As Social Media Manager here at Teak, the hardest part of my job is not creating great content, but creating content that will be seen. Because social media is always changing – whether it’s an update to newsfeed algorithms or a piece of viral content that disrupts the status quo – to be effective, you must always be on top of these constant changes and be able to identify upcoming trends before they take off.
As difficult as it may be, tracking new trends and developments in the online realm is a priority for Teak. Here are four social media trends we’re seeing that should make your to-do list this summer:
Social Media Trend #1: Sharing is Caring
Instagram announced last week that it’s currently experimenting with dropping the “like” feature from its platform. For brands and social media marketers everywhere, this is huge! While you as the creator will still be able to see how many users have liked your post, your followers friends won’t – which can disrupt how users find new brands to like and follow on social media.
If Instagram follows through with this new functionality, it’ll really push social media marketers towards measuring impact through shares versus likes – a trend we’ve been seeing for some time now. If you think of the latest content to go viral – Gillette’s “We Believe: The Best Men Can Be” video and Spotify’s #2018Wrapped – it all is centered around getting users to share their content rather than simply “like” or comment on it.
When creating content and campaigns for this summer, be sure to ask yourself whether this is something you would share. What content is worthy of a share? Users share content that is either entertaining, inspiring, or informative. So while you’re latest product feature might not make the cut, a video demonstrating the impact of the product feature on an individual’s life would. WGBH’s Director of Social Media Tory Starr mentioned this as well at this year’s PRSA Boston Social Media Summit: “Shift from producing for the reaction to producing for the share.”
Social Media Trend #2: Stories Take Over
If your Facebook mobile app has been updated recently, you may have noticed that Facebook stories are a bit larger and are at the front and center of your newsfeed. This is no coincidence; social platforms across the board are looking to make use of Instagram’s story model, which has quickly become one of the platform’s most popular features. You’ve likely already seen brands begin to use stories more in their social media strategy. Be prepared for this trend to continue to ramp up across all social networks and start strategizing around how you can leverage the passive, real-time nature of stories in your own work. Also, start taking some vertical photos and videos!
Social Media Trend #3: It’s All About Community
Included in that same update to Facebook’s platform was an emphasis on Facebook groups, which are also now more prominently displayed on your homepage. Ironically one of its oldest features, the renowned promotion of Facebook groups signals a wider shift that’s subtly become a cornerstone aspect of a user’s social media experience over several years: community.
Through the rise of various multi-level marketing (MLM) groups such as ‘It Works!”, “Beach Body”, and “LulaRoe”, as well as through a cult-like following of viral fitness programs such as Kayla Itsine’s Bikini Body Guide, we’ve seen users leverage social media to create their own form of community at an increasing rate. Now, brands are looking to do the same through campaign hashtags, giving their followers a name (like popular Australian Instagrammer Sarah’s Day calling her followers “Sessys” for a unique spin on “sissy” or “sister”) and, yes, private Facebook groups. Sprout Social even called private community groups one of the 2019 trends to watch in their latest Social Index report.
While you don’t need to give your organization’s fans a pet name, consider tactics and strategies you can implement to create greater engagement and loyalty among your followers and your organization.
Social Media Trend #4: The Rise of Employee Influencers
You don’t have to look far to find a great influencer for your organization or company. Sprout Social’s latest report surveying more than 1,000 consumers found that consumers are 45% more likely to research a product or service when employees post about it compared to 32% for celebrities and influencers. Earning brownie points went digital.
Thinking about of ways to incorporate these trends into your social strategy will help ensure you don’t get left behind as new strategies and tools inevitably replace existing best practices.
