Lunch and Learn: New social media trends that can boost engagement

In this Lunch and Learn, Katherine George dives into how to maximise engagement for small businesses across the main social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.

Katherine is the founder of the multi-award-winning, international social media agency Oh So Social. As one of the original eight Meta Blueprint Lead Trainers in Europe and previously one of 24 Facebook and Instagram-accredited mentors in the UK, she has a wealth of expert social media knowledge and experience.

This webinar is part of a series for business.connected. Check out the other events

Topics covered in this session

• Discover everything you need to know about working with influencers to boost engagement

• Find out the trends for 2024 that will encourage more engagement for small businesses

• Learn what works well (and what doesn't) on the main social media networks

Katherine's key points from the webinar

Influencer marketing

• Take advantage of nano and micro influencers (1,000 to 3,000 followers) who have authentic expertise in their niche. Offer them creative control and ask them for genuine opinions to boost engagement.

• Use user-generated content (UGC) as a key part of your strategy. Bring in influencers and brand ambassadors to share real, genuine content that resonates with your audience.

• Tap into your local market on social media using local influencers, trends and events to build a strong connection with your audience.

Creating content

• Produce longer form content (more than 30 seconds) that adds value – such as tutorials and guides. Use the engagement baiting method, where you leave out vital information to encourage audience interaction.

• Incorporate nostalgic trends like film cameras and 90s clothing to leverage a sense of shared experience and community with your audience.

• Use AI to save time and optimise your content, but only if it aligns with your business morals and brand.

Engagement tactics

• Engage in one-to-one conversations on social media, making marketing a FaceTime-like conversation to break down the fourth wall and encourage real feedback.

• Create brave content by having fun, following trends and getting across creative opinions, while encouraging and incentivising user-generated content through competitions.

Posting strategy

• Focus on quality over quantity, posting at least once a day on Instagram and TikTok. Use authenticity and behind-the-scenes stories to increase engagement.

• Scheduling software is great for maintaining consistency. You can set a specific time each week to create and schedule all content.

Online advertising

• Run Instagram ads with a minimum budget of £1 per week to see results, increasing to a larger budget for tangible sales (potentially £1 per sale).

• Be brave and test new content on social media, as your bravery will be rewarded with stronger engagement.

Free video training, exclusive offers and workshops

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