Social media is the future of marketing. Most aspects of marketing are moving online, and utilising social media in your marketing campaigns is a guaranteed way to achieve a bigger reach and potentially gain more conversions.
At Blaze, we know a thing or two about social media marketing. Our social Team has taught us that many people have recognised the potential of using social media for marketing, and now most platforms are flooded with brands that don’t know how to get the most out of them.
One way to maximise the benefits of using social media as a marketing tool is to follow trends, which we know is easier said than done, which is why we are happy to impart some of our Blaze wisdom to you.
Why Following Trends Matters
You must keep in mind that every single business in the world is now using social media in some way, so it is very easy to get lost amongst the crowd and fail to reap any benefits from being on social media.
In a world of doom scrolling and the hunt for instant gratification, people aren’t going to stop and look at a random business post if it doesn’t capture their attention. Trends are taking over, and if people stumble across a trend, they will stop to watch the video or read the post.
Something else to consider is that trends are finite and pass quickly, especially in today’s society. So, you have to stay up to date to ensure that you are posting content within the limited window.
Missing trends is unfortunate, but posting a trend long after it has lost relevance is dire.
How to Stay Informed on Trends
If you find it challenging to keep up with trends, you may not know where to start.
Our first tip is to immerse yourself, download the big platforms, and follow accounts related to your business. Platforms develop algorithms, and you must ensure that your algorithm points you towards the right trends.
Interact with the pages you follow. This will ensure that similar content appears in your algorithm and allow you to follow new trends.
The Importance of Having an Online Presence
At Blaze, we know that having an online presence, usually through social media, is incredibly important for our clients’ success.
An online presence allows you to keep up with trends, interact with your consumers, and even post product ads on platforms such as Facebook and Instagram. Believe it or not, many people are leaning towards social media eCommerce, so getting your brand out there is a great way to secure more sales for your business.
Now that you know more about the importance of maintaining a social media presence and utilising trends, we should probably tell you which trends you should get involved in.
So strap in while we provide you with our Blaze insight. We usually charge for our wisdom, so take notes.
Trending Audio
One of the easiest ways to get in on social media trends and improve your marketing strategy is to use trending audio.
If you want to use trending audio while it is still in its prime, we suggest investing some time in TikTok, as that is usually where big audio trends start.
For example, right now, many people are using the ‘In da Clerb’ audio to create viral posts, and many businesses that have published videos relating to their services with that audio have experienced an increase in followers and higher social interaction.
It is always best to jump on a trend when it is being established, so if you happen to notice audio used a few times and you think it would work well for your business, use it for content as soon as you can.
Showcasing Brand Personality
Do you know what everyone is sick of? Yet another corporate brand trying to paint the image of being completely perfect and well put together, people simply don’t buy it anymore.
When someone supports a brand, they don’t want to support a brand that is completely inauthentic; they want to support a brand that they actually believe in and care about.
Along with creating content showcasing your product or service, you should also create content highlighting the personality of everyone involved in the business.
It can be easy to think that your brand’s content must be entirely based on your service or product, but that isn’t the case. Where possible, get people in your team involved in fun trends and put your team’s personality out there.
Promoting your brand as more than just a commodity and highlighting those involved in bringing the business to life is important.
If you’re looking for some inspiration for this in practice, be sure to check out the Blaze Instagram and TikTok accounts, where we accurately showcase the company’s personality (we have a biscuit series, so we know what we’re talking about).
Authentic Content
Following on from the idea that people are looking for a more realistic view of how a business operates, authentic content is proving to be an incredibly popular trend.
A good example of this is publishing any bloopers or mistakes the brand may have made, as this reminds consumers that there are real, authentic people behind the brand.
It can be easy to get caught up in the idea of making everything into this big production, but sometimes, that isn’t what people want to see.
A big mistake that a lot of businesses are making right now is leaning too far into generative AI content, which lacks a human touch and is easily distinguished by social media users.
