How Work is Changing: The Future for Small Businesses

Introduction

In today’s fast-paced world, the nature of work is undergoing rapid transformation, and businesses of all sizes are adapting to stay competitive. LinkedIn’s inaugural Work Change Snapshot reveals that global leaders and professionals are feeling the effects of this shift, with 80% of executives adjusting their leadership styles and 64% of workers worldwide feeling overwhelmed by the rate of change.

For small business owners and decision-makers, staying informed about these changes is essential for sustaining growth and fostering a resilient workforce.

In this blog, we’ll break down LinkedIn’s findings, focusing on how you, as a business owner, can navigate the evolving landscape of work, adapt to new trends, and empower your team to thrive in this dynamic environment.

1. Shifts in Leadership Styles: Supporting a New Era of Work

Leadership today goes beyond managing people—it’s about creating a culture that embraces change. As 80% of executives adjust their leadership styles, small business leaders are prioritizing empathy, adaptability, and inclusivity.

  • What This Means for You: Adaptability in leadership gives you a competitive edge. Engage in open communication, offer flexible work options, and prioritize understanding your team’s needs. Showing empathy and flexibility helps build a cohesive team.
  • Tip: Schedule regular one-on-one meetings to see how your employees are adjusting and provide additional support if needed.

2. The Impact of AI on Everyday Business Operations

The rise of AI is transforming the workplace. According to LinkedIn’s Work Change Snapshot, generative AI tools are now helping businesses automate tasks, enhance customer service, and improve efficiency. For small businesses, AI offers a cost-effective way to scale operations.

  • What This Means for You: By implementing AI, you can boost productivity and automate repetitive tasks, like data entry or customer support. This innovation lets you achieve more without significant cost increases.
  • Tip: Explore easy-to-use AI tools such as chatbots for customer support or analytics platforms for customer insights. These tools improve your business’s efficiency and customer experience.

3. Upskilling and Reskilling: The Key to Staying Competitive

As job roles evolve, LinkedIn’s report highlights the importance of upskilling and reskilling employees. Investing in skill development helps small businesses remain competitive and retain talent.

  • What This Means for You: Foster a learning culture by promoting skill development. Offering training programs equips your team with new skills relevant to their roles.
  • Tip: Provide access to online courses or plan monthly workshops. Not only does this keep employees updated with industry trends, but it also fosters loyalty as they see opportunities for growth within your business.

4. Changing Job Titles and Roles

Advancements in technology mean job titles and roles are changing to fit new responsibilities. Positions like “Data Analyst” or “Digital Marketing Specialist” are becoming standard, emphasizing the need for data-driven decision-making and digital outreach.

  • What This Means for You: Review and update job descriptions regularly to reflect new responsibilities and required skills. Consider hybrid roles that align with current trends, allowing employees to expand their expertise.
  • Tip: Regularly evaluate job descriptions and adjust them to attract candidates with the skills your business needs to thrive.

5. Employee Well-being: Addressing Overwhelm in the Workplace

With 64% of professionals feeling overwhelmed by the pace of change, prioritizing employee well-being is essential. A supportive work environment helps employees feel valued and improves productivity.

  • What This Means for You: Focusing on well-being benefits your team and reduces turnover. Simple practices like flexible hours, remote work, or mental health days can go a long way in supporting your team.
  • Tip: Encourage regular breaks, especially during demanding projects. Consider an open-door policy so employees feel comfortable discussing their concerns.

6. Embracing Flexibility to Attract and Retain Talent

As remote and hybrid work increase in popularity, flexibility has become crucial. Many employees now prefer jobs that support work-life balance. Businesses offering flexible arrangements gain a recruitment advantage.

  • What This Means for You: Providing flexible work arrangements makes your small business more attractive to employees. Options might include remote work, flexible hours, or even compressed workweeks.
  • Tip: Survey your team to understand their preferences and incorporate flexibility where possible. This improves morale and appeals to potential hires.

7. Leveraging LinkedIn’s Work Change Snapshot to Stay Informed

LinkedIn’s Work Change Snapshot gives valuable insights small businesses can use to make data-driven decisions about workforce management. From embracing AI to promoting adaptability, these trends help business leaders stay ahead.

