Four Social Media Game-Changers to be on the Lookout For

This is a guest contribution from Raeleen Hooper.

Once upon a time, people feared public speaking above all things – even death. But it seems we have a new contender.

According to a survey of 1000 people by UK internet security firm SecurEnvoy, two-thirds of people are afflicted by “nomophobia” – the mortal fear of having no mobile phone.

This dependency on mobile technology is largely driven by our addiction to social media networking, underpinning the single biggest trend affecting marketers in the coming year.

The mobile social space offers rich pickings for small business owners as it represents a huge opportunity to stand out from your competition in a playing field where budgets are tight and expertise may be limited.

Here are four key trends that your blog or business should consider using to gain a competitive edge:

1. Mobilise 

The trend: Internet access via mobile has overtaken PCs. According to research by Neilsen, US adults spent on average 34 hours per month using mobile internet on smartphones compared with 27 hours on the PC. This supports Australian figures, with the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) finding that one in five Australians now access the internet only via smartphone.

For example, Australian print, design and website franchise network, Snap Franchising Ltd, has a desktop heavy audience with main traffic coming from the business to business environment, however it still receives approximately 30% of its traffic from mobile devices.

Top tool

• Facebook lead ads create a seamless experience across mobile devices by enabling customers to sign up to lists without leaving the platform. For example, a retail store can use lead ads to find people who want to receive emails about their latest offers and products. This feature also lets you customise call to action buttons and data such as location, age, gender and phone number, taken directly from the users Facebook profile and auto-filled to the form. 

2. Get Appy 

The trend: Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn continue to be the most influential social media apps, and audiences will be corralled onto these platforms via mobile apps in a way that doesn’t happen in the more free-range PC environment.

Top tools

• Facebook’s accurate targeting lets you advertise to a highly defined audience of only people who are likely to be interested in your product. When the right people see the right message at the right time, the advertising tends to be more effective. This has the potential to increase RIO on advertising as well.
• LinkedIn allows you to become your own publisher and share thought leadership pieces in the B2B space.
• Twitter is now in the video space. The promoted video function allows you to effectively reach targeted and engaged users. It is easy for a business to upload and distribute video on Twitter, and measure the reach and effectiveness of their content.

Within businesses such as Snap franchising, there are certain rules and boundaries that need to be adhered to. For example, a franchise owner is not able to advertise outside of their franchise areas. Therefore social media has enabled Snap franchise owners to specifically target their franchising area online, which is something that has been hard to do in the past.

3. Stalk like a tiger 

The trend: Marketers will have more capacity than ever to stalk and re-stalk until users who are most likely to convert in a subsequent session.

Top tool

• Google Analytics has released Smart Lists, which identifies the people visiting your website who are most likely to buy from you. The tool allows you to conduct sharply targeted remarketing, for example, a small business can use Smart Lists to create unique email marketing lists based on the customer stage of engagement or behaviour patterns. This is also a useful tool if you are new to using remarketing, as it is a process that is often mismanaged or misunderstood. Additionally, unlike static lists, which require constant updating, smart lists continuously refresh based on your business activity. 

4. Give it to me, baby!

The trend: In the age of Snapchat and Periscope, when audiences can gain instant access to deeply personal micro-moments in the lives of others, people are becoming more voyeuristic than ever – and they want instant gratification like never before. You’ll need to create content on your existing platforms that satisfies this need.

As a small business owner, time is your enemy. Don’t spread yourself too thin by trying to open pages on every new platform just to get into the instant broadcasting game.  Take advantage of new features available on your existing platforms to make more effective use of them. For example, Facebook has just made its livestreaming feature available to all verified users, allowing you to connect with your followers in real time.

Top tool

• According to comScore, 64 percent of consumers are more likely to purchase a product after watching a video. So now is the time to make a video and start connecting with your audience. There are oodles of apps you can use to do a quick trim or add titles and music. Try VidTrim or Magisto for free, or grab a paid option like Cinefy.

Campaign ideas

One of the biggest developments is the cry for authenticity. People are weary of slick slogans and over-Photoshopped images. They want you to make an effort to understand their frustrations, add value to their lives and provide them with worthwhile solutions.

Social media marketing is the perfect platform for this style of marketing, so the number one thing you can do to cut through the noise is add value.

Give your clients information that genuinely helps them with issues they are dealing with in their lives. Then, when you have built goodwill, you will be in a position to provide a solution to those issues that revolves around your product or service (delivered with a compelling offer).

Slideshare is one of the most shared and engaging mediums for Snap and offers the audience solutions in quick and easily digestible format such as tips, hints and top lists. It aids in amplification as people are open to receiving bite sized chunks of information and remains one of Snap’s most shared and engaged medium of content. With its association with LinkedIn, it makes B2B marketing a little easier when it comes to capturing the attention of small business owners.

With engaging with customers becoming increasingly important, how do you plan to use social media?

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