In straightforward terms, “paid social” pertains to social media advertising. In contrast to unpaid organic posts, paid social involves sponsored, paid advertisements on social channels. These campaigns aim to increase brand visibility through targeted ads directed at specific custom audiences. Paid social constitutes a crucial element of a successful digital marketing strategy.
Why is a Paid Social Media Strategy Crucial for Digital Marketing?
If you’re still contemplating the necessity of paying for social media advertising or seeking the benefits of paid social ads for your business, the answer is clear: broader reach, increased visibility, heightened brand awareness, comprehensive market insights, and targeted advertising.
Ever heard the phrase, “You gotta pay to play”?
No, I’m not asking about your trip to Vegas.
“Pay-to-play” refers to paid social advertising options for businesses aiming to enhance their social media marketing outcomes. As more brands turn to social media marketing, paid ads provide increased visibility and exposure among crowded social feeds.
Unlike traditional advertising channels, social media enables more efficient targeting and focus for your advertising. Data empowers you to identify who is interested in seeing your ad and facilitates reaching them.
For those new to social media marketing, keeping your brand objective in mind is crucial when researching various types of social media advertisements to find the one best suited for your audience.
Organic vs. Paid Social Media
Platforms like Facebook prioritize posts from friends and family, making it challenging for a brand’s posts to organically rise to the top. However, with paid social ads, you can ensure that your ad is noticed, remains top-of-mind, and is seen by the relevant audience.
Social media platforms are designed to help businesses achieve their goals using data. With the right insights, you can enhance your social ad campaigns, understand what your target audience is seeking, locate them, present your ad to them at the optimal time, and achieve much more, making your investment worthwhile.
Concerned about costs? One form of paid social ads, the pay-per-click model, grants you complete control over your social media budget. You only pay when a user takes the action your ad promotes. On Facebook, the average cost per click across industries is $1.72.
How to Get Started Using Social Ads:
Paid Social Media Strategy
Before diving in, it’s crucial to identify the goal you’re aiming to achieve. With social ads, there are various areas where you can focus your efforts, whether it’s increasing newsletter sign-ups, generating sales leads, creating awareness, or boosting website traffic. Once you define your goal, selecting the type of social ad to invest in becomes more straightforward. Here are your options:
Facebook Paid Ads:
Facebook allows the creation of both image and video ads accompanied by supporting text to target specific audiences. Image ads work well for showcasing products, while video ads are preferable for conveying informative or entertaining content. For instance, a clothing business could use an image-based ad to highlight a new product, while an organization sharing its story might opt for a video.
If lead generation is the goal, a “Facebook lead ad” campaign offers a one-click sign-up solution or directs people to a landing page. Integration with email marketing tools like Constant Contact can automate the addition of new contacts to your mailing list.
Facebook also offers carousel ads, displaying a single ad with a text block and multiple images. Carousel ads are effective for showcasing various products, a new collection, or telling a story through compelling images.
Instagram Paid Ads:
Instagram supports the creation of both image and video ads for displaying new products or sharing information. Notably, Instagram video ads autoplay without audio, emphasizing the importance of visuals. Carousel ads on Instagram function similarly to Facebook, allowing the display of multiple product images or a storytelling sequence.
Instagram Stories, a popular feature, presents an opportunity for story ads to capture attention within a user’s story feed.
Twitter Paid Ads:
Twitter, known for concise conversations, offers Promote Mode, automatically promoting the first ten organic Tweets daily for a monthly fee. This feature is suitable for those sharing frequent updates and aiming to maximize reach.
Alternatively, businesses with a smaller budget can opt for individual Twitter ad campaigns, featuring image or video-based ads aligned with specific goals.
LinkedIn:
LinkedIn, a platform for professionals, supports sponsored content with attention-grabbing headlines and images. Creating content that is interesting rather than overtly sales-oriented is recommended. LinkedIn also offers InMail message ads, functioning akin to personalized messages sent directly to a user’s LinkedIn inbox.
Another option on LinkedIn is a desktop-only ad placed on the top right of the feed, ideal for event marketing.
New Social Platforms
While this article focuses on how to start advertising on the main four platforms, small businesses can find significant opportunities on emerging channels like Snapchat, Pinterest, YouTube, Spotify, and others.
These platforms are becoming more accessible for small businesses to use their advertising features, though they may require a more advanced approach. Consider your target audience. If your ideal customers spend a lot of time listening to music on Spotify, it might be a good idea to show them ads while they’re enjoying their favorite tunes.
Quick Tips for Your Paid Social Ads
When you decide to invest in social media advertising, you’ll encounter various platforms and types of ad campaigns. As you start seeing positive results and figure out what works best for you, explore other paid social ad options.
For all your paid social ads, remember to:
Clearly state your goal.
Identify your target audience.
Analyze unpaid posts to understand what resonates best with your audience.
Ensure your ads look good on mobile devices.
Set and stick to a budget for social paid ads across different platforms.
Achieve Your Goals with Paid Social Media Marketing
Social media platforms are lively places with numerous brands and customers. Paid social ads help your brand stand out, making a meaningful impact.
