Whether we are embracing social media in our personal lives and business or not, we can all attest that social media has changed our communities. It has become a great way for businesses to have a voice and grow their brand organically. But social media is changing at a rapid rate with less organic reach daily. Therefore, I attended Social Media Marketing World in San Diego last week to try and get a grasp on what the social media marketing trends will be in 2019.
I opted to attend the workshops and sessions that my clients are regularly asking about in an effort to better assist them in developing winning social media strategies. I intend to share the information on each of the social media platforms and subjects I covered here on this blog.
As we all have experienced, Facebook is achieving less organic reach. We know from last year’s update from Mark Zuckerberg, that Facebook’s focus is on video, groups and paid ads. We also know from experiencing the Facebook and Instagram shut down a couple of weeks ago, that we don’t own our social media followers. So what are the experts saying will help business thrive in social media in 2019?
Here are my key takeaways from Social Media Marketing World conference:
YouTube
YouTube is used as a search engine, AND is owned by the largest search engine in the world. When you search the internet for a certain topic, it is likely a YouTube video will show up in the results. Not an Instagram post. Not a Facebook post.
YouTube pulls people in everyday, all day. It’s on autopilot. It helps grow everything and it can help grow your email list. Because your email list is the only thing you own, and is the best way to get in touch with your audience regardless of what is happening with Facebook or Instagram.
Video
The most effective way to grow your audience on Facebook and Instagram is with the use of video. That’s the focus. Zuckerberg said so himself last year in regards to Facebook. And Instagram has seen exponential growth in the last quarter in active users of Stories. It’s time to show up…me included!
Pinterest has been an amazing platform for my hobby blog, Mexican Family Recipes. I’ve been pushing Pinterest since I started working as a social media strategist, with much reluctance from my clients. But now the proof is in the pudding, and Pinterest is finally receiving the attention it deserves. In fact, we received news that Pinterest filed for IPO while I was in a Pinterest session at the conference. Coincidence? I don’t believe in coincidences, but that’s a subject for another day… or blog.
Pinterest is a search engine. Most people will go looking specifically for something. It’s used mostly for planning a future event, usually about 3 months out, but they come back to the platform when it’s time to implement. It’ is slow to grow, yes. But as long as you’re posting once daily, you will see the return.
Be Human. Be Authentic.
Show up as yourself. Be human. Let your audience see you and get to know you and your story. Show up as the perfectly, imperfect person that you are. Forget the makeup. Who cares what your hair looks like. Show them you are just like them. This was a common theme throughout the various sessions and keynotes.
In a nutshell, these are the key takeaways from the conference. The focus in social media marketing for 2019 that will help us grow our brands and thrive.
Have you started implementing YouTube, video or Pinterest in your social media marketing strategy?
