In today's digital landscape, businesses of all sizes are constantly trying to cut through the noise and connect with their target audience. However, in an online world ever more saturated with content, consumed by people with ever shorter attention spans, it's getting harder and harder to be noticed.

This blog post will explore the latest trends in social media marketing, including short-form videos, platform-specific content, and user-generated content. We'll also provide practical advice on how to implement these strategies to grow your business.

1. Short-form video

The consensus is overwhelming: short-form video is the most popular trend among small business owners, and it will only continue to grow.

Short-form video is commonly defined as any video content less than 60 seconds long and is usually in a vertical (portrait) format (i.e., compatible with being watched on a smartphone). According to Influencer Marketing Hub, 73% of consumers prefer watching short-form videos to learn about a product or service which has the highest ROI. For more stats and some handy practical information, read their Ultimate Guide to Short-Form Video Content.

This trend for short-form video presents an excellent opportunity for smaller businesses with smaller budgets, as the objective is to create quick bite-sized edutainment rather than toil over a big slick production. So, if you run a small wholesale b2b dropshipping companies, you can create short videos showcasing your products' unique features and benefits, providing your target audience with a quick and engaging way to learn more about what you offer.

Try and think of a hook to grab people’s attention, but always make sure your videos are relevant to your business, tie in with your brand, and showcase your expertise. Experiment with posting on different platforms and monitor engagement so you can narrow down your focus (see trend 2 below).

2. Platform-specific content

For a long time, it’s been fairly standard practice for marketers to post the same (or very similar) content on different platforms. Theoretically, this is a cost-effective way of reaching a bigger audience with little extra effort.

But there has been a shift away from this model, and it’s becoming an increasingly popular strategy to create content tailored to specific platforms. There are two main reasons for this:

· Different platforms offer specific features and formats that are sometimes overlooked and not used to their best advantage.

· Different platforms have slightly different audiences with different needs and habits. It makes sense that if you want to achieve meaningful engagement, you must choose the best platforms that suit your business and target your content accordingly.

Smaller businesses are likely to be using just a couple of social media platforms, and this trend emphasizes the importance of focusing on fewer marketing activities but doing them well.

3. Authentic, relatable content

In an online world ever more saturated with content, consumed by people with ever shorter attention spans, it’s getting harder and harder to be noticed. People are also increasingly turned off by content that is too polished or ‘corporate.’

This has led to a shift towards more authentic, relatable content. In addition, brands are attempting to become more ‘humanized’ in order to make deeper connections with their customers. The migration of Twitter users to LinkedIn has carried over a certain informality, with a focus on the personal as well as the professional.

This trend for authenticity and relatability favors small businesses such as personal trainers. However, you can easily harness your expertise and personality to create and deliver engaging content that your followers will find helpful and entertaining. Here are some great ideas for social media content to give you some inspiration.

4. User-generated content

User-generated content (UGC) is any kind of online content – photos, videos, reviews, social media posts – that is created by individual consumers rather than brands. It’s certainly not new, but it is something marketers are increasingly tapping into.

One of the critical benefits of UGC is that it’s considered trustworthy by other users; in other words, it’s authentic and relatable (see trend 3 above). In addition, businesses that embrace UGC are perceived as having faith in their audience, which helps encourage interaction and build loyalty. For small businesses in particular, UGC is also a great way of increasing their profile and reach at little extra cost.

Encourage your customers to leave reviews, engage with you on your social media channels and post content on their own platforms. You could also build your own community by starting a Facebook group. Check out some of these tips for getting more user-generated content from SocialPilot.

5. Social search

One last trend to be aware of is the rise of social search; this means using the search functionality within social media rather than using traditional search engines. There are several ways that you can optimize your social media for social search:

· Make sure your username is relevant, descriptive, and easy to find, and keep it consistent across all of your accounts.

· Be descriptive and consistent in your use of keywords and hashtags in bios, descriptions, and posts.

· Use relevant, good-quality images and make sure they are appropriately tagged.

Social media marketing trends are constantly evolving, and it's crucial for personal trainers to stay up-to-date with the latest changes. By keeping an eye on the trends, you can ensure that you're making the most effective use of social media to reach your target audience, increase engagement, and grow your business.