Today, there’s an estimated 4.89 billion people on the planet – more than 60% of the world’s population - using social media for an average of 151 minutes every day. And while traditional marketing methods are still impactful, social media now accounts for a huge slice of advertising spend, projected to reach $268 billion sometime this year.
This is because social media is easily accessible and highly targetable, often delivering strong results at minimal cost. It’s not exclusive to specific industries or larger companies, either. In fact, 71% of small-to-mid-sized businesses now use social media to market themselves, over half posting daily. Still, tech companies have enjoyed particular success in the social media sphere; the trick being to develop a strategy that works for your brand.
The following are some basic tips to help you get past any social media butterflies and enable your company to take full advantage of this invaluable channel.
Know Your Audience
Audience research is essential to creating and running a successful social marketing strategy. Understanding a target group allows you to cater to their interests more efficiently. And you’re far more likely to get more engagement if your audience relates to your content or message. That said, make your audience feel seen. Further, be sure to reply to comments on your posts, interact with theirs and continually stay engaged.
Choose the proper social channels for your intended audience, too. A common misconception is that it’s necessary to be on all forms of social, but this isn’t true. It’s quality over quantity and it’s important to use the channels that offer you the best reach with the strongest messaging possible. So do your research, know where your audience spends their time, and develop content that will resonate with them.
Establish a Personality
Social media personality is an important part of your media strategy. Leveraging brand personality enables you to create a social image for your company, sets it apart and allows your audience to connect. A way to do this is to consider user trends, social positioning or simply make them laugh. Steer clear of the corporate robot mentality.
Brands like Wendy’s are a great example of this. Wendy’s social media strategy focuses on humor to garner attention and connect with its audience, whether it be by light heartedly roasting its competition or its customers. This works because the company sees its media channels as a platform to connect and interact with its audiences - not just a platform to spew its corporate messaging 24/7. Coincidentally, this strategy has earned it over 3.9 million followers on Twitter and consistent engagement from their consumers.
Consistency is Key
For many social media users, out of sight can be out of mind, so keeping a consistent presence is key. Post content frequently to remain in front of your audience. That being said, once again, place emphasis on quality over quantity, though. Posting two quality posts a week, as opposed to daily ones that bring little to no value to your brand, will more successfully reach and engage your audience.
There are thousands of social media management tools to boost your social presence, utilize them to make your life easier and for greater results. Scheduling apps such as Hootsuite, Buffer, Meta Business Suite and others can help you plan and schedule posts - many offer the ability to track channel analytics, too. Simply put, management tools allow you to set goals easily and create plans to follow through and attain them.
Take on Trends
From the Ice Bucket Challenge that was a fixture of Facebook years ago to renditions of the Wednesday Addams Dance now dominating TikTok, social media is full of engaging short and long-lived trends. Capitalizing on these can increase media impressions and drive traffic to your brand or business. In fact, the Ice Bucket Challenge enabled The ALS Association to increase its annual funding for research worldwide by 187% - and that was back in 2014.
Trends are easy to follow and will provide you with engagement naturally, but the best way to get the most out of these is to add your brand’s unique spin. Incorporate your message into trends using related content you create, adding a call to action. However, remember it’s important to stay up to date: Using a six-month-old Tik Tok sound or doing the same old ad-style Instagram reels is a sure fire way to diminish your image and lose your audience. Save your time and maximize reach with more specific, intentional and curated content.
Overcoming Social Butterflies
Being effective with social media requires strategic thought, ongoing commitment and a significant investment of time. However, there’s no need to feel overwhelmed; it’s easily doable with sound planning and reasonable expectations.
Just keep in mind that social media has a variety of different functions and is not a one size fits all proposition. Take your time developing the right strategy for your company or brand and find a flow that works. There’s no need for any social butterflies - tremendous benefits and results will follow once you establish a solid social media persona.
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