For every 10 people you meet – anywhere in the world – six will be using a social media platform. So you’d automatically imagine every small business would also be on one by now. They’re not.
Why? Social media marketing and generating a return on time invested – or paid activity – remains opaque for many. Which platform reaches your audience? What strategy do you employ? How frequently do you post? And what do you say?
But it can offer a cost effective way of increasing your brand awareness and user acquisition, especially for smaller businesses. Here are just a few things to consider when planning your social media strategy in 2021.
Short form video content is a must
Video content can be one of the best ways of getting attention on social media. With so much content to digest when scrolling social media, it can be difficult for your brand to stand apart from the crowd. More dynamic content, such as video, tends to make more of an impact than a single image might. With mobile video consumption doubling year on year, producing compelling and high quality content with a clear call to action can work well.
According to a study by Cisco, by 2022, online videos will make up more than 82% of all consumer internet traffic which is 15 times higher than it was in 2017. To take advantage of this, your brand needs to keep the content short and to the point. Keeping video content to around the two minute mark will serve to maintain the interest of the viewer while also getting your message across. Any longer and the viewer is likely to switch off.
Making a stand on social
Social media offers a great opportunity for your brand to engage with social issues and convey your own brand values. Historically, brands have been wary of commenting on more contentious issues, but now silence is seen as a form of tacit consent on an issue. You want to make sure that your brand reacts to key moments in the news agenda as they come up to show you are an engaged and conscientious company.
Unifying messages
2020 and early 2021 have been characterised by the pandemic and the subsequent lockdowns. This has sparked social issues of loneliness and depression. Brands, through social media campaigns, came together to share the messages of being in this together by calling for the public to consider those around them and act responsibly – even if it was to their financial detriment. In difficult times, we all need reassurance, and social media techniques and strategies accounting for this in an authentic way will gain trust among consumers.
Automotive brands such as Audi and high street retail giant Zara showed how to react to the mood of the nation by foregoing the historic oneupmanship of conventional social media campaigns and instead brought messages of hope and togetherness to their channels. Brands that were attuned to this trend saw increased engagement and brand loyalty as consumers saw their views resonating in the brands they admire.
Choose the right platform
Social media platforms are changing the way they present content, chiefly because they are competing with each other in getting people onto their platforms. For example, the success of TikTok with GenZ users forced Instagram to launch the Reels feature. Therefore, brands need to be aware of the messages that they are putting onto different platforms and the ever-changing capabilities of the platforms.
With so many ways of reaching your audience, brands need to look at their analysis and engage with platforms that give them the best results. Instead of juggling them all, look through your insights, analyse your reach and engagement and understand which social media platforms work the best for your brand and your audience. Then execute your strategy, tailored to the platforms that you know your customers are using.
Make the most of your content
After investing time making great content whether it be video, audio or written, there’s no point letting that go to waste. Don’t be afraid to repurpose and repost content from time to time. The scrolling system on social media means that some potential customers will miss important content that you are putting out on social media platforms.
It is important not to spam users with the same content while making sure that you get the most mileage out of your content, maximising the cost-effectiveness of your activity. Brands are always looking to create something that has never been seen or done before – and though the audience will be excited over new content, they also enjoy the familiarity of something repurposed.
Keep an eye out for new ways of reaching your audience
We’ve discussed not casting the net too wide when considering where to put content. However, it is also important to experiment when you have your core strategy in place. You never know how and when social media will change so experimenting when you have the time can be a great way to reach new audiences, or the same audiences in a different way.
There is little point delaying joining a new social media platform or jumping on a new trend – especially if you know you can find either your current or a new audience there. Although platforms and trends come and go, being the first to help popularise it will go a long way in brand recognition and acquiring new customers.
It is important that brands analyse their previous strategies and consider how they have performed and how they might work in the future. Look at what has been successful and what hasn’t quite worked and adjust accordingly. By analysing engagement levels, seeing which content types and trends saw the biggest impact and which posts generated the most leads you can produce a better strategy into 2021 and see a greater return on your time and investment.