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6 Ways to Ace Social Media Branding for Your Startup

December 15, 2023 No Comments

Social media offers a level playing field for startups to build their brand presence, but the high competition necessitates a strategic and streamlined social media branding approach.

Did you know that there are over 4.62 billion active social media users worldwide? With such a massive audience, it’s no wonder that startups are leveraging social media branding to create a strong online presence and grow their businesses. But the competition is steep, and you must apply a strategic approach to stand out and make heads turn! So, let’s delve into the world of social media branding for startups. We’ll explore how to build a strong image and thrive in the digital landscape.

The power of social media branding for startups

Social media branding offers numerous benefits for budding startups. It’s not just about creating a logo or a catchy tagline; it’s about creating a unique recognition and following online that resonates with your audience.

First, increased brand awareness is surely one of its biggest benefits. Startups can harness social media platforms for branding by actively responding to customer feedback, initiating meaningful conversations through targeted content and hosting interactive sessions like Q&As or live streams to engage directly with their audience. This proactive approach fosters trust and builds a loyal community around the brand.

Enhanced customer engagement is another unique advantage of social branding. Platforms like Twitter and LinkedIn provide a unique opportunity for startups to interact directly with their customers and build lasting relationships. On Twitter, startups can engage in real-time conversations, respond to feedback, and address concerns, while LinkedIn allows for professional networking, sharing industry insights and fostering community discussions.

Similarly, startups can create community groups, host live sessions and run targeted ads to foster engagement on Facebook. With its visual-centric approach, Instagram allows brands to showcase their products, share behind-the-scenes content, and collaborate with influencers for wider reach.

But it’s not just about engagement and awareness. Effective social media branding can drive more traffic to a startup’s website through quality content, increasing sales and revenue. This is especially effective with video content, as 61% of customers are convinced to purchase based on the brand’s video.

Are you ready to leverage the power of social media platforms to elevate your new brand? Here are some tips to help you apply social media branding for your business effectively.

1. Establish a consistent brand identity

A strong brand identity is crucial for a startup’s success on social media. To create a consistent brand identity, define your brand’s mission, vision, values and target audience. Next, develop a unique brand voice and visual identity that resonates with your target audience.

Consistency is key, so ensure that your logo, colours, fonts and messaging are uniform across all social media platforms. Most importantly, always ensure your brand’s messaging is laser-focused on your target audience.

2. Choose the right platforms

Not all social media platforms are created equal. Each platform has unique features, demographics, and content formats; understanding these nuances is the first step in mastering social media branding. For example, LinkedIn is a hub for professionals and B2B marketing, while Instagram thrives on visual content, making it ideal for lifestyle and fashion brands.

To ace social media branding, it’s essential to identify the platforms that align with your startup’s target audience and objectives. Researching and understanding the demographics of each platform will guide you in selecting the ones that resonate with your brand’s voice and goals.

3. Create engaging and valuable content

Content is the backbone of social media branding. To create a strong brand presence, producing engaging and valuable content that addresses your audience’s needs and interests is crucial. Share a mix of informative, entertaining, and promotional content regularly to keep your audience engaged and showcase your brand’s expertise. And don’t forget to use eye-catching visuals and incorporate your brand’s unique voice and identity in all content. The final aim is to perform effective social media storytelling to build a loyal audience and customer base for your brand.

4. Leveraging user-generated content

User-generated content (UGC) is a powerful tool for social media branding. You can foster trust, credibility, and engagement by encouraging your audience to share their experiences with your brand. Feature customer reviews, testimonials, and user-generated photos or videos on your social media profiles to showcase your startup’s success and create a sense of community among your followers. UGC not only amplifies your brand’s voice but also adds authenticity. When potential customers see real people enjoying your products or services, it creates a more relatable and trustworthy image for your brand.

5. Implementing hashtags and influencer marketing

Hashtags and influencer marketing can significantly boost your startup’s social media branding efforts. Use relevant and branded hashtags to increase your content’s visibility and reach. For example, creating a unique hashtag for a specific campaign can help you track its success and engagement. Collaborate with influencers who align with your brand values and have a strong following among your target audience. Influencer partnerships can help you reach new customers, increase brand awareness, and drive conversions. By choosing the right influencers, you can tap into their established trust and credibility, making your brand more appealing to their followers.

