It got me thinking about how each of the social media platforms requires a slightly different knowledge base and execution, but also should work together for the overall goal of marketing your business. Thankfully, understanding mastering each of these disciplines can be done without squeezing yourself into any form of lycra, unless that’s your thing. So let’s have a run-down of the business purpose of each* social media platform.

*This isn’t an exhaustive list – I know there’s Clubhouse, Tik Tok, Snapchat and more to consider, but I try to focus on the platforms that bring the most meaningful growth to my fabulous clients.

Facebook

Head of the eponymous conglomerate, the Facebook platform itself still holds the title for most active users with a quite healthy 2.853 billion worldwide. Old Zuckerberg and his friends have done alright since creating the platform in their dorm rooms and recruiting their mates.

Facebook has placed more emphasis on community in the last couple of years, so while the potency of brand pages took a sharp nosedive, there are still meaningful ways to interact with your customers through Facebook Groups or perhaps directly selling your products through their e-commerce platform. Facebook remains a great way of announcing and promoting events too, giving attendees the chance to share their RSVPs and encourage others to join.

Instagram

Like Facebook, Instagram’s gone through a major evolution, but probably more so. At its heart, the little indie photo-sharing app launched and gained popularity through its filters, helping us turn sorry selfies into glossy mag worthy close-ups (I’ve never looked better than with Nashville). Now it’s so far from just a photo-sharing app that they mentioned it in their recent company announcements on changes to the algorithm.

Like with all the platforms, the changes present opportunities, and businesses have really thrived on Instagram when building community, speaking directly to customers or harnessing influencer marketing.  They too allow seamless e-commerce through their Instagram shopping tab, which is set to dominant even more beyond 2021.

Twitter

No platform has arguably got a better finger on the pulse than Twitter, who really were the original champions of the words ‘trending’ and ‘hashtag’. Breaking down cultural and geographical barriers, Twitter gives you the news from the heart of the action in any sector, from politics to entertainment.

For businesses, there are two directions that work well: business-to-business and consumer-to-business. Twitter is a great social listening tool to gauge general sentiment towards your business, but it becomes harder for businesses to speak directly to customers. That’s not to say it doesn’t happen, or happen well; take the recent joint campaign from Weetabix and Heinz, who set Twitter alight with response to their beans on Weetabix meal suggestion. Barf-worthy idea, but from a marketing perspective, it couldn’t have been tastier.

Youtube

Launched back in 2005, if you were a company concerned with cats chasing laser pens, or perhaps riding a robot hoover, you were quids in. However, YouTube grew quickly beyond its usage as a sort of You’ve Been Framed portal into something that Google recognised had universal appeal, prompting their $1.65 billion acquisition of the platform in 2006, just a year later. Now that’s a payday.

Nowadays YouTube is recognised for its authority as the second most popular search engine (even if we don’t think of it in this way), with content creators providing thought leadership in every industry, from ‘How to Fix a Leaky Tap’ to the Pope’s ‘Our Moral Imperative to Act on Climate Change.’ Unboxing and ‘unbiased’ reviews are also a great boost for e-commerce marketing, with the option for influencers to add affiliate links.

LinkedIn

LinkedIn is the spiritual home of business online. Even though other social media platforms have tried their hand (can we say a quick RIP to Google+), keeping your work profile and your social profile separate has been LinkedIn’s currency since its inception.

Not a lot has changed since Microsoft’s acquisition of the platform, and its cornerstones of purpose remain the same: to provide thought leadership, build strategic business connections, hire talent and provide possible lead opportunities for businesses.

Pinterest

Home of craft moms and DIYers, wedding inspiration and diet meal plans, Pinterest is your digital fridge door, with their ‘pins’ acting like fridge magnets, saving ideas, recipes, quotes and more for either referral later or just to delight you. Like YouTube, Pinterest has become as much a search engine as a social network, with users engaging with the content rather than other users.

E-commerce businesses can add ‘rich pins’, which carry price details and a direct link to your online shop, increasing the chance of conversion.

So let’s recap on the main business purposes of each social media platform:

Facebook – Community building, events and customer service.

Instagram – E-commerce, community building and influencer marketing.

Twitter – Social listening and customer service.

LinkedIn – Talent acquisition, thought-leadership and strategic partnerships.

YouTube – SEO and influencer marketing.

Pinterest – SEO and e-commerce.

I hope this overview of the business purpose of each social media platform has served as a reminder of the unique opportunities available to businesses – to you – and given you some inspiration on the best content or connections to create for each one.

The post The Business Purpose Of Each Social Media Platform – A 2021 Comparison appeared first on Jem Bahaijoub Consulting - Social Never Sleeps.

