With digital communication evolving at a rapid pace, keeping up with the newest developments in social media may feel like an impossible job for brands and marketers. However, by using the right strategies, you can ensure that you are never left behind on current trends and recent happenings. Keep reading to learn some of the key points on how to stay on top of social media trends. Help your brand remain on top of updates and serve customers better!
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Never Miss Out on Customer Feedback
Before you attempt to expand your Social Media presence, it’s important to make sure you’re listening to your target customers. One of the best ways to keep up is to solicit customer feedback. Feedback will not only help you better understand your audience and their interest and needs but will also allow your team to offer better customer support.
There are various methods to acquire feedback, including surveys and interactions on your business’s social media pages. Most notably, this latter form of feedback is especially effective because it also provides insights into what platforms your customers use and what types of content produce the most interactions on social media.
When you’re seeking feedback, it’s important to ask the right questions, depending on what marketing insights you need for your brand. For example, if you engage in display marketing, gather feedback about the usefulness of your marketing products, such as custom banners, custom flags, acrylic letters and numbers. Some questions include preferred products or specific pain points.
Once you have the feedback, make sure to organize your data. Tools such as Hootsuite and Google Analytics are useful to point towards current trends in your SM. While both qualitative and quantitative data are useful, quantifying impressions can create a better understanding of your data set. Map out instances of common issues and apply that data to your strategy.
How to Stay Updated with Trends through Podcasts and YouTube Channels
An easy way to learn about new trends in the social media space is to listen to content creators that follow such trends. Podcasts and YouTube channels are the ideal spaces. If you’re unaware, Podcasts are audio/video broadcasts that you can subscribe to, download on your computer, or experience in your browser. While podcasts vary in length, podcasts are informational and conversational shows oriented around topics of interest. SM centric podcasts offer valuable information from various SM experts in the form of interviews and case studies.
Some of the most popular social media podcasts include Radically Transparent, Behind the Post, and B2BGrowth. These are all excellent choices to stay on top of the latest social media trends.
Alternatively, you can also subscribe to YouTube channels. Many social media platforms and experts post informational and educational videos about new updates in their respective fields via YouTube. Just use the search term “social media,” and Filter your search by Channel. Make sure to Subscribe to any channel.
Some popular SM linked channels include Ignite, Social Media Agency, Mashable, and Social Media Examiner.
Give Some Time to LinkedIn Groups
Joining various LinkedIn Groups is another good way to stay on top of the latest trends by networking with other business owners and social media enthusiasts. This is a great platform that allows you to ask your peers questions to learn more from their unique experiences and discover new/latest social media sites/trends.
Some of the best LinkedIn groups you can join include Digital Marketing: Social Media, Search, Mobile, & More, Social Media Marketing Group, etc.
You can also attend conferences (virtual or in-person) to learn how to stay updated with trends and get the most up-to-date and relevant information. It includes various social media trends and lets you seek advice from industry experts.
These conferences are a great way to network, build connections, and interact with other professionals in the social media industry who have varied backgrounds.
Subscribe to B2B Related Social Media Blogs
Subscribing to various social media blogs that post content about recent happenings on social media is one of the best ways to keep on top of all the updates without missing out on anything. This is simply because whenever there is a new feature/trend, it will most certainly be written about in detail on these blogs.
Also, setting aside dedicated time to read all the blogs that you have subscribed to is equally important. Make sure to keep aside at least 10-15 minutes every day to go through the new content or the trends being discussed on these blogs.
Some of the popular blogs you can subscribe to for all the latest happenings on social media are social media examiner, simply measured, buzzSumo, buffer, social media explorer, and Bitly.
Set Up Push Notifications & Google Alerts on Influencers and Hashtags
If you have a list of social media influencers and popular hashtags that you follow on social media, you can easily set up a Google Alert for some of them. This will allow you to get regular updates when they post relevant/useful content or are interviewed about the latest trends and happenings on social media.
If you feel overwhelmed with the number of hashtags and influencers to follow, you can simply pick your top three or five favorite influencers/topics and set up Google Alerts for them. This will help you stay on top of any updates or the latest trend in the industry.
You can also set the frequency for these alerts to once a day to keep your inbox from being flooded.
Cheat Sheet to Stay Ahead of the Competition on Social Media
| Task | Description |
| Create a Content Calendar | – Plan and schedule regular posts on relevant platforms. – Include industry news, product updates, and engaging content. |
| Follow Industry Influencers | – Identify and follow key influencers in your industry. – Engage with their content and share relevant insights. |
| Monitor Industry Trends | Use social media monitoring tools to stay informed about industry trends. – Adjust content strategy based on emerging topics. |
| Share User-generated Content | Encourage customers to share experiences. – Repost positive user-generated content to build trust. |
| Engage in Conversations | Respond promptly to comments, mentions, and messages. – Participate in relevant industry discussions and forums. |
| Utilize Hashtags Effectively | Research and use trending industry-related hashtags. – Create branded hashtags to encourage user engagement. |
| LinkedIn Engagement | Share thought leadership articles and updates. – Connect with industry professionals and participate in relevant groups. |
| Visual Content Strategy | Invest in visually appealing content (images, infographics, videos). – Tailor content to suit preferences of each platform. |
| Analytics and Metrics | Regularly analyze social media analytics. – Adjust strategy based on content performance. |
| Ad Campaigns | Run targeted B2B ad campaigns on LinkedIn and Twitter. – Monitor ad performance and adjust budgets based on results. |
| Educational Content | Share informative and educational content related to your industry. – Position your brand as a thought leader with valuable insights. |
| Stay Updated on Platform Changes | Keep abreast of changes in algorithms and features. – Optimize strategy to align with platform updates. |
| Collaborate with Partners | Collaborate with other businesses for joint content. – Cross-promote each other’s content to expand reach. |
| Employee Advocacy | Encourage employees to share company content. – Leverage employee advocacy for broader social media reach. |
| Regularly Evaluate and Adjust | Set aside time monthly to evaluate social media strategy. – Adjust approach based on what’s working and what needs improvement. |
Written by BannerBuzz editorial team.