6. Tracking and analysing performance

For effective social media branding, it’s essential to monitor and analyse your startup’s performance on each platform. Use social media analytics tools to track key metrics, such as engagement, reach and conversions. Analysing this data will help you identify trends, measure the success of your campaigns and make data-driven decisions to optimize your social media branding efforts. Regularly reviewing these insights allows you to understand what resonates with your audience and what doesn’t. It’s not just about numbers; it’s about understanding the behaviour and preferences of your audience, enabling you to tailor your content and strategies for maximum impact.

Applying effective social media branding for startups in the competitive online space requires a strategic approach and consistent effort. It’s not just about crafting creative campaigns but understanding your audience deeply and making data-driven decisions catering to their needs. By establishing a strong brand identity, choosing the right platforms, creating engaging content, leveraging user-generated branding content, implementing hashtags and influencer marketing and tracking performance, you can create a powerful online presence that drives growth and success for your startup.

By Vikas Agrawal

Entrepreneur Leadership Network® Contributor

CEO of Infobrandz.com

Vikas Agrawal is a Strategic Marketing Consultant, and Crypto Advocate. With a passion for visual marketing and branding, data privacy and emerging technologies, Vikas leads Infobrandz.com and empowers companies to thrive in the digital era.

Sourced from Entrepreneur

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Instagram vs. Pinterest: Which Platform Is Better for Beginner Bloggers?

December 4, 2023 No Comments

By Danny Maiorca

Growing an audience on a social media platform is essential for bloggers. So should you get started on Instagram? Or is Pinterest the better option?

When you begin blogging, you’ll likely need to wait months or years before search engines begin to rank your website properly. However, you don’t need to sit around twiddling your thumbs until that happens. Social media allows anyone with engaging content to expand their audience.

Instagram and Pinterest are two platforms that many beginner bloggers turn to when trying to grow their online presence. Both have benefits and drawbacks, and choosing the right one will allow you to dedicate more energy to attracting website traffic. So let’s compare them.

Monthly Active Users

When looking at monthly active users, Instagram is much bigger than Pinterest. According to Statista, Instagram has around 1.35 billion people using the platform each month. And by 2025, that figure is expected to reach 1.44 billion.

Meanwhile, Pinterest had—according to Statista—463 million monthly active users in the first quarter of 2023. This is down from its peak in Q1 2021 when the platform had 478 million. However, it’s still not a bad audience base, and you could argue that finding your target audience will be less competitive.

Learning Curve

When choosing a social media network as a blogger, you need to think about whether you can continue using it as your audience grows, or if it’ll reach a peak saturation point. You must also consider what the learning curve is like.

The benefit of a bigger learning curve is that you’ll grow more over the long run. But on the flip side, you might become discouraged if it’s too steep in the beginning. In terms of app usability, Instagram is arguably easier to understand than Pinterest.

Instagram is quite an intuitive app. With Pinterest, you’ll need to learn a few extra things—such as how to design engaging pins and create boards. If you’ve decided that you want to use Pinterest, consider learning how to design a Pinterest Pin in Canva.

Growing Your Account

Social media can benefit businesses in many ways, and if you’re planning to monetize your blog later down the line, using social media is worthwhile. It’s hard to grow on most platforms, but some are easier than others. So how do Instagram and Pinterest compare in this respect?

Pinterest operates more like a search engine. Users look for topics that interest them, and they can do so using the search bar or checking their home feeds. If you publish consistently on the app, you can increase your monthly viewership—which may lead to more outbound clicks.

Gaining followers on Pinterest is sometimes challenging, but your follower count doesn’t really matter. Statistics such as saved pins and outbound clicks are more important for bloggers.

Instagram

Getting noticed on Instagram is quite challenging, especially as a beginner. Although you’ll see a lot of advice about how often you should post and the types of content you should publish, you’re better off being authentic and posting when you need to. In that respect, you might want to build your blog audience first and let them naturally find your Instagram page later.

Content Diversification Options

Before picking your preferred social media platform as a blogger, understanding what types of content you can share is a good idea. Not only will you be able to determine what you should prepare in advance, but you can also pick a platform with a form of media that you like.