Not only that, but it may surprise you to know that 1.8 billion people are interacting with Facebook Groups (as of Oct 2020), strengthened by the global pandemic and our search for creating new ways of connecting.

So how do we use groups to our competitive business advantage, as part of our wider social strategy? Here are five ways to help you do just that:

1. Stay ahead of the algorithm

Facebook itself has gone through something of a stage of puberty after deep criticism about its social and political influence in 2018. As a result, it changed its algorithm, publicly announcing that it would be adjusting our feeds to focus on “meaningful interactions”, with Big Daddy Zuckerberg himself confirming we’d be seeing more posts from “friends, family and groups”. That meant a big change for businesses, who – let’s face it – were bankrolling the social behemoth.

The key clue in Facebook’s announcement was its focus on community and their explicit mention of groups, and it didn’t take long for that algorithm adjustment to start playing out on our feeds. You will have noticed if you’re a Facebook user, that you almost never miss a post from the groups you follow: your local town page; buy, sell and swap pages; niche interest pages – all the posts seem to be readily available to view from your home feed. This represented an opportunity for businesses, and if we’re honest, a chance to connect more meaningfully with our audience, rather than rely on the older tactics of ‘engagement bait’ – posts encouraging passive likes, follows and shares without any further conversation or context.

2. Join and be active in Facebook groups that are relevant to your business

It’s undeniably a marketing long game, but no one can deny that your positive contribution in relevant groups (think of your local area, business sector, mentoring groups etc) will build your reputation and visibility. I launched my business in Chicago largely based on my participation in a Facebook group called ‘Moms in Business Chicago’. I used to go to their monthly networking events and comment/interact on content in the group until one day I was being recommended all the time! While it may not show instant conversions, the lifetime value of your contribution will prove invaluable.

3. Create a business group and let the User-Generated Content (UGC) roll

User-Generated Content is really like hitting the social jackpot. Akin to your child being old enough to make you a cup of tea (parenting win!), when your own users are communicating about your product, service or industry, promoting further conversation, the organic mileage is far more than what you could achieve alone. Let’s face it – creating content for socials takes time and money, but by creating a space for customers to discuss your brand and surrounding topics, they create engaging content for you. And because of the group format, any post can become a discussion. Post things that will spark interaction between group members and watch the conversation flow. Your very own Facebook group will build community, support and ultimate brand loyalty.

4. Build your tribe

Private Facebook groups can represent a meaningful connection with your audience, and make them feel listened to and prioritised. We all understand the importance supermarkets place on their loyalty schemes, and it’s for good reason. And while I can’t give you 10p off your petrol, I have a private FB group for each of my course cohorts, which gives them added value, direct access to me, and an opportunity to feedback and strengthen our relationship.

5. Gather insight about your customers

Either having or being part of a Facebook Group provides you with insight into its members, who are potent customers. Whilst you may have to informally collate the data yourself, even a cursory look at the values and behaviours of the group members will give you new findings to pore over. And, if you’re the owner of a group with more than 50 members, Facebook opens its world of Group Insights to you, which will take care of the number crunching for you. Gimme the data!

Here’s a challenge for you: either identify a group to be part of (search for a local community or business sector as a start) or create one yourself and report back to me on what your engagement from others was like. I can’t wait to hear what you do.

The post 5 Ways To Integrate Facebook Groups Into Your Social Media Plan appeared first on Jem Bahaijoub Consulting - Social Never Sleeps.

Historically, the most popular platform has been Facebook. However, the service is now facing an inconvenient truth: its user base is declining. New apps like TikTok are taking over and there have been huge changes in demographics regarding active accounts. Younger people are shifting away from the platform while baby boomers are streaming in. It’s more than fair to ask the question – is Facebook still a relevant platform for business in 2021?

Spoiler: the simple answer is yes (if your target audience is on it, of course!). Facebook still has 2.5 billion active monthly users worldwide. However, its value has shifted considerably. Solely posting organically to a Facebook business page doesn’t cut it anymore. You have to diversify your Facebook strategy to reap the benefits.

Here are 5 reasons why Facebook remains relevant to businesses today:

Social Proof & Discoverability

Having a Facebook business page boosts your online discoverability significantly. Not only is it an extra method to be found online, but it also creates valuable backlinks to your website. This boosts your brand visibility. Your business presence on Facebook also allows you to tag your company in relevant conversations, fueling peer-to-peer recommendations. Facebook pages also act as social proof of concept for your business, especially through customer reviews and recommendations. This peer-to-peer functionality creates trust and credibility for your brand.

