These Social Media Trends are Making Waves… Is Your Brand Ready to Dive In?

Social media is a dynamic landscape—and it’s evolving rapidly. 

Staying up-to-date with the latest trends and features can be challenging (even if teenagers make it look easy), especially when you don’t have hours to spend exploring and learning each platform.

To help save your team time and headaches, let’s take a look at a few social media trends that are making waves right now… and how they might impact your brand’s marketing strategy.

Short Is In (At Least When it Comes to Video)

Short-form video (video content from about 15 to 90 seconds in length) dominates social media. And we’re no longer just talking about the infamous TikTok. Platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and even LinkedIn have embraced this trend. Even YouTube’s latest feature (YouTube Shorts) was launched to maximize the trend toward short-form video content, whether through the sharing of Reels, Stories, live videos, or other formats.

For context, on Instagram alone, there are over 150 million active Reel users in the U.S., and about 20% of all users are still watching live videos. The reason? Bite-sized video content is easy to digest, especially in mass amounts. And with so much content available these days, shorter videos are able to hold attention longer.

Reels are Still Very Much a “Thing”

Reels offer a fantastic way to showcase your creativity, reach a wider audience, and keep up with the fast-paced nature of social media. Brands who don’t find their ideal audience on TikTok may prefer Instagram’s more diverse user base and easy access to the Facebook audience.

While there’s no one answer to which Reels will perform best and why, we do know people love them. For example, this Reel featuring Samsung brand ambassador and K-Pop star Jung Hoseok has amassed nearly 330 million views and just under 1 million likes on the platform.

While not every Reel will get that kind of attention, Reels are a great way to expand your brand’s reach on social media—even without the help of massively famous pop singers.

TikTok Gets Searchy

TikTok, the viral sensation of the social media world, is flexing its muscles in an attempt to challenge Google, the leader in search, in the search ad space.

As a selling point, TikTok’s user data may allow brands to add highly-specific targeting to keyword bids, providing a feature that standard search ads lack. When you combine sophisticated keyword strategies with highly-targeted campaign data, the result can be a dream come true for marketers and brands.

While TikTok’s search ads product isn’t quite ready for launch, it promises to make a splash when it’s ready for brands to deploy. Based on its popularity, TikTok search ads could create exciting opportunities for brands looking to boost their digital and social media strategies.

Subscription-Only Content

Instagram is jumping on the Patreon and Substack bandwagon by allowing content creators to charge a monthly subscription fee for exclusive content. Currently, creators can set their own price, ranging anywhere between $0.99 and $99. 

This trending feature offers an innovative way to foster a dedicated community and provide extra value to loyal followers. Users who are willing to pay for exclusive content from their favorite creators make for a highly targeted group of “super fans,” which can help lead to more engagement and higher sales for brands who utilize the feature effectively.

The Present & Future of Social Media

The social media landscape is always abuzz with new features and updates…

At the moment, Facebook is doubling down on its metaverse budget, despite losing billions on the venture. The Twitter takeover appears to be settling down after a tumultuous start, and a new CEO is set to come aboard soon, making the future of this trendy (and divisive) platform a question mark for many brands and users.

More Shifts in Social are on the Radar

Rapid change is the default status when it comes to social media, so it’s important to remember that engagement and user behaviors on these platforms will fluctuate based on various influences. It’s almost impossible to keep track of every trend and change that comes along, which is why we’re here to help!

If your brand isn’t achieving the results you want on a particular platform, don’t get discouraged. Our team can provide tailored strategies to help you and your team navigate these challenges and optimize your brand’s social media presence for maximum impact.

Ready to take your social media presence to new heights? Find out how we can help firsthand at asenmarketing.com.