Instagram

3 Images

Instagram Carousel on a Person's Feed Screenshot

Instagram has evolved from being a simple photo-sharing app. Of course, you can share still images—and you have the choice to include up to 10 in a carousel post. However, since the introduction of Reels in 2020, video content has become more popular. If you want to stand out on Instagram, consider trying a selection of Reels ideas.

On Instagram, you can also share Stories in the form of both photos and videos. You can add stickers, along with encouraging your audience to ask questions and much more.

Pinterest also allows you to share videos with your audience, but these aren’t as much of a core experience as they’ve become on Instagram. You can also share carousel-style posts, but you’re limited to a maximum of five images.

If you like still images more than video content, you might want to think about using Pinterest over Instagram. At a later point, you can expand onto Instagram if you feel like you want to explore video content more.

Character Limits

Even if you don’t start a blog on Instagram, knowing how to write engaging content both there and on Pinterest can help you build the audience you’re looking for. But prior to doing this, you should understand what the character limits are on each network.

When sharing a Pinterest board, you can only write a maximum of 500 characters. With that in mind, your descriptions should be brief and give users an idea of what to expect when they click on your link.

Instagram, on the other hand, lets you type up to 2,200 characters. But while you have more room to share your captions, you should still try to keep your writing as succinct as possible.

Adding Links to Specific Posts

The main goal of using social media as a blogger is to drive traffic to your website, and ideally, to also increase your newsletter sign-ups. Removing as much friction as possible can help in that respect.

Instagram lets you add links to specific posts, but you can’t use hyperlinks. As such, someone would have to copy and paste the link into their web browser. However, you can add links to your Stories and bio.

On Pinterest, you can add outbound links in each pin. Moreover, you have the option to include a link in your bio and claim your website.

Will You Choose Instagram or Pinterest?

Both Instagram and Pinterest offer several benefits to beginner bloggers, and you can scale with both of them as more people discover your work. Pinterest is an excellent tool for helping others find your content, especially if your site still doesn’t rank highly in search engines.

Instagram is arguably a better choice for more established bloggers, and it’s worth letting your audience find your account from your site—rather than the other way around. But you can build a close connection with your audience on Instagram, and you may find that it’s an ideal option for encouraging newsletter sign-ups.

By Danny Maiorca

Danny enjoys exploring different creative disciplines, especially photography. He has a degree in Sports Journalism and has been writing professionally since 2016.

Sourced from MUO

In News

28 Best Marketing Tools for Small Businesses

November 29, 2023 No Comments

By Lisa Anthony 

These tools and apps have features that can help small-business owners automate marketing tasks and track the success of their efforts.

Marketing tools can help small businesses maximize their marketing efforts to reach customers, build their brand and drive sales. These tools — including online marketing services, digital platforms and apps — can provide automated features to improve efficiency, plus analytics and reporting to monitor your return on investment. Here’s a look at some of the best marketing tools.

Email marketing tools

Email marketing can be a cost-effective way for a small business to promote its brand, develop relationships with new customers and increase sales. Software can simplify the process through features such as email templates, A/B testing options, lead capture forms for your website, and reports. There are a lot of email marketing software platforms to choose from, but here are our top picks:

Mailchimp: Our pick for best overall email marketing software, Mailchimp’s paid plans offer templates, testing, landing pages, forms and reports as well as access to creative design tools and 24/7 support. Paid plans start at $13 per month, and there’s a free option with limited features.
Constant Contact: If you’re looking for a free trial, Constant Contact has one of the best — 60 days with no credit card information required. In addition to solid email features, it can help with social media marketing. Plans start at $12 per month.
Campaigner: For businesses that want a more advanced platform, Campaigner offers features such as a full code editor, conversion tracking, a Facebook audience builder and a getting started video tutorial. Plans start at $59 per month with a free 30-day trial.

Content marketing tools

Well-written, engaging content is key to a successful marketing campaign. These tools, which use artificial intelligence, can help you write content for blogs, newsletters, videos and social media posts to get the attention of your audience:

Simplified: Simplified offers free features such as a content rewriter tool, a company bio generator and an AI writing assistant, plus additional paid features that can help you create content for your website, blog and social media.
Grammarly Business: Grammarly can help you write mistake-free content for your website, social media, documents, messages and emails. The free plan offers basic features. Sentence rewrites, word choice options and other advanced features are available in the business version at $15 per month per person.

