This article was contributed by Anna Marsh.

Have you driven tremendous results for your brand through social media in 2015 and the first half of 2016? Are you looking for more improvement this year? Then, you definitely need to keep yourself up to the mark with the latest social media trends.

Social media is evolving as the biggest component for generating business leads and sales. It clearly means that you need to come up with some extraordinary planning that can stand you out of the competition.

However, it is only possible if you are following the latest trends and implementing the right techniques to accomplish them. Here’s the lowdown.

1)     Live Video Streaming Is Playing a Key Role

Apart from producing compelling social content, brands need to utilize live video streaming as a prominent option to connect with the existing customers and attract even more.

You don’t need to get worried because Periscope and Meerkat are the apps that will let you do it quite easily.

Remember, consumers always trust brands that care about their people and make every possible effort to fulfill their desires. And, I believe that live video streaming will absolutely bring you one stop closer to your intended audience.

Furthermore, you can also use this option to share the success story of your brand and the steps you and your team takes to satisfy your customers.

2)     A Brand that Focuses on Real-Time Engagement is Leading the Race

When it comes to social media, consistency plays a significant role, especially when people are spending 28% of their online time on social media.

In this massive competition, if you are not listening to your prospects properly, you will not be able to accomplish your ultimate goal.

Therefore, keep your audience involved through regular interaction. And, it is seriously not a big deal when you have so many automation tools available.

Have you ever thought that why gigantic brands like Coca-Cola and Starbucks are so successful on social media?

The reason is pretty simple. These brands always stay active on social channels and engage their audiences through a variety of techniques. Moreover, such types of brands also respond quite efficiently which is yet another prominent reason behind their success.

Similarly, if you are expecting some outstanding outcomes from social media, then get more focused toward real-time engagement.

3)     Data Analysis for Effective Decision Making

Gone are the days when business decisions have been made on ideal situations. But, with the advancement in technology, everything has changed quite a lot.

Now, if you want to formulate customer-centric social media strategy, you must have to gather genuine facts and data to make a mature decision.

If you haven’t been giving importance to data analysis till now, then it is just a perfect time for you to take it into consideration.

You don’t need to make any extra effort for this because there are plenty of data analysis tools available. But, I personally use SproutSocial and Moz Analytics. It is because the options and features these two tools offer are not available anywhere else.

So, watch the social data very closely to make your decisions accordingly.

4)     Brands Should Emphasize More on Visual Content

Content in its simple text form will no more be enough to captivate the customers and intended audience. You really have to incorporate spectacular visual aspects for making your content more readable and exciting.

It is a fact that social media gets updated after every single second with unlimited number of posts. And, it is merely not possible for a user to read each and everything he is coming across.

In such a situation, he will only consider reading the posts that look more appealing to his eyes.

Well, it is a clear sign that if you want to boost the visibility of your social posts, then make your content as much captivating as possible through quality visuals.

For this, I would suggest you to analyze the social profiles of Kate Spade New York and tHe Horse Footwear. These brands exactly know how their audiences will get satisfied through visual content.

5)     Customers Are Becoming the Influencers

Converting a prospect into a customer is no more a big deal, but satisfying that customer to make him the influencer definitely is.

A potential buyer conducts a thorough research before making his final decision. For this, he will ask other people about their experiences.

In such a situation, if you have already established a good relationship with your existing customers, they will certainly turn out to be the influencers for your target audience.

Therefore, it is important for you to satisfy your existing customers, so that they can become the real ambassadors of your brand.

6)     New Publication Options Will Open A Gateway for Brands

Facebook is rolling out its new Instant Article feature. I personally think that this feature will be an astonishing option for brands, publishers and marketers to convey their messages in a detailed manner.

In this informative age, it has become crucial for brands to educate their prospects. And, Instant Article will be an appropriate feature for this purpose.

Apart from Facebook, if you are targeting a more mature audience, then LinkedIn’s pulse feature can also be the right choice for you.

In short, you don’t need to miss any opportunity to win your intended audience and trust me these publication features are quite useful elements that will keep you connected with your prospects.

7)     Mobile Should be Given the Topmost Priority

Do you know that the number of mobile-only internet users now exceeds desktop-only users in the U.S?

If you are not taking mobile phones seriously, then it is the right time to think of it as the most important element for building up a strong social media strategy for your brand.

It is absolutely going to be a sensible move because majority of people now use mobile phones to spend time on social media.

For this, you will have to use appropriate size of images that can look stunning on smartphones and other portable devices. Furthermore, you will also have to restructure your social content strategy accordingly to attain better outcomes.

Wrapping It Up

Social media is emerging as a remarkable platform for all types of brands, B2B and B2C companies. But, it is an ever-changing industry that requires you to be updated about the latest trends and effective techniques.

If you want to make the most out of your social media effort in 2016, then it is essential for you to follow the aforementioned instructions in a proper way.

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Anna Marsh is herself a very imaginative and artistic designer at Essay writing service UK who has sold many plans and art works on altered online platforms.