Creating a Social Buzz Around Your Business

You need great content to ensure your brand is getting noticed online over your competitors. That’s no secret.

Creating content on a regular basis and sharing it across your business' website and social media platforms can lead to a spike in traffic, drive sales and help your business grow. There are a number of popular content trends you can adopt to help your business stand out from the crowd.

1) Mobile

It’s common knowledge that consumers are now accessing more content on their mobiles or tablets than on their desktops; a trend that’s only continuing to grow. We’re living in a world where consumers are increasingly connected so it’s important to create content that can be easily viewed, read and consumed on any screen. Mobile content includes anything from images, videos and animations to engaging social media posts and blog stories.

Use Google Trends to determine what local customers are interested in and set up google alerts to remain up-to-date with what’s trending in the area. This will help you to create mobile-friendly content that consumers actually want to see based on data, instead of relying on guesswork or instinct.

So what are the benefits of creating mobile content?

Not only will it show consumers that you’re consciously staying ahead of current trends, but it will make your business suitable for consumers who don’t have access to a desktop or PC. Mobile provides you with more opportunities to create viral content. Considering the fact that we now spend an average two hours per day on our mobiles – which is double the time spent on desktops or PCs – content can be shared more easily and quickly among peer groups.

Starbucks is a good example of a big brand using mobile marketing. The chain has developed a feature for its app which allows customers to choose and pay for their order before collection, demonstrating the importance of improved customer experience. Make mobile content stand out by going above and beyond what’s usually expected. For instance, build an app, combine mobile marketing with SEO and run a mobile search campaign, or offer discounts to customers who sign up to a text service. But do not spam customers as this could damage the brand-to-consumer relationship.

2) Live video

Research launched last year found that that 81% of respondents watched more live video in 2016 than the previous year. And 67% said that watching a live event inspired them to purchase tickets for a similar event. Live video can drive sales and bolster engagement.

Social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram already offer this capability, enabling you to reach consumers through live video.

Live video gives customers behind-the-scenes access and enables them to establish an authentic connection with the brand. Perhaps a meet-and-greet- with the team, a product launch or Q&A with some of the staff members could work well on live video?

For optimum success, make sure to catch your audience at peak engagement times – so understand through Google Analytics when your consumers are most engaged with the brand. And be sure to create a buzz about the upcoming live video in advance so your audience can anticipate the event.

3) User-generated content

User-generated content (UGC) allows you to capture the voice and opinion of customers through their own content. UGC takes the form of social shares, comments, reviews, and YouTube videos. And most surprisingly, people trust content made by their peers and prefer it to what’s created by brands. Not only that, but it’s a trend that requires less time and resources in-house.

UGC also returns fun and creativity to your brand. Think about how you want to reply to customers’ comments and search social media platforms to find users who are posting about your products. Interact with them to show your appreciation and acknowledge the fact that they are posting about you.

But be aware that UGC may not always generate the desired effect. It’s impossible for everyone to like your brand, so be prepared to receive negative backlash also. Occasionally, online comments can turn nasty and draw unwanted attention to your brand, but prepare a crisis plan in case things stray and if you’re honest and transparent about your business’ purpose, you should be able to avoid too much conflict.