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These Social Trends Will Put You Ahead of the Competition

“If you’re not the lead dog, the scenery never changes.”

This old adage is true for canines…and for your business, too!

When it comes to social marketing, “the lead dog” stays on top of social trends. The reason is simple: They realize that social media has transformed the buying process – impacting the way customers engage with a company, learn about products and services, and ultimately make purchasing decisions!

Not convinced?

The latest data from Pew Research Center shows just how ubiquitous social media has become:

  • 7 out of 10 US adults use Facebook, and roughly three-quarters of them visit the site daily
  • 73% of US adults watch YouTube videos
  • Three-quarters (75%) of 18- to 24-year-olds use Instagram
  • More than 7 out of 10 (73%) of 18- to 24-year-olds are on Snapchat

So, if you want to get ahead of the competition…

…ACT LIKE A LEAD DOG!

Stay on top of these major social media trends:

  1. Become a content king. We’ve said it for years: Content marketing can drive engagement, advance (and even close) sales, differentiate your company, and more. To become – and stay – the king of content in your market and industry:
    1. Understand what your audience wants to read about. Read this post to learn what kind of content will drive results for your business.
    2. Write and post original ideas. Google LOVES new content – and so do your readers! At least two-thirds of your posts (on social media and your blog) should be original.
    3. Mix it up. Keep readers interested and engaged by varying the forms of content you produce. In addition to blog posts, create infographics, slide decks, videos, case studies, eBooks and more.
    4. Create a content calendar. Planning your content with an editorial calendar helps ensure that your efforts are strategic, consistent and intentional.
    5. Share regularly. Make sure customers and prospects can find all of your great content by sharing it on the social platforms your target audience frequents. Pro tip: Integrate a social sharing plan within your content calendar.

Want to learn more? Read this post for tips on how to become a content marketing king.

  1. Build and protect your online reputation. Nearly nine out of 10 people trust online reviews as much as peer recommendations. If you’re not proactively monitoring and controlling the conversation (i.e., soliciting positive reviews and testimonials, while properly addressing bad reviews), a handful of internet trolls may do it for you!
  2. Leverage automation tools. Social sharing is absolutely essential – but doing so consistently takes a ton of time and effort. Thankfully, social media scheduling and management tools like Buffer and Hootsuite automate tasks, giving you more free time to focus on the personal connections you should be building with your audience.

Final Thoughts

Marketing leaders know that a strong social media presence is a business necessity. They stay on top of rapidly evolving social media trends, leveraging new platforms and strategies to:

  • increase web traffic, leads and conversions;
  • raise awareness of their brand, products and/or services;
  • stay top of mind;
  • strengthen their brand;
  • improve communication and engagement with their audiences.

Tired of the scenery never changing?

BARQAR will help you take the lead! We’ll create a killer social media strategy to help you engage with your audience, build your brand – and create a real advantage over your competitors.

 

Download the SMART marketing checklist

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