These days, social media trends seem to be changing faster than ever, and it can seem difficult to keep tabs on them.
But a well-informed digital marketing strategy and well-curated campaigns can definitely boost trade for your bakery business. This is confirmed by his TikTok success with brands such as Ooh & Ahh Cookies.
Among the biggest trends emerging today are social search and user-generated content (UGC), as highlighted in a talk at the recent International Food & Drink event at the Excel Center in London.
british bakery We spoke to speakers Sam Chance, founder of hospitality marketing agency Scrumptious, and Katie Wood, founder of UGC agency Tality Social, to glean insight into their respective fields.
answer search
Social search will be one of the hottest marketing trends in 2024, Chance declares.
This is evidenced by Hubspot's 2024 Social Media Trends Report, which reveals that one in four consumers today prefers to search for brands via social apps rather than internet browsers like Google. I understand that. Unsurprisingly, Gen Z and Millennials led the way with a combined 59% support for social search, according to the report.
“Search via social media allows consumers to do their own research and gain insights and recommendations from people not directly connected to the business or product they are interested in,” Chance commented. He added that he expects social searches to increase dramatically over the next few years.
He offers five tips to help bakery companies best prepare:
- Make sure your business is listed on searchable platforms that your audience uses or may use in the future.
- Develop a social media content strategy that targets your audience and focuses on likes, comments, and shares. Include a call to action that tells your users what you're trying to accomplish and incorporates current trends to expand your reach.
- Work with influencers to build backlinks. Very similar to website backlinks, the more your business is linked to from other social media channels, the higher your search rankings will be.
- Find out what people are searching for in your niche using keyword and social listening tools like Google Keyword Planner, SEMrush, Sprout Social, and Brandwatch
- Short-form video content will explode in 2024, so make sure the videos you upload are SEO-friendly. Name your file using your target keywords and add alternative text based on your topic.
As easy as UGC
wood notebook UGC is content presented from the user's perspective. Although they appear to be created by individuals rather than video production teams, they look authentic and reflect the user's experience, opinion, and creativity (see below for an example from TikTok).
UGC can play an important role in building online communities, influencing purchasing decisions, and driving engagement on digital channels, Wood says. It also acts as social proof, showcasing real-life experiences and testimonials from satisfied customers, which can ultimately drive conversions and increase brand loyalty.
“By harnessing the power of UGC, brands can expand their reach, humanize their content, and create meaningful interactions that resonate with their target audience,” she added. “You can also encourage organic UGC through your campaigns and encourage your customers to share and leave reviews on social media. You can also work with creators who can create UGC-style content for social media.”
Wood lists the top five benefits of UGC:
- Authenticity – Provides an authentic perspective and strengthens brand credibility
- Diversity – Shows how people with different backgrounds and experiences use and evaluate your product or service.
- Engagement – Viewers want to connect with people they relate to, so they have the highest engagement rates, encourage loyalty through questions and comments, and strengthen the connection between your brand and your customers.
- Community – Turn customers into advocates and build a community around your brand
- Authenticity – Demonstrating positive engagement acts as social proof of your brand’s credibility.
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