Social media is an integral part of every content marketing strategy as it offers an exciting opportunity to increase brand awareness and expand audience reach.
As with all marketing, social media trends change drastically from year to year. In 2018, Facebook was the most popular social media platform in Singapore, but as of Q3 of 2019, YouTube quickly took over as the top platform in the country.
Social chat apps like Telegram and WeChat have also sprung up in response to the popular messaging application WhatsApp, and have each garnered their own massive userbases. Digg was overtaken by Reddit, while Facebook managed to absorb users from other social media platforms such as Friendster, MySpace and most recently, Instagram.
Being updated and keeping up with these trends is a top item on the menu for every digital marketing agency in Singapore. With that in mind, let’s take a look at a few of the fast-rising social media platforms that you can consider marketing your content on.
#1. TikTok
What does it replace?
Vine.
How is it different?
Formerly known as Musical.ly, TikTok is a Chinese application that focuses on short-form mobile videos. It encourages everyone to be a creator and contains an extensive collection of filters, stickers, and special effects.
Why is it popular?
By now, many content marketing agencies in Singapore are probably aware of the appeal of TikTok.
TikTok’s content is largely unpolished and ‘rough’, which makes it seem more authentic. This appeals greatly to the younger audience, as they won’t have to take a class in video editing to make an entertaining video.
The application fills in the spot left by the departure of popular video hosting site Vine.
How does it benefit my business?
TikTok has a tremendous following and is currently holding the number one spot for all social media application downloads. If your target audience is between 16 – 24 years of age, this is the site to get your business on.
Many big brands such as Hearst and NBCUniversal have partnered with TikTok in the past to create original, vertical-video shows, showing that there is indeed a market for vertical videos!
The company also has plans to develop advertising opportunities, which could help to improve your business reach significantly.
#2. Vero
Image Credit: HENDON, Mitch Ley
What does it replace?
Instagram.
How is it different?
Why is it popular?
There is a common problem with social media platforms that have become increasingly evident over the years. Companies can track your information, your frequented pages, and develop algorithms that tailor to your preferences. While it does have its uses, not everybody is okay with having their information broadcasted to a company.
Vero doesn’t do that. It boasts about having no ads, no data mining and no algorithms, and calls itself the ‘authentic’ social media platform because it offers a purely social experience. Users can share content with 4 different classes of followers: Friends, Close friends, Acquaintances, or Followers. This removes the hassle of having a private, friends-only account.
How does it benefit my business?
Vero is also very useful for brands and influencers, who previously had to stick to a common routine if they wanted to game the algorithms and get featured. Digital marketing agencies in Singapore can make use of this to find potential influencer partners and the trends amongst the younger generations.
The application has a relatively small user base compared to Instagram, but businesses that invest early might see promise, especially once Vero starts implementing advertisements. Currently, there are over 3 million users on Vero.
#3. Steemit
Image Credit: Bitcoin Wiki
What does it replace?
Reddit.
How is it different?
Currently, the popularity of a Reddit post is measured through upvotes, which doesn’t really do much for the user except imparting a small ego boost.
Steemit also works off the same idea, but incentivised. By sharing your posts with other users, you can get upvotes from other users. Digital STEEM tokens are then given out as an appreciation for their contribution.
Why is it popular?
If your post amasses enough upvotes, you may earn a portion of the ‘reward pool’. The reward pool is a blockchain ledger that gives out STEEM cryptocurrency to its users. That’s right — through STEEM, shitposting is now a part-time job.
How does it benefit my business?
You get a first-mover advantage, especially if you can build a strong network of followers. You can also earn real money from crafting good content, which means you get to reap a tiny portion of your advertising cost back.
Best of all, Steemit is still growing, which means it has much room for businesses to enter and experiment with content marketing on a new platform.
#4. Kik
Image Credit: Kik App
What does it replace?
Facebook Messenger.
How is it different?
Unlike other messaging apps, all you need to sign up on Kik is a username or email address. This gives users more privacy, especially considering that most messaging apps nowadays require your phone number.
Why is it popular?
Like its predecessors, Kik allows users to message individual friends as well as groups. However, you can also earn cryptocurrency through the application by taking brand surveys, sharing content, or performing various other activities. People want to make money by doing what they already do on a daily basis, and Kik taps on that desire to create appeal.
How does it benefit my business?
Your common, run-of-the-mill content marketing agency probably won’t find much use for it, but large companies can make use of Kik to set up chatbots. This allows people to interact with the company without having to go on their website.
Brands such as CNN and Sephora have already made use of chatbots on Kik to a large degree of success. It also helps that the application tracks its users by IP and age, making sorting by demographics easier for companies. As of this day, more than 300 million people have downloaded Kik.
#5. Houseparty
Image Credit: Houseparty App
What does it replace?
Zoom, Facebook Messenger, Snapchat
How is it different?
Just like its name, Houseparty offers a virtual house party concept where you can invite friends to join and video chat. It now has over 50 million users, mainly comprising teenagers.
With the COVID-19 lockdown, downloads for the teleconferencing app have skyrocketed, hitting record numbers in March.
Why is it popular?
Unlike Zoom or Google Hangouts that only centres around video conferencing, Houseparty focuses on “shared experiences”.
It offers more than just teleconferencing. Users can play in-app games like Heads Up, Trivia, and Quick Draw, screen-share and watch movies together with their friends. Video filters and fun effects are also available in live sessions.
In times of social distancing, it is a boost to helping people maintain a social connection.
How does it benefit my business?
Although the app offers ad-space, it may be challenging to catch the attention of the audiences. Instead, content marketing on Houseparty can come in other creative ways — such as getting an influencer on Houseparty to host a room and review your products to their viewers.
Houseparty is still growing, which means content marketing on this platform is still relatively new and may take time before it takes off. Besides, it may not be as effective with the limited number of users per room. It can appeal more towards businesses with very niche audiences and brands that want to bring a more personal experience marketing to these users.
Choosing the right social media platform for your content marketing
As a brand, you need to know what platform works for your business. With so many marketing channels available, choosing the right ones to focus on can help your content shine and reach out to the right audience.