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How To Build A YouTube Marketing Strategy in 13 Steps

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By Loree Hollander

Ready to get started with YouTube marketing but don’t know where to begin?

Tons of social media competition and short attention spans make standing out on the world’s second-largest search engine seem unattainable.

But for social media mavens, content marketing gurus, and online business owners like you, mastering YouTube can be your golden ticket.

Whether you’re a seasoned marketer or a business newbie, this short, sweet, and complete guide will help you create a successful YouTube marketing campaign that gets your YouTube channel (and business) noticed.

Ready?

Let’s do this!

What is YouTube Marketing?

YouTube Marketing is the practice of using a dynamic set of tactics on your YouTube channel to boost your products, services, or brand via the power of the YouTube platform.

An increasingly integral part of a broader social media marketing strategy, targeted YouTube content is key to building brand awareness.

Far more than just making random video uploads, a YouTube marketing strategy employs research, social media insights, and data to help make decisions about every detail of a YouTube campaign.

Think on-brand channel art, SEO-savvy video descriptions, intentional partnerships with YouTube influencers, and smart YouTube ad placements.

The goal?

Grab attention, spark engagement, and lead viewers to take action — like clicking to your site or making a purchase.

It’s blending creativity with data insights to help you become a YouTube rockstar!

Do You Really Need a YouTube Channel?

Spoiler alert…

YES.

If you have a business in 2023, a social media presence is no longer an option. It’s a necessity.

YouTube is no exception. Boasting over 2.7 billion logged-in monthly users, it’s a dynamic social media platform that spans demographics and geographies. Multitudes of YouTube viewers are out there looking for exactly whatever it is you’re selling.

And if growth and greater brand awareness are on your agenda, YouTube is where you need to be to help them find it.

Nearly every statistic underscores a truth: a thriving YouTube channel is a goldmine. If you don’t have a YouTube channel, you’re sending your customers to competitors who do.

top youtube marketing statistics for 2023

This is How to Create a Kick-ass YouTube Marketing Strategy in 13 Steps

If you want to harness YouTube’s gargantuan potential, you won’t do it with random, inconsistent uploads to your YouTube channel.

You need a strategy — a roadmap to social media engagement and conversion.

Here’s how to craft yours:

1. Start With Your Target Audience

youtube marketing target audience

Want to know the insider secret to YouTube channel success?

Hint: Just like any other digital marketing strategy or social media campaign, it all begins with understanding who you’re trying to reach.

These are the folks who’ll eagerly devour your video content, nod in agreement, hit ‘like,’ and wait with bated breath for your next upload.

So, dive deep and analysis who your target audience is.

Are they corporate mavens? Female biohackers? Social media marketers? Quirky DIY enthusiasts? Passionate plant parents?

By defining their interests, age range, habits, and pain points, you tailor your video content to resonate, making your videos feel like they were made just for them.

Because, well, they were.

By understanding who you serve, you can tailor YouTube video content that resonates, engages, and converts.

So, before you dream of social media fame and viral videos, lock in on your target audience. It’s the cornerstone of your YouTube castle!

2. Create Engaging YouTube Video Content. Consistently.

youtube marketing engaging video content

The heart of any YouTube strategy? Targeted video content.

Once you understand your target audience, identifying topics for your YouTube video is the easy part.

You’ll also need a compelling story, an intro that hooks, an on-brand background, great sound, and video quality. A catchy voiceover or soundtrack can also elevate your video’s engagement factor.

And consistency? It’s king.

Regular uploads create a rhythm, building anticipation and trust among your YouTube subscribers. Think of it as your favourite TV show — if it aired sporadically, you’d lose interest.

The same goes for your YouTube channel.

Time spent learning about how to make successful YouTube videos is an investment in your future success.

Engage, captivate, repeat — that’s your mantra!

3. Align Your Brand Elements

Just like any social media strategy, building your brand identity is a key component of an air-tight YouTube marketing plan. So it’s important to align your brand elements across your channel.

This goes far beyond your video content.

Think colours, fonts, intros, tone, vibe, background music, and anything else that conveys the personality of your channel.

Every banner, playlist, and video thumbnail on your YouTube channel should scream your brand.

Imagine throwing a themed bash at your place. Would you slap on Star Wars décor and expect folks to feel the 1920s Gatsby vibe? Heck, no!

The channel icon? That’s your front door.

And oh, that channel description? Think of it as the catchy invite getting folks hyped up for the festivities.

When brand elements align, the right visitors can’t help but resonate more deeply with your content.

And that’s when YouTube visitors become YouTube subscribers.

4. Utilize YouTube Tools

youtube marketing youtube tools

YouTube wants you to be awesome at YouTube marketing.

In fact, YouTube’s magic treasure chest of tools can vastly enhance your video content marketing.

From in-depth analytics to subtitle generators, the platform offers a myriad of easy-to-use options to amplify your content’s reach and appeal, all without the expense of a digital marketing agency.

In addition to YouTube Studio, various third-party apps can bring the power of a small Hollywood studio and mini-marketing agency to your video creation.

A cornucopia of tools exists to help you make amazing videos easily.

Learn to use them!

5. Keep YouTube SEO in Mind

YouTube SEO amplifies reach, ensuring that your meticulously crafted content doesn’t get lost in the digital abyss.

Although your content should always be audience-first, integrating SEO strategies can help you get discovered!

Suppose your channel covers Canadian hiking. You can make stunning videos of Canada’s top hikes, but without using the right keywords, your target audience won’t find you.

Pave a path to your channel with relevant keywords in video titles, descriptions, taglines, and scripts.

Learning YouTube SEO basics can help you stand out, and your future fans will thank you for helping them find you!

6. Optimize For Voice Search

youtube marketing voice search

When it comes to any kind of content marketing, we can’t talk about SEO without also discussing voice search.

With the rise of Alexa, Siri, Google Assistant, and more on the way, voice search isn’t the future, it’s the “now.” In fact, nearly 50% of adults report they use voice search daily.

Why is this important?

Well, there are differences between how people search using text vs. voice.

When searching with voice, most people use natural language, which means long-tail keywords and questions.

Makes sense, right?

On the other hand, text search is short, and search engines provide more options for users to choose from.

This difference has ginormous implications for you and how you implement SEO on your YouTube channel.

So, pack in those long-tail keywords, construct your content like it’s a Q&A session, and keep your scripts sounding natural and chatty.

7. Refine Your Video Thumbnails & Descriptions

First impressions matter.

Your video thumbnails and descriptions are the storefronts of your channel, and their appeal determines whether a viewer strolls by or steps in.

When you create a YouTube thumbnail, make sure it’s vibrant, clear, and compelling.

Pair it with a video description that is catchy, informative, and packed with SEO-friendly keywords that guide search engines and viewers alike to your channel.

This isn’t mere beautification; it’s a strategic move that can dramatically boost your click-through rates, video views, subscribers, sales, income, and more.

8. Share Stories, YouTube Style

youtube marketing storytelling

Stories are relatable, emotional, and memorable. They connect us as humans.

To tap into this, craft your content as narratives. Instead of just listing features of a product, tell the story of how it solved a real problem.

Use behind-the-scenes videos to share your company’s journey, personal anecdotes to foster connection, or customer testimonials as authentic, captivating tales.

By weaving your content into stories, you’re inviting viewers to gather around your digital campfire, sparking not just video views, but engagement and trust.

Stories build connections, and sharing yours can forge deeper viewer relationships.

Use YouTube’s story feature to showcase short, engaging snippets, offering a personal touch to your brand narrative.

Even a relatable YouTube short could result in new subscribers!

9. Harness Cross-Promotion

Think of cross-promotion as the ‘you scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours’ of YouTube marketing.

In a space as vast as YouTube, your solo voyage to stardom could be a slow sail.

Why go it alone? Partner up!

Find creators or brands that align with your values and audience but aren’t direct competitors.

Share their content on your channels and let them do the same. Collaborate on a video project or share a video ad that appeals to both your viewers.

It’s a win-win; you gain exposure to their audience and vice versa.

Imagine this as trading golden tickets with fellow adventurers; together, you’re unlocking broader vistas of potential viewership.

10. Consider Influencer Marketing

youtube marketing influencer marketing

Partnering with an influencer is like adding a dash of champagne to your digital bash.

The secret of influencer marketing is out. These social superstars come with their own eager audience, and inviting one to collaborate on your content instantly boosts brand credibility.

Partner with someone who resonates with your brand’s values and message, whose values align with yours, and who speaks to an audience that you want to connect with.

Whether it’s through a candid conversation, a shared project, or a product review, this partnership is your introduction to a new sphere of potential customers, many of whom could be the next members of your tribe.