Even with a small budget, you can gain significant returns in terms of new customers, increased website traffic, broader brand awareness, and establish a social presence that truly represents your brand.
Your time is precious, and so is social media. Here’s what small business owners should know to get the most out of each platform.
Why should you use social media for your small business?
If you own a business, you’ve probably looked into social media marketing for small businesses, and that’s a smart move.
There are now a whopping 4.2 billion active social media users. That’s almost double the number from just five years ago, back in 2017. These users spend an average of 2 hours and 25 minutes on social channels every day.
And guess what? Social media isn’t just for big businesses anymore. In fact, 71% of small to mid-sized businesses use social media to market themselves, and 52% post something every day.
If you want to keep up, you’ve got to get online. Here are five crucial reasons to use social media for your business.
Reach more potential customers
Getting new customers can be tough. You might have a fantastic product and a stunning website, but if no one knows about you, it’s all in vain.
Social media has made things fair, giving small businesses a chance to compete with bigger companies for attention. By creating interesting and engaging content on social media, you can reach a broader audience and convince them to buy from you.
Increase your brand awareness
A well-thought-out social media marketing strategy will boost your business’s visibility. When you share interesting, relevant content, people will share it with their friends, extending your reach and exposure. The more your brand is seen online, the better your chances of people recognizing it and eventually making a purchase.
Understand your customers better
How well do you really know your customers? Social media can help you learn more detailed information about their interests, needs, behaviors, and desires. This info can be used to enhance your social media marketing strategy and make sure you’re creating content that appeals to your target audience.
We’ve gathered demographic information for all the major social networks. Use it to figure out where your audience hangs out online. But remember, these demographics are just a general overview.
Get to know your competitors better
Your competition is on the internet. No doubt. They’ve probably thought about their social media game. By checking out what they’re up to, you not only get ideas for your own plan but also figure out what’s working for them and what’s not. This info about your rivals is super important for making your social media strategy a winner.
Doing a competitive analysis helps you see what’s successful and what’s not for other businesses like yours. Look beyond just your main rivals and get inspiration from successful businesses in all kinds of industries.
Build lasting relationships with your customers
Social media is more than just sharing cool pictures and clever captions. It’s also about making connections with your customers—the folks who buy your stuff and tell their friends about you. So, it’s crucial to nurture these connections.
Showing that you care about your customers and their experience with your business goes a long way in keeping these relationships strong. As fans share and like your content, you climb up in the social algorithms and get new, free exposure.
Remember, the average person on the internet has 8.4 social media accounts. Connect with them on different platforms for different things. For example, use Facebook to build your audience and get leads, and Twitter for customer service.
Which social media platforms are good for small businesses?
Now that you know how to use social media for your small business, it’s time to go online.
When you’re checking out the best platforms and tools to plan your social media strategy, don’t assume where your audience spends their time.
Your gut feeling might say if you’re after Gen Z, forget Facebook and focus on Instagram and TikTok. But the facts say almost a quarter of Facebook users are 18 to 24 years old.
If you’re selling to baby boomers, social media might not seem like a big deal. But it is. Facebook and Pinterest are the top social networks for boomers. People over 65 are the fastest-growing audience for Facebook.
Picking your platforms doesn’t have to be all or nothing. Use different social channels to reach different people or meet different business goals.
Discover the top social media platforms for small businesses.
Facebook
Regardless of your personal feelings about this social media giant, Facebook remains the most widely used platform globally. With over 2.9 billion monthly active users and more than 200 million businesses, it’s a powerhouse.
Facebook is an excellent choice for small businesses due to:
Broad demographic reach: Users on Facebook come from all age groups, genders, and interests.
Versatility: You can create a Facebook page, run advertising campaigns across Meta products, monitor audience data, and set up an e-commerce shop, all on one platform.
Comprehensive customer service: Facebook enables a complete customer service journey, from the initial interaction to the final sale.
If you’re considering Facebook for your small business, ask these key questions:
Who is your target audience? Facebook’s most engaged users are typically between 18-44 years old. If your audience falls outside this range, explore other platforms.
What are your business goals? Facebook accommodates various goals, from creating brand visibility with a Facebook Page to selling products through Shop or ad campaigns. Clearly defining your goals helps decide if Facebook aligns with your business.
How much time can you commit? Research suggests that posting 1-2 times daily yields the best results on Facebook. If you lack the time for this commitment, reassess your resourcing strategy.
Instagram
While Facebook caters to a broad audience, Instagram allows you to target specific niches. Particularly suitable for industries like fashion, food, or film, where your target audience is likely on Instagram.
It’s essential to note that Instagram attracts a younger demographic, with the majority of users falling between 18 and 34 years old. If your target audience is baby boomers, consider directing your efforts elsewhere.
Instagram is a valuable platform for small businesses because:
Explore its in-app shopping feature: Instagram simplifies the process for users to purchase items they come across in your posts, Reels, and Stories.
Leverage its visual nature: Instagram’s emphasis on visuals makes it particularly advantageous for businesses in the fashion, beauty, travel, and food sectors.
