By Logan White
It wasn’t that long ago people were skeptical social media would stick. Some experts thought it would be a short-lived trend, gone in a few years. Yet, here we are in 2021 with more than 3 billion social media users worldwide and entire jobs (like mine) dedicated primarily to social media for business. Pew Research Center found that 72% of Americans 18+ use some form of social media. It’s safe to say that social media has become more than just a fad.
With the sheer amount of content already out there, social media marketing can feel daunting. However, if used strategically, it can ensure a campaign meets (if not exceeds!) objectives and can build community between a company and its stakeholders and customers.
Here are five tips to help achieve successful social media outcomes and foster stronger connections with your audiences:
1. Keep an eye on what competitors are doing.
The public nature of social media has it’s advantages – one of them being that you can see exactly what everyone else in your market is doing. Of course, tailoring your content and strategy to your brand is essential, but some competitive analysis can reveal what works in your specific marketplace with less trial and error.
There are a number of programs out there to help compare coverage and content. These streamline native research and provide actionable insights to inform your strategy. Ask yourself which platforms are getting the most engagement, both for your company and among your competition. Are your answers different? If one platform is performing better for your competitors, what is working for them? How can you adopt similar strategies and tailor them to fit your brand?
2. Customize content to each different target audience.
Social media has opened up a whole new realm of possibilities when it comes to audience segmentation. Advertisers give you a multitude of targeting options: geographic location, age, gender, income, interests, even browsing and shopping habits. But did you know you can segment your organic social content, too?
Pay attention to which segments of your audience use which platform and tailor your messaging accordingly. Instagram typically skews younger than Facebook, so the way you present your content may look different depending on what will resonate with each demographic. This can be as simple as rephrasing a social post to fit better into each platform. Even subtle differences can have a significant impact.
3. Use social media to inform and expand your audience demographics.
Social media can also help determine potentially valuable audiences you may have otherwise overlooked. For instance, during a social media campaign for KWI client Purrble – a calming social robot originally targeted toward parents with young children – we noticed that grandparents and eldery people isolated during the pandemic were engaging with our content.
Based on this organic feedback, we set up a new audience segment and launched paid social media with tailored ad messaging to speak directly to this population. Our grandparents audience ended up being a top performer in our paid campaign with an outstanding ad click through rate of more than 5%. (Average ad click through rate on Facebook is less than 1%.)
4. Align your social media and public relations strategies.
Everything your company puts out on social media should correlate with your overarching brand message and organizational mission. Maximize your team’s efforts by leveraging social media as an extension of your public relations strategies.
If you are pitching executives as thought leaders in traditional media, utilize their personal and brand social media presence to share similar content. If your brand or leaders are covered in the news, re-share the stories on your social media channels for extended reach and credibility.
5. Keep in mind, the biggest pitfall of social media is feeling like you have to do it all.
If you find that not enough users in your target market use Twitter, don’t feel obligated to use it! As with any channel, focus your resources where they will have the most impact. The best approach is to prioritize the platforms, audiences and content that will help achieve your goals.
For more advice on navigating social media marketing, contact our digital services team or check out more about what we do here at KWI.