  • What This Means for You: Use reliable industry reports to stay current with workplace changes. Insights from reports like LinkedIn’s Work Change Snapshot enable you to make informed choices for your business.
  • Tip: Subscribe to business publications or set LinkedIn alerts for topics such as leadership, AI, and employee well-being to keep informed on emerging trends.

8. Partnering with Amber 90 for Data-Driven Marketing and Online Presence

In a digital-first world, a strong online presence is essential for any business. With more people turning to digital channels for information, your business’s online visibility can make a difference in attracting and retaining customers. Amber 90 helps small and mid-sized businesses leverage data-driven marketing to enhance visibility, engage audiences, and drive growth.

  • What This Means for You: Amber 90 can assist you in developing a data-based marketing strategy focused on measurable results. Using tools like SEO, social media marketing, and paid ads, Amber 90 helps you reach your target audience and maximize your marketing budget.
  • Data-Driven Decision-Making: With platforms like Google Analytics, Amber 90 identifies content that resonates with your audience. This allows for optimized messaging and ad placement, ensuring the best return on investment (ROI).
  • Building a Strong Brand Presence: Amber 90 helps you create a cohesive online brand, from optimizing your website for search engines to developing engaging social media campaigns. Their expertise strengthens your position as an industry leader.
  • Personalized Strategies for Growth: Understanding that each business is unique, Amber 90 tailors its marketing plans to align with your specific goals. Whether you want to boost brand awareness, attract leads, or improve customer loyalty, their data-driven approach ensures impactful marketing efforts.
  • Tip: Consider a consultation with Amber 90 to assess your current online presence and identify growth opportunities. They can help you focus your marketing strategy, aligned with your business’s strengths, target audience, and key performance indicators (KPIs).

Final Thoughts: Preparing for the Future of Work with Amber 90

The work environment is continuously evolving. By partnering with experts like Amber 90, you can ensure your business is ready for these changes. Embrace data-driven marketing, invest in a strong online presence, and use insights from industry leaders to stay future-ready. With Amber 90’s support, you can confidently navigate today’s dynamic landscape and build a resilient, engaged, and growing audience. Contact us today to get started.

Shifting Social Media Trends: Why Marketers Should Explore New Platforms

Introduction

The social media landscape is undergoing significant changes. As platforms refine their algorithms and adjust their focus, marketers are rethinking their strategies. Over the past year, major shifts—such as Meta distancing itself from news content and the changes at X (formerly Twitter)—have impacted social ad trends. These shifts are pushing marketers to explore alternative platforms, creating new opportunities for brands to connect with audiences in different ways.

Reddit’s Rise: A New Player in Organic Traffic

One of the most notable shifts is the surge in organic traffic from Reddit. Thanks to a new partnership with Google, Reddit’s referral traffic has increased sevenfold over the past nine months. Between August 2023 and April 2024, Reddit’s readership nearly tripled, growing from 132 million to 346 million monthly visitors【AdWeek】.

This partnership with Google is focused on data sharing to aid in the development of Google’s Gemini AI models. However, it also includes provisions for more prominent displays of Reddit content in Google search results. This has led to a significant increase in attention and has made Reddit a valuable platform for publishers looking to drive traffic【AdWeek】.

LinkedIn’s Steady Growth: Engagement and Newsletters

LinkedIn is also experiencing steady growth in user engagement, particularly through its newsletter feature. As Meta has moved away from promoting publisher content by penalizing link posts, publishers are turning to LinkedIn to drive engagement. LinkedIn newsletters are proving to be a successful tool for creators and publishers alike, fostering direct connections with their audiences【Social Media Today】.

Moreover, as X and LinkedIn adjust their algorithms to downplay external links, publishers are increasingly considering alternative platforms. This shift in strategy could lead to a broader rethinking of how news and content are distributed across social media.

Shifting Social Media Budgets: A New Focus on Snapchat and Reddit

The broader changes at X have also led to a significant shift in social media marketing budgets. As X continues to struggle with an exodus of advertisers, a considerable portion of that budget is moving to platforms like Snapchat and Reddit. Snapchat, for instance, reported an 85% increase in SMB ad spend in Q1, while Reddit has more than doubled its revenue growth rate by focusing on SMBs【Social Media Today】.