Engage with active users: The average Instagram user spends approximately 11 hours per month on the app.
Before diving into Instagram for your small business, consider these questions:
Is my brand visually appealing? Given Instagram’s visual nature, your posts must have aesthetic appeal.
Can I commit to consistent posting? Like any social media platform, Instagram benefits from a steady presence, with 3-7 posts per week recommended.
Do I have the time and resources for engaging content creation? If high-quality content creation is a challenge, Instagram may not be the ideal platform for your business.
Twitter
Another platform with broad appeal is Twitter, ranking as the 9th most visited website globally and boasting over 200 million daily active users. Twitter users are active shoppers, with 16% of internet users aged 16-64 using Twitter for brand research, and 54% expressing likelihood to purchase new products. For advertisers, Twitter’s CPM is the lowest among major platforms.
Engage in conversation: Twitter thrives on interactive discussions, whether with your customers or other businesses.
Real-time updates: Twitter is the go-to platform for staying informed about current events, making it a favorite among news organizations and journalists.
Utilize hashtags: Hashtags effectively broaden the reach of your content to those interested in specific topics.
Before jumping into Twitter for your small business, ponder these questions:
Are your customers active on Twitter? While Twitter is excellent for relationship-building, it might not be worthwhile if your customers aren’t active on the platform.
What type of content suits your business? Twitter excels in sharing quick news and updates, but if your content is mainly visual or longer-form, another platform might be more suitable.
Can you commit the necessary resources? Tweeting at least 1 to 5 times per day is recommended. If this commitment seems challenging, Twitter might not be the best fit for your small business.
TikTok
You might be skeptical about fitting TikTok into your brand’s marketing plan, but even well-established brands with audiences well beyond Gen Z are giving this platform a shot.
Level playing field: You don’t need a massive budget to create top-notch content.
Emphasis on creativity: Success on TikTok comes from thinking outside the box and unleashing your creativity.
Viral potential: Good content on TikTok can reach millions of people.
Before jumping on TikTok for your small business, consider these questions:
Time commitment: While you don’t need a full production team, crafting TikTok videos and consistently posting them takes time.
Target audience on TikTok: TikTok’s audience leans toward the 18-24 age range. If you’re targeting Gen Z or young millennials, TikTok is worth considering.
Creative ideas: Unsure about the content that works on TikTok? Explore the app for inspiration.
Pinterest
In recent years, Pinterest has transformed from a creative catalog into one of the internet’s most powerful visual search engines. Pinterest users not only enjoy discovering and saving new ideas but also use the platform to make purchasing decisions.
Pinterest is a solid platform for small businesses due to:
Positive environment: 8 out of 10 Pinterest users report feeling good on the platform, contributing positively to your brand’s image.
Visual emphasis: With 90% of information transmitted to the brain being visual, Pinterest is the ideal spot to showcase appealing visuals of your products or services.
Access to new audiences: As a visual search engine, Pinterest offers the chance to be discovered by people actively searching for products and services like yours.
Before incorporating Pinterest into your small business strategy, ponder these questions:
Do you have lots of pictures to share on Pinterest? Since Pinterest is mostly about pictures, it’s important to have really good ones to make your posts stand out.
Are the people you want to reach using Pinterest? About 29% of the ads on Pinterest are seen by women aged 25-34, but only 15% are seen by men.
Do you have things to sell? Many people on Pinterest like to shop, and 75% of them say they’re always looking for something to buy. So, make sure you have things for them to check out.
YouTube:
YouTube is a popular place for sharing videos, and it has the potential to reach a lot of people—around 2.56 billion. It’s not just a big audience; it’s also a good place to promote what you’re selling.
Here’s why YouTube is good for small businesses:
Bring people to your website. When you put a link to your website in your YouTube videos, it can bring more visitors to your site.
Improve your website’s Google ranking. YouTube videos often show up when people search on Google, which can help more people find your website.
Let more people know about your brand. YouTube has a lot of users who really like watching videos. Share interesting videos to help more people learn about your brand.
If you’re thinking about using YouTube for your small business, ask yourself these questions first:
Do you have what you need to make videos? Making YouTube videos is more than just recording a quick video on your phone. You need a good camera and some skills for editing (or know someone who can help).
Do you have something different to share? There’s already a lot on YouTube, so you should have something special and interesting to say before starting your own channel. Ask yourself: What can I share that others in my industry aren’t?
Can you keep to a regular schedule? If you start a YouTube channel, it’s important to regularly post new videos. It could be once a week, once a month, or even once a day. The key is to be consistent.
Social Media Tips for Small Business
After you’ve figured out which social media platforms are right for your business, it’s time to start sharing content. Here are some simple tips to help you get started with social media marketing for your small business:
Plan Your Content Ahead:
The biggest mistake small businesses make on social media is posting without a plan. Instead of spending a little time every day thinking of something to post, it’s better to plan ahead. Create a social media content calendar to schedule your posts in advance. This way, you can avoid last-minute stress and have a mix of content types (like blog posts, images, infographics) ready.
