Being a small business owner means wearing many hats and filling several roles at once. And, as small business owners ourselves, we know it’s no easy feat. With having to be a jack of all trades to keep businesses afloat, one of the more vital roles of being a small business owner in the digital-first world is being a social media creator.
We’re vying for attention in a surging creator economy – of more than 165 million creators – it’s already tough to create content that resonates with consumers and keeps them engaged with your brand. And, creating content for social media and marketing channels can seem like a daunting task when you have little experience and don’t know where to start.
There is good news! The start of a new year is your chance to refresh your content strategies, and what better way to get started than looking at the emerging trends that are creating all the buzz online.
Create Short Videos for Social Media
Video is currently one of the biggest trends among social media/marketing strategies and content. It has the potential to reach a large pool of potential customers and give them a sneak peek into your business, services, and products – and also allows for customers to get to know you on a personal level. From going live on Instagram or TikTok to creating quick product videos, experimenting with video can increase engagement and generate additional awareness of your business. A great tool for beginners looking to experiment with videos is Adobe Express. With the free web and mobile app, you can shoot, edit, and share videos from the palm of your hand in a matter of minutes.
Plan and Schedule Content
We know that running and operating the day-to-day of a business is time-consuming, and it’s easy to lose track of time. A time saver tool and one of our favorites is Adobe Express. It is a free web and mobile app that makes it quick and easy to create standout content from thousands of beautiful templates, and it has a super helpful Content Scheduler, so you can seamlessly manage posting to your social media channels straight from your phone. With Content Scheduler, you can create a post for your social media channels – like Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook – schedule when you want it to post, take a sneak peek of what the post will look like, and finally post your content all in one place – saving you tons of time.
It’s All in the Details
The smallest of details matter and are noticed by customers. Adding a personal touch with branded stickers or packaging using Adobe Express is one way to bring some brand love and show your customers that you’ll go the extra mile because you appreciate their business. Personalized thank-you notes or discounts to shop again can go a long way in creating loyal customers.
Incorporate These Four Trends to Enhance Your Content
If you’re looking to give your social media and marketing content extra flare, then you’re in luck. Adobe recently shared its annual Adobe Stock Creative Trends Forecast and the four visual themes anticipated to dominate this year in 2023 are “Psychic Waves,” “Real is Radical,” “Retro Active,” and “Animals and Influencers.” These trends are definitely worth experimenting with and incorporating into your content to see what your audience resonates strongly with.
- Psychic Waves – This new trend is focused on creative authenticity as an outlet for expression, including escaping reality, through psychedelic gradients, vibrant colors and aesthetics that incorporate surrealism styles to convey experiences beyond the visible, tangible world.
- Real is Radical – The Real is Radical trend is a celebration of candid, unvarnished moments, experiences and realities. Brands are embracing campaigns featuring all races, genders, ages, abilities, and sizes – swapping out curated for candid moments. Ranging from rebellious and provocative to deeply vulnerable, Real is Radical visuals create powerful connections and inspire a sense of community across media channels and platforms.
- Retro Active – The Retro Active trend focuses on exploring vintage styles and modernizing them. Like Gen Z, Millennial and Gen X creators are exploring this resurgence, finding comfort and familiarity in the creative styles of the 90s and Y2K, such as retro skateboard scenes to candy-color fashions, boom boxes and classic video game controllers.
- Animals and Influencers – This trend relies on charismatic characters appealing to the consumer affection and engagement evoked from charming and adorable creatures and virtual influencers. Whether it be a real-life furry friend or a charming anime avatar, charismatic creatures have proven themselves to be powerful tools that attract and retain consumer interest and engagement.
While there isn’t an exact science to creating social media and marketing content, these tips and insights can greatly help enhance your content and increase engagement during 2023 – all helping you build a cohesive brand, attract new customers and retain loyal customers to support your business.
Nikki McWilliams (Nikki McWilliams Design) is a designer, maker, content creator and creative entrepreneur based in Scotland, UK. Nikki has created products for her two brands (specializing in homeware and stationery) for over 10 years. With her designs being shipped around the globe every week, Nikki seeks to inspire nostalgia, playfulness and creativity through the objects she creates. In her spare time you can find her hanging out with her two kitties, writing in her journal or sharing her latest DIY Interiors & Craft Projects on Instagram & TikTok.
Phoebe Sherman (Girl Gang Craft) is the founder of Girl Gang Craft, a community for femme creatives and a proud Adobe ambassador. She puts on craft fairs, offers classes + courses, hosts a podcast, and designs a feminist clothing line. She currently lives in Salem, MA with her fiancé, Matt and pup, Lavender.
Social media stock image by Anton Vierietin/Shutterstock