Social Media Strategies: What’s Hot in 2017?
The New Year is here, which means it’s time for a new social media strategy for your business. With all the social media updates and changes, it can seem like you’re chasing the wind when it comes to your online presence.
With people spending more time on your social networks than on your website. It’s so important for you as a small business to invest in strategies what will bring a social ROI.
So, we at WCB decided to put together this list of the hottest social media strategy trends coming your way. So you can make a huge online impact in 2017.
1. Social Commerce
With social messaging trends at an all time high. Businesses are finally realizing that they have to actually communicate than broadcast. With organic reach on Facebook at an all time low of 1-3% and email marketing open rates at about 20%. What does a small business have to do to communicate effectively to their customers?
Try sending a direct message!!!!
Social Messaging has an open rate of 98%. This is why Social Messaging will be huge in 2017. It’s great for ecommerce and customer support.
WeChat announced that 31% of its users have purchased something on the messenger app. Facebook also announced that businesses could advertise in our newsfeeds.
But what’s different is that once you click on an ad, instead of being directed to a landing page, you would be directed to a chat window where you can talk directly to the advertiser in messenger.
2017 is the year that businesses will have to focus less on content creation and more on personal connection to boost sales and keep customers coming back for more.
2. Social Story Telling
If you are a small business looking to differentiate yourself from your mega competitors, use this social media strategy: Tell us your story, via Instagram Stories.
Stories stick to the subconscious of your customers. Everyone loves a good story. When your business fully understands it’s “Why”. You can show your customers how you can help them with wonderful, engaging and inspirational daily posts.
Small business owner’s stories are real. People are drawn to people who are just like them. This is why Instagram Stories is perfect for small businesses. It’s one part business philosophy and one part social media.
Thus making your story a “sharable” powerhouse. Instagram Stories resonates with customers and creates a deeper sense of loyalty.
- Tap on the Plus Button found on the top-left side of your home screen or swipe left in your Feed. You can also quickly launch Stories by swiping right from the main screen.
- Tap the Circle Button at the bottom of the screen to take photos, hold to record a video. You can even add cool effects using Boomerang and Hyperlapse!
- Press the pen icon; there are three types of pens. Edit the photos or videos with text or add a drawing as you normally would.
- Tap Done to save your Story.
- Tap Your Story to share to your following.
3. Chatbots
I just mentioned how businesses are leaning toward marketing to you via messenger. If you are a small business, it maybe take a lot of time and money to have someone personally dedicated 24 hours a day to answering questions.
For this reason, Chatbots will be a huge part of social media marketing this year. So, I know you’re probably asking, “What exactly is a Chatbot”?
Chatbot are an automated artificial intelligence that engages with your customers and answers questions. Facebook and WeChat have been early adopters of Chatbots. Using them successfully for e-commerce.
For your small business, Chatbots streamline website support functions. Easily helping you to save time, money and boost your sales. Just think about it.
There is no need for customers to wait for you to respond to their message. They get real answers…real fast making your conversion rate shoot through the roof.
Chatbots high conversion rates no secret. This is why such Fashion and Makeup giants such as Sepora, MasterCard and H&M have found Chatbots hugely successful.
They both have tons of merchandise so there are so many different messages and opportunities for them to answer customer questions, give product tips to increasing engagement and create brand loyalty.
Engage your customers and watch your sales skyrocket!
4. Livestream
In 2016, we first begin to see the power of the Livestream. 2017 looks to be the year in which majority of all-content will be LIVE. As we know, video has a higher conversion rate (71%) and is shared across all platforms more than any type of blog or written content.
According to Cisco, by the year 2019, 80% of global Internet consumption will be video content.
To bring more awareness to your business using Livestream in your social media strategy; you can either use Facebook Live or Instagram Live (I prefer Instagram Live. It’s a newer and hotter platform with high engagement).
You Can also click here to read an article on Facebook Live on TheNextWeb
You can do anything from behind the scenes of your business, Q&A with your followers or get some authentic customer feedback. Just make sure your Livestreams stay true to your brand!
So, with that being said, let’s point, shoot and grow our social audience with Livestream.
To start a live video:
- Tap the camera icon on the top left of the screen or swipe right from anywhere in feed.
- Tap Live at the bottom of the screen, and then tap Start Live Video. Your followers may be notified when you start a live video.
- The number of viewers appears in the top right of the screen, and comments appear at the bottom.
When you’re done, simply tap End.
With so many wonderful trends happening this year. How do I keep track of what and where to post?
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5. Editorial Calendar
One easy and effective way of maintaining consistency with publishing content is creating a social media editorial calendar. So, you’re probably asking, “What’s an editorial calendar and why is it important for my small business?” It’s a tool that’s been used for years by publishers, bloggers, and journalist to keep control over what content is being published and where.
Also, a great way to make sure you staying consistent with the content you’re posting.
Do you know what you’re posting next Monday? I didn’t think you did. It takes more than just a few minutes to create memorable post that generates traffic and engagement. Creating and publishing fresh content can be a daunting task that leaves many overwhelmed and scrambling trying to create…something…anything!
Successful social media marketing requires that your content speaks to your audience and delivered in a timely and consistent manner.This is where an editorial calendar comes into play. It helps get your content organize or the upcoming week(s), month(s) and even year(s).
How Does an Editorial Calendar Help With Social Media Posts?
An editorial calendar makes it easy to curate your content and create a social media marketing strategy that is effective for business. Easily keep track of which posts appeal to your audience and which perform poorly. You can see which posts get the least amount of engagement and which kind of content (image or video) gets the most like, comments and shares.
For example, one of our favorite cafes here in Bangkok, called Happy Cafe. They use the very popular hashtags #coffeelovers #coffee and #caffeine. These tags generate a ton of likes and shares for them but their customer images didn’t perform very well, thus, making it easy to document content performance. You know what your audience likes, and what kind of content they’re looking for. Consequently, making it easier to plan for future post.
One of the biggest headaches running a business, is the lack of communication you may have with your team, it can be hard staying on the same page. Especially, if you’re working with a team of Writers, Managers, PR and Social Media Managers; tasks can either fall by the waist side or my favorite, “I thought they were going to do that”
Having an editorial calendar makes it easy to hold team members accountable with tasks that will help promote your restaurant.
Setting up a social media editorial calendar takes time but is definitely worth the effort. When you plan your posts ahead you create a steady workflow of content that can successfully market your small business.
Social Media Strategy – The Social Skinny
You can expect 2017 to be one of the hottest years in social media. Most business are doing everything they can to keep customers on their social media sites instead of their business website.
Adopt these trends in your social media strategy so you dominate this year, socially.
- Use social messenger to engage audience and generate sales
- Don’t leave a potential customer waiting. Try using Chatbots to help answer customer questions. Fast reply equals a quicker sale.
- Tell us your business story using Instagram Story. Build brand loyalty with customers.
- Livestream it. Video is king. It garners a higher conversion and engagement rate and ranks higher on most social media platforms.
- Use an editorial calendar to keep track of which post are going out, where and performing the best!
All these tools will help you to answer the question – How to become a digital marketer.
If you are looking to integrate social media trends into your small business social media strategy? Contact us to set up a complimentary strategy session.