In your content calendar, include:
The type of content (blog post, image, infographic, etc.)
Posting date
Social network
Content link (if applicable)
Brief content description
Copy for the post body
Any campaigns, holidays, or important dates
Links, tags, or hashtags for the post
If you’re not sure how to start, check our free content calendar templates or watch a video for a step-by-step guide.
Schedule Your Posts:
Once you have a calendar, create your social media posts in advance and use scheduling tools like Sprout Social or Buffer to post them automatically at the right time. This way, you can dedicate specific blocks of time, whether daily or weekly, to create your social content. This approach is more efficient than letting social posting interrupt your other business tasks throughout the day.
Automation tools like chatbots and AI content creation can also help reduce the time spent on social media marketing.
Commit to Community Management:
Posting creative content is crucial, but to see real results from social media marketing for small businesses, you must commit to community management. Engage with your audience, respond to comments, and participate in conversations. Building a community around your brand is key to success on social media.
Community management means building a community with your customers through online interactions. This includes responding to comments, answering questions, and engaging with customers on social media. Think of it like an extension of your customer service – you should interact with your audience as much as they interact with you. This helps create a network of customers who feel connected to your brand and are more likely to become loyal, repeat customers. It’s also crucial for ranking in social media algorithms; active and engaged users are rewarded, increasing the chances of your content appearing in their feeds.
Follow Trends:
Don’t jump on every viral meme, but pay attention to social media trends to understand what people are looking for. This insight helps you create relevant content that resonates over time. Social listening, using tools like Buffer, is valuable for gathering information about what your audience wants to hear. Setting up streams for mentions of your brand on different social channels allows you to respond to concerns or positive reviews promptly and keep track of sentiment regarding your business.
Sell on Social Media:
Social media marketing now includes social commerce, letting you sell products directly from social channels. This trend is booming, with a projected global market value of $492 billion in 2022. Nearly every social platform offers some form of social selling, such as Facebook and Instagram Shops, Pinterest Buyable Pins, TikTok Shop, and more. Social commerce is especially useful for small businesses in ecommerce or retail, reducing friction points in the online selling process. Since potential customers are already on social media, they don’t need to leave the platform to make a purchase.
When visitors find your website and navigate to your product pages through social media, you’re meeting them where they already spend their time. This increases your chances of making a sale.
Use Data to Shape Future Posts:
Even for small businesses, it’s crucial to know what works and what doesn’t on social media. Social media analytics tools can help you track your progress and identify which posts generate the most engagement—likes, comments, shares, clicks, etc.
This data is incredibly valuable when planning future content. If a particular type of post is successful, try to recreate that success in upcoming posts. If a certain post type isn’t performing well, experiment with new content to better engage your audience.
Analytics also reveal which social media platform is most effective for your business. If one platform gets more engagement than another, consider focusing your efforts there. You don’t need to be everywhere; stick to the platforms that deliver the best results.
Using social media to market is a strong tool for all kinds of businesses. It helps them connect with potential customers. People find, learn about, follow, and buy from brands on social media. If you’re not on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn, you’re missing a lot! Doing good marketing on social media can bring great success to your business. It makes loyal fans of your brand and can even help get more leads and sales.
In this full guide about social media marketing, you’ll find out:
Understanding what social media marketing is, along with its advantages, some statistics, and helpful tips.
Creating a social media marketing strategy and developing a plan to put it into action.
Exploring the top seven social media marketing platforms and learning how to effectively utilize them.
What is social media marketing?
Social media marketing is a type of digital marketing that uses the influence of widely used social media networks to accomplish your marketing and branding objectives. However, it’s more than just making business accounts and posting whenever you want. Social media marketing demands a dynamic strategy with measurable goals and involves:
Keeping up and enhancing your profiles to ensure they present your brand effectively.
Sharing images, videos, stories, and live videos that showcase your brand and draw in a suitable audience.
Interacting with comments, shares, and likes while keeping an eye on your reputation.
Connecting with and engaging followers, customers, and influencers to establish a community around your brand.
Social media marketing also covers paid social media advertising, where you have the option to pay for your business to be showcased in front of extensive numbers of precisely targeted users.
Advantages of Social Media Marketing
With its extensive usage and flexibility, social media stands out as one of the most powerful cost-free channels for promoting your business in today’s landscape. Below are some of the distinct advantages of engaging in social media marketing:
Humanizing your business: Social media provides a platform to transform your business into an active participant in your market. Your profile, posts, and interactions with users create an approachable persona, allowing your audience to connect and build trust.
Driving traffic: With the link in your profile, blog post links in your content, and ads, social media becomes a key channel for boosting traffic to your website, where you can convert visitors into customers. Additionally, social signals indirectly contribute to SEO factors.
Generating leads and customers: Platforms like Instagram and Facebook offer features such as shops, direct messaging, call-to-action buttons on profiles, and appointment booking capabilities, enabling you to generate leads and conversions directly on these platforms.
