Social media is always adapting, developing and changing. Algorithms used by Instagram, Facebook and Twitter make predicting the distribution of content on social media virtually impossible. Although this domain consistently shifts, the role of a marketer remains the same – getting and keeping the attention of an audience. The changes we need to focus on are where consumers’ attention is going, and what we need to start leveraging. 2018 brought incredible changes to the realm of social media, and 2019 is sure to bring even more.
Where is the future of social media in 2019?
1) Organizations will need to rebuild trust on social media
Brand security, transparency and accuracy were all questioned by consumers in 2018. Nearly every social network has had their ethics scrutinized, including Twitter which needed to slash millions of fake accounts. In 2019, brands will need to focus less on getting a larger reach and more on getting a stronger reach.
Recommendations:
- Create a branded hashtag
- Participate in a Twitter chat
- Build a Facebook group around key business interests
2) Storytelling will become more visual
Brands and businesses will be rigorously competing for attention on social media, and basic text postings are no longer cutting it. Companies need to be clever with their content strategies and evolve their visual language in order to educate the public about what is happening in their space. Consumers on social media are spending less and less time looking at written content, which means that marketers need to position themselves on a visual-based platform.
Recommendations:
- Use video and film to draw in members of the audience
- Balance color, image and text in any social media graphic
- Focus on quality, not quantity, when developing graphics
3) Long-form content will outrank short-form content
Search engine optimization (SEO) has been thoroughly studied and applied this past year. Looking forward, these concepts will be revolutionized. Popular search engines – like Google – employ various algorithms to help determine what will be shown first in a typical search. Although these ways of searching for information do not penalize content for not reaching an official word count, they do look for credibility and reliability. SEO specialists have agreed that long-form content will likely be seen as more credible in the eyes of a Google algorithm. That is, a blog with 1,600 words will likely outrank a blog with 500 words.
Recommendations:
- Focus on creating content averaging 1,000 words
- Fill blogs with more information and insight
- Make long-form storytelling a part of your content strategy
Navigating the changes of social media, and creating strategies that are highly effective for an organization, can easily be a full-time job. If you’re looking for a team that has the creativity, resources and passion to take you where you need to go, Collective Alternative can help! From designing innovative websites to crafting impactful PR campaigns, our talented team can create unique solutions that promote your business to the right audience, through the right channels, at the right times. We’ll learn your business inside and out to develop a comprehensive marketing strategy that is custom to you; all while building a meaningful relationship that leads your business down a path to success.
Want to learn more about our services? Contact us today at 317.436.8499 to schedule your FREE consultation!
