2014 Social Media Trends: What Do They Mean for Your Private-Label Supplement Business?

With 2014 half over, has your business tailored its marketing strategy to the new social media landscape?

From Facebook to LinkedIn, social media users across platforms are more sophisticated than ever, and businesses must stay tuned to their needs and interests to keep their attention. The private-label supplement industry is especially reliant on social media and the web, so staying on top of the latest social media trends is key to connecting with your health and supplement customers.

If one thing is clear, it’s that social media users don’t want to be bombarded with advertisements. As the Content Marketing Institute reports, “Consumers have shut off the traditional world of marketing.”

In order to utilize the power of social media, your business will have to play the long game by creating a loyal community of customers who follow your content and engage with one another about your product. Particularly in the health and supplement industry, your business should use social media to build a high level of trust and reputation for quality.

Here are some of the top trends in social media in 2014 and what they mean for your business.

#1 Personalized Content

We are all becoming increasingly tuned in to multiple social platforms. MIT reports that social media users are replacing a unified image of themselves with a more liquid one, tailoring their presentation to the audience and the platform. Your audience understands very well that their Instagram network might have very different interests than their Twitter network, for example.

Your business needs a similar strategy. Gone are the days of simply cross-posting your content to every platform. Instead, you have to show your best face on each, which means personalizing your content for different sites and audiences.

Save the information-dense posts for a more professionally minded audience-for example, on LinkedIn-and the fun and visually sumptuous material for your Pinterest or Tumblr followers.

#2 Visual Appeal

Speaking of Pinterest and Tumblr, are you optimizing your visual content? From photo essays to infographics, the most shareable content in 2014 has consistently been rich with visuals.

In fact, Facebook has reported that photos are the posts that attract the highest engagement by far. Some social media platforms, like Twitter, are responding to this trend by tweaking their sites to favor visual content, while others have led the visual revolution for some time already.

The bottom line is your readers expect attractive and engaging visuals. Whenever possible, include a great photo in your social media posts, or an eye-catching graphic. Make sure the content you use is properly credited and licensed, and make sure it enhances your written content.

#3 Forget Content. Women Are King.

Joking aside, content is still-and will always be-important, but it’s a fact that women dominate social media. Not only are the majority of social media users women, but female social media users spend more time on social networks and access them more frequently than male ones do.

Women can partly be credited for the rise of visual content, as well. Anyone who thinks men are the more visual of the sexes has never seen a beautifully curated Pinterest board. Techcrunch reports that women are also more likely than men to interact with brands via social media.

Remember, on social media, it’s not just how many people you’re reaching, but who you’re reaching. Since women are using social media more often and in more ways than men, they’re likely to be influencers in their social networks. If your business wants to build an engaged community around your brand, it’s clear that women are the key to your success.

#4 Start a Conversation

As social media becomes more and more saturated, your business will have to do more than just speak up-you’ll have to listen closely as well.

Pay attention to what your customers are saying on social media, not just about your supplement brand, but also about their interests and values. Respond when you receive comments, and make sure your followers know they’re being heard. Many customers are already using social networks like Twitter to interact with brands, and if you’re not interacting with them, your business is missing an opportunity.

As Private Label Supplement reports on its blog, negative comments on social media can hurt your business. If someone does say something negative about your brand on social media, respond promptly and offer help. Take the conversation offline as quickly as possible.

Even a negative comment can be a chance for your brand to shine if it’s properly addressed. Make sure you turn every interaction, good or bad, into an opportunity to build trust and loyalty with your customers.

Stefani Thionnet, owner and CEO of Private Label Supplement, is a “cowboy entrepreneur” and a 23-year veteran in the health and wellness industry.

Photo ©iStockphoto.com/mattjeacock