Increasing brand awareness: The visual nature of social media platforms empowers you to establish and enhance your visual identity across diverse audiences, leading to improved brand awareness. Elevated brand awareness, in turn, contributes to enhanced results in all your other campaigns.
Building relationships: Social media platforms facilitate both direct and indirect lines of communication with your followers. This enables you to network, gather feedback, host discussions, and connect directly with individuals, fostering meaningful relationships with your audience.
The more substantial and actively engaged your audience becomes on social media networks, the smoother the path to accomplishing your marketing objectives will be.
Social media marketing statistics
When it comes to the advantages mentioned earlier, don’t just rely on our statement. Let’s delve into some social media marketing statistics that substantiate its influential impact:
The average US adult dedicates 2.25 hours daily to social media engagement.
Over 70% of individuals who encounter a positive interaction with a business on social media are inclined to recommend that business to their networks.
On Facebook, users, on average, click on 12 ads per month.
Approximately 81% of people turn to Instagram for researching products and services.
Nearly 80% of Twitter users hold a more positive view of a business when their tweet receives a response.
A significant 4 out of 5 individuals on LinkedIn actively influence business decisions.
A noteworthy 46% of TikTok users engage with the app without any other distractions.
The Fundamental Elements of a Successful Social Media Marketing Strategy
A good plan for social media marketing will be different for each business, but they all share some common things
Understanding your audience: Know which platforms they use, when they use them, why they use them, what kind of content they like, who else they follow, and more.
Brand identity: Figure out the message you want to share with your audience. How do you want them to feel when they see your content?
Content plan: Even though there’s some spontaneity on social media, you’ll need a plan for your content to have a consistent voice and create good content regularly.
Analytics: Use measurable insights to guide your strategy. This includes who you’re reaching, what content works best, the optimal times to post, and more.
Regular activity: Social media happens in real-time. If you want to grow your business with it, you need to post regularly, stay on top of interactions, engage back, keep up with trends, and maintain accurate profiles.
Inbound approach: Instead of using social media just to promote your business, focus on adding value through useful and interesting content. Build connections with others. This will naturally promote your business, and others will promote it for you.
Making Your Social Media Marketing Plan
Now that you understand the basics of a social media marketing strategy, it’s time to get things moving. Your social media marketing plan is like the guide for putting your strategy into practice. It gives a framework to your efforts, helping you track your achievements and ensure you’re using your resources wisely. Here’s how to build your social media marketing plan:
Choose Your Platforms: Pick the platforms based on your target audience, those popular in your industry, and what you can handle. Start with a number you can actively manage, adding more as you get comfortable. Begin with one and gradually include others.
Set Goals and Objectives: Start with simple, task-like goals, such as posting once a day for a month, setting up your profiles, or conducting a competitive analysis. As you get into a routine and gather insights, you can set more specific goals, like increasing your following by a certain percentage or publishing a specific number of content types your audience likes each month.
Report and Adjust Regularly: Use each platform’s analytics to figure out which posts engage the most, if you’re gaining more followers, and to understand your audience demographics. Keep what works, scale it up, and drop what doesn’t. Regularly review and tweak your approach.
Social media marketing tips
Ready to dive into social media marketing? Here are some tips to kickstart your social media campaigns and get started with marketing on these platforms.
Make Different Kinds of Posts
Like in other online marketing, what you share is crucial in social media marketing. Regularly post and provide genuinely useful information that your perfect customers will like and find interesting. This includes:
How-tos and quick tips
Local and industry news
Data and insights
Polls, questions, contests
Updates and announcements
It also means using different kinds of things social media lets you do, like pictures, videos, stories, live streams, online stores, and more.
Stay consistent
Using social media for marketing lets your business show your brand on various social media platforms. Each platform has its own style, but your business’s main identity, whether it’s friendly, fun, or trustworthy, should stay the same.
Don’t Just Post—Engage
Put simply, don’t just log in once a month to plan all your posts. Social media channels are like communities. You should notice who’s interacting with your content and interact back—answer comments, like, share, and comment on their posts. Run live streams, post polls and real-time questions to start discussions, and repost others’ content.
Use content creation tools
Don’t believe it when people say Instagram is the only visually appealing social media platform. In fact, all of them are! To catch someone’s eye in their feed, jazz up your posts with eye-catching stuff—like pictures, drawings, or text transformed into cool art. Tools such as Freepik and Canva make it super easy to make good-looking visuals. They’ve got templates and features that let you create professional-looking stuff with your logo on it, and it’ll match your brand style. Easy peasy!
Repurpose, repost, recycle
Social media is like a busy marketplace, so if you want people to notice your stuff, you’ve got to share awesome content often. Wondering how? Well, it’s all about the three Rs:
Repurpose: Take a customer review and make it a Facebook post, break down a blog post into a series of Tweets, condense a case study into a spotlight on Instagram, or transform a webinar presentation into a carousel post on LinkedIn. The options are limitless.
Repost Use this sparingly, but it’s a smart way to fill in the gaps in your content schedule. Re-share on Instagram, retweet user-generated and influencer content, and curate material from trustworthy sources, sharing those links in your posts.
