As marketers, we often find ourselves suffering from “me too” syndrome.Everyone is talking about Snapchat, so clearly we must make an account (that we rarely use). The problem with this approach is you will always find yourself in the position of playing catchup. Following trends overtime makes things a lot easier to manage, so we’ve put together a simple three-step approach to keep up with the social trends and platforms that are most relevant for your business. Learn more: http://www.centerline.net

1. TRENDSPOTTING
Keeping up with the latest social media platforms
@mothoughts

2. Can you name these platforms?
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3. | 3
How about these?
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4. | 4
…and all of these? (The ones without the name in the logo!)
The task of identifying the social media platforms
that make the most sense for your brand can be
overwhelming in such a crowded (and growing)
landscape.
But discovering the platforms where your audience is
engaging (before they become over-crowded with
your competitors) is worth the investment.
How do you do this?
SOCIAL MEDIA TRENDSPOTTING
@mothoughts

5. |
WHAT IS TRENDSPOTTING?
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6. |
The identification of new “things” before they become mainstream.
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Like social media platforms & trends

7. |
NOT
A guessing game
Looking into a magic ball
A short-term investment
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8. | 8
WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE?
(When done correctly)
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9. | 9
GE - CASE STUDY
PROMOTED ON MAIN WEBSITE ACTIVE
@mothoughts
GE has mastered the art of trying early and often. They
prominently promote eight “core” social channels on
their website, but are actively posting customized
content on many more “beta” platforms.
This allows them to take risks and experiment without
having to fully commit or risk reaching audiences with
specialized content that won’t resinate.

10. |
GE - CASE STUDY
10@mothoughts
PROMOTED ON MAIN WEBSITE ACTIVE
GE has mastered the art of trying early and often. They
prominently promote eight “core” social channel on
their website, but are actively posting customized
content on many more “beta” platforms.
This allows them to take risks and experiment without
having to fully commit or risk reaching audiences with
specialized content that won’t resinate.
Tried and true “core”
social platforms
“Beta” social platforms that may or may not
eventually move to the core lineup
VS

11. | 11
HOW DO YOU KEEP UP WITH EVERYTHING?
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1. LISTEN
2. MONITOR
3. TRY
KEY
STEPS
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13. TO PROSPECTS AND CUSTOMERS ABOUT WHAT
PLATFORMS THEY LOVE AND WHAT CONTENT THEY NEED
LISTEN
1
• Influencers
• Advocate Programs
• Focus Groups
• Interviews
• Events

14. THE LANDSCAPE USING TOOLS AND TREND REPORTS
MONITOR
2
• Online & Social Media Listening Tools
Sysomos , Radian6 , Hootsuite, Cision, Spinklr
• Industry Reports & Trade Magazines
IBISWorld, EBSCOhost
• Online Tools
BuzzSumo, Google Trends, AdWords Keyword Planner
• Online Awards
FWA (Favorite Website Awards), The Shorty Awards
• App Stores
Monitor the iOS & Android social categories for trending apps

15. • Eliminate platforms that don’t make sense for your content or
business
• Try things on a small scale
• Only fully adopt platforms that are showing results and effectively
reaching your audience
PLATFORMS EARLY AND OFTEN
TRY
3

16. Each new social platform is an opportunity to think of new ways
to engage your audience and challenge your team.
The earlier you join, the more forgiving the audience is and the
better chance you have to start a trend instead of following one.
Happy Trendspotting.
HAVE FUN!
BONUS
*

17. 17
THANK YOU!
Monique Simpson, Digital Strategist
Twitter: @mothoughts
Linkedin: /moniquejsimpson
Centerline Digital
509 W. North St | Raleigh, NC 27603
919.821.2921
centerline.net