts. I love helping people see new ways of doing things and your blog here has extra oomph to help me do just that!

    • Hi Adaire,
      Thanks for taking the time to read and comment! Yes, before the internet, I guess brands controlled their content. Now, this has changed completely – it’s now a two-way conversation. Everyday a brand should be trying to connect with audiences on a personal level and that’s where social media comes in. Thanks again, Raeleen.

  7. Hey there are using WordPress for your blog platform? I’m new to the blog world but I’m trying to get started and set up my own. Do you need any coding expertise to make your own blog? Any help would be greatly appreciated!

  8. Cassie McBlane says: 05/30/2017 at 2:10 pm

    Great post. It’s interesting the rising platforms that seem to be popping up and then disappearing. What ever happened to Ello?

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