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.

That’s what happened to me two weeks ago. Oh boy. I immediately reported it to Instagram Help Desk and continued to do so every day for two weeks. Fortunately, Instagram re-activated my account. But the whole experience was a sober reminder that WE DO NOT OWN OUR SOCIAL MEDIA DATA! (repeat after me).

It also reinforced my central belief that an effective social media strategy should always be part of a wider, fully integrated marketing plan – it’s really important that our social media platforms are just ONE of the numerous marketing touchpoints that we have for our business.

What is an integrated marketing strategy?

Put simply, it’s about making sure that all your marketing platforms (and there should be more than one of them), both online and offline, are singing from the same hymn sheet. Here are my 10 Top Tips for ensuring your social media is integrated with your wider marketing plan:  

1. Have a mailing list – you own your database. It’s your business capital. Focus on driving your social media followers to sign up for your mailing so you communicate with them away from social media too. Entice them to sign up with lead magnets like freebies or downloads. 
2. Have a robust CRM system in place to track leads; it doesn’t have to be fancy – from a simple spreadsheet to a more full-service platform like Dubsado, there are tools to suit everyone.
3. Nurture 1-2-1 relationships on social media that eventually exist beyond the platform.
4. Have a good website that you can direct traffic to so you can increase your mailing list and eventually do re-marketing campaigns in the future. After all, it’s your shop window. 
5. Have more than one social media platform to communicate with your audience. Don’t feel like you need to be on all of them, as that can be overwhelming, but find a couple that suits your business and communicate across all of them.
6. It’s the oldest but often the strongest marketing method – have a good referral network for your business that complements your social media communications. Does anything beat word of mouth?
7. Is your business listed on Google? Google My Business is a free tool and opens you up to arguably the biggest digital audience in the world.
8. Store all of your social media content in the cloud (you can reuse and repurpose this content later). If you’re a Google user, Google Drive is a good shout, or Dropbox or similar can be easily synced with your computer.  This means if your social media platforms are down, you still have all the relevant content at your fingertips.
9. Reputation is everything!

All in all, the whole  Instagram-deactivated-episode reminded me that Instagram does not define me; I’m still me, with the same knowledge, experience and reputation. I just need to continue to ensure that my marketing, and that of my clients, is fully integrated.

Remember, you don’t own your social media data. Don’t put all your eggs in one marketing basket!

The post You Do Not Own Your Social Media Data: The Importance Of An Integrated Campaign appeared first on Jem Bahaijoub Consulting - Social Never Sleeps.

The post Jem’s Top 5 Instagram Tips appeared first on Jem Bahaijoub Consulting - Social Never Sleeps.

Get Busy With A Business Profile

The very first step to establishing your brand on Instagram is to create a business profile, rather than a standard personal one. The benefits of business profiles are endless, but in essence you get:

• Access to analytics (known as “Insights”) on your demographic, impressions and engagement levels, empowering you with actionable information to review and revise your overall marketing strategy
• Multiple profile buttons for contact information, industry information and a business address, allowing customers to contact you directly from the app
• The ability to run highly targeted and affordable advertising campaigns

The good folks at Instagram have provided a handy step-by-step video guide to creating a business profile so you can get started right now! There’s no excuse.

Link Up Up & Away!

Driving traffic to your sales page is crucial to your Instagram success. Unfortunately Instagram has yet to allow clickable links in the main body of posts, so your best option is to fully optimise the one golden link provided on your business page. Follow these simple steps to ensure your link does not go to waste:

• Change your URL regularly according to your business goal;
• Provide customers with a simple call-to-action in each post to draw attention to your URL (click on link to buy! click on link to read!);
• Utilise third-party apps to turn your Instagram profile into a storefront. Apps like Like2Buy, Like2KnowIt or Soldsie provide shoppable links and image tagging, ultimately driving revenue for your business.
• Use LinkTree allow you to link multiple URLs to your one profile URL.
• Convert all your URLs into Bit.ly links so you can track your traffic.

For businesses that have reached 10k+ followers, don’t forget to insert clickable links into your Instagram Stories!

Create A Content Road Map

Driving sales is all about inspiring your followers to take action, and this will only happen with consistent and compelling content. The first step to great content is the creation of a content road map. This is a content framework that dictates the post theme for each day of the week. It helps to align your Instagram presence with your brand message, and takes the guesswork out of planning. It also allows you to analyze what types of posts are driving the most sales, so you can adjust your sales strategy accordingly.

When planning out your content themes, it’s helpful to remember the rule of thirds:

• A third of your posts should be promotional (directly about your services or product);
• A third should be a resource (in order to demonstrate your expertise and nurture  your community);
• A third should be behind-the-scenes posts that give customers a more personal insight into your company culture and values.

Customers value authenticity and emotion over gimmicky one-liners. Build a community of followers who value your uniqueness, and the sales will soon follow.

Think Like A Photographer

Strong, eye-catching photography is the key to increasing followers on Instagram, and subsequently sales. If you can’t hire a professional photographer, then keep these simple tips in mind when curating your visual content:

• Create a consistent colour palette for your profile that aligns with your brand identity. Most followers will check out your entire profile page before they decide to follow you. A powerful aesthetic will win them over.
• Stick to one type of filter to ensure visual consistency. VSCO is a third-party app that offers a host of sophisticated filtering and editing options that go beyond Instagram’s own offering.
• Utilise stock photography when necessary (but always credit the photographer!). UnSplash is a great resource for royalty-free stock photography.

Also, let’s not forget the power of Instagram Stories. Now one third of the most viewed stories on Instagram are from businesses.  Stories allow you to reveal a more spontaneous, personal side to your business that boosts your brand authenticity. Get on it!  

Hashtag like a Pro

Hashtags are pivotal to your Instagram sales success, as they increase the viral power of your posts. Unlike other platforms, you have the luxury of utilising up to 30 hashtags in your posts to boost searchability. Furthermore, Instagram now has hashtag profiles which is momentous for businesses who want to discover and be discovered. Using certain hashtags like #entrepreneurtips will include you in a highly targeted and curated Instagram profile all of its own. Go forth and hashtag!

The meteoric rise of Instagram for business is no secret. Get on board this social ship or get left behind. It’s a game-changer.

Need to talk about your social media strategy for your business? Get in contact with Jem today. 

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