Social media is defined as “websites and applications that enable users to create and share content or participate in social networking.” Seems like a simple concept, right? Well, according to DataReportal, there are over 4.5 billion social media users throughout the world who use an average of 6.7 social media platforms a day – with numbers like that it’s no surprise why new social media trends are endlessly emerging or why social media platforms are constantly updating and evolving.
Being in-the-know of what’s current in the social world while keeping track of how social sites are accommodating the ever-changing needs of social media users can be overwhelming; however, here are some ways you can keep yourself from getting lost in the craze and stay up to date on social media trends and platform updates:
- Social media news sites
Did you know that there are news websites catered specifically toward social media? Websites such as Social Media Today, Digital Trends, and Social Times all inform you on the latest updates, overviews, and opinions that are happening with social media platforms. Make sure to subscribe to social media news sites through their newsletters and follow them on their social accounts to ensure you are getting real-time updates of all things social media.
- Social media platforms
Many nifty features are overlooked in social media platforms that can help you find and stay immersed in trending topics. Some tricks you can start implementing across popular platforms to help you navigate what’s going on in the social media world, while either actively or passively using the sites, are:
-Follow users, both individuals and company/brand accounts, who post about trending topics and social media updates. This will fill your feed with social media subject matter, so that way you don’t have to worry about missing out or having to look up later what you missed.
-Turn on notifications for specific accounts and users that you want to receive news and updates from. This guarantees you will always be one of the first to hear about any breaking social media stories.
-Follow hashtags, primarily on Instagram and Twitter, that are relevant to social media trends and news. On Twitter, you can even create a personal stream to categorize all of the hashtags you follow for easy access.
-Set up Google Alerts using specific keywords and terms related to social media trends and news. You can set how often you want to get alerts and how many you want to receive, helping to personalize your notifications feed.
- Blogs and Newsrooms
Blogs and newsrooms are extremely popular among social media users, as they not only allow readers to gain insights into the topics they are reading about, but readers also gain personal flare and opinions from the writers. Most of your favorite social media sites have newsrooms or blogs, so make sure to bookmark some of them, such as the Facebook Newsroom, SnapChat Business Blog, Pinterest Newsroom, and The Cyphers Agency’s Push n’ Pull blog, for easy browsing access.
- Podcasts
If reading isn’t quite your thing, podcasts might be your best bet for getting social media news and trends. Podcasts can be listened to at your convenience and can provide valuable information from social media experts. Similar to blogs, podcasts allow listeners to hear the personality and opinions of those running the podcast, which may be a great option for those who prefer witty audio as their main news sources. Check out some of these social media podcasts:
–Social Media Marketing Talk Show
–The Digital Marketing Podcast
Whether it’s a key component for your job or just a personal hobby, staying updated on social media trends and platform news is a necessary component to being versed in the digital atmosphere. Utilizing these simple tips and tricks can help you catch up on what you’ve missed and stay informed with the latest releases. These small changes will act as a guide in becoming more aware of what’s happening in the ever-evolving world of social media.
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