5 Ways Social Media Has Changed for Businesses
Back in the 1960s, during the age of ad agencies like in the TV show Mad Men, we saw marketing directed to the masses. But alas, mass marketing is becoming a thing of the past, as personalization is the key to the future. This comes with the rise of social media.
Social media became wildly popular around 2004 with the launch of Facebook, and the platform changed everything about content consumption. Social media has evolved from connection with family and friends in the early 2010s to now connecting with family, friends, acquaintances, dates, advertisers, anonymous strangers, celebrities, and brands as large as The Walt Disney Company.
Now, it has become commonplace for businesses and brands, both large and small, to have a presence on social media. Many potential customers look up a business on Facebook or Instagram before they even head to Google. There is a certain draw that social media now has for businesses, with a large one being the ability to connect with your customers, loyal fans, and reach potential new ones.
Even from the start, things have changed, so it is important to keep up. Here are 5 ways social media has changed for businesses:
1. Rapid changes in trends keep us on our toes.
Our society and the events in it change every single day, keeping social media managers on the lookout for changes in their content planning. Take the COVID-19 pandemic for example: did your March 2020 social media schedule revolve around a huge industry conference you were promoting for your company? Obviously, that was thrown out the window.
Planning social media content too far ahead can just result in lost time, so social media managers need to work quicker and adapt swiftly to current events and trends. It is also important to watch social media trends as they come in to know what consumers are connecting with across the board. It could be a trending hashtag, internet challenge, or meme that would be great to pick up on if it is appropriate to your brand.
2. There are so many platforms to keep track of, and they keep on coming.
Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter are the main players when it comes to social media management, and it is assumed that most large or national brands are on “The Big 3”. However, there are a few platforms that companies can leverage, such as LinkedIn, Snapchat, Pinterest, Reddit, and others that may have untapped potential. Even on Facebook or Instagram, elements like Stories, IGTV, Watch Parties, and more did not exist until the past few years.
“What the heck is TikTok? Is this just a fad that will go away eventually?” Newsflash: if your brand is on social media, you need to know about it. A lot of companies assume they wouldn’t fit on it, so they are not planning to explore it for their brand. Due to this hesitation, there was a low barrier to entry in terms of organic content creation on the app. Many businesses, especially those with a young audience, have a great opportunity there and have begun to take advantage of it. Even if TikTok does fade away in the next few years, it is important to understand new platforms and see how your company or client can reach their audience.
3. Influencers have changed the game.
Who knew, even a handful of years ago, that being an “Online Influencer” would be an actual job description, or that “Mommy Bloggers” are some of the most influential people online? Influencer marketing has swept the world, and social media managers are working with these paid partners now more than ever.
However, it is not enough to secure a paid influencer with the most followers. It is more important to partner with an influencer that creates authentic relationships with their audience. If an influencer truly has their followers’ trust, it can be invaluable to a brand. However, if a brand happens to partner with an inauthentic or “fake influencer” it could be detrimental to their reputation; trends are showing that brands are putting influencers under a microscope. It is important to choose wisely and prioritize quality over quantity.
4. Posts have to be extra creative to really stop someone’s scroll.
How many posts do you scroll by in one day, and how many of them actually stop your scroll? This is something that social media managers have to think about when creating every single post. Are the graphics eye-catching? Is the copy meaningful? What will prompt people to swipe through the carousel post or push play on this video?
Everyone’s feed is cluttered with things like sales and promotions, way too many photos of their high school friend’s new baby, engagement announcements, and their grandma sharing the newest funny cat video. With the rise of Facebook advertising, social media feeds have become more diluted with content. With so much at their disposal, a consumer is more likely to engage if a brand stops their scroll and intrigues them immediately.
5. The priority has shifted from sales to brand building and relationships.
Especially in terms of trends these past few years, brands are now reevaluating the metrics that matter the most, with the focus being on long-term brand building. In the past, a major brand like Target would primarily post sales and promotional content to get people in their doors. Now, they have a much different strategy; they engage with their consumers and truly let them bond with the brand itself.
Those who coordinate social media for a business need to fully dissect the difference between branding and marketing, and how they are different in their motivation. Social media managers now have to cultivate a brand, so that consumers trust them and are willing to disseminate any promotional material. Get them in the door, and make them want to stay.
Looking for a creative and fresh social media strategy that will set your business up for success in the long run? We can help with that!
Juxt Marketing is a marketing firm based in Atlanta, Georgia that can serve as your outsourced marketing partner from wherever you are. We can put our 20 years of experience in brand strategy, identity, graphic design, web development, and digital marketing to work for you. Get in touch with Juxt Marketing to let us take that off your plate.