Social media has been around for quite some time now, growing and evolving alongside technological advances. But is there a foreseeable end to the reign of social media? Can it really continue to evolve or is it slowly phasing out to be replaced by some other new trend? Let’s find out!
Social Media is Not Dying – Just Changing
No, social media is not actually dying. The reality is it is continuing to change from what it originally was. Years ago when social media was just starting out, the big platform was MySpace and it was all about followers. Friends were connecting with friends and that was about the gist of it. Today, there are dozens of popular social media platforms, everyone from your 12 year old neighbor to grandma and grandpa are on it, and we’re finding new ways to interact with brands, celebrities, and products.
What It Means for Businesses
Over time we have seen a lot change when it comes to businesses and social media. In the beginning, businesses were not present on social media, but that gradually changed, specifically when Facebook entered the scene. Businesses quickly gained their footing on social sites, only to be blindsided by “pay-to-play” and low organic reach. While some may look at these changes in how businesses can use social media in a negative light, the truth is, we have more opportunity than ever before. New e-commerce capabilities, specialized business pages, and a host of advertising solutions help us to use social media as a true marketing channel.
How You Can Stay on Top of Social Media
So how you can take advantage of everything social media has to offer and ensure that you’re prepared as the landscape continues to change? Here are a few tips:
1. Add Paid Advertising to Your Marketing Strategy
I think it is safe to say that as long as businesses are allowed to be on social media, paid advertising will be present. If anything, we could see a trend of some social sites requiring businesses to advertise in the next few years. If you want to be prepared and get the most out of your social presence, start getting familiar with advertising now.
2. Embrace Social E-Commerce
The growing trend this year is for social e-commerce and the ability for brands to actually sell their products on social sites. This is an amazing opportunity to convert potential customers in fewer steps. If you have products that can be sold online, it is time to figure out how you can incorporate your product catalog in to your social platforms.
3. Optimize Your Landing Pages
Last but not least, always ensure that your website and its landing pages are optimized and ready to convert. Even if we lose other key capabilities as social media changes, we can hope that there will always be some way to drive users back to our website where we have full control.
As far as we can tell, social media is not dying at this time, just continuing to change. If you need assistance with managing your business’s social media sites and staying on top of the trends, contact Informatics.