11. Make the Most of YouTube Ads

Ready to supercharge your YouTube presence?

Say hello to YouTube Ads.

First up, define your goals.

Want eyeballs on your brand or clicks to your site? Your goal shapes your strategy.

Next, target like a pro.

YouTube lets you aim your ads at specific ages, locations, interests, and more.

Budget-wise, start small. Test, learn, then adapt. A YouTube ad is less expensive than a Google ad, and overall, a better bang for your buck.

Crafting the YouTube ad is an art in itself — make it engaging, authentic, and, crucially, valuable to the viewer.

End with a strong call to action; tell viewers exactly what you want them to do next.

And here’s the golden rule: keep an eye on YouTube analytics. The numbers will tell you what’s working and what needs a tune-up.

12. Monitor Your YouTube Channel Performance

You’ve honed your YouTube content and advertising and maybe even dipped your toe into YouTube Live.

Next is YouTube Analytics. They’re your essential tools and guides, directing your path.

Make delving into YouTube Analytics a regular part of your process; it’s a rich source of data that shows which videos excel and which ones falter.

Views, watch time, audience engagement, and click-through rates — these are your benchmarks.

If one video gained traction, analyse it. Was its success due to the video title, thumbnail, or content?

And if another video didn’t quite hit the mark, adjust your approach. Refine your YouTube video marketing strategy and shift your focus to better results.

Staying attentive to your data and using it to adapt and refine your strategy is key to achieving greater success.

13. Track Your Competition

youtube marketing track your competition

Standing out on YouTube means knowing what your high-ranking competitors are up to.

Competitor research is an underutilized YouTube marketing tool.

So, start by identifying your key competitors — those in your niche, with similar audience size or content style.

Now, be a YouTube detective.

Check their video titles and descriptions. What keywords are they targeting? Peek at their thumbnails; are they vibrant and eye-catching?

Dive into their posting schedule; when and how often are they uploading? Engage with their content; what kind of calls-to-action are they using? Do they utilize influencer marketing?

Don’t forget the comments section; it’s a goldmine for audience sentiment.

Now, here’s another opportunity to use the magic sauce: YouTube Analytics.

While you can’t access a competitor’s private data, tools like SocialBlade or TubeBuddy offer valuable insights. Track their subscriber growth, view counts, and engagement rates.

It’s not about copying, it’s about learning and strategizing. How can you differentiate? Use that intel to improve your own strategy.

Now Go Rock Your YouTube Marketing Strategy

Ready to turn your vision into viewers? It’s time to step into the spotlight.

Your stage is set, your audience awaits, and now, you have a 13-step script in hand.

Cheers to your future YouTube stardom!

By Loree Hollander

Loree Hollander is a content creator, editor, and SEO strategist who specializes in psychology, health, wellness, and the intersection of science and spirituality. When not writing, reading, or traveling, she spends time with her husband in the woods and on the water in the beautiful Pacific Northwest.

Sourced from SmartBlogger

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As concerns over data privacy abound, Vero is doing social media a little differently

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As concerns over data privacy abound, Vero is doing social media a little differently

Unlike Threads, Vero has been focused on steady, rather than exponential growth.

When Mark Zuckerberg launched Threads as a competitor to Twitter, it broke ChatGPT’s record to become the fastest-growing social network in history, gaining 100 million users in just a few days. But in the weeks since its launch, Threads’ daily active user count has fallen by significant margins, dropping 82% as of July 31.

Vero, on the other hand, has been growing slowly and steadily for years, flying mostly under the radar as it seeks to build a strong base from which to change the social media landscape. The app, which now has a user base numbering about 6.5 million people, proposes a different, more real, version of social media, one that is importantly lacking the incentives for addiction and vitriol that are present on other platforms.

“People are becoming more and more aware of the problem of platforms mining their data, and then using that data, selling it to advertisers,” Ayman Hariri, the co-founder and CEO of Vero said in an interview with The Street. “We’re definitely seeing people that do come onto the platform organically come because of those concerns.”

Vero is ad-free, subscription-based

Vero was designed to be a completely ad-free, subscription-based social network. Though the company has yet to activate the subscription model – and hasn’t said when it will do so – the result of this ad-free network is a platform without incentives, and therefore, without an algorithm.

“When people talk about data and data mining, it’s really about having enough information on somebody to know what their habits are, and whether or not there’s a way to design things to fit within those habits,” Hariri said. “It’s a negative thing in that you can make the product more addictive. You can potentially manipulate people’s behaviour. And that’s a red line we don’t want to cross.”

These problems of algorithms and misaligned incentives were at the centre of Meta Platforms’  (META) – Get Free Report Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen’s complaint against the company in 2021. The computer scientist said at the time that “Facebook makes more money when you consume more content,” adding that the platform designed its algorithms to prioritize profits in a way that incentivizes hate speech.

Vero has no such incentives.

“There’s no advertising. Therefore, it isn’t an algorithmic feed,” Hariri said. “Therefore, we’re not looking for content that gets any reaction. We’re not in that world at all. I don’t believe in it.”

It provides users with a chronological feed that, according to Hariri, gives people complete access to their entire following, something advertisement-based platforms have not been able to promise.

“There’s no place for hate speech on our platform,” Hariri said. “We’re not looking for people to be okay with that nor to train people that that’s okay.”

Vero currently employs a human content moderation team, but is looking into tools to bring that effort up to scale.

“I think that free speech and what X is particularly going after is a noble cause, but just the practicality of daily life makes it difficult to achieve something that will work for everybody,” he said. “We’re doing things in different ways.”

And where other platforms, such as YouTube and now X (formerly Twitter) incentivize their creators to make content by sharing percentages of ad revenue, Vero’s approach is necessarily different. There’s no ad revenue to share; the app, instead, will grant creators equity ownership in the platform itself.

Vero users own shares of the company

“If you choose to come to Vero and bring your following, you own shares in the company. It’s got nothing to do with discussions with me or anybody else,” Hariri said. “We’re looking very intently at the regulatory aspects and we’re making bold moves that nobody else has done because we truly mean what it is that we’re saying. We want to be different. And we want to have a different impact on people that join us.”

To that end, Vero acquired Tokenise Stock Exchange International in June, a regulated stock exchange for tokenised securities that was founded in 2018.

“It’s a challenge to go down the path of educating a market and selling to them,” Hariri said. “That’s why our product has to stand on its own two feet as a product that delivers you value. That’s what we’re focused on. That’s why it takes us so long.”

“Our growth is all ahead of us.”

By

Ian Krietzberg is a breaking/trending news writer for The Street with a focus on artificial intelligence and the markets. He covers AI companies, safety and ethics extensively. As an offshoot of his tech beat, Ian also covers Elon Musk and his many companies, namely SpaceX and Tesla.

Sourced from TheStreet

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Reaching Gen Z & Millennials: Different Social Platforms Call for Different Content Every Time

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By Catherine Salfino

There are 8 billion people in this world. And of them, 60 percent, or 4.88 billion, are active social media users. In the U.S., that number jumps to 74 percent. This poses a great opportunity for brands to connect with consumers. However, there is a bushel of social media platforms. And the users differ for each platform based on age as well as the content they want to see. That’s especially true for Gen Z and millennials. For marketers, knowing the difference can make all the difference in connecting and capitalizing on social platforms.

YPulse data shows Gen Z and millennials are active on an average of six different social media platforms. And they’re going to each platform for different content.

“For brands, this means that content can’t be one size fits all,” states the YPulse Insights article. “They’ve got to pay attention to exactly what purpose each one serves for young audiences.”

Fully 81 percent of young consumers don’t want to see the same kind of content on every platform, according to the YPulse research. The firm also found 65 percent of young users don’t like when social media platforms create new features that replicate other social media sites—meaning, they want different content on each.

For example, in a YPulse survey of 13 to 39 year olds, users went to TikTok for memes and viral content (66 percent), content from online influencers (58 percent), random people they don’t know (57 percent), celebrities (49 percent), and their friends (46 percent). But when the same generations go to Instagram, they mostly seek content from their friends (66 percent), followed by celebrities (63 percent), online influencers (55 percent), brands/products (52 percent), and memes/viral content (51 percent).

The most popular social media platform for clothing ideas among Gen Z consumers is Instagram (74 percent), according to a 2023 Cotton Incorporated Lifestyle Monitor™ Survey. That’s followed by TikTok (71 percent), Pinterest (52 percent), YouTube (36 percent), Snapchat (18 percent), Facebook (13 percent), X—formerly Twitter (13 percent), and Tumblr (2 percent).

Among consumers ages 25 to 34, the top platform is also Instagram (78 percent), according to the Monitor™ research. That’s also followed by TikTok (57 percent), Facebook (51 percent), YouTube (43 percent), Pinterest (38 percent), X (22 percent), Snapchat (19 percent), and Tumblr (5 percent).

