There’s always something new happening in the world of social media. Recently, several platforms have changed their algorithms in order to please consumers while sadly making it harder for business to reach their targeted audiences. For example, according to HubSpot, Facebook users only see 2% of organic pages they follow on their feed, which means that brands that are active on the platform are only reaching a handful of their followers. Does that mean brands should stop posting organic content altogether? Absolutely not. Instead, they must be more strategic in order to reach their target audiences.
As an agency, we get together every quarter to listen to our in-house social media experts as they share and discuss the latest developments in social that can impact our clients, such as the Facebook example above. In our recent quarterly meeting, we discussed the following changes and developments in the social media world that all businesses can benefit from:
VIDEO IS ALL THE RAGE
Along with social media, watching video content is one of the most popular online activities. It’s no wonder that when the two forces are combined, engagement rates go through the roof. According to Twitter, tweets with videos are six times more likely to be retweeted than tweets with photos.
Key Takeaway: Users are constantly scrolling through their social media feeds and often don’t slow down to read every post that is out there. Mixing in different media types, like video, can help your posts stand out and garner more attention.
INSTAGRAM VIDEOS
Speaking of video…I’m sure we’ve all noticed the amazing addition of IGTV. Did you know you have the option to link your IGTV videos to your story even if you don’t have the minimum of 10k followers that’s normally required for the “swipe up” feature? This gives viewers easier access to your videos on IGTV that they are more likely to click on if they are not outwardly searching for your content.
In more Instagram news, the platform recently rolled out a new feature that will allow users to tag other profiles in video content. According to TechCrunch, this long-awaited feature is said to increase distribution and drive engagement.
Key Takeaway: These new features are simple ways your business can use Instagram to reach a broader audience and PRopel engagement.
FACEBOOK UPDATES
Although Facebook has been making its algorithms more consumer-friendly, it hasn’t completely forgotten about its business users. Now all brands have the opportunity to customize their business page information and add better descriptors such as operating hours, call scheduling and price range, making it easier for users to find appropriate businesses via search.
More in Facebook news: A recent Edison Research study says, consumers have high interaction expectations for brands’ social media channels. 42% expect a response in under an hour, 25% in the same day and 9% want it in 5 minutes! To keep up with these interactions, businesses should download Facebook’s Pages Manager app ASAP. It helps page admins connect with their audience and keep up with activity on multiple pages in one place.
Key Takeaway: Facebook is becoming more consumer-oriented but that also means they are making it easier for consumers to find you. Utilize these tools and update your profiles so that users continue to see your page and build a relationship with your brand.
Social media best practices are always changing. As a top tech PR agency, it is our job to keep up with these trends in order to help our clients PRopel what’s possible. Want to see how we do it at Alloy? Check out our social media case studies and reach out to us when you’re ready for us to help #MakeNews and #DriveLeads for your company.
