Social networks are constantly evolving, all the more so since COVID-19. Their goal is to keep their place among the most popular channels of modern marketing. They are, therefore, far from being static. What worked a few months ago may not give the same results today. Habits change, platforms evolve. New ones are created. With Covid-19, all of these dynamics were accentuated.
All of this influences the way people use and respond to social media marketing. Marketers must, therefore, adapt their strategy to reach their audiences. According to statistics from eMarketer, the number of social media users worldwide exceeded 3 billion in 2020.
80% of internet users are on social networks. These social platforms are an integral part of consumers’ daily lives. To be effective, it is strongly advised that marketers regularly update their social media marketing strategy.
The growing popularity of Instagram stories
Instagram has grown enormously in recent years. It is a network that continues to broaden its horizons and to introduce innovations that are a hit. Stories are a global trend, regardless of age or culture. Over 400 million Instagram users share stories every day.
Story growth occurs both with consumers and businesses. Marketers use this tool to generate leads and generate interest through inbound marketing and influencer marketing. According to Hootsuite’s survey of social trends, 64% of marketers have already started to integrate Instagram stories into their social media content or plan to do so after Covid-19.
But why are stories so popular?
- They offer real-time updates and content.
- They are always up to date since their content is available for 24 hours. No obsolescence.
- They help to create innovative and fun messages.
- They allow sharing the publications of other users. It’s easy to connect to other accounts, other companies. This offers increased visibility for marketers.
With Instagram’s new business features, including “Instagram Insights” and “Stories About You,” you can expect to see more Stories in the future. Instagram Insights is a new analysis tool available for each Instagram commercial account. It provides data on content, subscriber demographics, and engagement. This information allows you to track and measure your Instagram marketing efforts to help you improve constantly.
Stories About You is also a new feature that is only available to Instagram users with a business account or a creator account. With this feature, users are notified whenever they are mentioned in “a Story.” Stories About You strengthen user engagement by making it easier to respond and share Instagram stories that mention your account.
The rise of alternative platforms
Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn are the leading platforms used by B2C brands. LinkedIn is also vital for B2B companies. However, Twitter and Facebook are less and less attractive to young people who prefer other social platforms, including TikTok. TikTok has around 800 million monthly active users worldwide. It has been downloaded over 2 billion times.
Marketers and business leaders whose target audiences are mainly young people should consider TikTok as a winning platform. Since 41% of TikTok users are between 16 and 24 years old.
Another platform that is on the rise: Pinterest. Especially for e-commerce via social networks. Pinterest currently has over 320 million active users. Although this figure is not as high as that of other social networks, it remains substantial, especially when you consider the exceptional sales power of Pinterest.
With 48%, shopping is one of Pinterest users’ main activities, ranking just after viewing photos (57%). It is, therefore, evident that Pinterest can be a marketing power for online stores. Users buy the products they discover on Pinterest organically at a much higher rate than the average social platforms. This is because Pinterest users proactively search for things to buy rather than scroll through a feed reactively.
Using these alternative platforms allows you to get in touch with an audience that may not be on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn. They also offer different ways to share your content.
Additional tools that are worth considering in your social media marketing strategy.
Increased adoption of augmented reality
Augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality are interactive experiences that integrate virtual objects into the real world or imagined. For example, the user can superimpose sounds, videos, or graphics on the world around him. Studies say that by 2022, this market is expected to reach $ 209.2 billion.
This technology is progressively evolving, with an increased application for e-commerce and sales. With an augmented reality headset, it is now possible to visit your next home and choose your parquet. In recent years, social media platforms have found exciting ways to use this technology.
Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok use augmented reality through their filters. Users can have fun. Brands can take advantage of augmented reality to provide a better shopping experience for their customers. For example, Sephora offers a unique shopping experience through its Sephora Virtual Artist application. Just upload a photo of the face to the application to test several makeup products before going to the checkout. The cosmetic brand recently launched this technology on Facebook.
Influencer marketing soars
Influencer marketing is not a new trend, but it will grow even faster in the future. Social networks are now dominated by influencers who promote brands. It is, in fact, sometimes much cheaper to invest in an influencer than to run an advertising campaign. With just as much, see more, good results.
Influencers also help marketers to achieve various goals. Like increasing engagement, lead generation, number of followers, and of course, return on investment.
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