It’s December, and that means it’s time to start thinking about how you’re going to handle 2018. It might seem daunting, but having an idea of the trends rolling into 2018 will make you far more effective than trying to respond to the landscape as it changes.
There are a handful of strategies that started to dominate over 2017, and there is little doubt that some of those trends will become even stronger over the next 12 months. So what are they?
Keep It Authentic
The days of perfectly crafted and glossy content have passed. That might sound scary, but there are a number of reasons it will help you in the long run. First off, you can save time on crafting the “perfect” ad. Instead you can focus that time on engaging and interacting with your fans and clients. You can capitalize on the “social” part of social media.
Second, your followers are capable of creating the most effective marketing! Authentic posts from users and fans are far more effective in giving your brand clout and legitimacy. Taking your time to interact with them and encourage user-generated content is the best use of your time on social media right now.
Tell A Story
Simply showing your product and the “awesome deal” isn’t going to break through the noise on social media. If you want to bring people in, you need to give them a story to grab onto. Make your posts personal. Show who you are, not just what you do. The more you share, the more clients will connect with you.
Talk To Influencers
Along these same lines, your clients and fans want to see real people using your products. Paying an obscure (or even not so obscure) celebrity to stand in front of a camera and read a script won’t help you nearly as much as a well respected influencer. They show how your product works in real life. People trust influencers far more than a slick commercial with obvious cuts and effects. Show them the real you.
Video, Video, And Video
Video content is only becoming more important as time goes on. Neglecting video is one of the worst things you can possibly do. However, you can’t create video content just to have a video. Think about where people are watching it, and how. The majority of views will be on mobile platforms, so the first 3-5 seconds are going to be the most important in terms of grabbing viewer’s attention. Make sure they will stop scrolling when they see your video start to play.
Optimizing your video is vital, and not just in terms of keywords and tags. Make sure your videos are captioned. Videos are muted by default on social channels, so making sure that there is a way for people to understand the context of your video will assure more views, and longer viewer retention.
Make sure that all of your content is going to get you the maximum value by bringing the right pieces together!