How much time do you currently spend on social media? When building your business, there is so much on the go that dedicating time specifically to posting on social media can easily be forgotten. When your content isn’t reaching the right people for your business, it is easy to be frustrated or concerned about whether or not your business will succeed. Social media marketing is more than just a witty caption or jumping onto trends. In reality, it is about finding a new avenue in which you can grow your brand and connect with a wider audience who are looking for someone just like you to work with. But where exactly does social media fall within marketing and how did it become so effective?
What is a social media marketing strategy?
We’re heading back to the basics to build your foundation of social media marketing for your brand. A social media marketing strategy is a digital marketing tool where social media networks are leveraged to meet your goals. Just as social media trends are transient, your social media marketing strategy is fluid and constantly evolving to meet the goals you have set for your brand. Every social media marketing strategy will have common elements to help you get started. It is important to note that just because the social media platform exists, that doesn’t mean that you have to create an account! It is better to dedicate more time to a few platforms, such as LinkedIn, Facebook, or Instagram, that you can consistently add to and build your credibility than try to cater to a diverse audience on every platform. Your social media marketing strategy should also include time set aside each month to create a snapshot of what you will post and when it will go live. Your monthly social media calendar can help you see whether or not your content is in line with your brand narrative and the goals you want to achieve to meet your audience.
Whether your brand already has a social media profile or you are starting from scratch, your strategy should identify ways that your profiles can be optimized with relevant information for your brand. The other critical identifiers within a social media marketing strategy include the types of content you will create, how often you plan on posting, paid advertising for a given service, and your success metrics.
How do I choose the best social media platform for my business?
The platform you choose will be influenced by how you want to use social media to reach your goals. Do you want to highlight your business’ accomplishments and grow your network or do you want to put more emphasis on your products and services? Depending on your industry and target audience, your social media marketing strategy may include Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn. Facebook is the most popular social media platform for reaching older audiences as it allows you the freedom to build relationships with your audience and share a variety of content types including product launches, contests, or upcoming events. Instagram will give you a higher organic reach if you create a story or short-term video, making it a good choice if you are trying to increase brand awareness and reach younger audiences. LinkedIn is the best social media platform for building not only your professional brand but also your personal brand. Share industry-relevant content, network, and share company news to set yourself apart from your competitors. That being said, LinkedIn better serves B2B companies as opposed to B2C companies who may prefer to focus more attention on Facebook and Instagram.
Embracing the new: Introducing Threads
Threads was designed to fill the gap on Instagram, bringing in elements of other platform designs to ensure that the conversation can continue. Available through Instagram, the app allows users to pose questions and create a thread of comments, replies, and follows. The app is available to anyone who has an Instagram account. Unlike Twitter, users can post 500-character captions, or include links, photos and videos.
The question is, what gaps does Threads fill in the world of social media? Rather than miss a comment or lose track of a topic, Threads seeks to create a space for real-time updates that allow the audience to feel heard and give you an exclusive look into what your target audience may be interested in seeing from your brand. To help maintain a safe space for all, the app has built-in tools to control mentions or replies, and filter replies based on keywords or noted abusive language.
If you are looking to try out Threads, there is more on the way to help you get the most out of the app. Meta is continuing to roll out features over the next few months to help creators or small businesses get discovered based on related interests or products.
How do I start creating a social media marketing strategy?
At BubbleUP Marketing, we want to help you bring your brand to life through quality content that reflects your brand and resonates with your audience. As the expert in your field, you know your clients better than anyone, and we want to help give you the tips and tricks to continue to serve them.
- Setting your SMART goals: What are the marketing goals that you want to achieve this year? The most effective goals are designed using the SMART framework: Are they specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and timely? Your social media marketing goals should align with your strategy and your business’s mission and vision statements. Some starting SMART goals could include growing your brand’s reputation and awareness, increasing customer engagement, or see an increase in leads.
- Define your audience: Who do you want to reach online? Understanding your target audience can help set the tone for your social media accounts, while also helping your customers feel like they can relate to your brand. Take time to research demographics like age, gender, jobs, and interests. How will you stand out?
- Diversifying content: Creating quality content means experimenting with something new! Your social media posts can be a mixture of contests, how-to tips, updates, product features, or industry news and partnerships. If you are going to cross-post, make sure that the content is still relevant for each platform and adjust the caption or call-to-action as necessary.
- Repurpose blogs: Did you know that blogs can help build your credibility as an expert in your field? Monthly blogs posted on your website are just one resource that can help educate your audience and increase traffic through Google searches. Make your content work for you by sharing links to your blogs and service pages on social media.
- Find your favourite content creation tools: You don’t have to be a graphic designer to create eye-catching graphics. Did you know that sites such as Canva have a variety of free templates to help you get started with creating graphics and finding high-quality images?
Photos vs. Videos: Which is better?
We can’t talk about social media without talking about post types. Since the rise of videos on social media like TikTok and Instagram, there has been a growing debate about whether or not photo posts are as effective as video posts. The reality is, the answer will depend on the type of content you can create. Reels or short-form videos ranging from 15 – 30 seconds can go viral on social media, helping your brand to reach a wider audience and get discovered, but the videos need to catch their attention. Long-form videos created for ads or the web will give you more freedom to take a deep dive into a topic related to your brand or create a tour of your business space. When in doubt, photo posts with relevant captions will help you sell your products and give your customers a better understanding of what they want to know.
Work With Us
At BubbleUP Marketing, we want you to get the most out of your brand, connecting you to the right audience to meet the needs of your community. Not sure about where to start with social media marketing? Our talented team is always looking on the lookout for ideas to help you increase your ROI and set you up for success. Are you interested in learning more about how you can elevate your brand awareness on social media? Book a free consultation with us today!