Simon Kemp, founder of Kepios, a strategy consultancy, and DataReportal, an online reference library, says social media user numbers continue to grow. He says his firm’s latest research shows social media adoption accelerated +1.5 percent over the past three months. Total social media adoption increased 3.7 percent since July 2022.

“This figure marks another momentous milestone along our journey towards universal connectivity,” Kemp said in a recent video when the company presented its quarterly digital report.

In the last quarter, DataReportal’s research shows females ages 16 to 24 spent the most time on social media, at 3 hours and 10 minutes per day. That was followed by females ages 25 to 34, spending 2 hours and 49 minutes per day on social platforms. Males ages 16 to 24 were next, at 2 hours and 35 minutes, followed by males ages 25 to 34 at two hours and 32 minutes. By comparison, men and women ages 55 to 64 average 1 hour and 40 minutes on social platforms per day.

That time spent on these platforms can translate into sales for apparel brands, especially among younger consumers. One-fifth (20 percent) of shoppers ages 13 to 24 say they have purchased a product directly from a social media post by clicking a link or image, according to 2020 Monitor™ research. The number increases to 23 percent among millennials.

Two-fifths (40 percent) of young consumers (ages 13-24) add that they’re likely to buy a product directly from a social media platform, according to the 2020 Monitor™ research.

Perhaps that’s why Pinterest is so popular with the younger set. YPulse research shows young consumers like that Pinterest offers in-post shopping where both creators and brands can tag the items they show, allowing users to purchase directly from the post. Gen Z and millennials put Pinterest in the number one spot for the kind of content they want from brands, including product recommendations that are linked within aesthetically pleasing pictures.

YPulse research shows the other top platforms Gen Z and millennials turn to for content from brands are Instagram, YouTube and Facebook. Where Instagram is concerned, 52 percent of young consumers say they want to see brands and products in the app. They like that social shopping also doesn’t waste their time or divide their attention by bringing them to another site. Also, these shoppers want to see niche or personalized content on Instagram, versus viral posts.

When it comes to advertising, young consumers are most open to watching it on YouTube (63 percent), followed by Instagram and Facebook, according to YPulse’s Social and Mobile Marketing Preferences report. And they’re open to content from online influencers on every platform except Facebook and Snapchat—two platforms where they prioritize posts from family and friends. Whether it’s a major celebrity or micro influencer, more than half of all young people (54 percent) say they have purchased something after it was touted by an online celeb on social media.

Social media holds the top spot for young shoppers when it comes to a source of clothing ideas. Over two-fifths of all Gen Z shoppers (43 percent) and 37 percent of millennials say they turn to social platforms for clothing inspo, according to 2023 Monitor™ research. That compares to 23 percent for Gen X and 7 percent for boomers. Celebrities also hold more sway with younger consumers. Among Gen Z, 17 percent look to celebs as a source of clothing ideas, as do 17 percent of millennials. That contrasts with 10 percent for Gen X and just 4 percent for boomers.

Brands should keep in mind the U.S. Chamber of Commerce says the influencer marketing industry is expected to grow to $21.1 billion in 2023, citing data from The Influencer Marketing Benchmark Report.

Finally, YPulse says Gen Z and millennial consumers love viral content, which explains why TikTok is so popular with these cohorts.

“Lucky for brands, this kind of content is easy to get in on if done right—and is yet another way to blend ad and brand content into their feeds,” YPulse states in its Insights article. Since 49 percent of TikTok users want to see humour from brands, funny content is one way to connect with them. “But even if a brand doesn’t think humour is part of their identity, there’s viral potential for everything—wholesome, lifestyle, DIY, you name it—and as long as it’s entertaining and personal, young consumers will be interested.”

The Cotton Incorporated Lifestyle Monitor™ Survey is an ongoing research program that measures consumer attitudes and behaviours relating to apparel, shopping, fashion, sustainability, and more.

For more information about the Lifestyle Monitor™ Survey, please visit https://lifestylemonitor.cottoninc.com.

Feature Image Credit: Getty

By Catherine Salfino

Sourced from Sourcing Journal

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Ryanair’s TikTok lays bare the dark, twisted heart of capitalism

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By James Greig

The budget airline’s social media represents a bold new era of advertising in which the customer, far from being always right, is a snivelling little worm

There has been much talk lately about online abuse, with both the British and American governments drafting strict new legislation aimed at tackling the problem. But the internet’s most venomous troll has slipped under the radar: ultra-budget airline Ryanair. Casting aside the idea that the customer is always right, the brand’s social media presents a new, black-pilled mode of advertising in which the customer is both petulant brat and spineless coward, grumbling impotently as they submit to ever more degrading treatment.

Ryanair’s TikTok views the people who use its services with disdain and delights in the terrible service it provides them, safe in the knowledge that we are too broke to fly elsewhere. Taking all of the things which people hate about the company and turning them into a source of self-deprecating humour, it jokes about charging people for breathing, mocks customers for complaining about flights “which no one forced them to book”, gloats about having window seats with no windows and charging extortionate additional fees.

With both its TikTok and Twitter accounts, Ryanair has trapped its customers in a dom/sub dynamic. In one sense, it’s like the big-dicked top who fucks you good, treats you like shit and knows you’ll come crawling back for more. But the analogy breaks down when you consider that the company has no redeeming qualities other than cost: it’s more like a lover sending you a series of gloating texts about how terrible they are in bed, safe in the knowledge that you have no better options because you’re a broke-ass loser. Plenty of people lap this up, barking like seals (or replying “savage!!!”) at their own abjection. Over the last few years, the account has gained millions of followers and widespread acclaim. “The voice doesn’t just sound human. It sounds like a hilarious member of Gen Z: fluent in the latest memes, ready to pounce on bad takes and eager to troll for likes,” enthused one article in The Washington Post, which described it as “the most savage account of any airline”.

Ryanair’s antagonistic, self-mocking approach isn’t entirely new. Brands have been using irony for decades, usually in an attempt to capture something about the zeitgeist: in the 1990s it was slacker disaffection, today it is informed by the often chaotic and nihilistic humour of social media. Companies have previously embraced a bad reputation in an effort to transform it (one 2004 Skoda advert was premised entirely on the fact that everyone hated their product) and others have leaned into obnoxiousness – Cards Against Humanity, for example, once crowd-funded $100,000 to dig a hole in the ground. When people complained, “why didn’t you donate it to charity?” they replied, “why didn’t the donators?” Pretty twisted stuff… More recently, there has been a trend of advertising based on the idea that capitalism sucks: a Subway/UberEats advert with the slogan, “when your day is long, go footlong”, and a footwear brand cracking jokes about how young people today will never be able to retire.

As journalist Tristan Cross writes in The Guardian, these adverts “self-consciously [ape] the sardonic disaffection and dejection that many of us feel” and “affect a knowing posture, as if they, too, share our dissatisfactions with the modern world”. But this is slightly different to what Ryanair is doing: the brands mentioned above are coming to you as a friend, smiling in commiseration, and promising you respite from a cold and uncaring world. The Ryanair TikTok account is the cold and uncaring world. It is the sneering face of capitalist domination, lip-syncing to an audio recording of a toddler or a sassy exchange from a Bravo series.

Like Ray Liotta in Goodfellas, Ryanair’s message is simple: fuck you, pay me. Forgot to print out your boarding pass because you’re an old-age pensioner and you don’t know what an app is? Fuck you, pay me. Your luggage weighs a couple of grams over the limit because you’re transporting your grandmother’s ashes? Fuck you, pay me. Your flight has been cancelled through no fault of your own and you need to rebook? Fuck you, that’ll be £80. As a brand, they do not pretend to “value” their customers – we are profit cows and nothing more. CEO Michael O’Leary said himself that he would charge us to use the bathroom if he could. Instead of trying to gloss over this cold-blooded, mercenary streak, the Ryanair TikTok account embraces it.

There is admittedly something refreshing in its refusal to frame a transactional relationship in the sentimental terms of family or friendship. This is a carefully considered marketing strategy, no more authentic or anarchic than any other, and the decision to not sound “too corporate” has, of course, been signed off by corporate executives. It’s still capitalism with a human face, it’s just presenting itself as an outrageous oomfie rather than as a kindly neighbour or supportive friend. But the company’s celebration of its own greed does hint at a larger truth.

