Lynda - Social Media Marketing Trends

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Social Media Marketing Trends

Course details
Social media is always evolving, requiring companies adapt their marketing strategies to more effectively reach audiences. Learn which social media marketing trends matter now and find out how to use them to drive engagement and sales at your business. This series highlights the top trends to consider adopting, including the next evolution of influencer marketing, dynamic ads, social shopping, and how brands should advocate on relevant social causes. Social media marketing expert Brian Honigman also explores augmented reality features on social media and trends on video platforms such as YouTube and TikTok. Each tip helps you understand the most recent developments in social media and get more meaningful results from your marketing efforts.

Note: Because this is an ongoing series, viewers will not receive a certificate of completion.


China leads next ecommerce wave
“ (upbeat music) - We've all seen an infomercial on QVC before, and now that concept is evolving and modernizing quite rapidly on social media in China. Livestream shopping is where consumers tune in to live shows on Chinese social networks and marketplaces to be entertained, get product recommendations, and demonstrations from influencers and brands alike. And it's already become a multi-billion dollar industry as each of the leading platforms continues to add more e-commerce features, from mobile payments to mini programs. While the popular social networks like WeChat, Weibo and Doyenne all offer live streaming to varying degrees, the major opportunities are the live streaming features on the e-commerce marketplaces like Alibaba, jd.com and Tmall. That's because consumers are used to buying products on these platforms, so it's a seamless experience to make a purchase directly from a live stream there. This has taken off as the next frontier of eCommerce in China, because it allows companies to offer a more interactive, three dimensional experience online. Companies like Allbirds, Walmart and Bissell have all found success hosting their own or sponsoring live streams hosted by influencers referred to as key opinion leaders in China. Whether you're trying to reach the Chinese market or not, more live streaming shopping and social commerce features are getting released globally, and it's time to prepare your strategy. Platforms like Instagram, TikTok, Shopify and Amazon have already launched live shopping experiences which are a chance to feature your products, highlight how they're used, get instant feedback, and of course, drive real-time purchases. To launch your own live stream successfully, follow the advice of Zoe Zang, the co-Founder of And Luxe Inc, a consulting agency that helps brands sell their products with live streaming. (upbeat music) - The most important part of live streaming, a successful live streaming event, will consistently have three parts. They have to have very attractive products, first of all. And an interesting content. And then, the most important part is the interaction parts, between the brands, or the influencer to the audience. To attract them to really come, then you have to offer a really limited edition or exclusive edition. Something that you wouldn't get, you know, without watching this live streaming. That's probably the number one reason to make them come, actually, to tune in to watch the live streaming. And for the content part, in term of live streaming, think about it as a reality TV show. Besides the beautiful side of the brand image, they also want to see the, you know, the other side of the brand. So they want to do a discovery. They want to know that what you do every day. What does a designer do in order to create a collection? They want to know, where is your inspiration coming from visually, not just talking about it. I see the sun and I really liked it. And I love the colors so it became one of my, you know, Pantones on this collection. No, actually show them the board. Show them behind the scene. Show them, you know, how chaos. Show them the organized chaos. I think that's one of the key element is to show them that the scene that they don't usually see on TV. They want to know your secrets. For their favorite designer, they want to know, what kind of shampoo do you use? They actually want to know their personal life. That makes them more closer to the consumers. It doesn't matter, you're a luxury brand or you're a contemporary brand or a high street brand. The more personal you can get, the closer you can get with your consumer. For live streaming, you actually watch, and you are talking to the host directly. And you're talking to other people, that's leaving comments, that's watching the live stream, at the same time. So this is actually a three-way communication, a three-way interaction. And that is the social part of live streaming commerce. (upbeat music) - [Instructor] With her advice in mind, consider hosting a live stream before committing long-term, and offering some of your top-selling products for purchase on social media to gauge interest. It's important to note that there's not a one-size-fits-all approach to live streaming success, especially if you're trying to target the Chinese consumer. What's important is that you do your research to understand the nuances of each platform, the preferences of the customer base you're trying to attract, and have clear goals in mind. In many ways, live streaming is the QVC for Gen Z, which is an example of one of the many ways China will continue to take the lead at the intersection of e-commerce and social media.