In 2016 we want to bring your knowledge right up to scratch with some key trends and tactics or definitions that will change the way you perform social media marketing.
We're going to get straight to the point and give you those "must know" terms and then explain what activities you should be engaging in to improve your social marketing...
Your Social Media Dictionary
H2H Marketing
This isn't a new term for marketers but is only really coming to the forefront with social marketing and is a term to explain how inbound marketing should focus on human relationships.
Don't focus your marketing as if it is B2B, but "Human to Human", particularly with efforts revolving around building relationships and increasing transactions. It can help to:
- Increase searches
- Reach higher customer satisfaction
- Engagement
Real Time Engagement
The art of not just being "seemingly present" on social media, but actually being there at the keyboard ready to respond to situations and answer queries.
In B2C strategies, 'Real Time Engagement' is going to become more of a standard, than an "extra" offering, after all:
"24% of customers expect brands to respond on social media within 30 minutes." [Source: Convince and Convert]
Digital Marketing
This refers to the practice of producing content marketing to grow through cross-channel strategies, rather than individual means. Digital marketing is commonly being used to acknowledge the growing popularity of content marketing across multiple arenas i.e. social media, blogging etc.
Trendjacking
You might not have heard of the term "trendjacking" but you will most likely have seen it in action.
Trendjacking refers to the tactic of hopping on a current major social trend, using the current buzz to get some hype around your own brand or content. This kind of viral marketing is only expected to rise as more and more large organisations get Twitter-savvy in 2016.
Key Trends That You'll Love In 2016
1. Live Video Streaming
Periscope and the alike are becoming huge in 2016, although they might not be suitable for your business' marketing strategy they are something to become aware of. Similarly, Twitter and Facebook have both adapted their approaches to video allowing for automatic video playing in News Feeds and Twitter Streams to suit.
2. "Actual" Real-Time Engagement
As previously mentioned, as a marketer or business its important to be physically present on social media platforms and not just "seemingly" so. Although scheduled content is all well and good, people are looking for responsive businesses and effective customer service. We're afraid it's no longer well and good being in a Twitter hour, if you won't actually be there to answer and engage!
3. Mobile over Desktop
We're all glued to our phones and that is only going to increase! Whatever your online activity is think of it from a mobile user's perspective over a desktop user's. This is particularly important for graphic and website designers and developers who now have to think mobile over desktop, in site of the fact these people typically work from desktop devices first and foremost.
"As of January 2015, 80% of Internet users own a smart phone. An estimated 2 billion consumers worldwide are expected to own a smart phone by 2016." [Source: Smart Insights and Emarketer]
If you're looking for help or guidance with your company's social media strategy then Thrive is a great place to start!
Ask about our social media management and strategy services by getting in touch via one of the many ways - or simply tweet with us at @ThriveHQ - we'd love to hear from you!
