Unveiling The Top 10 Social Media Marketing Trends in India

India’s social media marketing landscape is evolving at an unprecedented pace as we navigate through 2023. According to Statista, this year alone, the number of internet users in the country surpassed the 1.2 billion mark. With most of them accessing the internet via their mobile phones, it’s clear that social media is powerful for people and businesses. In this article, we look at social media marketing trends that are shaping how businesses operate, and consumers interact with brands.

In this blog, you will learn:

• What are the current social media marketing trends in India?
• How can businesses leverage influencer marketing on social media in India?
• What are the key challenges faced by businesses while utilizing social media platforms in India?
• Is organic reach still effective on social media platforms, or is paid advertising taking over?
• What are the emerging trends in e-commerce marketing through social media in India?
• How does emeritus help you leverage emerging platforms and tools for effective marketing strategies?

What are the Current Social Media Marketing Trends in India?

1. Embracing Crisis Management on Social Media

Firstly, businesses increasingly recognize crisis management’s importance as an imminent Social Media Marketing (SMM) trend. Given the swift dissemination of information on the internet, a seemingly minor problem can transform into a significant crisis if not dealt with promptly. Therefore, companies are now using social media as a tool for crisis management to regain their audience’s trust.

2. Prioritizing Brand Authenticity

Secondly, consumers are now demanding authenticity from brands. They expect businesses to build genuine human connections and emotional bonds. This has emerged as one of the new trends in social media marketing. As a result, brands are empowering their leaders to be more proactive on social media, fostering long-term trust and transparency.

3. Leveraging Social Media as Shopping Outlets

Thirdly, one of the impactful social media marketing trends in the Indian market is using social media as shopping outlets. Consumers are increasingly making purchases directly on social media platforms.

4. The Dominance of Short-Form and Bite-Sized Content

Next, short-form and bite-sized content will dominate social media platforms. These types of content can generate more engagement from the audience and are invaluable tools for marketing and education.

5. Phasing Out of Third-Party Cookies

Furthermore, businesses are working on completely phasing out third-party cookies by the end of the year. This is due to growing privacy concerns, lack of transparency, and consumer frustration.

6. Rise of Decentralized Networks

Additionally, decentralized social networks are becoming viable alternatives to mainstream social media platforms. They offer users more control and better data privacy measures, making them increasingly popular.

7. Focus on Sustainability and the Environment

Moreover, consumers expect companies to prioritize people and the planet over profits. Therefore, sustainability and environmental factors are becoming more of a brand priority when building a product.

8. Increased Role of AI in Post Recommendations

AI will play a more significant role in offering recommendations on platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. It recommends more content to users, driving increased user engagement.

9. Greater Role of Integrations on Social Media Platforms

Platforms like Facebook and Instagram are integrating digital avatars and different content forms to encourage engagement and support creators.

10. The Popularity of Interactive Ads

These ads allow users to participate in the ad experience, increasing their likelihood of engaging with a particular brand or product.

ALSO READ: 7 Benefits of Social Media Marketing for Consumers You Need to Know About

How Can Businesses Leverage Influencer Marketing on Social Media in India?

1. The Power of Influencer Marketing

For starters, influencer marketing has emerged as a powerful tool for businesses. By collaborating with influencers whose brand values align with their own, businesses can expand their reach to a broader audience and foster deeper brand loyalty.

2. Choosing the Right Influencer

Choosing the right influencer is crucial for the success of influencer marketing campaigns. Businesses must consider the influencer’s audience, engagement rate, and content style when making the decision.

3. Building Long-Term Relationships With Influencers

Moreover, building long-term relationships with influencers can lead to more authentic and effective collaborations. Instead of one-off campaigns, businesses should aim to develop partnerships with influencers for ongoing collaborations.

4. Measuring the Success of Influencer Marketing Campaigns

Businesses need to track metrics like engagement rate, reach, and conversions to evaluate the effectiveness and success of their campaigns.

What are the Key Challenges Faced by Businesses While Utilizing Social Media Platforms in India?

1. Maintaining a Consistent Brand Voice

Maintaining a consistent brand voice across all social media platforms can be challenging. Businesses need to ensure that their messaging aligns with their brand identity, regardless of the platform they’re using.

2. Dealing With Negative Feedback

Secondly, dealing with negative feedback is another challenge businesses face on social media. Businesses must respond promptly and professionally to negative comments to maintain their reputation.

3. Staying Updated With Social Media Algorithms

Social media platforms frequently update their algorithms, affecting how content is displayed and ranked. Businesses must keep up with the relevant changes to ensure their content reaches the desired audience.

4. Creating Engaging Content

Furthermore, creating content that is both engaging and valuable to the audience can be a daunting task. Businesses need to understand the interests and preferences of their audience to produce content that connects with them.

5. Managing Multiple Social Media Platforms

As is often the case, managing multiple social media platforms can be time-consuming and complex. Businesses must manage their time and resources effectively to maintain a strong presence across all platforms.

ALSO READ: What is Social Media Optimization and Why Does it Matter for Your Business?

Is Organic Reach Still Effective on Social Media Platforms, or is Paid Advertising Taking Over?

Initially, organic reach on social media was enough for businesses to connect with their audience. However, due to evolving algorithms, its effectiveness has declined. As a result, businesses need paid advertising to reach their audience.

Still, organic reach remains valuable as it fosters long-term relationships and engagement without added costs. Paid advertising, on the other hand, is gaining prominence as one of the emerging trends in social media marketing. It enables businesses to reach a broader audience and target specific demographics, thus increasing visibility.

The key lies in striking a balance between organic reach and paid advertising. Organic reach builds customer loyalty, while paid advertising reaches new audiences and boosts visibility. Both strategies are crucial for a successful social media marketing campaign.

What are the Emerging Trends in E-commerce Marketing Through Social Media in India?

1. Social Commerce

To begin with, social commerce is one of the emerging B2B social media marketing trends in e-commerce marketing. Most businesses are integrating their online stores with social media platforms, allowing customers to shop directly from their social media feeds.

2. Personalized Shopping Experiences

Businesses are using data and AI to provide customized product recommendations, thereby enhancing the shopping experience for customers.

3. Influencer Collaborations

Moreover, collaborations with influencers are also becoming a common trend in e-commerce marketing. they help businesses reach a wider audience and increase brand visibility.

4. Use of Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR)

Another emerging SMM trend is the usage of AR and VR for immersive shopping experiences. They make online shopping more engaging and interactive.

5. Live Shopping Events

Lastly, live shopping events on social media platforms are becoming more popular. Such events can drive engagement and sales, providing a unique shopping experience for customers.

ALSO READ: Types of Social Media Marketing to Help You Engage Customers

How Does Emeritus Help You Leverage Social Media Marketing Strategies?

Emeritus provides a wide array of online digital marketing courses developed in partnership with leading universities across the globe. These courses are your go-to resource for staying updated with the latest B2B social media marketing trends in the Indian market. They offer insights into global trends and are designed to keep pace with the rapidly evolving digital landscape. Are you ready to enhance your digital marketing skills? Enroll in Emeritus’ digital marketing courses today and learn how to leverage emerging platforms and tools for effective marketing strategies.

By Promita Sanyal

Write to us at content@emeritus.org