Without question, social media is an invaluable marketing and branding tool for organizations in the digital era. Over the past two decades, the number of social media users has risen to 3.6 billion, which can be attributed primarily to the rise of digital devices. This presents businesses with a unique opportunity to reach consumers at a global level.

More importantly, 63% of consumers expect a brand to offer services via social, and 71% of consumers who enjoy their social experience with a brand are likely to recommend it to their peers. This creates a huge potential for a brand to pick up serious word-of-mouth traction. Social media can also help bring organizations:

• Increased brand awareness
• More website traffic
• Improved search engine rankings
• Better conversion rates
• Increased brand loyalty
• Higher customer satisfaction

As much as social media gives companies access to consumers, capitalizing on this opportunity requires a comprehensive social marketing plan and strategic use of different tools and platforms, each with unique features that suit certain types of businesses and content. We understand that an integral component of social marketing success is knowing when to use each channel and how best to use it. To make your efforts more effective, you need to match your content to the right channels. Here’s what that entails.

Determine the best channels for your specific business. As with a product launch, you want to create a profile of your ideal audience before starting a marketing campaign. With a clear image of who you want to reach, analyze activity by demographics in your target area to identify the platforms they use. Also, assess your competitor’s use of social media; this will guide you on which platforms to target. Though you can focus on one or two platforms, it’s best to support a mix of broad-reaching and niche-based networks. Promoting your brand in a channel that is not ideal for your industry is a waste of resources.

Identify the most appropriate channels for your overall industry. Many channels are more suitable for organizations within specific industries. For instance, image-sharing platforms like Snapchat, Pinterest, and Instagram are ideal for such visually-driven sectors as photography, cosmetology, and fashion. Alternately, Twitter is a better option for tech companies, as it boosts inbound traffic.

Align content formats with the right platforms. When interacting with your audience, you can use long-form or short texts, images, GIFs, and prerecorded or live videos. For each content type, there is a suitable platform that will offer better engagement. In addition to knowing your audience, you need to understand that community; it’s not hard to ascertain the proper means of communicating with users on any given platform.

Showcase content on the appropriate channel. It’s highly unlikely, in today’s vast social media universe, that you’ll rely on one channel for all your needs. It’s essential to plan your marketing content carefully, accounting for the makeup and customs of each individual platform. Offering appropriate content for each channel will give your marketing campaign a better and wider reach. Here’s where each type of content is most effective:

Company News
If you want to share information about your organization, promote a webinar or event, or position your brand as a thought leader, then LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter are ideal. For limited-time offers and product launches, Instagram Stories are best.

Videos
Due to its engaging nature, 81% of businesses used video as a marketing tool in 2020 — an 18% increase over the previous year. To draw the most value from a video content marketing strategy,focus on channels primed for sharing that material, such as TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook.

Visuals
The human brain understands and retains visual information better than text. As such, the use of imagery will help get your message across better. For this kind of approach to social marketing, the best channels are Instagram and Pinterest.

Branding
Beyond high-quality products and excellent services, consumers prefer organizations they can engage with and companies that stand for something. This is where branding comes in. It allows you to showcase the company’s values and personality, build trust, and boost engagement. Targeted branding should happen on all the social channels you’ve selected for your industry and business.

Align your messaging across all channels. Even as you customize content for particular networks, the material you put forth should have an overall consistency. Develop a social media content calendar so that your social team can manage the best ways to share your content while keeping your messaging aligned across networks. Be consistent in your business’s digital appearance, but don’t be afraid to try new things, as long as they fit the goals of the channel, the goals for your audience, and the goals for your brand.

For today’s businesses, keeping up with the ever-evolving digital requirements to survive is essential.

✓ Stay on top of the latest social platforms and keep your fingers on the pulse of each network’s unique community.

✓ Offer an engaging, enthusiastic voice to the social conversation — even in the many interactive forms that will take.

These can create genuine connections with followers that will keep your brand well-positioned for the future.

This entry was posted in Social Media. Bookmark the permalink.