In 1994, banner ads on information boards were a successful digital marketing campaign. In 2000, pop-up ads and pay-per-click were the new hot things.
Fast forward to 2004, with the launching of Facebook, digital advertising took a huge turn. Social media advertising took the world into a frenzy, from photo posts to live streaming.
The trends in social media ads change fast, so consistent updating is necessary. So here’s a quick update on the different types of social media ads you need to know to survive 2023 online!
The Reign of Short-form Videos: TikTok and Reels
Since the dawn of mobile phones, Pay-per-click (PPC) ads have started to lose their value. Instead, photo and video ads plagued the world wide web.
Yet, while 82% of global internet traffic consists of video content, it doesn’t guarantee that digital users will be watching your video ads. Interestingly, 65% of digital media users skip video ads, no matter how creative.
The reason? Digital consumers are getting more impatient. As a result, there’s a massive shift of fondness from long-form videos to short-form videos.
TikTok videos, Facebook and Instagram Reels, and YouTube’s Shorts are particularly interesting. Businesses should use these features to make their brand known, especially if your target is millennial and Gen Z consumers.
Use Reels to Give Chills
Instagram also stepped towards the shorter video movement when it introduced Instagram Reels. To no surprise, this strategy worked as Instagram user engagement boosted.
Instagram videos and Reels are at the top of the priority list for Insta’s recommendation algorithm. This means that Reels is the best way to capture the eyes of Instagram users.
Hence, this supposed photo-based platform is now brimming with Reels. Influencers, for instance, are opting to promote their partner brands through reels.
Augmented and Virtual Reality will Take Over Social Media Marketing
Remember the filters and stickers Facebook and photo editors provide? Those are AR or augmented reality, primarily used to enhance and make content stand out. However, using augmented reality continues beyond cool glasses or sun-kissed skin effects.
With AR, social media platforms are making engaging trends among their users. The LGBTQ movement stamps or avatars on users’ profile pictures are a great example. In addition, the cool neon swirls used on videos exemplify how AR can make your campaign pop off.
Virtual reality (VR) also offers the social engagement online consumers are seeking. YouTube, for instance, gives VR experiences such as virtual safari tours and sports activities.
Another way businesses are using virtual and augmented reality is via product tryouts. Online consumers can now try products to see how they work. Consumers, for instance, can virtually try on a pair of glasses to see how well it fits them.
The best thing about virtual reality is that this is only the start. We have barely scratched its potential. The more we explore, the more social media marketing opportunities we’ll discover.
Social Media SEO Supremacy
Did you know that 40% of 18- to 24-year-old social media users use their accounts as their search engine? Specifically, 62% of Instagram users research brands and products on the platform.
What does this mean for brands like yours?
It’s time to employ innovative social media SEO in your marketing campaign. As you would on your websites, you want to ensure that consumers see your ad before anyone else.
To do this, you need your ads to show on the first page of the results page. As such, use digital marketing SEO keywords on your ad posts instead of hashtags and captions. Remember, the more relevant and precise the keyword, the higher the SEO score.
Authentic Social Media Ads
Apart from video content, authenticity is now a significant determinant for the success of social media marketing campaigns. In the time of overly edited content, there’s high demand for realistic, honest content. This is mainly for ad content such as a review or product-test videos.
This demand for authenticity is why real-time digital content, such as lives, is peaking. They want to filter out generated comments by watching how well the product or service works.
This is also why user-generated content (UGC) is taking over social media. UGC is social media content created by regular consumers. An example of UGC includes posts of a customer sharing their experience with a product.
Since brands don’t commission UGC, people trust the information they get from it. This is great for businesses that want to establish their brand reputation. It’s proof that brands can leverage to seem more reliable, increasing brand loyalty.
Tap Into the Micro-influencer Market
Even amid the rising consumer cynicism for generated content, influencer marketing will be around. In fact, macro-influencers are still prominent across social media platforms.
Due to this spotlight, affiliating with influencers is getting more expensive. This is a big deal breaker for start-ups or small businesses.
Fortunately, there’s a way around this dilemma: opt for smaller influencers. Macro-influencers have huge followings, hence higher returns on investment. Yet, it doesn’t mean they’re the only way to go considering the shift in consumer behavior.
As mentioned, social media users are constantly looking for authentic content. Hence, they’re streaming away from big-time influencers. Instead, they’re leaning on micro-influencers because they seem more credible without brands’ sponsorship.
The Promising Social Audios
Finally, while video-formatted social media ads lead the trend, social audio is catching up. Did you know that 62% of Americans aged 12 and above listened to a podcast at least once in 2022 alone? This is a 57% increase from the podcast listeners in the previous year.
Not to mention, 41% of them listened to a podcast this month. Of which, 28% listened just this week! This is evident proof of the growing social audio market.
Thus, voice messaging and live audio rooms are some social audios you want to include in this year’s plan.
Keep Up with Changing Social Media Trends with WSI
Much like the human mind, trends are constantly changing. It takes work to keep up. Keeping your eyes and ears on the buzz to survive today’s digital world is best.
Planning and implementing effective social media ads will take a toll on you. Fortunately, you don’t have to spread yourself too thin.
We’ll ensure your brand reaches its full potential using innovative and result-proven solutions. Talk to our brilliant futurists today to find out how we can further your ideas and passion!
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