Why Social Media Marketing Is Even More Relevant in 2019
Updated: Jun 19, 2019
According to HubSpot, around 3.03 billion people use social media all over the globe. This year, two million companies advertised on Facebook alone.
The numbers are clear. As any social media marketing agency would tell you, social media means big business, and it’s only bound to become bigger in 2019. That’s because social media is poised to drive two of the main content marketing trends that will dominate the coming months.
Authenticity: Customers want to get to know you
One of the key trends entering 2019 is cultivating brand authenticity.
SocialMediaToday.com says it is the most important quality that 90% of millennials—the largest group of social media users—look for in a business; 85% of Generation X and 80% of Baby Boomers agree. In fact, 86% of people choose the companies they support based on it. All these numbers have led experts to assert that authenticity matters now more than ever.
Social media is the perfect platform for conveying this quality. Less formal than an official website, and more interactive than a blog, it’s where your customers can truly get to know you. On social media, you can post announcements, news, and promos, as well as snippets of human interest that lend a more personal look into your brand:
the people and processes behind your products
the values your company upholds
the actions you do to stay true to them
These types of content allow customers to learn more about your business, which in turn piques their interest in supporting you. They can also help your customers understand and identify with you, strengthening their trust. On top of all that, human-interest posts make it possible for you to gain a wider reach—there’s a reason why product listings don’t go viral on Facebook!
Social media can also drive you to cultivate authenticity for another reason. With Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, you interact with customers one-on-one. There’s no room for insincerity. What customers see is what they get. HubSpot reports 86% of consumers want “an authentic and honest brand personality” on social media.
Visuals first: People want the content that social media provides
Another key trend for 2019 is visual content. SmartInsights.com explains why:
"Brands need to move from a text-first approach to a visual-first mentality… [S]imilar to how every business became a media company with the advent of social media, they now must transform themselves into a visual magazine if not a television station… to be heard by the audience that matters to them."
This analysis supports other projections that video will become even more popular: the format is expected to make up 80% of all content people consume this year. But it also emphasizes the importance of other forms of visual assets—photos, graphics, infographics—that thrive on social media.
In the same way social media can meet customers’ need for authenticity, it can fulfill the demands of a visual-first mentality. Facebook and Instagram, two of the most popular platforms among adults in the United States, are built to share visually rich content, whether these be images or videos. Though it is best used for text posts, Twitter indirectly taps into what audiences want: clear and concise messages, which an effective visual delivers.
Social media is only bound to get bigger, and you should use it to make your own business become bigger, too. Strategize with a creative content marketer on how you can take advantage of these platforms.