Well it’s 2019, a new year and a new chapter. For me this couldn’t be more true as I consider options, investigate projects and look at opportunities for the year ahead. It’s funny but when you leave an organisation life actually becomes busier than it was when you were there! In fact over the last month there have been so many things happening I actually wondered where I found the time to go into an office!
What’s important however is to stay focused despite the distractions and opinions of others. Trust me I’ve had many people telling me exactly what they think I need to do next! The thing is you have to do what feels right to you, what inspires you and follow your passion. This made me think that it’s not unlike planning and delivering a campaign in a business environment which naturally comes with its own challenges.
The world of social media
So what will 2019 bring for the world of social media and what should you be considering to promote your business? With political uncertainty it’s more important than ever to ensure you stand out from the crowd. Business.com gave their top five tips saying you should:
- Use the right tools.
- Focus on customer service.
- Promote your social media accounts.
- Pay attention to what’s trending, and
- Focus on eye-catching visuals.
Personally from that list I’d pick 2 and 4 but really look to expand on each. Everyone focuses on customer service (or claim they do) but what are they actually doing?
What makes them / you stand out? Finding engagement opportunities and building in areas for your customer to engage in your campaign and brand will really start to make the difference that can ensure your business stands out. Also, just what is trending and for how long? You often hear marketers say that they are using what is currently trending. That’s only useful if it’s relevant to your brand and essentially, makes sense. Don’t completely change the direction of your campaign just to jump on a passing fad. It’s both distracting to your plan and your customer.
So what else is out there in 2019?
Social site Social Media Today predict social listening (that’s essentially ‘listening in’ or monitoring what customers are saying about you / your brand and what the competition is up to) will be big this year. That’s probably true as many companies are so uncertain they are looking to others for inspiration! It is however extremely important to listen to what your customers are saying about you and to give them a channel to contact you on. When people are upset with service they usually vent on social media networks so go check!
Video
I was also very pleased to see that video content will play a major role in 2019 and again according to Social Media Today some experts claim 80% of what we consume online will soon be video content especially live content.
If you saw my 60 seconds with for Flat Living Magazine you’ll know how I used video to share my news. It’s a great way to engage an audience and get your message out while simply being you. Last year I also ‘went live’ on the #HamptonsAtGatcombe campaign with Land Rover and their experience course. Don’t forget that your followers can also get notified that you’re going live so it gives them an opportunity to engage with you directly.
Over the coming months I’ll continue to share with you what’s likely to get engagement in 2019 (and beyond!) and I’d love to hear your thoughts on what you’d like to see so simply reach out to Flat Living Magazine across Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn and tell us, or directly to me on my channels. Just don’t forget to include the hashtag #BeMoreSocial in your comments!
Thank you!
James Biley is currently exploring opportunities as he embraces some new challenges this year so if you have a project or idea for your business there couldn’t be a better time to ask James a question or for his input. You can reach James directly on Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn.
