Social Media Has Evolved, Have You?

The year 2010 seems like it was just yesterday, doesn’t it? But if you think about it, digital years are like dog years, they go by so fast. So, although it’s actually only been seven years, in the digital marketing world, 2010 was almost fifty years ago.  

Our Senior Inbound Marketing and Sales Consultant, Amy, will tell you that marketing moves very quickly. When she left for maternity leave in May, the marketing world she lived in was very different than it is now. Three months later, she has learned a few things.

One of those things that changes is social media. In today’s digital world, social media is changing every single day. Whether it’s a new Facebook update that allows you to use a video for your cover photo, or LinkedIn allowing you to post native videos that play as your followers scroll down their home screens, something is different every day.

The main players in social media that were around in 2010 are still around today, but they are so different.

In 2010, LinkedIn reached a milestone, 90 million members worldwide. Today, that has nearly quintupled, with 467 million LinkedIn users.

It was less than ten years ago that Facebook went public, allowing anyone (of appropriate age) to have an account. As of 2016, Facebook has over 1.65 billion monthly active users, 54.2% of which solely access Facebook through mobile devices.

Instagram was just entering the social media game in 2010. In 2012, Facebook purchased Instagram for $1 billion. Since then, the total number of Instagram users has grown from 30 million to 700 million in just five years. 

Twitter first got its start in 2009. While it hasn't evolved as much as others, there have been a few changes. In 2016, Twitter optimized the timeline. The best (tweets with the most interaction) tweets were now at the top of the timeline, followed by the rest in the original reverse chronological order. This year, Twitter made a big change. Now, we no longer have to adhere to the 140 character limit that Twitter is famous for. 

How can I get the most out of my social media platforms?

VIDEO

Our audiences aren’t engaging on social media the same way they were seven years ago. We’ve stressed this so much, but we will say it again, video, video, video. Not only is it here to stay, but it is what your buyer personas want to see. According to HubSpot, 43% of people want to see more video content from marketers and 51.9% of marketing professionals worldwide name video as the type of content with the best return on investment. 

If editing videos is what scares you, then consider live streaming videos using Facebook Live and Live Stories on Instagram. These live videos are perfect when showing off your booth at trade shows. 

MESSAGING

Today's buyers want 24/7 communication and apps like Facebook Messenger give you the ability to be there when your customers need you.  If someone can't be there 24/7 to answer messages, consider using a messaging bot that allows you to respond to your customers in a timely fashion. By being there when your customers need answers, you instill a sense of trust between your company and the customers. 

ANALYTICS

Almost every social media platform used by businesses has an analytics feature. Today, it's not about just posting anything and hoping it is received well. By utilizing the analytics features built into these social media platforms, you know what works and what doesn't.

We are given what people want to see, we just have to act on it. If you're using a marketing automation tool, such as HubSpot, the analytics are built right into the software, making it easier than ever to track post performance. 

If you want to get the most out of your social media efforts in today's marketplace, you need to be sure you're taking advantage of the tools in front of you. Utilize video, messaging and analytics to be sure you're getting the right message to the right people at the right time. 

Ready to learn more about how social media impacts your foodservice business? Sign up for our free course, Social Selling 101, and transform the way you use social media for business.