The world of marketing has seen some trends come and go, but 2017 has been a year of paradigm marketing trend shifts. What we have known to be “standard” or status quo is no longer true. As we go into 2018, there are three trends that will likely continue to make waves and change the way we create content to market our businesses.
Take note as you may want to strongly consider adding these three trends to your marketing mix.
- Live Video Streaming.
Live streaming has gone viral. It has exploded in growth since 2015. There are over 360 million people who view Facebook Live videos regularly. Let that sink in for a minute.
Approximately 82% of people prefer live video from a brand than a social post. Knowing this, small businesses have jumped on this trend over the last year and will continue to maximize this marketing channel in 2018.
The paradigm shift here is consumers used to watch pre-recorded videos extensively. Now, it’s all about LIVE video. Live video is watched three times longer than pre-recorded video.
Types of content you can provide via live stream include:
Behind the scenes. Show folks what’s going on behind the scenes of your business. Show how and where the magic happens and by whom. This lends well for showcasing transparency and creating a likable brand.
Q&As and Interviews. These work well to provide your audience with valuable information. Host a Q & A session where your audience can ask questions and you provide answers in real-time. You can bring on a guest who has relevant information for your audience and conduct an interesting interview.
- Messenger Apps.
Social messenger apps like WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger are increasing in popularity and this trend is expected to continue in 2018. Messaging apps represent 6 of the top 10 most used apps.
Reportedly, 1.3 million users are active on Facebook Messenger and 2 billion messages per month are exchanged with businesses on messenger. Check out Facebook’s article for 5 tips to drive business results on Messenger.
The real beauty and another trend that is on fire is messenger apps’ usage of chatbots. Chatbots are online robots that respond to customer queries. Think automated and instantaneous customer service and content delivery. The paradigm shift here is customer service used to be manual and one on one. Now customer service gets robotic and automated but feels personal.
- Short Lived Content.
Speaking of messaging apps, it’s safe to say that SnapChat is a trendsetter, at least as it relates to short lived content or “ephemeral content.” SnapChat was founded on the concept of quick content (photos and videos) that could be viewed for 10 seconds and then it disappeared like a ghost (see SnapChat’s logo).
This idea of short lived content has caught on! Hello Instagram and Facebook stories. These apps are allowing for content to post for 24 hours and then it’s gone. Instagram doesn’t want you to miss these stories either. They have now added previews that you’ll see in your feed, which is great for small businesses with a story to tell.
This is a paradigm shift because as marketers we are used to creating evergreen content, content that we hope will last forever. Now, we’re creating content that will be gone in a day. The key is to truly engage your audience, be interactive, and tell a good story.
If you can stay “top of feed” you will be “top of mind.”