The social media landscape is ever changing and understandably it can be hard for businesses to keep up. From changes in the Meta algorithms, to video lengths and reels, many professional services businesses don’t have the time (or interest!) in keeping up. Social media still remains a strong and simple way to market your business..
It gives you an unlimited audience that can be segmented and targeted to, to ensure the best value for your adverting dollar. It’s also the first place anyone looking for a service goes - put simply, if you aren’t on social you aren’t even on the menu for a customer.
So with things changing rapidly, what can we expect in the social media-verse for the rest of 2022? Here’s a few current trends that we are keeping an eye on.
VIDEO: Video has been strong for years now and it’s set to stay. We are seeing lots of short, sharp and to-the-point videos. The start needs to be attention grabbing and contain a “hook” to draw people in. Vertical video (selfie mode) is the way to go as it can be used across all social platforms including stories and reels.
CAPTIONS: Over 430 million people in the world are deaf or hard of hearing, and the majority of social media videos contain sound or talking. A high proportion of people also choose to watch video with the sound off or on low. If your video has sound, captions are an absolute must to reach this huge audience - many captions are automatic and take only a moment or two to switch on in your video.
LINKEDIN: LinkedIn is becoming more popular thanks to the rise of working from home. Many people are choosing to focus on highlighting their own personal brand, and LinkedIn allows them to do this. It’s especially a good space for professional service businesses to play in as it’s exactly where their target audience hangs out.
INFLUENCER MARKETING: Love them or hate them, influencers aren’t going anywhere anytime soon. But the movement is swaying away from larger influencers and on to micro or nano influencers who have better engagement and relationship with their community. It's also a good reminder that EVERYONE is an influencer in their community – word-of-mouth and testimonials are still some of the best marketing tools businesses have available to them!
Then of course we have our two other big players - Instagram Reels and TikTok. Both of these have been growing in popularity over the past years and neither appear to be going anywhere anytime soon. Instagram is now tending to favour reels over photos, so it’s a good idea to try and include a few reels in your strategy where possible.
Over in TikTok land, this app goes from strength to strength. It is very FMCG focused and targeted to the younger demographic. Professional services doesn’t do so well in this space, so while it’s popular, it’s not often an app we recommend for our clients.
If this is all a bit overwhelming, then get in touch with our team of experts. We can help you navigate your way through social media and set you up on platforms that will benefit and grow your brand and attract your ideal clients. Contact the team at Sharpe Marketing today.
