Day by day, the number of social media users increases. By April 2022, there were already 4.65 billion social media users. That is equivalent to 58.7% of the global population. This points to annual growth of 7.5% in social content.
Moreover, the time people spend on social media has been increasing. The average time people put in on social networking sites is 2 hours and 29 minutes. This figure is 4.9% higher than the previous year.
And the most popular platform? Still Facebook. The number of active users per month on Meta’s main site is more than 2.9 billion, as of January 2022. YouTube, Alphabet’s video sharing and streaming site, follows closely with 2.56 billion active users per month. WhatsApp has breached the 2 billion mark, while Instagram is at 1.48 billion.
So it makes sense that marketers devote plenty of time to optimizing their social media campaigns. There are plenty of benefits to be had by marketing to audiences even on a single platform. Marketing professionals have pointed out that doing so enabled them to increase the exposure of the businesses with which they are working. In fact, in one survey, 85% of marketers assented. Additionally, 58% of marketers said that social media marketing helped them develop loyal fans.
But how exactly are marketers achieving this? They optimize their social content. Here are the six brilliant methods they use to that end.
Image by Tracy Le Blanc from Pexels
1. Engaging with the audience in comments
Social media is a place where brands can engage with the audience dynamically. Most times, interactions take place in the comment section. People talk about their experience with a brand, whether positive or negative. It is tempting to filter out the less-than-glowing comments and ignore them completely, but that is not good practice. Not addressing those issues will only frustrate existing customers. And that may lead them to leave the brand for another and convince other consumers to take their business elsewhere.
Additionally, being active in the comment section can help businesses gain more leads. They may even successfully convert members of the audience by responding to their questions. After all, social media is not just a place to market or advertise a brand’s goods or services. It now serves as a customer support channel as well.
Brands that interact in their comment sections have their posts’ visibility get boosted too. It is well-known that likes and shares affect post visibility, especially on Facebook. But social media platforms take comments into account too. In the case of Facebook, the platform ranks comments higher than likes.
2. Regular video publication
Stills are great, but videos are even better. Brands that post videos at regular intervals can capture the attention of their audience often. After all, video can capture attention five times more effectively than static photos.
When marketers and video creators use them well, they can make anyone stop scrolling through their feed in an instant. That means putting the most attractive elements in the first split second. And believe it or not, choosing the right thumbnail can affect whether or not a platform user will watch a video or skip it.
There is a new trend when it comes to videos, though. Short-term looping videos such as Reels on Instagram are becoming more popular. It has become an important social marketing tool to one in four marketers, according to Social Media Examiner.
How about YouTube videos? A significant number of marketing professionals plan to continue using the site for their social marketing. Indeed, 69% intend to learn more about organic video marketing for the video-sharing platform.
3. They adapt to trends
Successful marketers are those who are quick to adapt to and adopt trends (as long as they are in line with their brand identity, of course). One fine example of that is TikTok. The platform is now ubiquitous and enjoys a massive following from younger users. Specifically, TikTok is winning the eighteen- to twenty-five-year-old segment over. That is something that can make even Meta green with envy.
Thanks to the meteoric rise of TikTok, quick-thinking marketers jumped on the bandwagon to push their brands. This can be seen in the ad spend going on on the platform. Pundits actually predict that it will take home revenue of $11.6 billion this 2022. This figure is nothing to scoff at and shows how much marketers and advertisers now value the platform.
By adopting this trend, marketers are able to reach a wider market, especially if they are targeting youth and young professionals.
While there are still those who are not yet on the platform, they are already making plans of doing so.
4. Staying on top of industry happenings
Even for a small brand, being on top of what is happening in your industry can take you a long way. It will show that the business is an authority or at least is well-informed. This can make the brand more trustworthy and impressive to social media followers. For instance, brands focused on helping people with their online business can publish posts on how people can improve their Internet-based ventures. Beyond that, they can offer tips on how to get the best deals on online businesses for sale. They can also provide insights on running an online enterprise.
Fans of a brand’s page will be inclined to check their posts regularly for news. That can turn casual followers into loyal fans. Marketers can capitalize on this to increase engagement across the board.
5. Offering value in every post
This strategy ties up with the previous one. Social media users always want to get something valuable from a post. They want to see content that is meaningful to them. That is why you need to provide them with something they can use or something that has an impact on them in every post. It can be an information tidbit, a tutorial, or a demo. Brands can even post funny memes to brighten up their followers’ days!
This is something that marketers understand. To truly capture the attention of the audience, social media content has to be valuable. It can also use a different approach and pull at the emotions of the audience through great storytelling.
Marketer and best-selling author Andrew Davis pointed out that brands should focus on telling stories rather than just making campaigns. High-quality and valuable content increases demand for products or services. Even if there is no Buy Now button, consumers can still be spurred into making a purchase decision.
Don’t Stick to One
Do not stick to only one social media platform. While Facebook remains that top platform for marketers, other apps or sites are just as important. After all, a brand’s audience is not only found in one place. By neglecting other networking sites, marketers can miss great opportunities for growth.
Using several platforms at once also provides an avenue for creative marketing. Marketers can create connected storytelling. They can even grow their following by inviting people to follow them on different sites. That is a tactic that brands use candidly, especially when they are doing giveaways.
Of course, social media content does not have to exist in a world of its own. In the same way that it is possible to connect the stories of one platform with another, social media content can be connected with or used in other forms. For example, marketers can use them in Google Ads as well. It is possible to grow a business with the help of Google Ads specialists by using content previously used on social media platforms. Or better yet, connect the ads with social media posts or accounts to drive engagement. Also, when you have a website that needs to be done or needs optimization for your business, hiring freelance professional developers at a reasonable price can be a good option.