Next time you plan content for your business, try putting less time into planning and see what content you can create out of spontaneity- you will be surprised at the reception it receives.
Short Form Content
Attention spans are getting shorter with every new streaming app that gains popularity, so you probably aren’t surprised to learn that you have a brief window of time to capture a consumer’s attention before they scroll to the next post.
With the growth of platforms like TikTok, Instagram Reels and Youtube Shorts, consumers are developing a preference for short form content.
Generating short-form content is a trend that you need to familiarise yourself with, as it could be the difference between someone scrolling on or watching your content.
If you create short-form content, ensure the first few seconds are energetic enough to draw people in. You should also establish the purpose of your content as soon as possible, as people can get annoyed if they watch content that is irrelevant to them.
The last thing you want is a herd of angry trolls commenting on your videos, so be sure to avoid any confusion early in the content.
User Generated Content
You have to see your consumer’s point of view. Your business is the main way you make an income, so of course, you will do everything you can to promote and sell your product. People don’t tend to trust the company itself, so it is suggested that you showcase user-generated content.
This is a big trend right now, especially as the world is becoming more disillusioned with corporations and businesses. People want to hear from real people who have actually used the product, so make sure that you get as much user-generated content as possible.
A big current trend is promoting video customer reviews or collaborating with influencers to increase brand awareness.
Though it can be tempting, don’t attempt to orchestrate these reviews too heavily, as consumers will notice if your customer reviews seem too perfect. Allowing your business to be criticised publicly and taking this criticism onboard can make a huge difference in how people perceive your business.
It’s ok to disagree with your clients and have a bit of back and forth, but ensure to always remain professional. Remember- you’re representing your entire company.
Zero-click Content
Again, we live in a busy world full of busy people. Single-page applications are growing in popularity for one reason and one reason alone: people don’t want to search for information.
If you are creating content, quickly establish what you would like to gain from it. Do you want more sales? Do you want to spread awareness of a new product? Figure that out as soon as you can.
Once you have established the purpose of your content, you should ensure that all of the necessary information is present immediately within the content and does not require further clicks to understand.
Think of it from a user’s perspective: Do you find it annoying when you have to search for details concerning a product or service? Absolutely.
Zero-click content is currently viral, and as it continues to grow in popularity and be used more frequently, people will begin to notice if your content isn’t as accessible.
Nostalgia Marketing
A good marketing campaign is 90% skill and 10% manipulation. Manipulation probably isn’t the right word, but we got your attention, didn’t we?
You may have noticed nostalgia marketing circling social media right now. If you have never heard of nostalgia marketing, it is essentially the art of associating your brand with a consumer’s memories to form an emotional bond.
A great example of this is Spotify’s release of an ad based on A Never-Ending Story, which included the original actor from the film. The film held a significant place in many people’s hearts, so people shared the ad and paid a lot of attention to Spotify.
Now, you may not necessarily have the same ad spends as Spotify, but there is no reason why you can’t use this marketing trend to appeal to your consumers’ emotional side.
Threads Mobile Analytics
If you haven’t already used Threads, this is your sign to start. Using Threads as a marketing tool is rapidly growing in popularity, as it provides an opportunity to foster a community among your consumers and allows you to gain cross-platform exposure.
Recently, Threads added mobile analytics, making it an even greater marketing tool. You can now assess the activity of mobile followers and see how your ads and posts are being received.
With X (Twitter) continuing to lose followers, we predict that Threads is on course to take its place as a popular social media platform.
Get Your Marketing Strategy Right With Blaze
You should have a clearer vision of where to head with your next marketing campaign, but that does not diminish the value of working with an experienced marketing firm.
At Blaze, we have managed countless successful campaigns, and we know a little something about reaching the right audience and gaining leads, as you can see from the results of our previous clients.
If you want to see the same results for your business, contact our team, and we can work together to plan your next steps.