SMS marketing tools

Short Message Service, or SMS, marketing is a way for small businesses to share product information, promotions and upcoming events with their customers via text message. SMS marketing software can automate the process with design tools, website forms and other features. Here are our top picks:

SimpleTexting: Unlimited contacts and keywords, a graphic generator tool and template options are just some of the features that make SimpleTexting our top SMS marketing tool. Plans start at $29 per month with a free 14-day trial.
SlickText: For small businesses that want to use SMS for promotions, SlickText stands out for engagement features such as contests, surveys, promo codes, coupons and loyalty reward options. Plans start at $29 per month with a 14-day free trial available.
TextMagic: If a pay-as-you-go plan is better for your marketing budget, TextMagic lets you skip the monthly subscription fee and purchase prepaid credits that can be used when you want. Pricing starts at 4 cents per outgoing text, and a 30-day free trial is offered.

Website analytics tools

Understanding the behavior of visitors to your website allows you to optimize your content and reach your marketing goals of retaining customers, attracting new customers and increasing sales. The best analytics tools can help you look at key metrics such as page views and conversion rates and even offer details about competitors:

Google Analytics: Google Analytics offers free analytics and optimization tools to help you monitor the activity on your website. This includes acquisition, engagement and monetization reporting.
Lucky Orange: Lucky Orange is an optimization tool that provides analytics, but it also includes heat maps of user behavior, session recordings, surveys and visitor profiles at every plan level, including the free version. Paid plans start at $18 per month.
Semrush: For businesses looking for features such as competitor analysis and keyword research, Semrush offers them along with advertising and social media tools. Plans start at $119.95 monthly, and a free account is also available with limited features.

CRM tools

Customer relationship management, or CRM, tools do more than just store your contact database. The best CRM software can help you organize your contacts and collect information on potential customers interested in your products and services. Some software also has features that can help you manage a sales team.

Zoho CRM: Our top CRM pick offers features to help you collect and sort data, schedule tasks, manage sales pipelines and generate reports. Plans start at $20 per user per month, and a free version with full features is available for teams of three or fewer.
Salesforce CRM: This is a platform that can grow with your small business and includes features such as lead management, automatic data syncs and customizable reports. Plans start at $25 per user per month, and free trials are available at most plan levels.
Freshsales by Freshworks: For small businesses working on a tight budget, Freshsales’ Growth plan is free and allows for up to three CRM users. It includes solid features, such as personalized messages, contact scoring and sales management tools. Paid plans start at $18 per user per month with a 21-day free trial.

Digital marketing tools

When you’re using digital marketing methods to promote your small business and brand, software can help you automate your efforts and also track your return on investment.

Constant Contact: In addition to email marketing tools, Constant Contact also has features to assist you with social media marketing, digital ads and engagement reporting. Plans start at $12 per month.
Hubspot: After purchasing a plan, you’ll have access to email marketing tools, a landing page builder and an online form builder along with features that help you track performance. Marketing Hub plans start at $50 per month.
Keap: For businesses that want dedicated support, Keap offers customer-success managers at all plan levels to help you meet your digital marketing goals. Plans start at $189 per month.

Social media marketing tools

When you’re using multiple social media platforms to engage customers, reach new audiences and generate brand awareness, digital tools can make the management of your efforts easier through features such as automated scheduling, calendars and channel boosting.

Buffer: For businesses on a tight budget with three or fewer social channels, Buffer’s free plan may be the right fit for you. Post scheduling, calendar view, Instagram tagging, Twitter hashtag suggestions and Facebook page mentions are some notable features. Paid plans start at $6 per month per channel.
Zoho Social: If you’re managing one brand on 10 or fewer social media channels, Zoho Social offers multichannel publishing, content scheduling, an image editor, a publishing calendar, user tagging and summary reports. Plans start at $15 per month, and there’s a free version for one user.
Hootsuite: If you want an app with few limits and advanced features, check out Hootsuite. Notable features include unlimited posts, unlimited scheduling, a social content calendar, recommended publishing times, content curation tools, post boosting and analytics. Plans start at $99 per month, and a 30-day free trial is offered.

» MORE: Best business credit cards for online advertising

Design tools

Design tools can make it easier to create visually appealing graphics and videos for your marketing efforts. The best tools offer templates, image libraries and photo editing.