Recycle: Share your TikTok videos and Instagram Reels on YouTube; reshare your most popular blog posts each month to reach new followers; upload your Facebook Live recordings to your YouTube channel.
Build your unique content collection
We’re often eager to grab attention in other people’s feeds, but we overlook the benefits of our own. Follow your competitors to keep an eye on them, gather ideas to tweak for your strategy, and spot opportunities to stand out. Follow influencers for trend updates and self-education. Connect with brands that align with your values or showcase innovative content strategies for inspiration and fresh ideas.
Measure success with analytics
To know if your social media strategies are working, you must track data. Google Analytics serves as an excellent tool for social media marketing. It helps measure your most successful techniques and identify strategies to let go. Add tracking tags to your campaigns for effective monitoring. Additionally, leverage the analytics provided by each social platform for deeper insights into which of your content resonates best with your audience.
Try paid social
There are numerous advantages to advertising on social media, with cost-effectiveness topping the list. When executed wisely, you can showcase your content and offers to a vast audience at a minimal cost. Social media platforms often provide precise targeting options, enabling you to concentrate your budget on individuals who are most likely to engage with your business. Here are some tips and tools to kickstart your journey into paid social media marketing:
Discover the prime platforms to elevate your business through social media marketing
For effective business marketing, key social media platforms include Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, TikTok, and Snapchat. Each platform demands a unique strategy, so here’s a quick rundown on each—detailing their user base, predominant vibes, pros, cons, and preferred content types.
Facebook
As the largest global social media platform, Facebook also stands out as one of the most extensive local business directories. Embraced by users across diverse age groups, it serves as a communication hub for connecting with friends and family, engaging in groups and forums, discovering local businesses, and following brands. Utilize Facebook as an effective social media marketing platform to:
Foster connections with existing customers
Communicate changes in hours, events, and milestones
Facilitate discussions and live streams
Target marketing towards baby boomers
Given the limited organic reach on Facebook, the most effective strategy for generating leads or discovering new audiences is through Facebook advertising.
YouTube
While you might not initially view YouTube as a social media marketing channel, it aligns seamlessly with the role. You can upload videos to your channel, engage with others by sharing, commenting, and liking videos, and follow accounts of interest. Additionally, your homepage features a curated feed with recommended videos. The crucial aspect of social media marketing on YouTube isn’t aiming for virality but rather adding value. It thrives for:
Tutorials, how-tos, and explainer videos
Shoppable YouTube live streams
Advertising opportunities (utilizing video ads and display ads on the platform)
SEO benefits (video content dominates the “how to” search engine results page!)
Instagram
Although Instagram entered the social media scene later than LinkedIn and Twitter, it swiftly outpaced them, reaching one billion monthly active users in 2018. Renowned for its diverse content formats—Feed posts, Stories, Lives, Reels, and IGTV—Instagram is a go-to platform. Users turn to Instagram to follow influencers and brands aligned with their purchasing preferences and personal values. Optimize your Instagram bio and leverage it for:
Social shopping
Influencer marketing
User-generated content
Company culture
While Instagram ad costs typically surpass those on Facebook, the upside is the elevated organic reach on Instagram.
LinkedIn
While LinkedIn is renowned as a professional network, it’s also a dynamic community that champions leadership, continuous learning, and core values. Beyond its role in networking, prospecting, and sharing industry insights, LinkedIn serves as an excellent space to showcase your company culture and cultivate your personal brand alongside your business identity. With numerous features for LinkedIn company pages, meticulous attention is essential during page creation. LinkedIn stands out as an ideal platform to:
Twitter
Twitter unfolds as a vibrant tapestry of swift thoughts, valuable nuggets, and lively conversations. While consistent activity is key across all social media platforms, it holds special significance on Twitter. A hub for news updates, brand following, and customer service interactions, Twitter demands active engagement. Amplify positive customer feedback through retweets, and be responsive to inquiries. For an impactful social media marketing journey on Twitter, consider:
Follow influencers to keep up with news and trends.
Share a story through a series of Tweets in one thread.
Make yourself available for customer service and FAQs.
Snapchat
Snapchat isn’t limited to teens; its predominant user age group (75%) spans from 13 to 34. With features like Snap Maps, geofilters, and its partnership with Gannett, Snapchat leans toward local engagement more than anticipated. Although building relationships may be challenging, you can cultivate an audience through entertaining images and brief videos. Snapchat is a fantastic platform for:
Location-based marketing
App marketing
Feel-good content
TikTok
TikTok stands as the most rapidly expanding social media platform, achieving a remarkable one billion monthly active users in just five years. Despite its dance-centric reputation, TikTok hosts a myriad of ever-expanding popular categories. Businesses are increasingly leveraging it as a marketing channel, but it’s vital to recognize that TikTok’s core appeal lies in entertainment. Ensure your videos align with this focus. TikTok is an excellent platform for:
Participate in trending challenges
Post funny and inspiring videos
Be relatable
Social media marketing services
Crafting an effective social media marketing strategy involves utilizing multiple platforms and a blend of organic and paid methods, despite the apparent ease and freeness of each platform. Managing this mix can be resource-intensive, and as your social media audience grows, so does the challenge of keeping up. Social media marketing services come in various forms to assist businesses in maximizing their social media impact. For instance:
Social media management tools: Apps such as HootSuite and Sprout Social use their own technology to help experienced social media marketers simplify their tasks and access advanced analytics.