Advertising

Facebook Ads are a highly specific and affordable way to target and reach your audience. Startup companies like Beauty Pie and Mindful Chef have launched themselves very successfully through social advertising. However, it’s important to remember that it does take a lot of time and careful planning to launch a successful Facebook ad campaign. The more targeted your ads are, and the more split-testing you do over a prolonged period of time, the greater success you will have.

Customer Service

On a monthly basis, more than 20 billion Facebook Messenger messages are exchanged between businesses and individuals. In fact, 64% of people across age groups say they’d rather message a business than make a call or send an email. Messenger is an amazing and efficient way to build an excellent customer service system. If you are available and open to conversation, you become more accessible as a brand. Providing a 1-2-1 contact point with individual customers is a very strong micro-marketing technique that builds trust and drives sales.

Live Streaming

Video is priority content across all social media platforms, and Facebook is no exception. Facebook Live is the number one way to drive brand awareness on the platform. Not only do you get a real-time connection with your target audience, you also get 10x the amount of engagement on your content. After you’re done streaming, the live video resides as a replay on your business page forever, just like a regular post. It’s a win-win marketing tactic.

The best Facebook Lives are the ones that provide organic value to customers. So, ask yourself, what can you talk about or showcase that will add value and drive sales?

Build Community

Every business should try to build community with Facebook, and this is particularly easy with Facebook Groups. The possibilities with groups are endless (online courses, business groups, fundraisers, fan groups, etc) but they all exist around one fundamental concept – community. In fact, groups are the unsung marketing hero. They can be a crucial tool for startup companies and solo entrepreneurs.

In essence, Facebook is like the patriarch of social media – hard to ignore, deeply ingrained in our culture, and yielding enormous amounts of power. New apps like TikTok also need to be explored for their business value and purpose. However, like with any social media platform, the most important question any business should be asking themselves is who their target audience is and where they are. If they are consumers older than 35, it’s highly probable they are on Facebook.

The post 5 Reasons Facebook Remains Relevant To Businesses in 2021 appeared first on Jem Bahaijoub Consulting - Social Never Sleeps.

In fact, groups have become the unsung marketing hero. They can be a crucial tool for startup companies and solo entrepreneurs – offering community, support and a valuable referral network.  But, it’s all about the long game. In order to fully benefit from Facebook groups for business, you have to nurture your involvement over time. Here are my top tips for getting you started:

Focus on Quality not Quantity

The first step to Facebook group success is to identify your business goals. Are you looking to build up business-to-business partnerships? Do you want more consumer referrals? This will determine what type of group you will want to join. For example, if you are a local plumber looking to increase business, then joining a local community group will be your best bet.

Once you have established what type of group(s) will be of most value to you, you must then ensure you have the time and energy in your busy work schedule to participate in them. Joining and participating in one or two groups will be more effective than joining a dozen you don’t have time for. Prioritise quality over quantity and you will be off to a great start.

Give Before You Get

Facebook groups are all about reciprocity. Start by adding value to the group by introducing yourself, asking questions, giving advice, and commenting and liking on other people’s posts. Engage with other members on a daily basis, and share your knowledge and expertise. Become a resource for others, and they will soon become a resource for you.

Be Authentic

Like all social media interactions, authenticity and transparency are key. Utilise your Facebook groups to reveal the personality behind your brand.  Being yourself will help to build an emotional connection between your business and consumers.  Truth builds trust, and trust builds sales.

Network Offline

Many business-to-business Facebook groups have monthly meet-ups and networking events. Attend offline events associated with your Facebook group and invest time in putting faces to names in order to build your business presence. Offline always beats online when you need to deepen relationships.

Respect the Rules

Most well run Facebook groups have specific rules around promoting your business. For example, promotions may only be allowed at the weekends, or no promotions are allowed at all. Respect the rules and understand that this is not a platform to broadcast your business. Self-promotion comes in many disguises. Your ultimate goal is to nurture recommendations from others. Be opportunistic when appropriate (go ahead and promote that sale on Promo Fridays!) but also know when to hold back.

Peer-to-Peer Recommendations Reign Supreme

Facebook groups are the ultimate platform for peer-to-peer marketing. 82% of consumers actively seek recommendations from their peers before making a purchase.  After some time, you will see that members automatically recommend your product or services to others because they’ve gotten to know you and trust you. It only takes one client or customer in your Facebook group to get the referral ball rolling.  Voila!

Success with Facebook groups for business does not happen overnight. Invest time and energy in nurturing a community and you will build a referral network that you can rely on for years to come.

Do you need help and guidance with your social media strategy? Contact Jem today for a chat.

The post How To SuperCharge Your Business Development With Facebook Groups appeared first on Jem Bahaijoub Consulting - Social Never Sleeps.