Last Year's Social Marketing Lessons: How To Uplevel Your Game in 2022

2021 at Clari was nothing short of extraordinary. Dare I proclaim we almost had too much to celebrate on our social channels? Which presented a fun challenge for me.?

Every asset, event, product launch, and news release is the culmination of an incredible convergence of time, talent, and collaboration. As our social media lead, I get to help us strategically shine a spotlight on each story to drive well-deserved engagement.?

As I look back on Clari’s top-performing LinkedIn posts of 2021, I want to share some observations and strategies that can help you amplify your good news next year.

1) Highlight internal promotions

The pandemic is churning up the workforce. People are looking for more flexible work, retiring early, switching careers, or keeping an eye open for new opportunities for growth. Many of our top posts this year celebrated Clari’s internal promotions and gave shout-outs to employees and their accomplishments. (Check out our post)

Why you should add regular people shout-outs to your 2022 calendar:

• Drives employee recognition and gives everyone the opportunity to comment, showing their support.
• People love to congratulate their contacts on social media, which drives higher engagement on your post.
• Shows your company provides growth opportunities, highlighting your employer brand.
• Gives you the chance to spotlight how your teams provide world-class service.
• Invite leaders to bubble up big professional accomplishments of their team members so the company can amplify them (like Director of Clari India, Sanjay Mahalingam for being honored by Forbes Asia 30 under 30).?

2) Invest in high-quality video content

Content marketers know that video is king. But the crown is heavy. It can be a big lift that deters many teams from investing in them long term. However, the more you make video content, the more you learn about what resonates with your audience and ways to streamline your process. (Check out our post)

How to build a solid strategy:

• Videos can perform well because algorithms love them, but video alone doesn't cut it. Add engaging copy above the fold on the social post itself explaining what the video is about and who it’s for to get folks to watch.
• Try a video series so you can A/B test content, meta images, posting times, copy, etc.
• Don’t just set it and forget it on your feed. Ensure it lives in other places—like your blog.
• Make sure you have different social channels in mind for video snippets.
• Invest in high-quality writing, tools, talent, and equipment to make the videos professional.
• Don’t be afraid to get your stars an acting or speaking coach to help them become more comfortable in front of the camera.
• Make sure you add subtitles! Most people consume their social media on mobile devices, and the vast majority are doing so with the sound off most of the time.

3) Show how your people give back

People buy from people. People live in communities. How does your organization give back to its community? This pandemic has only further reminded us how interconnected we all are. Corporate philanthropy should be an integral part of your company’s culture.?

On a surface level, sharing your company’s social efforts boosts public perception of your brand. On a deeper level, it boosts employee morale and helps bring your teams closer together. So, capture those moments! (Check out our post)

How to share your good works:

• Provide resources so others in your network can give back too.
• Feature an album of photos to invite engagement.
• Make your copy fun! We always love a good pun… or rhyme.
• Call out the team members that helped out.
• Ask your network for more ideas on how to give back.
• Keep it genuine: ensure your philanthropic efforts tie back to what’s important to your people and are aligned to your company values.

4) Scale things back: both on social and in the real world

Throughout 2020 and 2021 our leadership reminded our teams to take time off. We also held events that focused on physical and mental health. Helping team members manage stress and prioritize their wellbeing helps employees feel appreciated and keeps them engaged.?

But employees aren’t the only ones that can feel fatigued, your social feed can too. Feeds are full of images and videos. When used for the right post, simple text can draw the eye and create deeper connections.?(Check out our post)

Scale back to propel engagement forward:

• Try posting without links or images. Invite conversation in the comments instead.
• Don’t forget to respond to those comments!
• Share what your teams are doing to help with stress and mental health.
• Make sure to celebrate holidays to add levity to your work and foster cross-functional engagement.
• Social marketers should partner with the people team to produce and capture more internal health events.

5) Test compelling meta images and emojis

Throughout 2021 we focused on testing different visual aspects of our Meta images. With feeds full of stock photos, we found that text and people's faces performed higher. Once you've piqued the interest with your image, you need to ensure your social post copy captures attention. (Check out our post)

Let’s get visual:

• Leverage whitespace and emojis to make your copy more inviting and scannable.
• Test high-quality pictures to make your images more personal.
• Keep copy simple.
• Emojis are a fun way to up-level bullet points.

The DNA of a successful social post

Likes? Impressions? Comments? There are so many ways to slice and dice social analytics. Types of posts and content naturally drive different metrics and there are so many variables—like days of the week, time of day, or even breaking world news—that can impact how well a given post will do.?

That’s why a good social strategy is a combination of art and science. You need to understand and observe the trends in your metrics and use them to get creative in driving a more genuine connection with your brand. Just like a personal social channel, make your social posts in 2022 about sharing what your company cares about. Show your people and your product. Find opportunities to shout out all the hard work and, more importantly, celebrate it.

Cheers to a great 2022 for all the #socialmarketers out there!?

LET ME KNOW IN THE COMMENTS! What is your favorite social marketing best practice? Which of these tips did you find most interesting? What's your 2022 social marketing goal?