Keeping Up With The Social Media Trends

Like instant noodles and pizza, keeping up with the social media trends can offer lethargy, indigestion (of mind) and even anxiety. Sure! Updating your Facebook security settings and reading up on the Instagram Reels can offer nutritious source of information. You may even take action and make impactful shifts in your social media marketing, as a result.

However, more often than not, many people start doubting their own work, experience negative social comparisons and anxiety, often feeling increasingly exhausted and hopeless.

Although keeping up with the social media trends is one of the common social media marketing job requirements, it isn’t necessarily the best way to leverage your time, gifts and attention.

Some may argue that keeping your finger on the social media news and trends pulse is vital to your marketing success. However, social media technology is tested and updated daily, which most user aren’t often aware of, often due to the scale of changes. Step by step, next moment, boom – a whole new landscape! Well, often changes aren’t that dramatic. However, many feel that the moment you figured it all out on social media, the platform alters their algorithm or adds a new feature that unravels the good work they have been doing.

I believe that many are experiencing this.

I have been helping meaningful organisations leverage social media technology for a decade now. As things have been changing, our results have only been improving. I see two main sources of their success (amongst others): the work they are doing and the solid and ethical strategy we have been executing. When challenges arise, we address and navigate them. We revise our work regularly. And we stay true to what we believe is good.

Sure! Your situation may be different. Before the global pandemic, working with travel organisations looked a little different from what they are experiencing today. This is also why social media trends aren’t so helpful – your situation may be different.

I believe that keeping up with the social media trends doesn’t offer enough soil for growth.

I want to share a few reasons with you why, and offer an alternative.

The Overwhelm

It’s true that having access to more information is helpful, useful and good for us. According to a Pew Research Center survey titled “Information Overload,” 79 per cent of respondents found that access to many kinds of information gave them a sense of control over their lives. However, most respondents associated stress with the different kinds of information they receive.

What’s more, a near majority of these respondents reported trouble with keeping up with the information they had access to.

Have you ever had a moment in your social media research when everything just seems like too much or blurred into one big hot mass of impossible? There are many platforms, a lot of advice on how to best use each, and daily technological updates and there is always the next best thing (whatever is in season now). Sometimes, it’s just too stressful. And we know that chronic stress can lead to depression, which is one of the main causes of disability worldwide.

I am not trying to say that researching social media related information and trends lead to disability. Though I am saying that trends often offer endless “he said”/”she said” information which is time consuming, cognitive taxing and isn’t always helpful.

Pick & choose

Perhaps restricting your social media trends research to the most relevant intelligence may rip better benefits.

Perhaps it isn’t even the trends that you are after.

Low-cut jeans are back in fashion, but my body type dictates I stick with high waist.

Sometimes trending isn’t necessarily useful.

There are numerous social media marketing gurus and experts; and one of their own marketing strategy is telling people what to do. Many give out promises and guarantees that are untrue. Many are persuading us that their path is the right path. In this cacophony of expertise advice, we often find ourselves lost and in more doubt.

It isn’t always easy to select chosen few you can trust, but it can be a good start in helping you streamline your social media trends consumption and keeping your sanity intact. Pick one or two resources you trust the most right now and review your choices regularly, so that you continue relying on the information that serves you.

Spreading thin

Some people enjoy receiving their social media trends in smaller dozes over longer periods of time, for example listening to a podcast on a morning walk or reading an article on a night train, avoiding the rabbit hole dive for more.

Sometimes, consuming social media trends make us feel productive or even creative – new ideas are flowing. But it can also be distracting. In my years of teaching social media I have seen many people change their trajectory and re-write their strategies as a result of a new trend popping into their inbox, often spreading out resources or knocking off the tested path all together.

We are already living in the “instant coffee” and “instant news” age. It’s becoming increasingly difficult to stick with one strategy for long enough to realise the effects. And when resources are limited, our focus and attention can help us stay on course.

Alternative

There is no magic spell to unhook yourself from the social media trends if consuming marketing success articles is your cup of tea. I am also aware that a lot of marketing read is seductive, promising and shiny. This is what marketing often looks like. However, if you have not had an indigestion from all the fluff yet, it may be helpful to start reading your own marketing data, reviewing successful strategies and isolating trends and gems in your own work. Finding out what works for you can feel as exciting as opening the next “secret formula” online article. Maybe even more exciting!

If you feel that your social media marketing isn’t producing the results you yearn for and there is “the next big thing” email in your inbox, I highly recommend checking out of the digital world and taking a walk or a nap. We are vulnerable when are upset, stressed or hungry. Not reaching your goals this month may pull you towards comparing your social media with other people’s and businesses’, which will most likely guarantee overwhelm and bad decisions. The main problem with comparing is that you are comparing your internal workings with someone’s external appearances – you rarely have access to all the information. You may be comparing apples with sardines without knowing so. It won’t help you reach your goals next month.

Auditing your social media marketing over the last 12 months can help you understand what works for you and what bottlenecks require attention. As you are reviewing your own work, re-visit your understanding of your customers and community, your social media expectations and marketing resources. Here, you may unmask more answers than any social media marketing guru article can reveal for you.

The reason is simple but not always obvious – social media marketing trends are general. A lot of the times, they don’t apply to your work.

Therefore, reflecting on the work done and the results collected is where your most important trends are.

Don’t take my words for granted. Test this for yourself.

P.S. Whenever you are ready… here how I can help you leverage social media technology to really power your mission:

I design simple and effective social media campaigns helping gifted not for profits and businesses for purpose leverage their social media technology and loyal community to really power their mission, building more donations and creating more income and impact. My custom work is designed to support your specific goals, setting up your work for long-lasting results and prosperity.

There are many ways you can reach out to see if I am a good fit for your goals.

Check out the Facebook Messanger bubble on the bottom right, contact page on the top and/or a form and a calendar, if this type of communication suits you better.

I look forward to supporting your vision of the future!