Focus on: Social Media
Photo by @plannthat
Whether you love it for the endless connection it offers us, or detest it for precisely the same reason, you cannot deny that with the ability to connect, collaborate, and share content, ideas and comments, nothing has had a larger influential effect on society in recent years than what social media has. Be it the ability to peer into the lives of the rich and famous, shape the outcome of elections or public perception of government policies, promote your product or services to a broad audience and in real-time, find inspiration for any type of creative project, or simply remain connected to friends and family both near and far, social media allows us to do all of this and more! And its capabilities are changing all the time.
Did you know Facebook was created back in 2004? This mean that individuals and business alike have had a whopping eighteen years(!) to get used to the concept of social media. Fast forward to 2022 and it would likely be a safe assumption that you are not only familiar with social media but also an avid user. If you also happen to be a business owner, no doubt your brand has a presence on at least one social media platform as well.
So, as time goes by and the average social media user becomes better connected and savvier online, so too must brands become more creative and ingenious in the ways they connect with their audience.
According to eclincher "Brands that meet (and exceed) their audience’s expectations on social media are rewarded with massive spikes in engagement:
91% will visit a brand’s website or download their app
89% will make a purchase
85% will recommend the brand to others in their network
It is clear that brands on social media have a competitive edge, leaving those not using social media to their full advantage with two options - fully embrace social media, or get left in the dust!
Photo by @anetelusina
So, how do you stand out from the crowd on social media?
Sprout Social's recent report Index Edition XVII:Accelerate outlined 4 key ways to leverage your social media for success:
" 1. Marketers need to listen to the noise before they can cut through it
Nestled within the conversations and interactions consumers have with their friends, family and brands are the insights marketers need to maintain their competitive edge.
2. Get to know your audience on a personal level
Connecting with your target audience, however, starts with getting to know what makes them tick.
3. Visual content is a must-have for achieving social goals
Marketers’ goals for social remain largely unchanged from 2020, with increasing brand awareness (58%) and increasing community engagement (41%) taking the top spots. As visual platforms like Instagram and TikTok become more popular, investing in visual content will be a priority.
4. Strong customer service is the hallmark of an exceptional brand on social
When asked what makes a brand best-in-class on social, the number one response from consumers was strong customer service yet marketers cited audience engagement as the distinguishing factor."
Photo by Kerde Severin
WHAT ARE SOME OF THE MORE POPULAR SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS FOR BRANDS
Instagram Instagram's primary advantage over other social media platforms is its visual nature. If you have a business that benefits from the design of your product or if you have a service that has a visibly noticeable end result, Instagram is the best platform to showcase that content.
Facebook's tools cater to the business that wants to form an authentic relationship with its audience. It allows marketers to create and distribute quality content that's helpful for users. And it allows sales and customer services reps to connect with consumers interested in a brand.
Unlike many social sites, where the game is to get followers, Pinterest users seem very content to simply find stuff and share it with small groups. Pinterest users are keenly interested in what’s hot and what’s cool – a behaviour that translates well into the kind of influencer marketers desire to attract. Pinterest drives tons of traffic and will get you more inbound links. User engagement is highly addictive and Pinterest also allows you to integrate with your website and Facebook profile. This platform is a great place to discover trends and what your customers want
Photo by @canva
WHEN & WHY TO OUTSOURCE YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGEMENT
So your business is up and running, your brand has solid exposure on at least one social media platform and things are full steam ahead, but you're also working harder than ever before, juggling many different facets of your business, and you're perhaps struggling to keep all your balls in the air. Maybe now would be a good time to consider outsourcing some key business functions to the experts and free up your time to focus on your core business.
No doubt you've heard the famous quote "Content is king". This means that to make an impact on social media, you need but one thing - lots of CONTENT. Sounds simple right?
When it comes to outsourcing your social media management, there is a little more to it than just plugging any old image and caption into Facebook or Instagram and hoping for the best. Instead, you get a social media expert that knows best industry practices, is up to date with all the current data and trends, and most importantly has the skills to tell a story for your brand with well planned, engaging, visually appealing, and creative content.
Finally, to know if your content is working for you on social media, you need to be able to analyse the results. Social media agencies use premium and often expensive scheduling and reporting tools that can be difficult to use or out of reach for in house social media. Employing the services of a social media agency gives you access to this functionality and taps into the knowledge of an expert to help interpret the results!
If you are considering outsourcing your social media, hit us up - hello@thelifestyleedit.com.au to find out how we can take your social media presence to the next level.
WORDS | Emma Douglass
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