It is expected that approximately 3 billion people worldwide will have a handle on social media by 2020, whether that’s through a computer, laptop, tablet or mobile device. Therefore, in a generation where digital technology is advancing at breakneck speed, constructing a modern social media strategy is vital for the survival of a company’s online presence.
Digital has increasing relevance in the modern world. Not only do consumers discover company updates through leaflets, poster ads and inside newspapers – it’s now also about LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. According to multiple resources* 88% of businesses now use multiple social media accounts as a part of their marketing strategy in order to reach a wider audience and solidify their brand’s name.
Increased Brand Recognition
Every chance a company has to disperse their content and presence across social media, they should grasp with both hands. A company’s social media channels are simply an extended voice for the brand. The profile pictures, bio and cover photos should all enhance the company’s overall identity, tone and image. Social media accounts should help new customers/readers identify who the brand is and what they do within moments of landing on the page. It should also aid existing customers with immediately recognising the brand.
Competitor Analysis
With the majority of a brand’s competitors continuously seeking methods to remain a step ahead of the game, social media helps to keep track of their latest ventures, projects and launches. Discovering this information aids brands with fresh ideas that could also work well for their own company. Conducting a deeper insight into the engagement and response from competitors’ audiences reveals what ideas worked well and may be worth testing out, knowing a positive result is anticipated. In addition, time is saved through learning which ideas did not perform so highly for others.
Staying Relevant
An audience’s attention predominantly drifts towards the most contemporary brands. Keep the company relevant through discovering current global trends with approaches such as Instagram polls, trending tweets and popular hashtags.
Relationship Building
New companies who wish to expand their audiences quickly, should understand that frequent usage of social media creates a snowball-like effect. Once relationships commence building, followers will tell their friends, their friends will tell their friends, and so on. Additionally, on top of emailing and phone calls,potential customers, clients and partners will also utilise LinkedIn messaging, Facebook messenger, DMs and comments
Driving Traffic
Promoting other areas of a business such as mobile apps, websites or competitions through social media accounts is an efficient way to increase recognition and traffic. New launches will take off and enter the public eye far more quickly with social media backing (and potentially sponsoring.)
If you wish to receive more information please contact us.
Have We Just Had The First Snapchat Election?
When the Electoral Commission launched its Snapchat geo filter across the UK to encourage Britain’s youth to register to vote in the General Election it received a mixed response. The filter, which carried a voter registration message to encourage engagement and conversation among young people was called a ‘gimmick’ by some, while others praised the Commission for reaching out to this elusive audience. At the time their research showed that young people were typically less likely to be registered than older voters, with only 69% of 18-34 year olds correctly registered in the UK compared to 96% of those aged 65 and over.
“By working with Snapchat we can get this important message across in a new way and help ensure fewer people lose their chance to cast their vote” a spokesman said. And why not? With the average user spending 30 minutes a day on Snapchat* it appears to have been key in attracting this demographic to not only engage but to actually vote.
After all 3 candidates in the recent French elections used it to take questions, Labour’s Jeremy Corbyn seems to have been the main benefactor of adopting Snapchat, and as reports are of a staggering 72% turn out of the youth vote this platform may have changed the way we approach politics, voting and social media.
If you would like to optimise your social media activity or turn your handles into revenue generating tools, Zest Media can help. For information on our social media management service contact us here. We’d love to hear from you!
*’eMarketer Releases New Snapchat Usage Numbers’, eMarketing, 07/06/2014, https://www.emarketer.com/Article/eMarketer-Releases-New-Snapchat-Usage-Numbers/1015324
At Zest we understand the importance of properly planning your content output. From the initial consideration stage, through to implementation and reporting, all are imperative to achieving your marketing goals. To help guide you through the process, we take you through the Six Pillars of Content.
Strategy
First you need to define your goals. These can range from marketing goals (i.e. establishing yourself as a thought leader), business goals (growing revenue), or others, such as simply improving the quality of your content.
Next, identify your personas. Personas are fictionalised representations of your ideal customer, and they are determined by looking at different demographics, their goals, objectives and their response to different marketing types.
After you have collected your goals and personas, it is time to brainstorm your targeted content. Map out your content using your personas and their life cycle stages, so the content is reaching your ideal audience on the right channels at the best time.
Audit
Second, take an objective look at the content you are currently creating. Thoroughly research your offline content (sales scripts), online platforms (blogs), and marketing materials (brochures) to identify patterns and trends in your output.
Then do the same with your competitors’ content; find out what they’re posting, where they’re posting and how they’re doing it. This will enable you to establish your place in the market, and help you on your way to becoming a thought leader.
Create
Next, it’s time to get cracking on the content. Whether you’re writing, designing or filming, remember to structure it so it appeals to your targeted audience.
At Zest Media, our award winning, well informed digital and print editors have experience working for national publications such as Grazia, The Times and The Guardian, and are well versed in working to a commercial brief. When we create content, we optimise its readability, boost its SEO, and speak your personas’ language.
Amplify
Push out your content on the right channels after you’ve researched the best platforms for your personas. These can be through your owned channels, i.e. a blog page or social handles, paid for media channels, i.e. social ads and PPC, or Zest’s owned media channels.
Analyse
Using detailed analysis and reporting, from sources such as Google Analytics, work out what worked well and start plotting trends. This will help you to refine and optimise your strategy to ensure you’re grabbing the attention of your ideal customer. Detailed reporting will also help you map out the next stage of content and brainstorm new features.
Repeat
Taking what you’ve learnt, refine and optimise your strategy. Its time to start the cycle again!