While they typically expend great effort in persuading us otherwise, the Ryanair approach is – at heart – how every business views its customers, from the major corporations downwards (except for youth culture and fashion publications, it should go without saying!) The cute little queer cafe that serves snacks and hosts Heartstopper viewing parties. The girl you went to uni with who has started hawking ethically sourced healing crystals on Instagram. The ten-year-old Girl Guide knocking on your door with a tray of home-baked cookies and a fantastical tall tale about raising funds for a local hospice. If they could get away with it, they would all slit your throat for the change in your pocket. Ryanair is just one of the few companies saying it out loud, having calculated – it would seem correctly – that we would find this admission funny.

In this respect, the Ryanair TikTok account shares a spiritual kinship with Donald Trump. As political theorist Corey Robin argues in The Reactionary Mind, part of the former president’s appeal was his willingness to expose the moral emptiness of capitalism, even as he revelled in it. Where previous generations of right-wing politicians had venerated the free market as a site of heroic and noble deeds, for Trump it was simply a matter of winning or losing – as he put it, investing in the stock market was no different from playing poker in a casino. Even though he proposed little in the way of changing it, Trump punctured some of the more flattering illusions about how our economy functions – and many people loved him for it. Are you starting to see the parallels yet? Only time can tell whether fans of the Ryanair TikTok account will go on to attempt an insurrection of their own, perhaps storming the British Airways Member’s Lounge in a fit of populist hysteria.

All that said, it would be overstating the case to praise Ryanair for its brutal honesty. While the company is happy to poke fun at its minor sins, the inconveniences and shakedowns with which anyone who has flown with them will already be familiar, it is not cracking jokes about its allegedly terrible working conditions, its violation of labour laws or the fact it was reprimanded by a watchdog for misleading claims about being a “low-CO2 emissions” airline, when it is in fact one of the worst polluters in Europe.

Ryanair’s bolshy TikTok account might be a calculated bit of schtick, but it’s entirely in line with the ethos of CEO Michael O’Leary, a man who admires Margaret Thatcher, who remarked that environmentalists should be shot, and once said, “You’re not getting a refund so fuck off. We don’t want to hear your sob stories. What part of ‘no refund’ don’t you understand?” Is this endearing brusqueness, or the contempt of a multimillionaire towards ordinary people? And is it an attitude any more charming when transposed onto the grotesque lips of an anthropomorphised airplane? Some of the videos are quite funny, and they are clearly an effective marketing tactic, but there’s something ugly at the heart of it all. If you want a picture of the future, imagine the Ryanair TikTok account calling you a pathetic little worm – forever.

Feature Image Credit: Courtesy Ryanair / Tiktok

By James Greig

Sourced from DAZED

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How to Transform Your Business through Social Media Branding in 2023

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By Jessica Wong

Social media branding blends platforms’ expansive reach with the potent influence of finely crafted brand messages. This dynamic duo becomes the bedrock of highly effective marketing campaigns, fuelling amplified brand awareness, trust and audience engagement.

In less than two decades, social media has transformed how people communicate. Social media platforms have also dramatically altered how brands reach potential customers and build long-term relationships.

Social media enabled brands to break down barriers and reach their audiences directly. As a consequence of making it easier for companies to reach audiences, more businesses are leveraging social media for growth. Effective social media branding can help companies stand out in busy marketplaces and strengthen their brand identity simultaneously.

Social media platforms may have started as a way for individuals to connect. But as millions and now billions of people have joined them, they have also become powerful marketing tools. The latest statistics at the time of writing showed that more than four and a quarter billion people globally used social media at least once a month.

While that figure is impressive, the power of social media is not limited to user numbers. According to industry experts, nine out of ten people buy from brands they follow on social media platforms. There is no doubt about the strong connection between an engaging social media presence and conversions. Social media platforms are powerful tools to help build brands.

Defining social media branding

Social media branding combines the strengths of two cornerstone elements of successful marketing strategies — branding and social media marketing. To deliver transformative results for a business, social media branding strategies must do more than add a logo to a post.

Brand teams must integrate the brand’s unique value proposition with its look, voice and feel to craft memorable messages. Some of the most captivating social media branding is focused on encouraging interaction and engagement between a brand and its audiences.

Using social media branding to build brand awareness and reach

Through social media platforms, brands have an unparalleled opportunity to extend their reach beyond their existing audiences. By developing captivating content, companies encourage their existing audiences, or followers, to share it with others. Without additional effort on the side of the business, the audience grows.

Hashtags are another excellent way of reaching new audiences interested in a topic the brand is discussing. As non-followers pick up your company’s content and share it, there is an opportunity for it to go viral and be seen by thousands or even millions of social media users who may otherwise never have known about your company.

Establishing brand identity and differentiation through social media branding

Building awareness and reach are only two components of successful social media branding. As social media use grows, more brands use these platforms for their marketing, and it is becoming increasingly more challenging to stand out from competitors.

Social media branding allows companies to show their audiences what differentiates them from their competitors. Few other channels offer the same level of choice of communication, what to talk about and how to interact with their audience without a barrier. This is why social media platforms are such powerful tools for sharing value propositions and clarifying how brands are different.

Engaging and connecting with target audiences

Connecting with audiences has been somewhat of a side note throughout this article. However, connecting and engaging directly with an audience is perhaps the greatest strength of social media channels.

This immediacy allows brands to listen to feedback from their audience, respond to it directly and build stronger relationships. At the same time, brands can show their personality more easily than on other channels. For example, Taco Bell’s social media content and interactions have a distinct funny and sarcastic tone to them.

But brands can also showcase their values to their customers as Starbucks does with its community-focused Facebook content. One of the keys to maximizing the impact of social media branding is consistency in both verbal and visual messaging to reinforce the brand’s identity.

Leveraging user-generated content

The next step in building engagement is utilizing user-generated content. For example, by sharing a genuine product review, brands can highlight their unique value propositions through a third-party endorsement. User-generated content is a powerful tactic to build audience trust.

Influencing consumer perception and trust

Consistent social media branding, especially user-generated content, consumer reviews and testimonials, can influence and change consumers’ brand perception. Today, many consumers are sceptical of companies’ statements in their marketing campaigns.

Content that has been created by a product’s or service’s users automatically benefits from greater credibility and helps build trust between the brand and the audience. Brands can reinforce that trust by ensuring their messages resonate with users’ content.

Driving website traffic and conversions

Aside from allowing brands and consumers to connect directly, another strength of social media platforms is driving website traffic and conversions.

Social media posts are an excellent tool to introduce a topic and entice the audience to visit a website and learn more. Clear calls-to-action are imperative to encourage users to click on a link. Without them, it is too easy for content to get lost among competing messages.

Measuring social media branding success

Without measuring the impact of different social media branding activities, brand teams cannot know which campaigns have been successful and which need refinement.

Tracking critical metrics like views, reach and conversions is essential. To make analytics even more meaningful, companies can analyze the sentiment underlying reactions and adjust the effectiveness of their activity. Most social media platforms continue to develop more sophisticated metrics and tools to help brands in their journey.

Social media branding combines the reach of social media platforms with the impact of carefully crafted brand messages. Together, these two can help companies build highly effective marketing campaigns. Increased brand awareness, brand trust and audience engagement all drive business growth for years to come.

By Jessica Wong

Jessica is the Founder and CEO of nationally recognized marketing and PR firms, Valux Digital and uPro Digital. She is a digital marketing and PR expert with more than 20 years of success driving bottom-line results for clients through innovative marketing programs aligned with emerging strategies.

Sourced from Entrepreneur

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How Many Social Media Platforms Should a Small Business Be Active On?

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By Kirsti Lang

From platform demographics to features, plus a deep dive into important factors to consider, here’s what you need to know to find the social media sweet spot for your business.

Question: How many social media platforms should a local business be using? Realistically, it is a challenge to manage multiple platforms well with the limited resources of a small business. – Keegan Edwards

There’s no end to the tasks small business owners have to juggle daily. When you’re managing everything from strategy to sales, adding a dozen social media accounts into the mix is just not sustainable.
Good news: it’s not necessary, either.

While social media is a powerful marketing tool, plenty of entrepreneurs have proved that quality over quantity is key when it comes to using social media to maximize their reach – and sales.

So: how many social media platforms should you be using? Keegan asked this great question as part of our #AskBuffer series. He went on to share his own stance on the topic: “I’ve always recommended picking two that make sense for your type of local business. Two is feasible to keep up with and do well.”

We agree that making a selection you can keep up with is key – but there’s a whole lot of nuance when it comes to exactly how many platforms to spend your time and resources on and (perhaps more importantly) which ones you choose.

In this article, we’ll dig into the factors that you should consider when making this important marketing strategy decision and help you find your social media sweet spot.

How many social media platforms should small businesses be using?

Ultimately, there is no right or wrong answer that applies to all small businesses.

To answer how many platforms you need to cultivate a social media presence on, your first port of call should be figuring out which ones you need to prioritize.

