5 Effective Ways to Market on Social Media

The average user spends two hours per day on social media. These platforms have proven to be one of the most effective ways to build engagement with customers. Shoppers love brands that resonate with their personal beliefs and lifestyle.  

Companies are allocating more of their marketing budgets to these networks than in previous years in order to pave the consumer journey into a smooth pathway. Here are five techniques that will help you reach your audience effectively:

Focus on Traffic Instead of Like Quantity

Instagram is exploring how removing like counts from posts would affect user experience. This move should help to mitigate fraud as well as follower purchasing. A 2018 study from the HYPR influencer marketing platform revealed that about 64% of influencers themselves admitted to buying likes. 

Removing the spotlight from the like counter places a greater emphasis on quality content. When creating your social media plan, focus more on eye-catching messaging and action-oriented outcomes such as clicks, shares, and saves more than vanity metrics.

Create More Shareable Content

Users now post and repost so many popular articles and memes that in 2016 Facebook reported a 21% decrease in personal statuses. Whether it’s a clever meme or a heartwarming video, companies who are able to connect with their audiences emotionally will create the strongest consumer journey.  

One clever way to foster audience engagement is to start a challenge where people are compelled to tag their friends or to share their own thoughts. 

A great example is Jimmy Fallon’s challenge to Twitter users to ruin a movie with one word.  Responses included “Frozen Pizza, Tax Return of the Jedi, Martin Lawrence of Arabia, Kanye West Side Story, and Lord of the Onion Rings” among thousands of others.  Yes, thousands. 

Use Streaming Videos

The Social Report states that Facebook and Instagram users view videos five times longer than static content, such as text and pictures. You can use live, unfiltered videos that humanize your brand and get your message across to tons of people. Try TikTok if your target audience skews towards the younger demographic. 500 million users are active on TikTok worldwide, and 41% of users are 18-24 years old.  

Other platforms, such as Facebook, have a slightly older demographic. This is why it is important to share your message among multiple platforms – so that you hit the right user at the right time. 

Start a Facebook Group

In 2019 Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said Facebook Groups would be the new future of Facebook. Fulfilling his pledge, the Facebook App features Groups in the top navigation and often shows Group updates on your Facebook feed. The continued growth of Facebook Groups makes it possible for companies to create personalized messages and build communities. 

Create a Facebook Group for your business, join groups related to your niche, and find ways to engage with those communities.

Understand Privacy and Security Concerns

Following the Cambridge Analytica scandal and documentaries such as The Great Hack, users are more aware than ever of how their data is being purchased and utilized. They now share information privately through encrypted texts, emails, and web browsers. Often times, the data is used primarily to improve advertisement placement algorithms. 

Regardless of use, the fact that your personal information is so valuable to many companies can be unsettling. Businesses need to take the customer needs seriously and do everything possible to make them feel safe by not compromising or manipulating their trust.

Social media is an ever-changing and competitive environment. A strong presence on these platforms can help you build an audience of loyal consumers. Keep up-to-date with the latest trends and utilize them in your marketing initiatives.  

If you’d like advice on how to best implement these strategies or would like a brainstorming session, don’t hesitate to reach out to The MBC Group for a free consultation.