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Wondering which Social Media trends are worth watching this year? In the past year alone, we have seen many trends come and go. From the notorious Tide laundry pod challenge in recent times to overdone memes, endorsements, influencer posts, video, social retail and live help, some social media marketing trends have more staying power than others.

Social Media Trends to Consider (And a Few to Avoid)

How do you know which Social Media Trends will add real value? For starters, you can consider the tips below.

Which trends add the most value?

Some of the trends worth noting include the following:

• Live streaming and video. Facebook Live, YouTube and Twitter video have all grown rapidly over the last year or two. If you are not integrating video into your social media marketing strategy, now is the time to start thinking about how you can bring your brand stories to life. That does not mean that you should post just any video, however. If you cannot invest time and effort into engaging, genuinely useful video, it is best to give this trend a miss.
• Influencer marketing. Influencer marketing has evolved quite a bit over the years. Today, it is more about partnering with bloggers and influencers who share your brand’s values and ethos than mindlessly promoting products at random. Choose your influencers wisely, focusing on one or two highly relevant bloggers rather than a large number of random bloggers and influencers.
• Chatbots and live help. Customers rely on social media to connect with brands quickly and simply. Live help and messaging have evolved to streamline this process, forgoing the need for email or phone chats, which can often take longer. Make sure that you respond to messages and chats as quickly as possible to reap the benefits of this trend.
• Social retail. With the continued growth of Facebook’s marketplace, social retail is becoming more important each month. This trend allows customers to shop directly from your social media pages, without the need to redirect people to your shop.

Which trends are better left ignored?

Trends that are not worth the effort include the following:

• Pointless or irrelevant challenges. We’ve covered this in our guide to social media trends to avoid. Challenges can be a fun way to reveal your quirky side or show your support for initiatives that are close to your heart. Unless there is a genuine link, however, approach this trend with caution. It can do your brand more harm if the challenge is in no way related to your industry.
• Hit and miss memes. Memes should also be approached with care. In today’s online world, it is all too easy to inadvertently offend people without even trying. Memes can be edgy and fun, but they can also cause disconnect if they do not follow your brand tone or style. Instead of blindly following internet crazes, aim to provide content that is genuinely useful and authentic to your brand.
• Generic endorsements. Finally, the days of generic endorsement are over. Audiences are tired of bloggers and celebrities shamelessly plugging products. With the growing number of sponsored posts, not to mention the ever-changing algorithms of social media channels, you can no longer afford to seek fake, desperate or overly promotional.

Ultimately, the focus should always be on providing content that is true to your brand. Get that right and you won’t ever have to worry about following social media trends.

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