To dig into that, first ask yourself: where is your target audience?

Think about it this way: even if you have the resources to commit to, say, five platforms, are those resources well spent if your target customers aren’t hanging out on three of them?

From there, you need to consider your own business goals, the resources you have at your disposal, and what you have time for to make the best decision.

The only real mistake you can make here is to spread yourself too thin. We recommend starting smaller, and perhaps adding another channel or two into the mix if you find the effort manageable (and worth it!).

Let’s explore each social media platform to give you a better idea of where your audience hangs out, plus share a variety of factors to consider when it comes to your business and how many profiles will work best for you.

Which social media platforms should you be using?

As a small business owner, you likely already have a good idea of who your ideal customers are. (If you don’t, fear not; we have guides to defining your target market and creating marketing personas).

Once you know who they are, you can begin to uncover where those customers are. To help you answer that question, here’s a birds-eye view of some of the most popular social platforms, who frequents them, and what they’re used for.

Facebook

About Facebook’s users*

  • Monthly active users: 2.989 billion
  • Breakdown by gender: 77percent women, 61percent men
  • Dominant age group: 77percent of 30 – 49-year-olds
  • Nearly one-third of global online shoppers use Facebook as their preferred social platform for purchasing.

Facebook’s features for businesses

  • Meta has grouped Facebook and Instagram’s business tools together in Meta’s Business Suite.
  • Facebook also offers Commerce Manager, a shopping catalogue, and an inbox to chat directly with customers, meaning that business owners can literally set up shop on the Meta-owned platforms, as well as cross-post between them.
💡
Interested in cross-posting? You can use Buffer to repurpose your content beyond the Meta-verse, too.

What performs well on Facebook

Creating quality content to share on your Facebook page is the best way to drive potential customers to your social storefront or website. To put your best foot forward with the Facebook algorithm, make sure you’re sharing:

  1. Meaningful, informative stories
  2. Accurate, authentic content
  3. Safe, respectful behaviour

Baby carrier brand Ubuntu Baba taps into authenticity on Facebook by interspersing model shots of their products with content creators by their users and even heartfelt posts from their founder, Shannon McLaughlin.

Facebook supports a host of content formats, so you’ll have everything from video to photo- to text-based posts to play with. Video content still sees the highest engagement (and thus reach), but as we unpack in our Facebook Guide for Small Businesses, every format can be valuable on this versatile platform.

Instagram

About Instagram’s users*

  • Monthly active users: 2 billion
  • Breakdown by gender: 44 percent women, 36 percent men
  • Dominant age group: 71 percent of 18 to 29-year-olds
  • 83 percent of Instagrammers use the platform to discover new products and services
  • 54 percent of users report having made a purchase after seeing the product on Instagram

Instagram’s features for businesses

  • Unique to Instagram is Instagram Shopping, which makes your products directly shoppable within your feed. Instagram Ads are also popular as a pay-to-play option that allows you to target a specific group of users with your relevant content, even if they’re not following you.
  • If you regularly work with creators or want to start, Instagram’s Branded Content tools make it easy to partner up.
  • Instagram recently launched a new feature worth exploring for your business: Broadcast Channels. These channels allow brands or creators to send mass messages directly to followers who have opted in to receive them – great for preventing big announcements from being swallowed by the Instagram algorithm.

What performs well on Instagram

As a highly visual platform, it’s generally beautiful, aspirational content that resonates on Instagram. According to an analysis by influencer marketing platform Heepsy based on number of profiles and engagement rates, the top 10 categories are media, fashion, music, arts, fitness and wellness, photography, food, travel, cinema and acting, and make-up.

Formats supported on the platform include images and short-form videos via posts or Reels on the feed or within Instagram Stories that disappear after 24 hours. Birch & Bramble makes the most of all three by showcasing their work in photo posts and behind-the-scenes Reels and stories.

TikTok

About TikTok’s users*

  • Monthly active users: 1 billion
  • Breakdown by gender: 24 percent women, 17 percent men
  • Dominant age group: 48 percent of 18 – 29-year-olds
  • Just under half (49 percent) of users have said they have bought a product after seeing it on TikTok.

TikTok’s features for businesses

What performs well on TikTok

A hashtag analysis revealed entertainment, dance, and pranks take the top-three spots on the short-form video platform, but fitness/sports, home renovations/DIY, beauty/skincare, fashion, lifehacks/advice, and pets are also contenders.

Fashivly CEO Ashlyn Greer (who recently starred in our Creator’s Unlocked series) found success by rejecting perfectly polished brand content in favour of a grittier, more off-the-cuff style that creators tend to favour.

Ashlyn regularly features in content herself and uses creator staples like greenscreen to create the kind of authenticity and spontaneity that thrives on TikTok.

X (formerly Twitter)

About X’s users*

  • Monthly active users: 564 million
  • Breakdown by gender: 22 percent women, 25 percent men
  • Dominant age group: 42 percent of 18 – 29-year-olds
  • Both traffic and ad revenue are declining – but so far, none of the Twitter alternatives out there are coming close to the platform’s current active monthly user base.

X’s features for businesses

What performs well on X

As we unpack in our Guide to Twitter for Small Businesses, you’ll go far with pop culture trends and news, thought-provoking content, and, of course, humor and wit.

A great example is workout app Sudor’s quirky tweets, which rely on trending memes and gifs to connect with their followers.

LinkedIn

About LinkedIn’s users

  • Monthly active users: 310 million
  • Breakdown by gender: 26percent women, 31percent men
  • Dominant age group: 36 percent of 30 – 49-year-olds
  • Brands have seen a 33 percent increase in purchase intent from ad exposure on LinkedIn.

LinkedIn’s features for businesses

  • Showcase pages make it easier for brands to segment their audience by creating dedicated spaces for specific projects, while Product pages will help you highlight special features and recommendations. Both are sub-pages of a company’s primary LinkedIn page.
  • You can also send newsletters to your followers directly within the platform
  • LinkedIn Ads will allow you to target specific groups, even if they don’t follow you.

What performs well on LinkedIn

B2B (business-to-business) brands and career-related industries are finding success on the Microsoft-owned channel.

This is particularly true when their employees build personal brands and share their expertise on the platform. We recently spoke to three founders in these industries who have seen phenomenal success on the platform by doing just that.

The data shows the platform is powerful for more than just gathering a following, too.

While LinkedIn is the preferred stomping ground for B2B marketers, there’s potential for B2C (business-to-customer) brands to gain traction there too.

B2C company Lavender has helped cultivate personal brands on LinkedIn around their small team (or hired people with big followings already behind them) and takes advantage of the reach of their profiles, plus their own brand account.

YouTube

About YouTube’s Users

  • Monthly active users: 2.5 billion
  • Breakdown by gender**: 46 percent women, 16 percent men
  • Dominant age group: 48 percent of 18 – 29-year-olds
  • 70 percent of people say they’ve bought something as a result of seeing it on YouTube
  • 51 percent of US and UK buyers use YouTube to find products or research them

YouTube’s features for businesses

What performs well on YouTube

The world of long and short-form video is your oyster on the multi-faceted platform. Content that performs well on Youtube – and lends itself to business – are how-to or educational content about your business or product, demos, and creator product reviews or unboxings. Our comprehensive guide to the YouTube algorithm will help you uncover opportunities for your channel.

A great example of YouTube done well is sustainable menstrual product brand, DAME. They use their channel to share helpful how-to guides.

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Pinterest

About Pinterest’s Users

  • Monthly active users: 463 million
  • Breakdown by gender: 46 percent women, 16 percent men
  • Dominant age group: 48 percent of 18 – 29-year-olds
  • 85 percent of weekly US pinners have made a purchase based on Pins from brands

Pinterest’s features for businesses

What performs well on Pinterest

Types of content that perform best on Pinterest are aspirational and inspiring, with high-quality images and short-form videos the order of the day.

KINDRD Studios’s home decour and digital download planners really lend themselves to the platform, which they use to drive pinners to their Etsy shop.

Here’s our guide to creating compelling content on Pinterest digs into that a little more. This very handy live trends board, which you can filter by age and gender, is also worth exploring.

Mastodon

About Mastodon’s Users

  • Monthly active users: 1 million
  • Breakdown by gender: 34 percent women, 66 percent men
  • Dominant age group: 33 percent of users are age 29-34

Mastodon’s features for businesses

Mastodon is a decentralized, open-source platform that allows users to set up their own servers or instances to communicate. It currently doesn’t have any features for advertising or in-platform shopping. As a non profit organization, these seem unlikely for the future.

What performs well on Mastodon

The platform does support images and gifs, but favours text posts. While it’s been reported that “news and publishing” is the most popular category on the platform, there’s no definitive data out there just yet.

