Posted by Traditionally, businesses used marketing methods like radio ads, TV ads, newspaper ads, and leaflets to promote their offerings.
Fast forward to today, the marketing landscape has drastically evolved. The internet has become a global village. There are an estimated 4.89 billion social media users globally in 2023.
With most customers using these platforms daily, creating effective social media marketing strategies has become essential for businesses.
Hence, understanding how marketing strategies have evolved with social media is crucial to your business success.
Let’s find out how marketing strategies have evolved over the years with the influence of social media.
Marketing Strategies Before the Social Media Era
Marketing strategies before social media platforms became popular were vastly different from what we see today.
In the pre-social media era, businesses relied heavily on traditional marketing channels, such as radio, TV, and print advertising.
Telephone marketing was also popular, which involved cold-calling customers to promote a business’s products or services.
Emails were used in outbound marketing, and search engine optimization was in its early stages.
Inbound marketing was in its infancy, but it wasn’t as effective as it is now due to the lack of technology and platforms available. Businesses had to rely on purchased mailing lists and other traditional marketing strategies to reach their audiences.
But with the advent of social media, most marketers have now moved to digital marketing, almost completely. They use social media platforms such as LinkedIn for lead generation, branding, advertising, and more.
As of January 2023, Facebook was the top choice for marketers globally. According to Statista, 89% use Facebook, and 80% use Instagram for marketing purposes.
In the next section, I’ll delve into the details of how social media has influenced marketing strategies and the new trends that are emerging.
5 Ways in Which Marketing Strategies Have Evolved with Social Media
The rise of social media has brought about a significant shift in business marketing strategies. More personalized social media marketing strategies have replaced traditional advertising and customer engagement methods.
Here are some new trends that have emerged as social media has taken center stage in marketing.
1. Short-Form Videos Have Become Popular
The rise of social media platforms has fueled the popularity of short-form videos.
Platforms like TikTok, Facebook, and Instagram, with their user-friendly interfaces, promote short-form video content. These bite-sized videos align with today’s fast-paced lifestyle, making them a hit among users.
The shift in consumer behavior also plays a role.
Today, people prefer quick, engaging content that’s easy to consume on the go. With short videos, they can watch more in less time, increasing user engagement rate and interaction.
For marketing, short-form videos are a boon. They offer a unique way for brands to connect with their audience. Their shareability and high engagement rate make them ideal for brand promotion.
So, integrating video marketing into social media marketing strategies is helping brands stay relevant and competitive.
Here’s an example of how short videos can garner millions of views.
2. Live-Streaming Is Experiencing a Significant Rise In Popularity
Initially, Twitter’s Periscope was a pioneer in launching live videos. It offered real-time engagement, creating a new trend.
Major platforms like Instagram and Facebook soon followed, launching their own live-streaming features.
This expanded the reach and audience of live videos, boosting their popularity significantly.
Live-streaming offers brands a unique way to interact with their audience in real-time. It creates a sense of immediacy and authenticity that pre-recorded videos can’t match.
By adding live-streaming to their list of social media marketing strategies businesses are now able to build deeper relationships with their audience.
You can interact with your audience using self service portal platforms and can communicate with your audience.
Check how this influencer is using Instagram Live to discuss various topics with their audience in an interactive way.
3. Brands are Utilizing User Data More Effectively
In the past, marketers or businesses relied on traditional methods like surveys or focus groups for insights. Today, the scenario has changed dramatically.
Social media platforms offer a treasure trove of user data. This helps marketers understand their audience better and tailor their strategies accordingly. For example, Facebook’s Audience Insights provides detailed information on a brand’s followers.
Using in-depth user data, brands and marketers are now able to create highly customized marketing campaigns. This is likely to evolve further in the future with hyper-targeted marketing becoming the new normal.
4. Influencer Marketing Has Now Become Mainstream
Influencer marketing has emerged as a powerful tool for brand promotion in recent years. It leverages the reach and trust that influencers have with their audience.
By partnering with influencers, brands can reach relevant audiences and use the influencer’s credibility to sway consumer opinions.
To put it simply, the power of influencer marketing lies in its authenticity and relatability.
Adidas serves as a prime example of how brands are using influencer marketing to promote their products on Instagram.
Its collaboration with legendary football player Leo Messi not only boosts its credibility but also appeals to global football fans.
With the rise of social media, influencer marketing has emerged as a mainstream marketing strategy, one you must leverage as well. If you need help getting started, choose one of the influencer marketing platforms from this Attrock curated list to get started.
Whether you decide to do it yourself or seek outside help, influencer marketing is one of the marketing strategies that you can’t skip.
Also, consider working with micro-influencers as they are considered more authentic and are more affordable. This is another social media collaboration trend that has emerged in recent years where brands are moving away from celebrities toward more niche influencers.
5. User-Generated Content Is Gaining Popularity Across Social Channels
The rise of social media platforms has significantly boosted the popularity of user-generated content (UGC). Traditionally, marketers focused more on brand-created content. Today, the strategy has shifted as brands prefer UGC.
UGC is any content created by people, not brands, making it authentic and relatable.
Social media platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook have played key roles in the emergence of this trend. They’ve become popular UGC platforms, allowing users to create authentic content that resonates with their peers.
You can encourage people to create authentic user-generated content related to your brand by:
- Launching campaigns with brand-specific hashtags
- Rewarding participants with free products, discounts, or special offers
Sharing UGC on social media and mentioning the original creators can encourage participation and build momentum.
Brands like GoPro lead the way in leveraging UGC for social media. GoPro, for instance, encourages users to share their experiences using its cameras.
It then shares the best content on its social media channels. This strategy not only amplifies its reach but also provides authentic, free content.
UGC offers an opportunity to build brand loyalty and affinity. It meets consumers where they are, making it a powerful tool for engagement.
That’s why your business should consider integrating UGC into your social media marketing strategies.
Final Thoughts
The evolution of marketing strategies has been nothing short of revolutionary, thanks to the influence of social media.
However, the ever-changing landscape of social media necessitates thoughtful planning and strategic acumen from businesses.
As our world continues its digital evolution, social media will persistently influence and reshape marketing strategies. Keeping pace with the continuously changing consumer demands is an ongoing challenge.
To conclude, it’s important to stay proactive in updating your marketing strategies and harness social media’s power effectively.
This way, you can ensure that your social media marketing strategies are always fresh, engaging, and in line with current trends. All the best for your marketing efforts!