Social media offers some of the most effective platforms to help businesses to build their brand online. Social media marketing, which is a part of digital marketing, is as dynamic as digital marketing itself. Trends keep changing from time to time, with some trends becoming obsolete all together.

If you want to make your social media marketing strategy a success, you must follow the latest trends. Social media will help you to interact with your customers on a deeper and personalized level. This direct form of communication builds trust and loyalty among the customers. Before you start building your social media marketing strategy, here are some of the trends that will help you allocate the right amount of time to it, and your efforts will fetch you immense benefits. (Information Credit: GILL Solutions)

Video Content

In 2017, visual content is trending, whichever platform you share it through. Among all video content, live video content is on the rise.  Interactive videos are a hit with audiences this year. There are many video sharing and streaming sites and platforms like YouTube, Periscope, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. if you are wondering what to focus on to make your live streaming efforts a success, you need to understand your audience first.

You need to find a social media network where the audiences are already spending time. The whole idea behind video content sharing is keeping your audience engaged.  Another benefit of live videos is that you can host live Q&A sessions along with product demonstrations.  This will strengthen your customer service. If you can stream multiple live videos in a series, you can get 10 times the benefit from videos.

Messaging Apps are All the Rage

If you are not utilising messaging apps like Whatsapp, WeChat and Facebook Messenger, you are missing out on many opportunities to create your presence online. There are tremendous opportunities for companies when it comes to messaging apps, and several benefits, that come with using them.

Many brands use messaging apps to communicate with customers on a one-on-one basis. The presence of messaging apps is changing the customer service domain. These apps are not only useful for businesses but also for customers. Customers get assistance faster and easier. They don’t have to wait for a long time as in email based communication. Messaging apps are both cost-effective and scalable for any business. Providing better services to the customers, companies can enhance customer experience and also solve customers’ problems. This makes retaining the client base easy.

Sell It on Social Media

There are many social media platforms like Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest and Facebook where brands can not only showcase their range of products but also sell them. The sale takes place within the apps. Snapchat also tested ecommerce features last year to help brands sell their products. It was revealed by an online survey that consumers not only just follow the brands on social media but are also interested in using social media to look for new items to purchase.

Businesses can understand this behaviour of the consumers and leverage these habits to boost their sales. Therefore, brands can add call-to-action instead of just posting pictures of their products.

A Touch of Virtual Reality

In 2017, virtual reality has emerged as a new marketing scene and it is expected to get popular. What is interesting about virtual reality is that it helps businesses to achieve a higher level of engagement and experience.  And unlike other mediums, virtual reality makes brands more recognisable and improves its value. Virtual reality videos create an enhanced impact when viewed with a VR headset or viewer. But these videos are also available on mobile or desktop devices. This helps brands to tell their story. Brands should experiment with sharing video content and other visual forms of content.

Infographics

Infographics is one of the hottest new trends in content marketing. Visual content is both appealing and keeps the viewers engaged. Infographics are informative and provide valuable information at a glance. Users who are searching for information are able to easily find their answers through infographic images. If you have got an infographic image designed for your blog, you must share it on social media. You can also get infographics designed to share on different social media platforms.

 Social media marketing is an important tool that helps you to connect with your audience and customers. By following the latest trends, you can ensure that you are able to engage your users and enhance their user experience. You must remember that the latest trends are always in tune with the want of your audience. And with strategic planning and creative approach, you can create the magic online.