The prominence and reliance on social media as a marketing tool has not only been recognised as a way to market business but has become a primary marketing strategy for many companies. From having a range of social media platforms at the disposal of a business to being able to collate data on potential customers and clients, not having a social media presence could mean you are missing out on potential profit.
As a result of lockdown and the pandemic, online consumerism has been more popular than ever and more people are generally online since the shops have been closed during this time. From everyday homeware items to health necessities to virtual training, the accessibility to information and services online are endless. Statistics have shown that the shift to online shopping has rapidly increased and in turn, has resulted in a higher success rate of social media marketing.
The digital space has seen a new type of navigation due to lockdown that has given rise to social media opportunities and rising trends that can be made the most out of.
Live Streaming
Concerts, live gigs, and conferences have had to make the shift to the virtual world and the rise of live streams and video doesn’t seem to be showing signs of slowing down any time soon. Instagram, Tik Tok, Zoom, and many other digital platforms have live streaming tools and make it accessible to influencers and businesses alike.
Live streams or live streaming is a real-time experience, where people can often interact with the stream itself. It has worked particularly well with online personalities who want to host Q and A or for showing an audience a live music gig or performance. The use of live streaming has become more prominent during the lockdown and is a great way to gain some further insight into the audience and potential customers.
Even now, people are becoming more accustomed to expressing their interest in a brand from the comfort of their own homes and simply from their phone. Live streaming can be a tool and marketing trend that can easily be implemented into a social media strategy and can widen the accessibility of the brand.
Filters and Augmented Reality
The use of filters isn’t something that is considered as particularly new when it comes to the world of social media, but the use of it as a customisable option for social media is becoming an ever prominent strategy. For example, eyewear companies can use augmented reality as a way to allow a user to see what an accessory would look like on them before purchase. This is a must-have social media tool for companies that do not have empirical stores, such as DEZI sunglasses.
Alongside the eCommerce side of social media marketing, the use of filters and augmented reality can be used to start trends that link back to your business. Blogs, magazines and even designer brands use this as a way to widely circulate their brand across a range of different audiences and platforms. Creating a filter or a customised augmented reality option for different platforms is a growing marketing trend and can be creatively implemented in your social media strategy.
The Buy Button
The world of eCommerce, both on social media and on websites, creates a pool of consumers that may not normally have access to a certain brand with the use of the web. So when a brand or service makes the process of buying online even more streamlined, it can only be a good thing.
Although consumer research is the most prominent catalyst to actually make an online purchase, the use of simply having a buy button has also shown an increase in user’s buying habits.
