Social media is ever-changing and it’s becoming harder to keep up with the social media scene as time progresses, but no fear! We have done some research – so you don’t have to – and had a look at what is truly important on social media today.
What’s Important & What’s Not?
The importance of different elements within the social media world can differ depending on what your niche is for your business. However, there are key things that can apply to the majority of us.
What Is Most Important?
Authenticity – Being true to yourself and your own uniqueness, transparency & authenticity makes your brand more likeable and relatable. Consumers love when a brand is more human and makes content that is on their level. Stay authentic but stay true to your brand.
Relatability – As we mentioned above, consumers love when you make content that is on their level. Provide purpose and give them something to relate to. With relatability in mind, you can create sharable content – consumers who relate to your content are more likely to share it with others who they think might relate too.
Entertainment – Entertainment is the epicentre of social media itself, and now more than ever people are using social media content as a source of entertainment. Ensure your content has an element of entertainment value, whether that’s making your audience feel some kind of emotion for example, laugh or smile.
Inform and Educate – People also come to social media to be informed or educated in some way. Whether that’s about a produce, service or maybe a way of completing a task. The more you can offer solutions to a problem the more people will value your business, come back for more and tell others about your business.
What Is Least Important?
Off-the-cuff – It’s good to be adventurous with your brand’s content, but straying too far from your niche can push your audience away. Stay true to your brand and tune in to what your audience loves.
Polished – Highly polished or ‘perfect’ content can feel staged or out of touch, consumers are now preferring ‘lo-fi’ content – short form video that is quick, imperfect and easy to watch.
Product-centric – Making your posts ‘salesy’ or constantly encouraging a customer to buy your product can be disengaging. Think of indirect ways you could promote a product, for example integrate storytelling with a day in the life or routine content, or use a before & after transformation – this way you are still promoting your product, but in a way that doesn’t feel too intrusive for your audience.
Know Your Identity
Brands who know their identity, and embrace it, stand out. It’s your brand, so be passionate about it. Be proud of what you do and show your audience who you really are. This attitude fosters trust, loyalty and recognition and ultimately makes your brand more recognisable.
Passive purchases are a huge part of consumer culture, so make your brand identity stand out! This way you are less likely to get lost in the sea of competitors and keep loyal customers under your wing, even if something changes in the future – like your price for example.
AI – Is It Relevant?
AI is relevant in today’s world, but how much should we be relying on it? The answer will be different for many, and depend on how you feel AI affects your brand and your industry. But it’s important to remember that – if used correctly – AI can be a tool that reduces creative fatigue.
For example, if you are consistently producing for multiple audiences and networks, creative burn out can become a risk. Apps like Chat GPT are helpful in allowing those creative juices to flow again. Using AI apps to provide prompts and can be extremely helpful. However, they can also lead to laziness. As AI continues to develop, it seems it can do much more for us than we ever imagined.
We’d recommend you don’t rely solely on AI. AI can’t, and shouldn’t, replace your own uniqueness and personality. If we rely too much on AI we’ll lose a part of our own business identity and just become like every other business. So step outside of the norm, be different, be unique and me memorable.
Look out for a future blog from us as we delve deeper into the use of AI within your social media strategy.
So, what do consumers say makes their favourite brands stand out?
- The quality of your product or service
- The originality of your content
- Engagement with your followers
- How quickly you respond to your customers
- The content employees of your company post
Is there anything else you think is important on social media in today’s world? Let us know!
Sources: https://sproutsocial.com/insights/social-media-trends/