New Trends in Social Media that Startup Marketers Need to Know

Startup businesses have an inherent advantage: they are new. The world loves new and fresh, and startups are made of the stuff. Social media is by far the most affordable way to engage with potential customers. According to marketing researcher, Dr. Augustine Fou, social media is the only form of advertising in existence that can help you reach more than 1,000 people for under $3.  Considering that 78% of the 2.8 billion Internet users search for products online, it is almost obvious that social media marketing is the way to go.

The challenge with social media is that it keeps evolving, and it does so fast. Keeping up with the trends is crucial, otherwise the marketing message will not hit home. Here are some of the trends to be aware of in 2017.

Keep an eye on Snapchat

There are over 60 social media platforms that marketers should be aware of. Knowing which ones have the best audience for your product is the first step to success in 2017. To give an example, Snapchat was traditionally popular with the 13 to 34 years old demographic, but that is changing. Snapchat has found late adopters in the 35 years old and beyond demographic who started to use it more frequently. That wider appeal could be part of why Snapchat has rebranded to simply, Snap. Some of the things Snap is working on in 2017 include virtual reality wearables and a continued focus on the mobile phone. Remember that smartphone usage is projected to grow to 2.32 billion in 2017, up from 2.1 billion in 2016. Snap is well-positioned for that market.

Post Deeply Immersive Content

Nobody in the history of social media at this point has done a better job of engaging users than Nusret Gokce, popularly known as the #Saltbae. The viral success of this Turkish Chef showing off his steak roasting and seasoning skills has grown his business’ Instagram following to 2.9 million in but a few weeks. Engaging with your followers is likely to beget your brand some serious attention.

Going viral like Nusret will be hard, but using new technologies for a more popular post is not. 360-degree images, for example, might take off in 2017. People don’t want to hear you describe an event, they want to feel like they are there with you. Live videos are also on all major platforms now. Marketers who used to pay subscriptions to host webinars are now simply going live, even for just a few minutes to engage users.

Facebook’s Workplace

Workplace by Facebook is a new feature that could change the way organizations function forever. The new feature allows employees to work together all day, connected only via Facebook. What that means for marketers is the ability to coordinate marketing efforts regardless of the time of day or location. Facebook’s Workplace will be important for virtual brainstorming sessions, and consultancy. If your SME is growing, you’re better off outsourcing social media management and working on your core competencies. Facebook Workplace will give you the ability to be in meetings virtually as well as track performance on an analytical dashboard.

Paid Advertisement Content

Many people think of social media as a way through which to be found organically. In 2017, social media companies are under pressure to make money. It will be harder to consistently get ahead through organic content alone. Marketers should also be ready to spend on ads. Adobe estimates that social media ad spending will cross the $41 billion mark this year.

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