.png)
Social media trends are like blueprints/pointers/signposts that keep your strategy alive and evolving. Think of them as special ingredients you add to your favorite dish. While the meal might look the same to others, the taste is different each time—only better.
By tapping mining from the goldmine of social media trends, you are killing two birds with one stone—keeping your social media strategy relevant and capturing your audience's attention.
Continue reading to find out more.
Why Keeping Up With Social Media Trends is Challenging
So, as a business owner, there are so many other business operations that require your attention besides tracking and keeping up with trends on social media. We get it; for you, keeping up with social media trends is not an easy process. It is definitely not as simple as just scrolling through your social media platforms and wondering, "Hey, what's new on social media today?"
The challenge of keeping up with social media trends is real because you might blink and miss it, and what you miss might significantly impact your social media growth or ROI.
One minute, it's the format; the next, it's the content type; then the introduction of new platforms, and then the social media algorithm changes. Yes, it is challenging. But you should know that as challenging as it might be, it is highly essential. After all, they say that difficult things always yield the best results in many cases.
In this case, as challenging as it might be, staying ahead of trends is highly essential, especially if you want to keep your social media strategy relevant.
Proof-Worthy Tips to Stay Ahead of Social Media Trends
Let's keep this simple: Here are some simple yet effective ways to stay ahead of social media trends.
1. Anticipate the Shift in Your Target Audience's Behavior
There's this saying, "Expect the best and prepare for the worst." As a business, always anticipate that the wants, likes, and dislikes of your target customers can change in a snap. One moment, they are engaging with your trend; the next, they've moved on to something entirely new. This is not because something is wrong with your trends; it's just that it is no longer what drives or catches their attention.
Anticipating this is the first step towards staying ahead of the trend. This way, when a shift happens, you can find out what they shifted to and make the changes to your strategy.
2. Stay Informed About Changes in Social Media Algorithms.
Social media algorithms play a crucial role in determining which trend is gaining traction, gets more visibility and attention, and which ones fade into the background. Algorithms are constantly tweaked, so to stay up-to-date, use a social media analytics tool, check official updates from social media platforms, and more.
Adapting to algorithm changes is a continuous process, so it is recommended you have a dedicated social media team to handle this or outsource to a marketing service, like us at Ruth Sherrill Marketing Services. This way, you are able to get immediate insights and updates about changes in the algorithms.
3. Join Online Communities
As a business looking to enhance its social media strategy, it is recommended that you have an engaging online community. However, who says it is not recommended that you join one? Be a part of a community with industry leaders in and out of your niche. This way, you can get fast and accurate information about the present and future social media trends and when and how to implement them in your social media strategy.
Social media is about making connections, so leverage that to stay ahead of trends.
Where to Find Trendy Information?
To stay ahead of trends, you need to be informed of the latest information. Here are so many places to find valuable insights and updates
a. Later Blog
Later Blog is one of the places filled with reels, sounds, and many other posts that highlight the latest social media trends and how to leverage them for better engagement.
b. Sprout Social Blog
If you want up-to-date industry news, changes in social media algorithms, and effective actionable social media tips. Sprout Social Blog is the go-to resource for all trendy industry news. They cover trends in engagement, content strategies, and platforms.
c. Hootsuite Blog
Need expert opinions on content and the latest platform changes? Then Hootsuite is the blog site for you. You get insights into social media trends, strategy updates, case studies, and expert recommendations on how to stay current and competitive.
d. Thinkific Blog
Thinkific is perfect for getting updates on digital marketing strategies and tactics. Although it is a platform for digital course creators, business owners can leverage it to get insight to develop effective strategies to engage with their audience, optimize their content, and promote their marketing strategies.
e. Instagram for Business Owners
Instagram’s Business Blog offers insights into platform-specific trends, features, and best practices to stay updated on business accounts. On Instagram’s Business Blog, you get tips on how to enhance your business presence, build your community, and increase your engagement on the platform.
f. TikTok Creator Insights and TikTok for Business
For TikTok business users, trending sounds and challenges are everything. To stay updated, check out TikTok Creator Insights and TikTok for Business. This platform provides insights on challenges and sounds that are trending, content ideas, analytics, and best practices for creating successful TikTok content for your niche.
How to Keep Your Social Media Strategy Relevant
Now that you've known how to stay ahead of social media trends, here are X effective ways to ensure your strategy remains relevant
1. Know Your Goals
This is where you answer the biggest question, "Why?" Why do you want to keep your social media strategy relevant? Is it for visibility, more sales, lead conversion, or to build a stronger connection with your audience? What specific goal are you aiming to achieve?
Knowing the answer to the "Why" helps you focus on your objectives, ensuring that your strategy remains relevant and effective in achieving those particular goals.
2. Know and Understand Your Audience Again
Without a doubt, your social media strategy is to be tailored to suit your target audience. So, even if you already know who your target audience is, know them again. Understand them again. As stated earlier, your target audience's wants, likes, and dislikes can change, making them seem slightly different. So, to pull them back in, know and understand them again.
Use surveys, analytics, market research, and social listening to gather insights on them that can enhance your new strategy.
3. Know, Tweak, and Create Your Content
Content is key. It is one of the solid pillars of a successful social media strategy. So, know the kind of content your target audience wants to see—the topics, images, videos, formats, themes, and more.
If you have existing topics or content, tweak them. Add new elements and information to make them new. Also, experiment and create new topics. You can branch out of your comfort zone, such as writing controversial content, live streaming, and experimenting with new content creation formats.
4. Know Your Competitors
Your competitors are not just your rivals; they are one of the biggest sources of strategic information ever. There are some social media strategies that your competitors are using to make them stay relevant, so find that out. Analyze their social media presence, their type of content, strengths, weaknesses, engagement, and more.
5. Know Your Data
Knowing your data is key to ensuring your social media strategy is relevant. With accurate and result-driven data, you can easily identify key areas for improvement and optimize your social media strategy. This can be done through data analytics, which is essential in any successful social media strategy plan.
Are You Thinking of Outsourcing?
Knowing the latest trends, staying ahead of them, and ensuring your social media strategy always remains relevant is a priority. As a business with an online presence, you have to do everything you can to be seen, heard, and communicated with in the best way possible. Too busy to do it yourself and too expensive to hire a social media management team? No worries, outsource.
At RSMS, we offer services tailored to,
Trend Analysis and Forecasting
Algorithm Updates Monitoring
Content Trending Strategies
Our team stays on top of the latest trends and algorithm changes to ensure you don't miss out on anything and your social media strategy remains relevant and effective. Using tools like Sprout Social, later.com, Hootsuite and IG content creator profiles, we help you stay up-to-date on the latest trends and sounds.
We also perform social listening during our weekly community engagement and share trending topics, ideas, or pop culture moments when they happen.
All-round help. All-round win.
Conclusion
At Ruth Sherill Marketing Services, we aim to see businesses thrive online. What better way to enhance the view of your business than through your social media platforms? Once your social media thrives, so does your business.
Ready to stay ahead of the curve and keep your social media strategy successful? Like and leave a comment if this blog was helpful!
Comentários