“In-the-moment”, one click, instant, and privacy protection are all words and topics that will define social media marketing in 2016.
I want to make sure we are all on topic and on trend with our business social media plan as we head into a new year. So let’s dive in shall we?
1. “In-the-moment”
So much of social media thus far, with the large exception of Twitter, could be past or future events, resources and content, scheduled posts, etc. Which are all valuable and still important in your social media marketing plan. However with the advent of Periscope and Blab, posting on social media has evolved into decidedly more of a “what is happening right now” type of gig. Both of those platforms are live video feeds and they are both becoming enormously popular. So even if you loathe the thought of getting on camera, you can still take this idea of “in-the-moment” posts and run with it on all of your other platforms.
You can talk about:
- your day and all the things that went wrong
- current clients
- funny things that happened on the way to the bus stop
- an act of kindness you just witnessed or just did
This list can go on and is only limited by your imagination and your willingness to keep social media a more live version of who you are and what you do. Stop crafting every post and send out something you only thought about for 5 seconds and see what happens! I promise you and your authenticity will generate fans.
2. One Click
Have you dabbled in social media ads yet? Well you should set one of your resolutions to try a Facebook ad in 2016. Especially if you sell products online. Facebook and other ad integrations are now creating buy buttons to enhance the user experience, make it easier for them to buy, and most importantly (to the platform) keep them on their site. To you this means your customers are more likely to purchase (think of the devilish “one click ordering” on Amazon – anyone else fall prey to its convenience?) and more likely to purchase more which are all good things when it comes to being a business owner willing to pay the advertisers fees.
For now, this functionality is on each site’s mobile version, but just think how easy it will be for your customers when:
- standing in line at the mall – click!
- waiting for an appointment – click!
- sitting in the parking lot waiting for the kids – click!
- can’t sleep? grab your phone – click!
Facebook and Pinterest are the two main platforms so far to roll out this feature but Instagram may not be far behind. Both Pinterest and Instagram, with their image driven visual sites are perfect for this kind of ad functionality.
Click here for a great article on what this means if you haven’t already experienced it on your mobile device or tablet.
3. Instant
As in instant information. Facebook and Twitter have just launched (or are launching) the ability to search for articles, stories, inside the social media application itself without having to follow certain people or search for specific hashtags. This allows users to pull up an instant list of “moments” as Twitter calls it, to their feed without crafting a single tweet. On Facebook you can do a search and post the link directly to your status update.
Why is this important? One, it’s instant information for you, and two, you never have to leave the platform to go search on Google. That’s the goal anyway. The longer you stay there the more ads you see, the more information they gather, and the more “Buy Now” buttons you click.
Your actions for 2016?
- Try out instant publish on Facebook.
- Search for ‘moments’ in Twitter to use as trending topic research, inspiration, or leads.
- Pick one platform a day and learn to use these features in your social media campaigns without having to jump around, logging in and logging out.
4. Privacy Protection
This is a hot topic now and will only get hotter in 2016. Think of the Ashley Madison scandal and the in-your-face advertising that follows you from platform to platform a split second after you have clicked on that couch you would only dream about buying. This trend is hard to ignore as business owners and consumers ourselves. The best way to jump on this hot topic is to make sure your own clients feel secure and safe when they interact with you, your social media, and your website. Be up front, be honest, and never sell or rent your lists. Treat your consumers with respect and you will earn their money.
Have your own ideas of what will be big and hot in 2016? Jump on over and join my LinkedIn Group and let us know!