While it’s worth exploring if your particular niche has a popular server you can join to meet users where they are, Mastodon may be one to watch rather than a social platform to jump on if you have limited resources for social media marketing.

What to consider when choosing social media platforms

So you’ve pinpointed multiple platforms that would be a good fit for you: this doesn’t necessarily mean you should be spinning up accounts for all of them.

There are factors beyond demographics to consider:

Choosing content formats that suit your business

What type of social media content best supports your business? Many product-based businesses will find they’re best suited to a visual platform, while a service-based offering could lend itself to thought leadership text and video.

The time and effort each platform requires

Video-first platforms like YouTube and TikTok might require more of your time if you don’t already have video content you can repurpose into social media posts. Think through the effort that will be needed to truly succeed on each platform and how it aligns with the amount of time your business can invest into social media at the moment.

The potential for repurposing

If your business regularly hosts video workshops you can turn into content, that will help you save on time. You could share those easily on YouTube and pull out highlights from these videos to feature as short-form videos on other platforms like Reels, TikTok, or even clips on LinkedIn.

Or if you’re sharing expertise on LinkedIn: could the longer post be chopped up into a Twitter thread? Before choosing social networks, make sure to think through how you can repurpose content to help make it easier to stay consistent.

Which platforms you’re most familiar with

While the learning curve of a new platform is not insurmountable (and the links to guides we have peppered throughout this article will help!), you’ll be up and running much faster with a familiar platform.

Sticking to platforms you use often will also help with posting consistently, and regularly replying to comments and engaging with followers.

What your customers want

While platform demographics will allow you to create a useful hypothesis about where you’ll find new customers, there’s another way to uncover which social media sites are best for your business: ask them.

It’s advice you’ll often find in our various platform guides. Engaging with customers about which platforms they regularly use will help you meet them where they are – and find others like them.

How your posts are performing

Choosing social platforms is not a one-and-done job – you’ll need to keep a close eye on platform performance to assess whether your digital marketing efforts are worth what you’re getting out.

To drill down on the specific metrics relevant to each platform, we suggest checking out our guides for TikTok, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

Ultimately, you need to know: is the time and effort you’re putting into your platforms paying off?

Buffer’s analytics features can help you make the call. It’s a powerful partner in analyzing all your content: think custom reports so you can monitor what really matters, plus centralized performance tracking to allow you to keep an eye on all of your social media platforms in one hub.

Another handy feature: Our analytics will examine your data and tell you when, what, and how often to post to make sure the effort you’re putting in matters – definitely worth trying before you pull the plug on a platform.

With all that in mind, you may think you can manage three social media platforms with liberal repurposing. Or perhaps you think you’d rather zero in on one platform for now – whatever feels sustainable is the right call for you and your business.

Whatever your decision, don’t be afraid to experiment. What works for one business might not work for you – and finding the sweet spot for you will almost certainly involve stepping out of your comfort zone and having some fun!

💡Buffer helps you work smarter, not harder, when it comes to managing all your social media accounts. Get access to our scheduling, repurposing, analytics, and more to help your drive sales.

* Data as per 2021 Pew Research Center Social Media Fact Sheet,

** percent of US women/men on the platform

Feature Image Credit: Georgia de Lotz / Unsplash

By Kirsti Lang

Sourced from Buffer

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Free Followers are Your Ticket to Social Media Fame (Here’s How to Get More)

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By Jeff Bullas

In the ever-evolving landscape of social media, free followers play a crucial role in determining your online presence and influence.

Try these social media tools:

  • UseViral can enhance your social media presence by increasing your followers, likes, reach, views, engagement and more.
  • InVideo generates fast videos with an AI talking avatar presenter, no video production needed. Customize using pre-sets or your own style.

The concept of gaining followers has transformed from being a mere vanity metric to a powerful tool for personal branding, business growth, and content dissemination.

In this article, we will explore the dynamics of acquiring free followers across various platforms and how it can significantly impact your social media journey.

Additionally, we will provide you with insights that will lead you to our comprehensive guides on gaining free followers on Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok.

The new currency: Social media followers

In a world where digital interactions have become increasingly dominant, social media platforms have become virtual stages for individuals and businesses to showcase their stories, products, and ideas.

The number of followers you have often equates to your potential reach and impact. With each follower, your content gains a wider audience, increasing the likelihood of engagement, shares, and conversions.

As a result, the quest for followers has become more than just a pursuit of popularity; it’s a strategic move to leverage the power of social media to your advantage.

Free followers: More than just a number

While buying followers might seem like a shortcut, organic followers are the true driving force behind meaningful engagement.

Free followers represent individuals who are genuinely interested in your content, increasing the chances of interactions that matter.

These interactions can range from comments and likes to shares and direct messages, fostering a sense of community around your profile. The real value of free followers lies in their potential to become advocates for your brand, ultimately contributing to sustainable growth.

Unlocking Twitter‘s Potential: A Guide to Free Followers

Twitter, with its real-time conversations and concise messaging, offers immense opportunities to connect with a global audience.

Our detailed guide on gaining free Twitter followers will delve into strategies such as crafting compelling tweets, utilizing hashtags effectively, and engaging with trending topics.

By following these techniques, you can organically grow your Twitter following and maximize your reach within the platform.

The Instagram Edge: Mastering Free Follower Growth

Visual storytelling finds its zenith on Instagram, making it a platform of choice for creators, businesses, and influencers.

Our dedicated article on securing free Instagram followers will walk you through tactics like optimizing your profile, creating captivating content, and engaging authentically with your audience.

These methods are designed to not only attract followers but to foster a community that resonates with your brand’s narrative.

TikTok Triumph: Your Path to Free Followers

TikTok’s explosive rise has introduced a new era of short-form video content. To help you harness its potential, our comprehensive manual on obtaining free TikTok followers will provide insights into leveraging trending challenges, perfecting your video style, and capitalizing on the platform’s algorithm.

By embracing these strategies, you can stand out in the TikTok crowd and gather followers who resonate with your creative expression.

The Twitch Advantage: Unlocking Organic Follower Surge

Twitch stands as the ultimate realm for interactive live streaming, drawing in gamers, content creators, and communities alike.

In our comprehensive guide to gaining free Twitch followers, we delve into strategies that encompass refining your channel presentation, crafting compelling broadcasts, and establishing genuine connections with viewers. These approaches aim not only to amass followers but also to cultivate a loyal community that aligns seamlessly with your streaming persona. Just as Instagram thrives on visual storytelling, Twitch thrives on immersive live experiences, making it a prime platform for those seeking to expand their influence through genuine engagement.

Final thoughts

The era of free followers has transformed the way we view social media engagement.

As you embark on your journey to gain free followers on platforms like Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok, remember that these individuals aren’t just numbers; they’re the key to unlocking your digital influence.

By implementing the strategies outlined in our guides, you’ll not only expand your follower count but also cultivate a thriving community around your online presence.

So, whether you’re a business aiming for brand awareness or an individual sharing your passion, the power of free followers is your gateway to social media success.

By Jeff Bullas

He is the owner of jeffbullas.com. Forbes calls him a top influencer of Chief Marketing Officers and the world’s top social marketing talent. Entrepreneur lists him among 50 online marketing influencers to watch. Inc.com has him on the list of 20 digital marketing experts to follow on Twitter. Oanalytica named him #1 Global Content Marketing Influencer. BizHUMM ranks him as the world’s #1 business blogger. Learn More

Sourced from jeffbullas.com

 

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Alex Winter’s ‘The YouTube Effect’ Takes a Tough Look at Everyone’s Favourite Cat-Video Platform

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By Brent Lang

Most people know that social media has become a cesspool of disinformation, a digital hydra that feeds off toxicity and conspiracy theories. But somehow YouTube, the second-most-popular site in the world, has avoided the scrutiny that’s come Twitter and Facebook’s way. “The YouTube Effect,” a new documentary from Alex Winter, could change that. It takes a tough look at the role that the Google-owned service played in everything from the Jan. 6 riot to the 2019 New Zealand mosque shooting by promoting election denialism and white supremacy.

“People don’t know that YouTube and Google are the biggest purveyors of disinformation,” Winter says. “One reason is people don’t understand what YouTube is. Is it just a place to watch cat videos, or is it something else? And the second reason you hear about it less is because Google is so deep-pocketed that it has some of the strongest lobbyists in the world working for them. That’s made them less likely to be legislated against.”

“The YouTube Effect” argues that the most polarizing and provocative content tends to get the widest viewership. Since the platform is ad-based, creators are rewarded for espousing fringe views. Plus, the lo-fi quality of some videos lends them a greater sense of authenticity.

