Social Media is no longer just “social.” Remember the days when you got on Facebook just to see what your friends were up to? Before there were ads and things for sale and lots of politics?
Those days don’t exist anymore. AdWeek estimates 2.77 billion people will be using Social Media during 2019. That staggering number means that through Social Media, small business owners have potential access to one-third of the world’s population! Today, using Social Media the right way can make a business boom. Failing to use Social Media, or using it incorrectly, can ruin a business.
Because of Social Media, small businesses are no longer limited to customers who can reach a physical location. Instead, we can publish and promote our business to the whole world. We can sell to someone on the other side of the country as easily as someone next door.
The Changing Landscape of Social Media
The world of Social Media is a constantly changing, morphing monster that requires savvy business owners to stay on their toes. In fact, keeping up with the changes is a major headache for modern businesses.
The #ThinkSocial Team does its best to stay on top of these changes so that we can help you stay up to date with everything that is relevant to promoting and running your business online.
Here are some trends across Social Media for 2019 that we think you should be aware of. These are things that may impact how you run your business, including tools that can make your life easier! Understanding these trends is key to dominating Social Media this year.
Chatbots and Artificial Intelligence
If you’ve ever watched or read any sci-fi TV Show, movie, or book, you’ve probably heard of AI. The crazy thing is that Artificial Intelligence is no longer the stuff stories are made of. Thousands of automated systems are being created every day to take care of simple digital tasks and make life easier for both business owners and their customers.
The most popular of these are chatbots. Chatbots are automated responses that appear in your Messenger inbox when you interact with certain Facebook Pages. I don’t think that Messenger bots are going to take over the world any time soon, but they can take over your inbox! They can help clients obtain the info they need while leaving you free to handle other things.
More Privacy
This one is tricky. Last year saw the European Union pass the laws for a system called GDPR. This law protects how customer data is processed and utilized. On the heels of GDPR, we can expect that privacy issues are going to become more and more important and will factor into how businesses can use and interact with customer and client information.
Pay attention as privacy laws are created and changed so that your business is covered! Think about what you value and respect that for your customers and clients.
Temporary Content
The transient nature of temporary content like Instagram and Facebook “stories” has changed how many people interact with Social Media. 80% of Instagram users follow one or more business accounts, making this the perfect platform to share about your business!
Utilize the amazing variety of content types available in Stories – create polls, use GIFs, tag locations, and more – to showcase your business every day.
Community Content
Facebook Groups are just the beginning as private online membership programs are becoming more and more popular. With the transparent nature of Social Media interactions, private groups are a great solution for people who don’t have
Connect with the Experts
The #ThinkSocial team brings you a variety of expertise on all different platforms! We have experts in Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, and more. If you’d like help from our team, send us a message and we’d love to connect!
