Last Minute Additions to Your 2018 Social Media Strategy

12 Jan Last Minute Additions to Your 2018 Social Media Strategy

We have officially transitioned into a new year and it is time to start implementing your new or revised strategy. Take a look back at your learnings from 2017 for a reminder of where you are headed in 2018. Keep in mind that it is never too late to add to or tweak your strategy. A few last-minute additions for your 2018 strategy are to include more video, use Pinterest for Search, activate micro-influencers and determine a role for Messenger.

More Video

If you thought 2017 was the year of video, think again. Video will continue to grow in importance in 2018. Video should be an integral piece of your content strategy across all channels. Back in December, Facebook reiterated that they will be giving video priority in the news feed. The channels are competing for your video content and thus launching new features to keep marketers engaged. Quality video content is still paramount so keep in mind these best practices when creating video content for social.

Use Pinterest for Search

In 2017, Pinterest announced that it was moving away from being a social network to be more focused on being a visual search engine. This means your approach for Pinterest needs to change. Keep in mind SEO best practices and a strong keyword strategy when populating your Pinterest presence in 2018. Additionally, we have noticed that CPC costs have been increasing as more advertisers begin to spend money on the platform. If you have been advertising on Pinterest for a while, be prepared for your dollars not to go as far in 2018.

Activate Micro-Influencers

Influencer marketing will continue to grow in 2018. Linqia surveyed 180+ B2C marketers to gain insight on influencer marketing trends for 2018. The results showed that 60% of marketers plan to keep the same or increase their influencer marketing budget. A main trend for 2018 is brands wanting to leverage multiple types of influencers for their programs. With this trend, I think we will see a greater shift to using micro-influencers. Using micro-influencers will help those campaign dollars stretch further and allow smaller brands to leverage influencers in their mix, as well.

Figure Out Messenger

Many brands have shied away from messaging apps because they are uncharted territory. It is time to figure out where these apps play in your strategy, particularly Facebook Messenger. Messenger usage grew significantly in 2017. The platform now has 1.3B monthly users with people participating in more than seven billion conversations on Messenger on any given day. Many large brands are using Messenger to handle customer service requests, serve 1:1 ads or start conversations with fans via chat bots. Depending on your industry, figure out the best way to leverage Facebook Messenger in 2018 to not fall behind the curve.