Social media marketing firms: Some companies specialize only in social media marketing, like Akvertise, or focus solely on paid social advertising.
Digital marketing firms: Just as using one platform isn’t enough for social media marketing, relying on a single channel isn’t sufficient for overall marketing. Digital marketing agencies can assist you in integrating social media marketing into a comprehensive strategy that includes email, website, SEO, and more.
Combined services: Some services offer a combination of the above. For instance, LOCALiQ’s social advertising options use their technology to manage your strategy, allowing you to concentrate on social media alone or as part of a broader plan.
Begin focusing on your strategy for social media marketing.
Utilizing social media in marketing goes beyond enhancing website traffic and expanding your reach. It transforms your business into a personality that your audience can engage with on a deeper level.
Regardless of the platforms you choose or how you utilize them, it’s crucial to understand that social media isn’t merely a platform for promoting your business. It serves as a community where you can showcase your personality, convey your values, share valuable information, and uplift those around you. By naturally gaining followers and having your content promoted, there’s no need for a hard sales pitch. Adopting this approach allows you to achieve not only your business objectives but also the intangible rewards that lead to satisfaction and fulfillment.
Social media platforms is really important in our daily lives.
There are 4.8 billion people using social media worldwide, which is almost 60% of the entire global population. These platforms have become essential places for getting information, staying in touch with friends and family, and growing businesses.
People now trust and depend on their favorite social networks for everything—from getting the latest news and updates to finding lifestyle tips, doing product research, and more.
For people who advertise stuff, social media is a huge chance to get more customers.
If you have the right tools and plans, you can use social media to make more people know about your business, talk to the people you want to reach, and build a group of loyal customers.
But there are so many social media platforms nowadays that it’s hard to be on all of them and do well everywhere.
Doing well in social media marketing means first picking the right platforms for your brand. You have to figure out where the people you want to reach spend their time and where it makes sense for your brand to talk to them.
In this article, we’ll check out the top social media platforms, quickly saying what each one is about, and then see which kinds of businesses might like them the most.
Top 10 Social Media Platforms Compared
MAU
REVENUE
LAUNCHED
HEADQUARTERS
1
FACEBOOK
3 billion
not specified
2004
Menlo Park, CA
2
YOUTUBE
2.5 billion
$29.24 billion
2005
San Bruno, California
3
INSTAGRAM
2 billion
Not specified
2010
Menlo Park, CA
4
TIKTOK
1.2 billion
unknown
2016
Culver City, CA
5
SNAPCHAT
750 million
$4.6 billion
2011
Los Angeles, CA
6
X (TWITTER)
541 million
$4.4 billion
2003
Mountain, View, CA
7
PINTEREST
465 million
$2.8 billion
2005
Mountain, View, CA
8
REDDIT
430 million
$400 million
2010
San Francisco, CA
9
LINKEDIN
<350 million
12.4 billion
2006
San Francisco, CA
10
THREADS
100 million
unknown
2023
Menlo Park, CA
Number of monthly active users worldwide, updated October 2023.
The Top 10 Social Media Apps By Monthly Active Users
Social media channel
MAU*
1
Facebook
3 billion
2
YouTube
2.5 billion
3
Instagram
2 billion
4
TikTok
1.2 billion
5
Snapchat
750 million
6
X (Twitter)
541 million
7
Pinterest
465 million
8
Reddit
430 million
9
LinkedIn
<350 million
10
Threads
100 million
*Number of monthly active users worldwide updated October 2023.
The Top 10 Social Media Sites & Platforms This Year
Facebook
Headquarters: Menlo Park, CA.
Launched: 2004.
Monthly Active Users: 3 billion.
Founders: Mark Zuckerberg, Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin Moskovitz, Chris Hughes.
Revenue: Facebook-specific revenue not known.
Even though Facebook isn’t as exciting for younger users as it used to be, it’s still very popular.
Nowadays, Facebook is part of Meta, Inc., which also owns Instagram, WhatsApp, and Threads. According to Meta’s earnings report for the whole year, all of its apps together, like Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, WhatsApp, and others, made a total of $114.45 billion in 2022.
Although the people using Facebook have changed a bit in the last few years, it’s still a really big deal in social media.
Lots of different industries, like finance, online shopping, stores, media, telecom, tech, and things people buy, still use Facebook a lot to connect with customers and make more people know about their brand. And even newer businesses, like gaming, entertainment, and cars, are starting to use Facebook too.
If you want to get people to do something, using Facebook ads is a good idea, especially because regular business posts might not show up as much in the News Feed.
But if you don’t want to spend money on ads, there are still other ways to get people interested, like joining special groups on Facebook, using Messenger chatbots for talking to people personally, or doing live videos to talk with your audience right away.