“There’s something about using a webcam and the false sense of intimacy and proximity it conveys that works incredibly powerfully on the brain,” Winter says. “It gives these creators an amazing amount of power.”

And Winter thinks that Google hasn’t done enough to deplatform its most dangerous voices. The reason, he says, is money: “If they take some of these people off YouTube or they change the ad model, it will cut into profits.”

In making his film, Winter spoke to YouTube stars such as Anthony Padilla, who sounds the alarm, as well as Susan Wojcicki, the platform’s former CEO, who emphasizes its sense of community. While Wojcicki may be downplaying the risk YouTube poses, Winter believes a great deal of good does come out of YouTube.

“From its inception, YouTube was wonderful at knocking barriers down for marginalized groups,” he says. “From members of the LGBTQ+ community to BIPOC creators, everyone had a voice here. And that happened long before the rest of the entertainment industry embraced these people.”

Winter, who is still best known for starring as one-half of the zonked-out duo in the “Bill & Ted” movies, knows a lot about tech, having made documentaries on Silk Road and Blockchain. He didn’t approach the subject as a Silicon Valley sceptic, but he is concerned about the direction YouTube is taking.

“YouTube and sites like it are new places for people to congregate,” Winter says. “People are messy, and when they congregate, messy things happen. So now we need to get some traffic lights in before people get hurt.”

Feature Image Credit: David Buchan/Variety/REX/Shutterstock

By Brent Lang

Brent Lang is the Executive Editor of Variety, covering the major Hollywood studios, as well as their corporate parents. He joined Variety in 2014. He was previously a senior reporter at TheWrap. Other stops include CBSNews.com, The Patriot-Ledger, and Forbes. Lang is a graduate of Brown University and the Columbia University School of Journalism. Twitter: BrentALang

Sourced from Variety

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A How-to Guide for Local Marketing

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By Scott Clark
Local marketing aims to build a strong presence in the local market, increase brand visibility, attract local customers and drive traffic to physical stores.

The Gist

  • Geo-targeting essential. Social media offers geo-targeting for precise local advertising, increasing community engagement.
  • SEO optimization. “Near me” searches are frequent, making a Google Business Profile and mobile-first strategy critical.
  • Traditional Tactics. Traditional methods like radio and event presence alongside digital strategies amplify local marketing reach.

Local marketing refers to the strategies and activities that are used by businesses to target and engage with customers in a specific area or local community. It focuses on promoting products or services to customers within a particular region or area. Local marketing aims to build a strong presence in the local market, increase brand visibility, attract local customers and drive traffic to physical stores. This article will examine tactics, strategies and tips for brands interested in local marketing.

What Are Some of the Types of Local Marketing?

Many types of marketing practices are included under the umbrella of local marketing. One example is a brand that sells gift products that tourists often buy when they visit destinations such as the beach, the mountains or specific locations, such as the Grand Canyon or Niagara Falls. In each case, businesses that sell such products simply reach out to companies near each locale to see if they would like to carry the brand’s tourist products in their stores. Additionally, they participate in Facebook Groups for each tourist destination.

Another example of local marketing is when businesses adjust the products or services they sell based on the tastes, habits, culture and beliefs of the people living in the area of the service. Such a business would also adjust the marketing or advertising copy to reflect the social norms of the people in the area. One can see examples of this in international brands that sell their goods or services across the globe to people with very different tastes, habits and beliefs.

Yet another example of local marketing is the use of geolocation apps that send customers a text message or alert when they are physically near a brand’s location, such as driving by in their car, walking past a store or restaurant, or strolling through a large store that has other businesses within its premises. One example would be a fast food restaurant in a Super Walmart. When a customer that has downloaded the restaurant’s app to their mobile device is in Walmart, the app sends an alert to the customer’s phone, letting them know that they are offering a two-for-one deal on Quarter Pounders, for instance.

Finally, many businesses operate exclusively as local brands. Buckeye Donuts, which is located in Columbus, Ohio, is not trying to market its goods to people in other states. Its marketing and advertising campaigns are mainly based on word-of-mouth, local advertising, radio, local periodicals and participation in community events.

How Are Brands Using Local Marketing?

Many brands today are using local marketing in their communities and around the world. One unique instance of local marketing involves a collaboration between Mattel and Airbnb. Initially launched in October 2019, Airbnb announced that the Barbie Malibu Dreamhouse, located in Malibu, California, would be available for rent by one lucky guest, who could bring along three guests of their own, for the low price of $60 per night. It was designed to raise awareness of The Barbie Dream Gap Project GoFundMe initiative, which aims to help level the playing field for young women so they can follow their dreams.

We recently looked at another excellent example of a brand’s use of local marketing in an article on cultural intelligence. McDonald’s demonstrated the importance of adapting to different cultures in its marketing practices, product offerings and even its pricing. In India, where religious prohibitions prevent adherents from eating beef, McDonald’s introduced vegetarian options and replaced beef patties with mutton, chicken or fish.

mcdonalds

In Thailand, where the minimum wage is much lower than in other parts of the world, McDonald’s lowered the cost of its Big Mac to approximately US $2.20 (contrasted to Switzerland, where Big Macs sold for around US $6.20). In order to adapt to local culture in China, McDonald’s offered rice as a french fry alternative.

Additionally, McDonald’s uses different media personalities and influencers to promote its brand based on the cultural tastes of the locale. Its ability to adapt and change its products, marketing practices, pricing and advertising strategies to suit different geographical and sociological differences is a good indication of why it has become a hugely successful global brand.

Often, local marketing is not about reaching customers in their locale, but rather, bringing them to the brand through community building. The US Sports Network, Bally Sports, was interested in finding a better strategy to understand and engage its local fan base through the use of third-party data, but very quickly this became extremely costly. Instead, Bally turned to its online customer community, FanZone. This inclusive online community became the place where Bally’s diverse fans could get together with other fans, share their thoughts and experience a feeling of belonging.

Sports fans cheering their favorite team, representing the power of local marketing.

Using its FanZone community, Bally Sports enhanced and improved its ability to connect with regional fans in new and unique ways. It obtained on-demand feedback from customers, enabling them to gain a deeper understanding of its audience’s preferences and doubling its fan community through targeted live on-air promotion efforts.

Use Social Media for Local Marketing

Most brands today have a social media presence, but for local marketing, social media is a necessity rather than an option. The benefits of social media for local marketing include:

  • Geo-Targeting: Many social media platforms, like Facebook and Instagram, offer geo-targeting features for advertising. This enables businesses to target users in a particular location or radius specifically.
  • Local Engagement: Social media enables local businesses to engage directly with their community. Businesses can foster a sense of community and build local loyalty by sharing local news, participating in local events or spotlighting community members.
  • Cost-Effectiveness: Social media can be cost-effective compared to traditional advertising channels like TV or print. Businesses can start with a small budget and scale up based on results.
  • Real-Time Feedback: Local businesses can receive immediate feedback from their community. This can be invaluable for understanding the needs and preferences of local customers.
  • Word-of-Mouth Amplification: Satisfied customers can easily share their experiences and recommendations, resulting in word-of-mouth marketing.
  • Versatility: Social media provides a platform for various content types, from videos to images to stories, enabling businesses to be creative and diverse in their messaging.

Aside from advertising on social media and regularly contributing appropriate content, many brands use the community aspects of social media to engage with and attract customers. Ashley Mason, marketing consultant and founder of Dash of Social, a social media management consultancy, told CMSWire that she built the client base for her business through the use of Facebook groups.

“For me, as a Massachusetts resident, I started joining several Boston-based Facebook groups revolving around entrepreneurship, business, etc. in 2016,” said Mason. “Because many members in these groups were often business owners looking to hire social media managers or marketers for their companies, I was able to use these communities to my advantage to establish thought leadership, build trust, gather leads, and grow my business.”

Mason attributes much of her revenue to Facebook groups and wrote about her success on Instagram. “Approximately $630,000 of my total business revenue came from Facebook groups, either by working with people who were in the same Facebook groups as me, or getting referred to other businesses by people I met in those Facebook groups.”

Optimize SEO for “Near Me” Local Searches

Consumers today often search for local businesses by using the phrase “near me.” In fact, a 2022 Statista survey revealed that 82% of US consumers who used their smartphone to shop had used near me searches.

Local businesses trying to increase their online presence and show up more often in near me searches should create a Google Business Profile. It’s free, and once a business has been verified, it will appear in near me search results. The name, address and phone number displayed on a brand’s Google Business Profile should match what is displayed on the brand’s website and any promotional material.

google business profile

 

A 2023 BroadbandSearch report indicated that 54.4% of web traffic was conducted on mobile devices (compared to 0.7% in 2009). Additionally, a recent Hubspot report revealed that local searches are what lead 50% of mobile users to visit stores within 24 hours. Brands today should create their website with a mobile-first strategy, optimizing for mobile devices as a priority, rather than optimizing for desktop displays.

