What are your marketing goals for 2022? If social is part of the mix then this is the blog for you!
We’ve pulled together this year’s top trends that are relevant to small businesses to help you start the year with an effective social media strategy that will attract customers, drive revenue and help you stay relevant!
QUALITY NOT QUANTITY
Still reading? The average attention span is shorter than ever – with so much content out there yours need to stand out!
This year it’s all about quality content! Focus on posting content that represents your brand and is relatable to your audience (not just for the sake of it). Go back to your brand values and your core customer to help you craft something that’s truly engaging.
HUMAN TOUCH
There is now a huge emphasis on ‘making a brand human’, with 76% of consumers saying they choose brands they connect with over a competitor (Adroll.com). Be transparent and authentic when creating content to build trust amongst your followers. Consider your tone of voice, how can you get your brand personality across in your content?
Responding to comments quickly is another way to show that there’s real people behind the scenes who care.
You could consider starting an online community to engage your most loyal customers, dedicating time to interact and provide exclusive offers and advice.
SHOPPING SOCIAL
According to Shopify, a huge 84% of consumers are now shopping over the internet. How can you make sure you’re capitalising on this trend?
-
Update your pages with the basics, like operating hours and location
-
Post about your products, offers and discounts
-
Add links and tag in products when you can
-
Add keywords to product descriptions to enhance discoverability
-
Encourage reviews and respond to customer enquiries
Consumers now expect timely and convenient responses or else it could mean waving goodbye to that next sale. By using social media daily you are the one that knows your customer best – use this to your advantage!
Your goal should be to make your online store as close to an IRL (in real life) experience as you can.
ON TREND
Some trends we can predict, but social media trends and current topics change quickly and there’s only one way to stay up to date! Spend more time on socials, watching Tiktoks and reels on Instagram and scrolling through Facebook and Twitter yourself to see what is #trending right now.
The easiest way is to check out the latest trends and topics is to find the top trending hashtags and click through these to see what type of content others are creating. For example #plantbased is a huge trend throughout Veganuary, so as a restaurant posting about your Vegan menu this would be the perfect opportunity to engage in this. But, as a clothing brand this isn’t really relevant…unless you’re selling vegan leather?
Don’t waste your time jumping on every trend, because not every trend will fit your brand.
ENGAGEMENT FEATURES
Social channels offer so many resources to maximise the value of your content and it’s time to start using them. Just always make sure you stay aligned with your brand strategy.
When it comes to engagement features, no one does it quite like Instagram! From interactive story stickers, to emoji reactions – this is one advantage they are going to continue to grow in 2022. The more you utilise these, the more your content will be favoured and exposed to a wider audience. With channels becoming more immersive it’s time to let your personality shine through, because that’s what will make you stand out!
NANO INFLUENCERS
Could this be the year you work with an influencer? We’re not talking about Kim Kardashian (who can charge up to $1million for an Instagram post!!) but genuine nano or micro-influencers that help you to reach your ideal customer. Nano influencers have a following anywhere between 1-5K followers – but again it comes down to quality, not quantity! A good nano influencer has a small but highly engaged audience, they also carry huge credibility!
There are tools online that can help you discover an influencer’s engagement rate, such as phlanx.com, if you’re unsure on how to work it out. Keep in mind that influencers are representative of the brand, so they really need to align with your ethos and values.
REELS / SHORT VIDEOS
Does it feel like your posts aren’t getting seen? Short videos are now key to reaching a wider engaged audience, and creating cool videos has never been easier thanks to Instagram reels and TikTok. Keep in mind that your content should always aim to educate, inspire or add value through information.
Key tips for creating reels:
-
Always add music or a sound feature to your video
-
Use 4-6 relevant hashtags
-
Keep captions short and simple and add a call to action
-
Add text overlay at the start of the video to grab attention
