If you’re a retailer – whether independently emerging, mid-sized or your company is already at the top of its e-commerce game – there’s no denying that social media marketing is a fundamental aspect of your brand’s lifespan. What’s more, it’s increasingly crucial for retailers to set themselves apart with their own tailored marketing efforts and online presence. After all, it’s no secret that customers are heavily drawn to the personalisation factor whenever they shop their favourite lifestyle products.
But with so many brands competing against one another, the final quarter of 2019 requires an approach to social media marketing that’s highly targeted – with your dream customer’s wants and needs in mind. Curious to know which social media tactics are influencing the digital world right now? Check out the following 3 trends that are turning the heads of today’s most intuitive customers:
Video is still the most Popular medium for B2C interaction
If Instagram video gets 21.2% more interactions compared to images and 18.6% more interactions than carousels, it appears that visual content is a top-performing engagement tool. Customers of various age groups and demographics are active on the world’s most popular social channels and often explore the likes of Instagram, Facebook and Twitter if it means discovering the latest products and goings-on with their favourite brands. But it’s these smart online shoppers also seek a meaningful connection, which is why video has evolved as one of the most engaging mediums to capture the human attention span – in the shortest time possible.
Personalise paid ads with more user-generated content
The proof is in the pudding as they say, and when it comes to your brand’s paid advertising, it’s apparent that more customers favour retailers that offer user-generated content as part of their shopping experience. Whether your brand has a greater social media presence on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter or Snapchat; there are now endless opportunities to reach your valuable customers. How? By simply including them in your social campaigns and aligning creative ideas with what your target demographic wants to see more of. Protein World, Dr Martens and Missy Empire are each their own shining example of how to directly involve customers and create an authentic shopping experience using the power of customer-centric social posts as their primary engagement strategy.
Online brand reputation thrives on positive customer reviews
Yes, believe it or not, good old fashioned word of mouth is still important as ever within the realms of the retail market. Consumers are 63% times more likely to buy from a brand they trust and a brand that already offers plenty of enjoyable experiences to its shoppers. That’s why reviews that are highly in tune and customer-focused are essentially the equivalent of an Oscar award these days. Reviews act as social proof so it’s a good idea to weave these into your social media plan every so often and to highlight how well you already satisfy your existing customers.
Since consumers now almost always research product and service reviews before making a purchase, review sites like Trustpilot and Amazon as well as forums like Quora and Reddit are the perfect platforms to boost your brand’s reputation via online word of mouth. What’s more, is that they can afford to pick and choose where to shop without any commitment to buy straight away.
Does your social media marketing need an end of year refresh? Contact Superb to explore how we can boost your brand-to-customer experience before 2019 is out.