Amy Jennette, senior director of brand marketing at the popular web host GoDaddy, told CMSWire that ensuring your website is mobile-friendly is a key part of the equation. “Consumers want information on the go, so double check that your site has mobile-friendly text, menus, forms, and buttons that make it simple for your audience to browse site information on the go.”

Jennette said that businesses should localize their website to make the content relevant to their target community. “For example, if I was the owner of an electric bicycle shop in my hometown of Seattle, I may rephrase the terms on my website’s homepage to say, ‘bringing our community the greenest bikes for a greener Seattle’ rather than simply putting ‘electric bike shop.’ And this moves beyond just your website —localizing your marketing should be applied across your digital and print ads, social media pages, and other public marketing materials,” said Jennette, who added that these simple tweaks could make a major difference for your audience as they research online local businesses that best fit their needs.

Leverage Traditional and Non-Traditional Advertising

Local marketing often relies on more traditional methods of obtaining the eyes and ears of customers and leads, such as TV and radio advertising, having a visible presence at local events, word-of-mouth, billboards and collaborations with other local businesses. “Whenever possible, join in on local industry-specific events, fairs and festivals, and neighborhood gatherings to boost your brand awareness, show off your locality, and further press the importance of supporting small, local businesses,” said Jennette. “In no time you’ll be the local authority in your industry, and you’ll have the local marketing tools in your toolbelt to thank for it.”

Other brands are using local marketing strategies that include digital displays located in areas where potential customers will see them. Geoff Crain, senior director of sales and marketing at Kingstar Media, a digital marketing and video production agency, told CMSWire that his business uses digital out-of-home (DOOH) advertising for local marketing due to its ability to target local audiences precisely, deliver contextually relevant content and allow real-time updates. “By strategically placing digital displays in specific locations, we have the ability to reach specific and local communities effectively,” said Crain.

“DOOH also allows for dynamic and tailored messaging, incorporating local references and promotions to establish a deeper connection with the local community.” Crain explained that the real-time capabilities of DOOH enable businesses to adapt campaigns quickly, providing timely and accurate information to their desired local audience, enhancing engagement, and driving positive business outcomes in specific local markets.

Traditional marketing and advertising mediums can still be effective strategies for local businesses. Although many may not recognize radio’s reach today, a recent Statista report indicated that radio is one of the most powerful mediums in the United States, with a weekly reach of around 82.5% among adults, and 78% of those under 18. “Radio is another form of media we utilize for local marketing due to its ability to reach a wide and diverse audience within a specific geographical area,” said Crain. “With radio, we can effectively target local audiences, delivering our advertising messages directly to potential customers in their communities.”

Mobility is another benefit of radio advertising. “Radio also offers the advantage of being a mobile medium, reaching consumers in their cars, homes, or workplaces, allowing our clients to stay memorable and top-of-mind throughout the day,” said Crain. “Radio also allows for the creation of engaging and memorable audio content, leveraging the power of storytelling, music, and personalities to connect with the local audience on an emotional level, making it an impactful and cost-effective medium for local marketing.”

Final Thoughts on Local Marketing

Local marketing provides brands with the unique opportunity to intimately connect with their surrounding community, addressing its distinct tastes, cultures and preferences. By using a blend of traditional and digital strategies, from SEO and mobile optimization and social media engagement to radio advertising and participation in community events, businesses can effectively bolster their local presence.

Feature Image Credit: TensorSpark on Adobe Stock Photo

By Scott Clark

Scott Clark is a seasoned journalist based in Columbus, Ohio, who has made a name for himself covering the ever-evolving landscape of customer experience, marketing and technology. He has over 20 years of experience covering Information Technology and 27 years as a web developer. His coverage ranges across customer experience, AI, social media marketing, voice of customer, diversity & inclusion and more. Scott is a strong advocate for customer experience and corporate responsibility, bringing together statistics, facts, and insights from leading thought leaders to provide informative and thought-provoking articles. Connect with Scott Clark:

Sourced from CMSWIRE

local marketing, social media, marketing, social media marketing, digital marketing, advertising
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Six Tips For Marketing An Independent Retail Business

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By Elie Y. Katz

Retail stores have always faced the challenge of attracting and retaining customers. This challenge has become even more difficult in a world of increasing competition and evolving technology, making it even more important that businesses find ways to entice new customers and show existing ones they are the best choice.

In my experience within the industry, retail stores have to continuously strive to attract and retain customers. Achieving this requires investing in marketing, advertising, and customer service initiatives. With that in mind, here are six steps any retailer can use to market their independent business.

1. Establish brand recognition.

In my experience, the success of any business depends on its ability to establish a recognizable brand. Part of this process involves creating a memorable name, logo and slogan that help customers recognize and remember your brand. The logo should be easy to recognize and have an eye-catching design. Many studies have shown that the most memorable logos have a simple design.

It’s important to not overthink the logo’s design but also to ensure that it stands out and targets your audience. One way to do this is to conduct market research to understand your target audience’s preferences and design a logo that reflects your brand’s personality and values.

A slogan can also help to differentiate your brand from its competitors and create a memorable impression with customers. Aim to create a slogan that is concise, catchy, meaningful, easy to remember and embodies the business’s core values.

2. Market on social media and search engine advertising campaigns.

Once the logo and slogan are created, the next step is implementing social media campaigns to generate more awareness about the brand. You can create ads that appear when people search for certain products or services. This can help merchants get more leads and increase sales.

I recommend utilizing various social media platforms to reach a wider audience, although your messaging should resonate with your target audience the most. Consider using platforms such as Google Ads and Bing Ads, as these campaigns allow you to target specific keywords and demographics to ensure your ads reach the right people.

Other online marketing strategies include email marketing campaigns and working with influencers. Combining these strategies can help you create an even more effective online presence and increase your brand’s visibility.

3. Create promotions to attract customers.

Another effective strategy is to create promotions to attract customers to a business’s products and services. Promotions should be tailored to your target audience and designed to be engaging and attention-grabbing. Consider using BOGO, free shipping, free samples, coupons, flash sales and giveaways; I have found that these tactics can do a lot to increase customer engagement and drive sales.

Most people love savings and discounts, so offering promotions and exclusive deals can be a great way to attract and retain customers. Additionally, providing exceptional customer service and personalized experiences can also help you build strong relationships with consumers and encourage repeat business.

4. Build a loyalty program.

An effective loyalty program encourages loyalty by rewarding customers for their repeat purchases. This can also help your brand build long-term relationships with your customer base, giving them a sense of belonging.

Loyalty programs can include a variety of incentives, such as discounts, rewards points and even access to exclusive events. These programs encourage customers to continue purchasing from your brand, but they also provide valuable data on customer behaviour and preferences to help make more informed decisions about future marketing efforts. Many brands use a point-of-sale (POS) system that facilitates the creation and maintenance of loyalty program memberships by automatically tracking the customer’s purchases and issuing rewards at checkout.

5. Advertise at the point of purchase.

A point-of-purchase (POP) display can target potential customers already in the store. Placing ads at the checkout counter can quickly grab customers’ attention, leading them to consider a product they may not have thought of before.

POP advertising can take many forms, including displays, posters, signage and other digital media. Additionally, many retailers will use POP advertising to promote special offers, such as discounts or coupons. These ads can inform customers about new products, promote loyalty programs.

6. Analyse what works best for your customers.

Data analytics can be used to track customer purchases, in-store traffic and website visits. The store can use this data to determine which marketing strategies are most successful. This can include tracking the effectiveness of email campaigns, print advertising, social media and even word-of-mouth. With this data, you can focus your store’s marketing efforts on strategies that are proven to be effective, thus ensuring a better return on investment.

Additionally, you can survey customers to determine what motivated them to shop. Do your customers favour particular brands over their generic counterparts? Do they make choices based on impulsive or emotional needs, such as buying the latest trends and fashions? Pay close attention to what they say, then use this information to tailor your services and products to better meet their needs.

Overall, independent retail stores must continuously strive to attract and retain customers in today’s landscape. I encourage you to invest in marketing, advertising and customer service initiatives and stay up-to-date on the latest trends. Continuously improving and adapting to the changing market can help you ensure long-term success and growth for your business.

Feature Image Credit: getty

By Elie Y. Katz

CEO, National Retail Solutions (NRS). POS, NRS Digital Media, NRS Pay, NRS Funding, NRS Purple, and NRS Petro: Helping retailers succeed. Read Elie Y. Katz’s full executive profile here.

Sourced from Forbes

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