There is no doubt about how popular social media has grown among various generations, since its introduction. However, it saw an unbelievable boost in quality and consumption during the pandemic in 2020, when an average of 2 hours 24 minutes were spent per day on social media. To keep up with this evolving interest among people, social media platforms continued to introduce new features that kept the audience happy and interested.
For brands and businesses, this evolution meant more than just a way to create content for their audience. It opened a new way to engage and reach out to their target audience, thereby developing a new channel of traffic and sales. This revelation interested brands in the market thus creating new standards for the future of social media. Here’s a glimpse into understanding the leverage social media will continue to have in our future generations.
Video Content
Around 73% of the digital population have shown interest in consuming video content. 54% of this population support and encourage creation of more video content, a stat that many marketers also agree with. Video content can help in creating a personal connection with your audience, and hence building a bond of trust on your brand. Moreover, video formats are more relatable, entertaining and hence have higher reception among the current new-age audience who like more snackable content. The trend of moving into video has already commenced in the present time, and the requirements for video content is bound to rise.
Influencer Marketing
Human beings always have a tendency of taking decisions based on information given by people they trust. This is the core of how influencers hold an impact in the market. About 49% consumers have been noted to depend on influencer marketing for their shopping choices. These influencers promote brands among their followers on social media who rely on their decisions as they believe in the authenticity of their word. In simple words, influencers can be considered a small entity with its own audience base that can be leveraged for your brand. Learning this, brands are sure to go heavy in planning new ideas with influencers in the core of their campaigns.
Engagement
How do you determine a loyal social media following? Creating content is just a part of the whole process. Keeping your audience hooked to your content is also a requirement for your brand. This is where engagement or ORM comes into the picture. As a brand it is absolutely necessary for you to interact with your audience so that they enjoy your content and relate with your brand’s personality as well. Building a unique voice helps in creating a loyal fan base who recognise and believe your brand, thanks to the communication between them which lets them feel heard and respected.
Chatbots and Artificial Intelligence
Holding conversations with your audience on your digital platforms is a compulsion for every brand. However, you cannot always have a human representative keeping up the flooding conversations. And this is how a chatbot comes as a useful tool. Installing a chatbot on your website or for your digital platforms will help you keep up the communication with your audience, in turn building a personal connection with them. Artificial intelligence has already created tremendous ways to engage your audience. In the near future, they will play an integral role in setting up advanced chatbots that ensure personalised conversations as per your customer’s needs.
Augmented Reality
The technology of augmented reality aims to merge digital information with the physical environment. Currently being used as fun filters on digital platforms, it aims to work on making the shopping experience more interesting by letting the audience try products virtually. With approximately 810 million mobile AR users currently, augmented reality is sure to play a key role in marketing and customer experience in the future.
Understanding and utilizing these trends can create numerous opportunities for your brand. Hence, adapting these into your social media strategy is sure to hike your social media presence and provide a better experience for your prospective customers and audience. As a brand, it is necessary for you to keep track of the new developments and map them back to your marketing strategy to get the best results you desire.
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