Social Media Marketing: Latest Trends and Platform-Specific Strategies

I want to write this article in a very formal tone, but that would only scare your attention away. I need you to understand the importance of social media marketing to your entity and personal brand. A decade ago, no one could visualize the means we use today to communicate. Moreover, each platform has its preferences, which we will pass through in this piece.

What are the latest trends in social media marketing?

We come from a time when you only needed to convert your written content to visual content, which will be termed digital. At times, even putting your content into blogs was becoming digital. Times have changed, and customer needs have also changed. Today, these are the trendy means to survive on social media marketing:

1. Short-form video:?YouTube calls them shorts, Instagram calls them reels, and Twitter (X) prefers short-form video.?
2. Livestream:?Sessions where you turn on your camera and speak to potential listeners. It is more like Television on social media in the hands of individuals.
3. Virtual events:?A group or a creator making a virtual meeting where things like screen sharing and many others are done.
4. Ephemeral content?only lives for a while on our social platforms. That includes statuses on WhatsApp, streaks on Snapchat, and stories on Instagram.
5. Social commerce:?Using social platforms like Instagram and Facebook to sell products. X is also bringing in the concept of commerce to replace traditional websites.
6. Augmented reality: Using digital content in real-world applications to get customer attention. An example is playing tennis in your living room just by wearing a visual element.
7. Community building and niche platforms:?Building a group with individuals with shared interests. Examples are WhatsApp groups, telegram channels, and X communities.

Now that you know how to stay relevant in today's social spaces, we can use platform-specific strategies. The reason is that it is wrong to assume that all of them behave or require similar treatment.

What are the proposed platform-specific strategies?

Let's start by stating that all social platforms have similar goals. That is increased engagement, quality content, and consistency in creation. However, each platform delivers these differently, and it has its own why they do so. Each has invested in years of research and experimentation to better their algorithm at each stage.

Facebook works best with targeted advertising through its robust targeting tools. One can reach niche demographics, behaviors, and interests by building on interaction with your content. Facebook allows community building through groups and pages. The algorithm on Facebook prefers live video sessions to foster engagement and build trust.

On the other hand, Instagram is constructed to push visual content through story-telling. You will do well with high-quality images and short-form video content. The stories are built for ephemeral content like polls, questions, and limited-time offers. To create credibility for your brand, you need to partner with Instagram influencers or micro-influencers.

LinkedIn has always been misconceived as a boring platform with less to offer compared to others. It is a platform for thought leadership to share articles and white papers. Use LinkedIn to build a brand, employee advocacy through personal experiences, and business-to-business marketing. One needs to tailor content to resonate with a professional audience, focusing on industry-specific challenges and solutions.

Lastly, X, formerly Twitter, is a platform for real-time engagement. Twitter enhances engagement by crafting short and impactful messages through visuals, GIFS, and videos. The spaces and chats are an approach to fostering community visibility. It is a platform that rewards active engagement instead of initial audience gathering.