During my presentation, "Referrals and Social Media: The Perfect 1-2 Punch" at COPTIC-CON, the very first point I made was this:

Make Sure That YOU are the Star of Your Business, NOT Vice Versa!

If you were there, do you remember that I said that?

Well, lo and behold, here's an article that elaborates on this concept and adds two other social media tips that work:

Creators become the face of brands

Marketing is shifting away from highly produced corporate messaging to more personal communication created by individuals in real time. Consumers and social media users respond to messages they deem more honest and fun. Kwik Trip, the midwest-based convenience store chain with more than 800 locations, is gaining attention on Instagram for videos created by “KT Girl.”

This type of marketing works best when it’s hyper local. Your followers will enjoy getting to know your business and the people behind it. What should you do? Find the right “talent,” an employee or two who are comfortable being on camera and can represent your brand with fun and integrity. But be aware of potential challenges. What if your “face” leaves your company? Have a plan.

More user-generated content

Remember America’s Funniest Home Videos? That was a hugely successful version of user-generated content or UGC. From that hit of the broadcast-TV era, the streaming smash “Fail Army” was born. Marketers and retailers can use UGC for product tests, reviews and testimonials, and instructional or how-to videos.

What should you do? Your customers are already making videos, and it should not be difficult to find them. Then, you simply ask if you can use the video they created. Most people will appreciate that you want to share; this might cost you a t-shirt or a branded cap.

Less production

This last one is less of a trend and more of an opinion, but it’s well founded. Heavily produced branded graphics rarely communicate well on social media. With small text on top of a product image, and a company logo in the corner, these designs are seldom optimized for different screen sizes. Some manufacturers like to create these when they introduce new products.

What should you do? Whenever you post an image containing text and a logo, make sure it looks good on a small phone screen. Better yet, avoid these posts.

If you'd like to read the full article, it's at: https://powersportsbusiness.com/news/2023/06/20/social-shifts-8-trends-in-social-media-marketing/