As we approach the end of the year and prepare for Christmas, we are also looking forward to the start of a brand new year. In the fast paced environment of digital marketing, we can already predict many of the changes and trends that are likely to take place in 2018 and what related actions businesses should take maximise return on their marketing efforts. Therefore, it is important that businesses start to look at their 2018 marketing strategy to ensure that they are ahead of the game and some elements to consider are as follows:
Keeping up
Live streaming is the new must for any Facebook for business user. Facebook are currently trialling their ‘Explore’ feature which, if rolled out to all users, will see Pages content be filtered into that space making way for Facebook to introduce it’s new video feature (which is said to be a big contender for the likes of Netflix and YouTube!). These new features mean that the organic reach that we have become accustomed to will soon be no more so it is more important than ever to use video, live streaming and paid advertising to get your brand noticed.
Type of content?
As above, the battle to be seen amongst the vast array of competitor content means that you have to make your own content stand out. Careful consideration should be given to the sort of content you’re posting together with its relevance. Your content should be a rich mixture of video, live streaming and infographics. Text heavy updates will simply not cut it in this evolving media-centric arena. There are some great examples at SproutSocial.
Take advantage of new features
Instagram Stories and live streaming are great features for business. Your story appears at the top of your followers’ feed as soon as they open the app and will play automatically after the previous story has finished. This means that your content can escape all the noise of the full feed and get more exposure. If a follower has notifications turned on they will be notified whenever you upload a video or go live – this is a great opportunity that should not be ignored!
Changing demographics
When considering your marketing plan you should take into account who your target audience is. Each new year sees a new cohort of university graduates, teenage consumers, and the ageing population means people of an older age who might not have been targeted previously, should now be included in any marketing strategy. Think about the varying understanding of technology, contact preferences and language that might best appeal to each demographic.
Which platform serves what purpose?
So we now know that Facebook is looking more towards video, Instagram photography and graphics and LinkedIn is still holding the fort for business related content; so where does Twitter fit in? Unless directly mentioned in a post, it is unlikely that followers will see your content. One successful strategy for Twitter is to use it as a customer services platform. Direct your customers to your Twitter to ask any questions about products and services or to give feedback. This can present challenges where complaints are concerned but as long as your appointed Twitter manager is friendly and helpful without sounding like an automated bot, using Twitter this way could be hugely successful for your brand.
Make sure you’re ahead of the game by using the above points to help inform your strategy. Should you need any further assistance don’t hesitate to get in touch and we can help write a bespoke plan that will ensure your brand is on top in 2018.
By Erran Taylor, Digital Marketing Manager