These shifts indicate that marketers are exploring new opportunities on these platforms, driven by the desire to find alternatives that deliver results similar to those previously achieved on X.

The Broader Context: A New Era for Social Media Marketing

These developments signal a broader shift in the social media marketing landscape. Platforms are revising their focus, and marketers are looking for new opportunities to reach their target audiences. While Meta’s platforms remain viable options—especially with the ongoing improvements to its AI-driven ad tools—there is a clear trend towards diversifying marketing efforts across multiple platforms.

This diversification is not just about finding alternatives to Meta or X. It’s about recognizing that platforms like Reddit, Snapchat, and LinkedIn are gaining traction because they offer unique opportunities to connect with different audiences. For marketers, this means exploring these platforms now could give you a competitive edge, particularly as we approach the holiday marketing season.

Conclusion: Explore New Opportunities in Social Media Marketing

The shifting social media trends in 2024 highlight the importance of staying adaptable. As marketers, it’s crucial to recognize where the audience is moving and to explore new platforms that offer untapped potential. Whether it’s the rise of Reddit, the steady engagement on LinkedIn, or the growing appeal of Snapchat, now is the time to diversify your marketing strategy.

At Amber 90, we specialize in helping businesses navigate the ever-changing social media landscape. Contact us today to learn how we can help you take advantage of these emerging trends and optimize your marketing strategy across multiple platforms.

Reddit Unveils Lead Generation Ads: A New Era for Marketers

Reddit has introduced a new advertising format, Lead Generation (Lead Gen) Ads, designed to help marketers collect prospective customer information directly from their promotions within the app. This new feature promises to enhance user experience and improve lead quality for advertisers.

Reddit Lead Gen Ads: How They Work

Reddit’s Lead Gen Ads function as expected, featuring a “Sign Up” call-to-action (CTA). When users click on this CTA, they are directed to a sign-up form where they can enter their details. This streamlined process is designed to be user-friendly, particularly for mobile users, with features like auto-population of the email field to reduce friction.

Positive Early Results

Early testing of Reddit’s Lead Gen Ads has shown promising results. For example, LaunchDarkly, a feature management platform, reported a 30% decrease in cost per lead and a 25% increase in lead submission rates compared to their previous conversion campaigns on Reddit. These improvements highlight the potential effectiveness of this new ad format across various industries.

Benefits of Reddit Lead Gen Ads

Lead Gen Ads on Reddit offer several advantages:

  1. Enhanced Lead Quality: Advertisers have reported better quality leads, which can lead to more effective marketing campaigns.
  2. Improved Campaign Performance: The initial tests have shown increased lead submission rates, indicating higher engagement from users.
  3. Targeted Advertising: Marketers can direct these ads to specific Reddit communities, allowing for precise targeting and increased brand awareness.

Integration with Zapier

In addition to the Lead Gen Ads, Reddit has announced a new integration with the automation platform Zapier. This integration allows advertisers to seamlessly transfer lead information from Reddit directly into their CRM systems. This automation can streamline the process of managing and nurturing leads, making it easier for businesses to capitalize on their advertising efforts.

Expanding Reddit’s Ad Suite

The introduction of Lead Gen Ads and the Zapier integration represent significant additions to Reddit’s growing suite of advertising tools. As Reddit continues to expand its business opportunities, these features provide valuable tools for marketers looking to maximize their reach and effectiveness on the platform.

Lead Gen Ads are now available to all advertisers globally, while the Zapier integration is available to brands working directly with Reddit’s ad team.

Conclusion

Reddit’s new Lead Gen Ads offer a powerful tool for marketers to collect high-quality leads directly from their promotions. Coupled with the Zapier integration, these ads can streamline lead management and enhance campaign performance. As Reddit continues to innovate and expand its advertising capabilities, marketers have more opportunities than ever to engage with the platform’s diverse and active user base.

Looking to leverage Reddit’s new Lead Gen Ads for your marketing campaigns? Contact us today!