These Are the Social Media Trends and Tactics Europe-Based Startups Are Using Right Now Follow these social media marketing trends for the year ahead.
By Robert Katai Edited by Dan Bova
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
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Social media was, and still is, one of the best possible channels if you need to market a startup, grow awareness of a new brand and launch it in a market. European startups have used it as a gateway to an audience and consequently, a gateway to success since its beginnings. They also use it in order to build and entertain a community around their projects. And, if the product is valid in today's context, social media can help you get from zero to hero in less time than traditional advertising.
Related: Why We Need to Rethink Influencer Marketing in Europe
A valid product is a product or service that satisfies a need, solves a problem or gives solutions to it. And people using the internet and social media are always seeking to satisfy one of these needs. They are most likely to connect with brands and companies that are transmitting a direct and personalized message and who engage in active communication with them.
The power of social media
We know that at least 44 percent of the total global population uses social media. This is a huge number considering that some of the most popular social media platforms are relatively new, compared to the history of digital communication and the internet itself.
Social media is, however, a constantly changing universe. And, in order to thrive in this universe, one has to stay up to date with the latest trends and developments. If you own a European startup or if you are about to start marketing for one, I have compiled a short list of the most important trends for the year to come. Let's have a look:
1. Create a personalized Instagram feed.
Social media is all about communication and individuality. People share their lives, their joys and sorrows and expect to engage actively with their peers. Therefore, they will highly regard a brand that personalizes its feed and delivers true-to-its-nature social media posts.
Here's an example that comes from Lelograms, a startup that has a lot to gain from Instagram and its communities. It offers us a colored Instagram feed to look astonishing and at the same time, professional and neat.
Here's a screenshot:
Observe how each set of images has a different color background.
If you browse the company's account, you will notice the attractive, personalized and inspirational palette of colors they share with us.
Related: Why Central European Brands Don't Need to Spend a Lot to Grow a Following
2. Engage with a community using Facebook groups.
Facebook groups are also a great way to promote your startup, considering that here, people who share the same interests gather and discuss issues, problems and information.
To be in line with this trend, you have two options:
- You can create your own group.
- You can search for relevant groups and engage with peers.
Posting in other people's groups implies that you have to abide to their rules and guidelines, so creating your own group may be more beneficial on the long run. This is a tactic a lot of companies are using now. Moreover, people in your group are basically your main audience when it comes to marketing. Why? By joining your group, they let you know that they are interested in your brand and/or company and therefore, they are more valuable than a random demographic group.
If you need an example, take a look at the Facebook group for my company, Bannersnack. Fans have access to exclusive information and news related to the app and the latest trends in design and all related domains of interest for them.
Why Facebook groups?
There are already 1 billion people using Facebook groups worldwide as of this year. Moreover, business owners with Facebook pages are able to instantly create dedicated groups and advertise them among the relevant communities.
Related: With GDPR Disrupting Email Marketing, LinkedIn Is the Best Alternative
3. Create vertical content.
On June 20, Instagram launched its dedicated video platform, which was supposed to be mobile based and of course, mobile friendly. And, it is. Unlike other counterparts such as YouTube, IGTV is based on vertical content, the type of content that is most suitable for mobile users since most of these people are reading, playing and watching content vertically on their devices, which is also the natural position for a smartphone or a tablet.
Who's using IGTV?
Well, there are a lot of brands and companies that have already set up their IGTV accounts and that are constantly updating their audience with new content. One of these brands is SocialBakers (full disclosure: I have written articles for SocialBakers), a company that also advocates for this channel and has been using it since its first days.
4. Create content just for Linkedin.
LinkedIn is a social media platform that has become increasingly popular during the last few years among professionals, recruiters and companies. It's good to know that you can also use this channel for content marketing. You get instant access to a peer-based community and as a consequence, depending on what you are promoting, a dedicated and aware social group.
Vlad Calus, co-founder of Planable, told me he mostly focuses on LinkedIn for his marketing strategy, and he's been able to connect with more than 3,000 people a month.
"LinkedIn is the best channel if you're into B2B market and Eastern European is significantly lacking the expertise in this field. That's why, if you're trying to sell a product in this region, you'll have a very great success in a very short time because of very low competition," he said.
