8 Organic Social Media Trends to Grow Your Brand Right Now

In today's fast-paced digital world, staying ahead of social media marketing trends is essential for your brand's growth. For small businesses and personal brands aiming to carve out their niche, understanding and leveraging these trends can be the game-changer that propels your brand.

Here are my tips to capture social media trends and turn them into brand moments:

1. Harnessing the Power of AI

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming how we interact with our audiences. From personalized content recommendations to chatbots providing instant customer service, and links right to your audiences' inbox, AI enables brands to create more meaningful and efficient interactions. Imagine being able to scale the engagements and individualized customer experience without having to copy and paste? AI is making it easier to get info to your audience faster than ever, in real time. Course Creators like Jenna Kutcher and HerFirst100k (and probably 98% of Instagram creators) use this service often for real-time interactions with their audience.

2. Reactive Marketing

Staying agile and responsive in your marketing strategy allows you to capitalize on real-time events, viral trends, and customer feedback. This approach can significantly enhance your brand’s relevance and engagement, showing your audience that you're not just present but actively listening. Look at Stanley and their purchase of a new car for a customer when the only thing that survived the fire was their Stanley tumbler, or North Face hiring a helicopter to deliver a raincoat to a dissatisfied fan. The virality of these instances are memorable and meaningful, connecting with customers on a 1:1 level, but building relationships at a large scale.

3. Riding the Wave of Trends

Whether it's the latest meme or a viral challenge, playing the trends keeps your content fresh and engaging and at the top of the algorithms! It’s about striking the right balance between being current and staying true to your brand identity. Remember, authenticity is key to creating connections that last. From the fight scenes, to the duets or remixes, leveraging Tiktok's ad platform, or Pinterest Predicts to find the right places to invest are great ways to jump on the trends these algorithm's will favour.

4. Scaling with Nano-Creators

Nano-creators, or influencers with smaller audiences, offer a high engagement rate and a more personal touch. Collaborating with them can help amplify your message in a way that feels genuine and trustworthy, driving both reach and relevance. You can have them publish or white label the content on your own platforms, getting unique content for less. By seeding products for reviews, or recruiting advocates for different services you offer, these creators bring a depth to your content. On Tiktok, Brands like Sephora have over 20 GRWM (Get Ready With Me) videos on their playlist or Target highlights their new drops and has now added over 100 videos to their Drips playlist.

5. Forging Co-Branded Partnerships

Partnerships between brands can unlock new audiences and add layers of value to your offerings. It's about synergizing strengths, sharing visions, and co-creating experiences that resonate and inspire. How about this collab between brands like Scrub Daddy & Benefit Cosmetics? Another I can't get enough of is Heinz x Mattel's "Barbiecue"

6. Building Memorable Engagements

Infusing fun into your campaigns can make your brand unforgettable. Think interactive content, games, or contests that not only entertain but also forge deeper emotional connections with your community. Think about Duolingo, they're having a hoot on TikTok with a following equivalent to almost 17% of their average monthly users. They've turned their mascot, an owl into an iconic, unhinged caricature that people crave their next interaction with.

7. Selling Through Video

Video content continues to dominate social media. From stories to live streams, leveraging video enables you to showcase your products or services in action, providing a dynamic way to engage and persuade. TikTok has confirmed that 1 in 4 users have made a purchase after find a product on the platform. Canadian shoe brand Vessi has tapped into viral content, behind the scenes, UGC and to sell shoes.

8. Community Is King

Building a community around your brand turns customers into advocates. Engage with your followers, listen to their stories, and foster a space where they feel valued and heard. There’s tremendous power in creating a sense of belonging. AirBNB continues to have a social media platform that is 100% UGC. Starbucks has customers begging to name their drinks. Zara is one of the most tagged brand on Instagram, unlocking 10s of millions photos and videos to sift through.

Bonus Tip: Dig Into Data

Data-driven marketing is no longer optional. The accessible data across each platform allows you to dig into your target customer by age, by gender, by location. Analyzing your social media metrics, uncover insights into what resonates with your audience, refine your strategy, and optimize for better results. The ability to test and learn opens up so many doors for your brand.

Regardless of the scale of your brand, you deny the opportunity of social media. These trends are not just opportunities; they are your toolkit for building a stronger, more connected presence in the digital landscape.

Each trend offers a pathway to not only reach your audience but to resonate with them on a deeper level. It's about empowering your brand to rise above the noise, engage with purpose, and ultimately, drive success.

Remember, the landscape of social media marketing is always evolving. Stay curious, stay adaptable, and most importantly, stay focused on what makes your brand unique. Your path to growth and success is within reach—embrace these trends, and watch your brand soar.