Using social media in business is essential to build brand awareness, engage with current customers and attract new ones. More than 3 billion people around the world use social media, new reports from We Are Social show. This makes it entirely clear: Social media is not a passing trend.
You’re probably asking yourself how it’s humanly possible to keep with the ever-evolving trends of social media and still have time do your job. Well, you’ve come to the right place, because we’re here to help.
Here are a few simple tips, tools and tricks to keep up with social media trends:
Read and subscribe to social media news sites
We’re most likely to learn about major social media news, such as the launch of Instagram stories, online on the day it happens or through friends and colleagues soon after. Conversations about smaller updates, like Pinterest removing its “Like” button, might not become topics discussed around the water cooler. But it’s important to stay on top of all the changes because they can influence your social media strategy.
If you like getting your news directly from the source, we recommend following major social media platforms. Most of these organizations announce their updates and changes on their newsroom or company blogs:
- Facebook Newsroom
- Instagram Business blog
- Twitter blog
- Snap News
- Snapchat for business blog
- Oh, how Pinteresting!
- Google+ blog
We also suggest subscribing to a few blogs that post content about social media so you don’t miss out on anything. Subscribing guarantees you direct access to the latest news without having to spend too much time searching for it.
Here are a few blogs to get you started:
Set up Google Alerts
We know what you’re probably thinking — there is not enough time in the day to read through that many news sites and blogs. Another tactic for learning the latest on social media is to set up Google Alerts for the platforms most relevant to you.
Pick your top three favorite topics or influencers and set up Google Alerts for them. The alerts will notify you when there is new content about social media, helping you stay up to date on any breaking news in the industry. HubSpot recommends getting these alerts once a day to avoid clogging your inbox.
For more information on Google Alerts, click here.
Listen to podcasts
Podcasts are another effective way of finding out what’s going on in social media. One of the great things about listening to podcast is you can do it while on your commute, buying groceries or even working out.
Here are a few podcasts recommended by HubSpot:
- Marketing Smarts: How “Dolphin Tale” Brought 800,000 Visitors a Year to Clearwater Marine Aquarium
- The Growth Show: Episode 100: Guy Kawasaki’s Unconventional Advice on Growth
- Hashtagged: Focusing on Creating Content and Community Versus Being an Influencer with Dan Joyce
If you need more information on how podcasts work, click here.
We understand that it’s easy to get caught up in content, but don’t get overwhelmed. Take a deep breath and set aside at least 20 minutes a day to catch up on the latest social media news. When you learn about a new social media trend, implement it in your daily routine to see if it works for you and your business!
