Don't get Lost in the Clutter: 3 Tips for Improving your Brand's Social Content
Derek Arguello
Sr. Marketing Manager @ Microsoft | Artificial Intelligence, Media, & Integrated Marketing Planning
It's estimated there's 2.8 billion people on social media with roughly 80% of the United States active on at least one channel. That's a lot of people.
As a business, it's fairly well-known that to be successful, brands are having to use a multitude of mediums to reach their consumers at the right time and in the right place. Social media is one of the many places companies can do this: and as a result of its massive growth, social media has been suggested that it will surpass television in total ad spending for the first time ever. So, what does this mean for you and your business? If you're not yet, social media advertising should be a part of your media-mix so you can attract customers to your services or products.
That's a lot easier said than done. With Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, and so many others, for some companies (small business especially), it may feel like there are hundreds of ways to spend your precious advertising budget and you may feel overwhelmed. Luckily for you, I'm here to help by bringing you my 2017 guide for perfecting your social advertising content.
Location, Location, Location
And by this I mean choosing the right platform. Each social media channel is different, the people who use it are different, and the brands who advertise on each are different. With every ad dollar of huge importance - it's even more important to choose the right platform where your brand belongs and where people will listen. Keep in mind that you can find use of more than one social media channel:
Facebook-owned Instagram is a mobile photo-sharing platform that emphasizes the use of picture lenses and snapshots to share user's experience through images. With about 600 million monthly active users and the ability to leverage Facebook targeting and analytics, insta proves perfect for brands that are visually driven.
The platform that started it all, Facebook is the largest social media channel on the market. With about 1.26 billion daily active users, it's no question that this Facebook is the first place to start when it comes to social media advertising. As a brand, you can take advantage of the mass amount of people, precise targeting data, and community engagement to boost your brand.
Snapchat
Snapchat is a disappearing photo application that has gained mass-popularity among the millennial market. In only four short years, Snapchat has built a user-base to surpass Twitter while driving the possibility of influencer marketing with Snap Stories.
Whether it's a news outlet or social media platform, Twitter is still another player in the social ad world. Although the platform has faults, it's a great way to create a conversation about your brand and spread the word in real time as events are happening. Joining in here may bring you many benefits, but be weary, as many brands have faltered due to the limited control there is to guide conversations.
Size is Everything
Don't get caught with a half-cropped picture. Social media image sizes are everything and abiding by it can separate the great from the not-so-great. The difficult thing here is that all the sizes are ever-changing. By that I mean that while one day your ad looks great on Facebook for both mobile and desktop, a day later there will be a new update with a whole new layout causing you to have to resize all of your content and images. Unfortunately, there's nothing you can do about changes like this. However, the internet is here to help as there are many image guideline cheat sheets like the one below. Be sure to check you image dimensions often and ensure that your content looks ?? before hitting that button to publish.
Keep it Interesting
New is good, and in the case of social media, new can be used to your advantage. Each month, platforms are trying to come out with the next big thing. Whether it's 360 video from Facebook or live Thursday Night Football on Twitter there are always new areas to stand out and separate your brand from the average. Not working with a massive budget? Don't let that be a problem either, just remember variation. Posting an image every single day isn't going to liven up your audience and get them to hit that share button. Instead, keep them guessing by posting a GIF of the new product in action or a short 'how to' video that can be posted on nearly any platforms. Really, the ideas are getting to be endless, it just depends on your creativity. Have fun with it and your audience will to.
Have Fun With it (Bonus)
The best thing to remember, especially for those who are new to social advertising, is to just have fun. When you're relaxed, and creating content that is enjoyable for yourself, it's likely that your audience will enjoy it with you. Although these tips are just the tip of a very large iceberg, keep these things in mind when you're looking for your next piece to publish.
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What did I miss? I want to hear from you what you're doing to keep your content in top-form. Leave your thoughts in the comment section and let's help build a guide that's useful for both the beginner and the expert!