How to Keep Up with Social Media Trends

Social media is an ever-changing scene. With different apps vying for everyone’s attention, each one is committed to offering something that’s always fresh, with hopes of constantly attracting users to keep coming back to them. In this landscape, not only are the users wanting to be seen and heard, the platforms are all dying to be noticed as well. This gets a bit more interesting when new social media platforms such as Bereal and Clubhouses are slowly coming into the mix as well.

This is why these social media platforms are constantly developing new features to keep up with trends. Remember the time when you had just got the hang of posting really cool Instagram stories, and suddenly Instagram drops another bomb that is Instagram reels? this is because platforms such as Tik Tock made the short form video the most consumed form of media. Now other platforms such as Pinterest, Youtube, Linkedin and Google are expanding their short form offerings.

Whether you’re a social media manager or a regular user, don’t you sometimes find it hard to keep up? Just when you’ve embraced one new feature, another pops up. And for the former, knowing that this is central to your work, you always have to be on the lookout for trends and new features to learn and share with your clients.

So how do you keep up with social media trends? We’ve rounded up a list of ways that can help you make the adaptations smoother.

Go where the hashtags go. 

Nowadays, hashtags play a huge role in getting spotted. Where else will you find updates on social media than in social media itself? Follow the trail by looking into hashtags like #socialmedimarketing #socialmediastrategy and the like. You’ll find millions of posts dedicated to the latest trends. We love exploring IQ Hashtags to find relevant hashtags on social media.

Explore the apps themselves to see what’s new.

Let’s say you’re an Instagram user. You can tap on the Explore button to see the latest posts about the latest trends on the platform. On Instagram, you’ll find a mix of photos and reels from different users that you can check out. You can also find trending posts by finding hashtags. We love exploring IQ Hashtags to help us generate hashtags that matter in our field.

Subscribe to social media blogs and channels. 

Social media blogs and channels are great resources for finding out the latest social media trends. Whenever there is a new update, you’re sure to find well-written articles that talk about the latest trends in detail. When you visit their blogs, you’ll get immersed in so many valuable resources that it’s best to set aside a chunk of time for you to read up. Have fun and consider it your regular social media trends classes! Here are some of our favourite social media blogs and YouTube channels:

• Hootsuite
• Later
• Buffer
• Social Media Examiner
• Buzzsumo

Take cues from social media gurus and influencers. 

When looking for the latest updates on social media, one of your best bets is social media gurus and influencers. They’ve dedicated huge amounts of time to learning about social media platforms so that they’ll most likely share the latest trends in great detail. An important tip that we’d like to add though is to be more discerning when it comes to who you’ll follow. The thing with these influencers and gurus is that many of them easily brand themselves as one. As a user who consumes information, it’s important that you ask yourself:

When looking for the latest updates on social media, one of your best bets is social media gurus and influencers.

• Are they really knowledgeable when it comes to social media trends?
• Do they have proven track records of effective results?
• Are they regularly sharing valuable information with their audience?
• Have they amassed a huge following?

Here are some of our personal favourites:

• Neil Patel
• Guy Kawasaki
• Gary Vaynerchuk
• Chris Do
• Marie Forleo
• Brian Honigman

Subscribe to social media platforms’ newsletters.

If you really want to get first dibs, straight from the platform itself, subscribe to their newsletter. Newsletters are one of the best ways for any organisation to disseminate information, and most importantly, are their latest updates. Social media platforms are no different. Be wary of subscribing to too many though, as they may leave your inboxes cluttered and your attention divided.

Tune in to podcasts.

Podcasts have become increasingly popular over the years. Listening to them is a great way to learn something new as they’re made with lots of time dedicated to research. Podcasts are very easy to consume because you can easily listen to them doing whatever you need to do during the day, while they’re in the background. There are plenty of insightful podcasts dedicated to social media marketing and trends, but here are some of the notable ones:

• The Social Media Marketer Podcast (from the Social Media Examiner)
• Social Pros Podcast
• Maximize Your Social with Neal Schaffer

The Takeaway

Social media is one of the most powerful tools to get connect and be seen or heard. It’s a constantly changing landscape, so keeping up with the trends is as important as being on one that works for you. These trends are a great learning opportunity for you.  Unless you’re a social media specialist, you don’t always have to ride the waves. But if you are one, keeping up with the trends is a great way to up your game.

 

Managing Director

Shamal Wijeweera