By its very nature, social media marketing is a constantly evolving platform that changes a great deal each year. New social networks pop up, new features are added, content trends come and go, and engagement levels adapt and flow.
Why Following Social Media Fads is Never a Good Idea
For those trying to drive conversion, it can be all too tempting to fall into the habit of following the crowd. Although it may not seem like the worst thing in the world to follow social media fads, the effects of following blindly may be further-reaching than you realise, however.
Why exactly are social media fads such a bad thing, though? Surely they can’t do that much damage to your brand reputation, can they? Let’s take a look…
Fads focus purely on reactions rather than growth
If you are genuinely trying to grow a loyal following that is engaged, relevant and targeted to your goals and niche, all the likes in the world will not equate to conversion. Many brands make the mistake of wanting to be fun and popular. As great as it is to see people responding and sharing that hilarious meme, none of those laughing, angry or sad reacts or Twitter compares to potential customers following you because they want to buy your products or use your services.
Fads are shared and shared until they are forgotten
The memes of today are light years from the memes of last year. The things making people laugh change all the time. That silly post you create or share may be bang on trend right now, but it will be forgotten when the next hilarious cat video comes along. When you plan and share content that is relevant to your brand, there is a far smaller risk of being on the wrong side of a trend. Instead, you have the ability to engage people authentically, now and in the future.
Fads can be untargeted, and sometimes even mean
The worst fads to stay clear of at all times is any joke that could be seen as offensive. If your funny post requires any demographic to be the punchline, there is a very good chance that it will backfire horribly. Smart brands do not need to resort to cheap giggles to build a following. Instead, they focus on providing relevant, targeted social content that is useful, interesting, and just right for the people that follow them across their channels.
All in all, a solid social media strategy that is rich in content and designed for your audience is without a doubt a far better alternative to fads.
