If you want to be successful in marketing through social media, you have to stay up to date with current trends. Consumers are constantly using social media to gather information and connect with others. As a result, many marketers are flocking to these platforms. However, there is a lot of content on these platforms and the competition is extremely high. Staying updated on the latest social media trends can help you fuel your marketing strategy and make yourself stand out in the crowd.
User-generated content
A growing number of brands are utilizing user-generated content (UGC) on social media to improve social engagement, drive awareness, and increase conversions. It’s also a great way for brands to expand their reach and cost-effectively grow their businesses. For example, video equipment company GoPro relies on user-filmed videos to grow its YouTube channel. Its top three videos have received more than 400 million views.
Many consumers are interested in personalizing their experience and purchasing decisions. Because of this, companies offering product customization should implement a filter to prevent profanity or brand-damaging content from appearing on customized products. On average, brands sharing user-generated content see a 20% to 25% increase in new visitors. Moreover, original user-generated content can help brand recognition and increase search engine rankings.
In fact, users prefer UGC over branded content. One of the best examples of UGC is Starbucks’ popular #RedCupContest, which encourages customers to purchase holiday cups and post pictures of them using the company’s Instagram account. It’s important for brands to be deliberate and intentional with their UGC strategy to ensure that it’s effective.
User-generated content on social media reflects authentic experiences of customers and increases brand credibility. In addition, 60 million images are posted every day on Instagram, proving that it’s a highly effective marketing strategy. Unlike traditional advertising methods, UGC offers an immediate and scalable way to engage your audience. It also offers social listening opportunities and a seamless conversation between brands and consumers.
Social media has become a hub for digital content creators. These creators use social media to share short-form videos and live streams. For example, TikTok became a global sensation in 2020. A COVID-19 outbreak led to the emergence of the mobile app TikTok, a short-form video creation app.
Influencer marketing
One of the most popular ways to reach a large audience is through influencer marketing. Social media influencers can reach a large audience by providing a unique perspective on a brand. Using this platform can make your brand stand out from competitors, increase brand awareness and drive traffic to your website or business.
A brand can leverage its own employees as influencers. Their knowledge and experience of the brand can influence their followers to buy it. This strategy will also give the brand more control over the content produced by its employees. If the employees are passionate about the brand, they can become its face in social media.
Social media influencers are increasingly working with brands on a long-term basis. By investing in long-term partnerships, brands can build trust with their followers and increase sales. According to Forbes, over 86% of companies now use user-generated content (UGC) to promote their brand. Because it has a higher trust factor than branded content, UGC helps build the credibility of a product.
Influencer marketing has grown into a big industry, and it will continue to grow. Each year, new social media channels, content types and ways to reach customers are emerging. The best influencers stay ahead of these trends and provide the tools that brands need to grow their business. In addition, the use of influencers allows brands to connect with new customers and build brand loyalty.
With the addition of shopping features, Instagram is becoming a more useful tool for brands. Instagram recently announced that 1 in 4 Gen Z users expect to shop on their social feeds. It has been predicted that by 2025, social commerce will be a $80 billion industry. And while it’s only a few years away, there’s a good chance that Instagram will be a big player in the space.
Instagram has been experimenting with new formats, including stories. The feed algorithm recently changed and more users are sharing new content in Stories. IGTV teasers have also been showing up in the feed to lead viewers to the main channel. Lastly, Instagram stories are now being featured in the Explore grid. These changes are all part of Instagram’s efforts to enhance content accessibility and personalization.
Instagram is also experimenting with a native affiliate marketing feature that lets content creators discover new products and earn commissions. When people view these posts, they’ll see the words “eligible for commission” at the top, making it clear that the purchases made will go directly to the creator. This new feature has been an exciting development for brands that want to get their products in front of customers.
In terms of users, Instagram is one of the top social media platforms for young people. Facebook may be the more popular platform, but Instagram has a unique opportunity to reach this demographic. Approximately 34% of its users are under 35 years old and another 31% are under 24 years old. Canadians are particularly fond of Instagram. Despite its relatively small size, gender and education have been relatively equal.
Another new feature on Instagram is Instagram live. With a live video capability, users can instantly share the experience of a live video with anyone. People are increasingly using Instagram to share experiences with friends and family.
Snapchat
Snapchat social media trends include new features and design for the platform. The platform also adds stickers and text messages and is considering adding live video features. The company has not said when these changes will be made public, but it is trying to make its messaging experience more exciting and competitive with its rivals. In addition, Snapchat is also experimenting with different ephemeral content, including stickers and audio messages.
Snapchat’s user base is mostly made up of younger users. Brands can use this data to understand the purchasing habits of this group and tap into eCommerce. The company has also found that Snapchat users influence each other when it comes to buying items. The platform can also help brands tap into this lucrative market. This trend is expected to continue for a while.
As with Pinterest and Google Trends, the new Snapchat trends feature lets you see which topics are trending on the platform. Once you click on a trend, you can see how many people are talking about it. Some recent trends include the Saweetie Meal, regional county fairs, and fantasy football drafts.
Other Snapchat social media trends include increased use of the platform for political campaigns. In the US, for example, Snapchat’s election coverage reached nearly 30 million people, with a majority of users being 24 years old or younger. The company is also working towards giving more visibility to politicians on the platform. Top candidates have even created their own Snapchat pages.
As Snapchat continues to improve its ad products, the company is increasing its revenue per user. This allows it to spend more on marketing and R&D. While it may never reach 30%, it is certainly close to being profitable.
Pinterest is becoming increasingly popular with the younger generation. The number of users under 25 is growing at twice the rate of those over 25, and the site is now being used by 80% of US Millenial women. It’s also becoming a social shopping site for those looking for unique ideas or products. It generates millions of dollars in revenue annually, and it’s now the fourth most popular social network in the US.
Pinterest is an image-based social networking site that allows users to save products and images that they like. With a huge user base and high conversion rates, the site is a popular selling platform for ecommerce businesses. In fact, ninety percent of Pinterest users have bought a product because they saw it on the site. These statistics are a great sign for ecommerce businesses.
Pinterest users are diverse, with 14 percent male and 38% aged between 30-64. They also come from a variety of backgrounds. Half of the users are from outside of the US, and the site is growing rapidly in other countries. Germany is the second largest market for Pinterest users. Pinterest users are predominantly from urban areas, with approximately 30% living in suburban areas.
Although Pinterest was initially a female-centric site, it is now popular with men as well. It is a social media platform that allows users to browse and pin beautiful items that they find inspiring. It has both a web and application version, with 85% of its users coming from mobile devices. Moreover, Pinterest has a gender split that is quite unusual among social media platforms. Women are 1.5 times more likely to use Pinterest than men.
In the past five years, Pinterest has grown from its humble beginnings to a social media platform with 150 million monthly active users. Many people still have a love/hate relationship with social media, believing that it can erode their sense of positivity.