Canva Business: With built-in tools like a drag-and-drop editor, customizable templates, AI-powered design tools and free photos and graphics, Canva is a top pick. A free plan is available, and paid options start at $12.99 per month per person.
Adobe Lightroom: If you’re taking photos of your product or team to share on your website, social platforms or other marketing materials, Adobe Lightroom offers editing tools, tutorials and cloud storage. Plans start at $9.99 per month.

Direct mail marketing tools

While not as popular as digital marketing, sending postcards, flyers, catalogs and other types of direct mail marketing materials through the U.S. Postal Service to a customer’s physical mailbox can help your business stand out from competitors. Here are some tools that can help you do it:

USPS: The Every Door Direct Mail, or EDDM, tool can help you plan your mailing of postcards, menus and flyers. It offers filtering options and the ability to map routes and select delivery addresses — plus, postage discounts are available for most businesses.
Mailchimp: With an address finder and direct mail campaign automation, Mailchimp can help you send postcards to promote events, announce deals and provide other information to customers and potential buyers. Cost per card (with postage) ranges from $1.03 to 79 cents, based on quantity.
Click2Mail: If you want more than postcards for your direct-mailing efforts, Click2Mail offers flyers, letters, notecards, booklets and brochures, plus tools that can help automate the printing and mailing process. Price varies depending on mailing.

Project management tools

Project management software can help you manage your marketing projects from start to finish. The best ones help you break marketing projects into manageable tasks with assigned deadlines and offer customizable dashboards to track progress.

Jira: For businesses with small teams of 10 users or fewer, Jira’s free plan offers unlimited project boards and customizable workflows, plus reporting and insights. Paid plans start at $7.75 per user per month.
Monday: Designed for marketing and creative work, paid Monday Work Management plans offer unlimited dashboards and items to track tasks, projects, customers and any other information you want. Paid plans start at $8 per user per month, and a free version supports two users and limited items.
Asana: If you want to track more than marketing projects, Asana can help you manage a variety of different projects with list, board, calendar and timeline views. Plans start at $13.49 per user per month, with a free option available with basic features.

» MORE: Free or low-cost ways to advertise your business

Feature Image Credit: Getty

By Lisa Anthony 

Lisa is a small-business writer at NerdWallet and has more than 20 years of experience in banking and finance. Read more

Edited by Christine Aebischer  

Sourced from nerdwallet

In News

How To Build A YouTube Marketing Strategy in 13 Steps

November 10, 2023 No Comments

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

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 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

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

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

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

In News

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

October 17, 2023 No Comments

By Ian Krietzberg

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

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

October 16, 2023 No Comments

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

In News

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

October 16, 2023 No Comments

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

In News

How to Transform Your Business through Social Media Branding in 2023

October 12, 2023 No Comments

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

In News

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

October 9, 2023 No Comments

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.

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.

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:

Meaningful, informative stories
Accurate, authentic content
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

Creator Marketplace will help you partner with the right TikTok stars for your brand
Business Creative Center is a must-visit for inspiration and guidance.
TikTok Shop (only available in select markets) allows you to create a storefront to sell products right in your videos and on your profile page’s product showcase tab. We unpack all this and more in our Beginner’s Guide to TikTok for Business.

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

X committed to focusing on shopping tools for users in 2021, a promise it’s delivering on with Twitter Shops, Shop Spotlight (a place to showcase products at the top of profiles), and Live Shopping on streaming events. These tools have yet to be rolled out beyond the US.
X Ads offers some powerful demographic targeting tools to help boost brand awareness, too.

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.

Me during Shavasana: pic.twitter.com/QFGIZCZrzT

— Sudor Interactive (@Sudor_fit) December 6, 2022

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

YouTube offers shopping tools, but only for eligible users. They’re mostly geared towards creators looking to monetize their channels, including a Shopify partnership (which allows users to connect their store to their YouTube channel) and Shopping Tab.
YouTube Ads, however, is accessible to more users.

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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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

Pinterest Ads offer helpful tools for marketers and small business owners, which they report offer a return twice as high as other social media platforms.
Pinterest Business also allows businesses to upload products to create catalogues and sell their products directly on platforms.

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.

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

In News

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

October 6, 2023 No Comments

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