For small businesses, keeping up with social media trends can feel like running on a never-ending information treadmill. Social platforms are constantly adding new features to help users share real content that connects people in meaningful ways and helps users make an impact when building a brand.
Facebook Live
Facebook is still considered the “most credible platform because it acts as your home base,” according to both BrandFire content and strategy director, Casey Hochberg, and BrandFire partner and executive creative director, Bryan Black. Through the advancement of Facebook’s Live feature, individuals are able to share one’s personal side with their audience. For brands to be successful on Facebook, Larsen said the content has to be non-corporate. To keep your audience coming back, Larsen suggests setting up a regular schedule of Live posts to capture momentum.
360-Degree Video
Oren Greenberg, managing director of the digital marketing consultancy Kurve Digital Marketing Consultancy, said that the days of high-budget editing and creating sets to create content are gone. Now that anyone with a smartphone or GoPro can film video it has led to a lower video-quality and editing expectations. Brands that want to appeal to the virtual reality enthusiast can also utilize Facebook 360 and YouTube 360 video and deliver their content through the use of Google Cardboard or Samsung Gear VR headsets. By using a 360-degree photo or video app such as Google Street View for iOS or Android,a user can uploading the content directly to the platform.
Snapchat
Celebrities are jumping aboard Snapchat to give people a sneak peek into their glamorous lives and activities. For the non-famous, Snapchat can be used strategically for self-promotion. Spencer X. Smith, Social Media Consultant and Professor at University of Wisconsin, explained Snapchat in terms of a Millennial’s playground because they have control over what content they see and when they see it – with the additional benefit of having it disappear. Connecting to a Millennial’s sense of curiosity and excitement while providing valuable content could be an effective tool for a brand. The “My Story” feature can be used by individuals to give a behind-the-scenes look at an event, provide expert quick tips or answer questions in quick bursts. One tactic to encourage followers on other platforms to join you on Snapchat is to swap out your profile picture with your Snapchat QR code. With a little bit of quick graphic design, Geofilters can be an effective tool for promoting events, a cause or an individual.
Emojis
Today, there are close to 1,800 standardized Emoji that are available through one’s smartphone vendor (Apple, Google, Microsoft, etc.) and 70+ more were released in June. The number one Emoji as of this post is the face with tears or LOL emoji that has been used on Twitter more than one billion times around the world. These conversational emoticons are becoming such a major part of our daily conversations that brands are beginning to include them in their marketing efforts towards younger generations. However many social media platforms you choose on which to engage with your audience, it’s important to have a go-to personalized website that you can call home base and where people can learn more about you. The experts we consulted agree that wherever you choose to engage your audience, the ability to be real, to show your personality and expertise, to and provide value to one’s audience will be the most sustainable pathway when building your brand. Said Larsen: Graphics courtesy of Facebook & Snapchat.
