Why your business needs to stay on top of the latest social media trends

In January this year, statistics showed that more than 4.62 billion people around the world were using Social Media. And, those stats tell us, people spent around 2.5 hours (150 minutes) a day on Social Media. This gives you an idea of why it's important to stay abreast of news and trends on Social Media.

So, what platforms are people using, and how are they accessing Instagram, Pinterest and the like? It's interesting to note that Facebook is still the most popular platform with 68%. And then comes Instagram.

And the platform used to access Social Media the most is our mobile phones. In fact, nearly 80% of the time spent on Social Media is on mobile platforms.

Why social media is so important for your business

Seventy-three percent of marketers believe that marketing their company’s news via Social Media blogs and posts has been effective. Businesses use different platforms on Social Media to reach different audiences, which is why it’s important to know which platform your target market uses the most.

We do know which Social Media platforms are the most valuable. According to a recent study, the top 6 most valuable Social Media platforms are:

• Facebook (2.9 billion)
• YouTube (2.2 billion)
• What’s App and Instagram (2 billion)
• WeChat (1.26 billion)
• TikTok (1 billion)

This is why in our Profit Matters Accelerator we have dedicated a whole module to help brands expand their knowledge and create effective and profitable Facebook Ads.

How to stay on top of social media trends 

Social Media has a vast audience, and it’s constantly evolving. It's the way businesses can communicate with prospective customers. But it’s not an overnight miracle waiting to happen. 

You have to make sure that you stand out from the crowd and have something relevant to say. And this is where you need to stay up to date of the latest trends and marketing news comes in.

7 important ways to keep abreast of top Social Media trends

1. Find out what’s happening in your industry: This is important. Read about your industry and become an expert.
2. Attend conferences and training sessions: Learning new skills is a great way to keep abreast of what’s going on.
3. Communicate: Networking is very important, so talk to people in the same industry, chat to clients and industry leaders. Keep up with media news and trends to stay informed.
4. Know your audience: Communicate with your customers so that you're constantly aware of what they want and need.
5. Be aware of your competition: Know what your competitors are doing all the time. Check out when they adopt new trends. 
6. Look at the bigger picture: You need to keep searching for the ‘next big thing’ in your industry. 
7. Know what a trend is: A trend stays around for a while, and a fad is usually temporary. Make sure you can tell the difference.

How to keep on trend on Social Media platforms:

Here are some handy ways to help you keep on top of the latest Social Media trends for your business: 

• Use Google Alerts: You can also look at one of the following sites: Mashable, Social Media Examiner and Social Media Today.
• Subscribe to Podcasts: Your mobile phone should have a free podcasting app on it. If it doesn’t, you can download an app to listen to Podcasts. Some worth trying: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts and Spotify. 

Why not Google a list of the best Podcasts to listen that are related to your business? Put in a relevant search term and you'll start creating a stream of topics.

• Subscribe to YouTubechannels: On YouTube, search for information about the latest news on Social Media. You can subscribe to any channel you want. Some good news ones to try include: Ignite, Mashable and Social Media Agency as well as the maakeAcademyuk channel.

• Follow Social Media updates on Twitter and LinkedIn groups: Social media is constantly evolving. Sign up to groups like Mashable (@mashable/social-media) on Twitter remains one of the best, as does TechCrunch (@TechCrunch). But there are plenty more.

10 Social Media Marketing trends for 2022 and beyond

1. TikTok gets more popular every day: TikTok is an extremely popular Social Media platform with over 732 million active users. It’s easy to use for a small business and offers excellent editing features and effects. You can also use it for short-form video editing – see below.
2. Another huge trend: therise of video content. It’s important to start using video content in your business marketing strategies. Take a look at Reels, TikTok and Stories for examples.
3. 2022 is a good year for Pinterest: However, Instagram and Twitter remain very popular for B2B businesses.
4. Use Social Media for customer service: This is a great way of delivering customer service. By 2023, Social Media will become an excellent communication tool. Customers will post comments and get immediate responses.
5. Target Socialmedia ads: Target a specific audience so that you know you're showing the right advertisements to the right people.

Want to know how this works? Click on any advert on Instagram. Within seconds you’ll find similar products advertised. You see, the more ads you click on, the more Instagram targets your likes and dislikes.

6. Instagram and Twitter are popular: Pinterest and Snapchat are gaining in popularity, but Instagram and Twitter are still popular, too. In fact, Instagram and Twitter are expected to become even more important to B2B businesses.
7. People are committed to social responsibility: Corporate social responsibility continues to be a priority. 
8. Target the locals:Add a geographic location to your content. This way, you can communicate with people in a particular area about your brand. This is called ‘geo-targeting’, and it works best for promoted tweets or blog posts. 
9. Influencers are still important: Influencers will continue to dominate the market, promoting specific brands. It makes sense: this type of marketing is inexpensive compared to an ad campaign. 
10. Audio content is on trend: Audio content is becoming popular. Right now, audio content is still quite new on the marketing scene, but it will grow over time.

The most important news of all: the personal touch

That personal touch will always be there. So make sure to communicate news through real stories and emotions. Create content that connects with your audience and evokes a reaction or emotion. 

Your audience wants your business to offer authentic, friendly, honest, helpful and transparent information.

The more a customer or prospective buyer relates to your product, the more likely they are to buy it.

You want to expand your reach and grow your business? You want to have laser focused marketing that gets results? Check out our Accelerators and you will be able to use your resources into what matters and see real growth in your business.

Find out where you should be focusing more of your energy in order to get your design business performing stronger, operating smarter and scaling easier. 

Our rapid-fire quiz produces a tailored assessment  that will help you to bridge the gaps that may be slowing down the growth potential of your brand.

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