Marketers have been using social media platforms like Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook to promote their businesses for years now, and for businesses who haven’t jumped in on the social media marketing trend – well, they’re really missing out.
However, 2019 has been a year full of changes in some of the most important social media platforms and trends, and from a marketers perspective, these changes haven’t always been for the better. Read on to see some of the most impactful ways that social media has changed so far in 2019.
Instagram and Facebook’s Algorithm Stops Branded Content from Reaching Its Audience
Since making the switch to a non-chronological algorithm, small business owners haven’t been shy about the negative impact the new Instagram algorithm update has had on their companies – some saying it’s “crippling” a small business’ ability to be seen organically at all.
Like it’s parent company, Facebook, Instagram’s new non-chronological algorithm’s goal is to show a user more content from their friends and family.
Because it’s getting harder for marketers to drive results from social media, competition is rife. Brands are fighting hard to make their voice heard, but it could be having the opposite effect on the people you’re targeting.
In one study, 74% of millennials and Gen Z said they’re annoyed by brand targeting in their social media feeds, and 56% have cut back or stopped using social media entirely due to this.
What This Means For Marketers
Along with staying up to date on the ever changing social media algorithms, a marketer must focus on engagement – especially in niche communities.
The goals for your social media marketing campaign might include increasing link clicks, on-site conversions, or follower counts, but you’ll struggle to grow these metrics if you’re not focusing on engagement. Why? Because engagement is the first step to conversions. In other words, it’s extremely rare for someone to purchase something if they aren’t already engaged with the brand.
Focus on building a solid reputation in niche social media communities to boost engagement and begin growing a sense of community around your company’s social media profiles.
Chatbots Are Everywhere
And they’re here to stay. Chatbots are just a specialized form of software that interact with humans in a natural way, primarily through the use of text chat windows, but verbal interactions are also possible. Chatbots are effective is saving time and money on man-power, but also in capturing leads and converting them into customers. (Need a quick tutorial on inbound marketing? Read more here).
What This Means For Marketers
Implementing a Live Chat feature AKA Chatbots into your website offers a larger engagement capacity, an ability to move customers seamlessly through a business’ sales funnel, and offers your audience a personalized online experience.
Just do the Chatbot. Trust us. But at the end of the day,
Good Content Still Matters
Through 2019 and beyond, content marketing will still be an essential component of digital marketing. Having a deeper, more sophisticated understanding of a targeted market and being able to target that market more precisely is a rising trend in more effective marketing.
What This Means For Marketers
Don’t think that robots are going to take over your job any time soon. Although we are living in an age of instant gratification and technology (and therefore, answers) at our fingertips, consumers are online and desperately looking for a trusted source of information, services, and experiences. Combining good content with great analytic tools will be the key to success in the age of social media as we know it.
Looking for digital and social media marketing help? KM Guru Marketing is a full-service marketing agency based in Joplin, MO, but proudly serving over 100 clients worldwide in places like Tulsa, OK, Springfield, MO, Bentonville, AR, Fayetteville, AR, Los Gatos, CA, Kingman, AZ, Dallas, TX, Fort Worth, TX, and more. We would love to help you!
