We at Flash Global Media are on a social media kick right now and its not looking to slow down anytime soon. The more research we do on the power of social media and social media marketing (SMM), the more we learn about its far-reaching power and influence. In a few recent blog posts, we discussed how social media is critical to your business success here and here but why stop there! We’re on a campaign lately to make sure that all customers, current or otherwise, understand the power of social media and how it can drive dollars and new customers to your business. As a result, we’re embarking on a multi-page blog post over the next several weeks, focusing on social media trends for 2023.
Recently, I was told by someone that “older people/customers really don’t want to use social media; that they don’t understand it”, to which I claim a resounding BS! While it may be true that older individuals may not necessarily understand how social media works, I still contend that once they are educated on the platforms, they will see the benefit of it as it relates to their business. We are in the business of educating after-all but I digress.
Social media is the easiest way to reach a larger target audience and at a fraction of the cost of traditional print marketing or other advertising. Most people are personally on several social media platforms already posting everything from what they had for dinner last night to where they’re vacationing in the coming weeks. So, why not extend that to your business? For the inaugural piece on social media, we’re going to look at the power of TikTok.
The marketing experts of HubSpot have recently put out a newsletter in which they discuss social media trends and how to drive success in the accelerated age of the “NOW” consumer. They report that TikTok will take over social media, leaving other platforms to adapt.
Further reporting, if there is one trend that is almost guaranteed as we move into 2023, it’s the continued domination of TikTok. The short term video platform has broken download records, quickly
becoming the go-to app for connecting with current and
future consumers. Powered by a highly personalized content
recommendation system, TikTok can help brands gain exposure
to and connect with a qualified, engaged audience. As the app
looks to introduce an e-commerce aspect and monetization
model, brands that want to connect with consumers need to be
TikTok savvy.
Trend analysis! TikTok awareness has grown greatly since its inception.
Conversations grew steadily until the end of 2019, and the app
then spiked in popularity as people spent more time indoors
during the pandemic. A 61% increase in mentions year over year
during the first half of 2021, converted into new users, making it
the first non-Facebook app to reach 3 billion global downloads. Wow!!!
One expert weighs in “According to our research, 68% of marketers do not plan on using TikTok for marketing purposes in the coming year. However, 32% are interested in learning about this platform. If you are looking to diversify your marketing beyond Instagram, look closely at TikTok. This is especially important if you are targeting Gen Z with your marketing”.
Michael Stelzner, General Manager, Founder of Social Media Examiner and Social Media Marketing World.
Follow your audience
If your audience is on TikTok, you should be too. Connect with them, and know where and about what they’re engaging with. To succeed on the platform, you need to make sure you’re a part of the conversations
they’re having.
Throw out tradition
Such a sudden and strong rise in user-generated content (UGC) has changed the way many traditional industries have been marketing. Some brands will
remain reluctant to recognize TikTok’s potential but the pandemic has shown just how crucial this new app is to access a more direct way to engage with consumers.
We at Flash Global Media have made it our mission to keep up with the rapidly evolving world of SEO and technology, and to in turn, help our customers continue to thrive. Partnering with us, it a solid decision, especially as this whole SMM thing takes off. Let us help educate you and show you how the power of social media can help propel your business past your competitor.