With nearly half of the world’s population (45%) active on social media, brands – big and small, B2C or B2B – can no longer afford to ignore social media marketing.
The world of social media is highly dynamic. A viral trend today will become obsolete tomorrow, and new platforms are coming up quickly.
Here, in this guide, we share the top social media strategies that are winning customers big-time right now.
1. Tell a Story with #InstaStories
Brands are constantly looking at various ways to engage with their audience on Instagram. In 2019, Instagram is all about the Stories.
- Nearly 500 million users watch InstaStories daily
- 51% of brands use videos in InstaStories and state that it has better retention
- 15 – 20% of users swipe up on links shared in InstaStories
As the numbers reflect the reach of InstaStories, here are some best practices to create an engaging story that gets your audience to click and convert.
- Make it interactive – run a poll and get users to give their feedback
- Add the relevant hashtags
- Make use of trending stickers and icons
- Add your most popular content to Insta highlights so that it sticks around for longer
- And, don’t forget the right CTAs to get your audience to click
2. Reach out to Hyper-Targeted Audience with YouTube Ads
On mobile alone, YouTube reaches a large number of 18 to 49-year-old users than any other cable channel. From traditional TV ads, brands have now switched to engaging YouTube video ads.
The best part – YouTube makes use of sophisticated algorithms to show ads to highly targeted users who have higher chances of converting. The platform mines tons of data from various sources like YouTube watch history and Google search records. Using this data, brands can now target users precisely, and get higher conversions.
3. Get Casual Users to Convert with Facebook Ads
About 44% of consumers state that Facebook inspired their shopping spree. Savvy brands are using Facebook Ads to increase customer loyalty by offering them the latest information on products, offers, and services.
The key to creating Facebook ads that convert is captivating content. Brands are displaying the same content in multiple formats, thereby convincing customers to make a purchase. Remarketing is the biggest strength of Facebook Ads.
4. It’s Ad Time on TikTok as Well
Despite being shrouded in plenty of controversies and bans, TikTok is now stronger than ever before. It’s one of the most downloaded apps on both Google Store as well as Apple AppStore. Out of the 500 million TikTok users, 43% are from India. Brands whose audience are on TikTok are making use of short, catchy video ads on the platform to attract their audience.
5. Videos Exclusively Created for IGTV
Earlier, IGTV was a stand-alone app. Later Instagram moved it as part of the app, making it convenient for users to watch IGTV videos right from the familiar interface of Instagram. Now, Instagram shows previews of IGTV videos to users directly on their feed. And, if they desire, they can tap on it and continue watching the entire video.
Brands are capitalizing on this trend to showcase their products and services to customers who are likely to convert.
6. Go Live with Live Videos
Live videos are a massive hit across platforms, be it Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, SnapChat, or YouTube. Brands are stepping up their video marketing game by using live videos. Interview, behind-the-scenes videos, tutorials, and unboxing videos are some of the popular live video types. 80% of customers prefer watching live videos than reading product reviews or blogs.
The Key Takeaway
Creating a winning social media marketing strategy is not luck. It requires extensive planning. The success of any social media strategy depends on how well it fits the brand and appeals to the target audience. Brands need to keep on refining and updating their social media strategy by embracing new marketing tends to stand out from their competitors.