YouTube is still the go-to place for original videos on social media. It’s the second most popular platform, with 2.5 billion people using it every month.
In 2022, ads on YouTube made a huge $29.24 billion, according to Alphabet’s earnings report for the last quarter. And that’s just from ads – it doesn’t include money from other things like subscriptions to YouTube TV and YouTube Premium.
A massive 81% of adults in the U.S. use YouTube, making it a super important place for brands and marketers.
Whether it’s making long videos or jumping on the TikTok trend with YouTube Shorts, there are lots of ways for brands to tell their story and connect with new audiences on YouTube.
The company says that people watching YouTube are twice as likely to buy something they saw on the platform and four times more likely to use it to learn about a brand, product, or service compared to other social networks.
No matter if you’re into makeup tutorials, video games, learning new stuff, or DIY tricks, YouTube has it all. And if a brand wants to focus on making videos, YouTube is the place to do it.
Instagram
Headquarters: Menlo Park, CA.
Launched: 2010.
Monthly Active Users: 2 billion.
Founders: Kevin Systrom, Mike Krieger.
Revenue: Instagram-specific revenue not known.
Instagram is a social network where businesses that sell products, influencers, and coaches can do really well.
It started in 2010 and quickly became the top social platform for sharing pictures and visuals. Since then, it’s only gotten more popular and is now a place where people do everything from checking out cool stuff to researching different parts of their lives.
Instagram keeps adding new features that marketers can use to get more people interested, like temporary Stories, vertical video Reels, and more.
Since they added the option to buy things directly from posts in 2018, businesses selling products have been making more money than ever.
Not only can businesses connect with a huge audience, but they can also guide followers from checking out a product to actually buying it, all without leaving Instagram.
And if the people you’re trying to reach are mostly under 35, Instagram is a great place to be: more than 68% of Instagram users are in that age group.
TikTok
Launched: 2016.
Headquarters: Culver City, California.
Monthly Active Users: 1.2 billion.
Founders: ByteDance Ltd, Zhang Yiming, Toutiao.
Revenue: Unknown.
TikTok bills itself as “the leading destination for short-form mobile video” with a company mission to inspire creativity and bring joy. And evidently, it’s succeeding.
As a privately held company, ByteDance is not required to disclose financial information, so we cannot be certain of TikTok’s annual revenue. However, a report from Bloomberg suggests the parent company generated somewhere in the ballpark of $80 billion in 2022 – and the social app accounts for a percentage of that.
TikTok’s meteoric rise over the past few years has been unprecedented. In 2017, after only one year, the app became the fastest-growing app worldwide.
Its focus on short-form videos driven by audio and visual trends has taken the world by storm, with other platforms rushing to emulate it.
Despite attempts to ban TikTok in the U.S. and being banned in India, as of 2021, the app had been downloaded more than 3.5 billion times globally.
And while TikTok reaches users of all demographics, if your brand wants to connect with Generation Z, it should be your first priority.
In the U.S., it’s particularly popular among the 12 to 17 age bracket, who constitute about 17.7% of the user base.
Those users are highly engaged, too, with the average user spending nearly 54 minutes on the app every day – the longest amount of time of any app, ahead of YouTube at 48.7 minutes.
Snapchat
Headquarters: Los Angeles, CA.
Launched: 2011.
Monthly Active Users: 750 million.
Founders: Evan Spiegel, Bobby Murphy, Daniel Smith, David Kravitz, Leo Noah Katz.
If you’re aiming for a younger crowd, Snapchat could be a good platform to think about. It’s a social space that’s especially popular with millennials and Gen Z users.
Snapchat is reaching 70% of people between 13 and 24 years old, showing it’s a big hit with the younger generation.
On average, a Snapchat user spends about 19 minutes on the app every day – not as much as TikTok and YouTube, but it’s still a chance for brands to get their attention.
Snapchat has a unique and natural feel to it. The content is often a raw look into everyday moments, making it a hotspot for user-created content, behind-the-scenes videos, special deals, and influencers taking over.
The platform has stuck to its commitment to showing real-time, temporary content, and it gives users a sense of privacy that some other social platforms don’t offer. This makes it a useful tool for brands that want to talk to a younger audience who might not be as interested in the broader approaches of other social networks.
Even though it might not be as popular as Instagram and TikTok, Snapchat is still doing well. Since they launched their premium subscription service, Snapchat+, they’ve got 5 million subscribers who are willing to pay for exclusive features.
After Elon Musk bought Twitter in October 2022 for $44 billion, the platform went through some big changes, including a rebranding to “X.”
Since Musk became CEO, he introduced Twitter Blue, now called X Premium, which is a paid monthly subscription service. This service comes with a price tag for account verification. Musk also shut down a bunch of bot accounts and launched a way for creators to earn a percentage of the money their subscribers generate.
Because of these changes, the data and numbers for X’s traffic and users have been a bit up and down. Some sources say the traffic is down compared to the previous year, but a tweet from Musk in July said that monthly users hit an all-time high in 2023.
One thing we know for sure is that X, which used to be Twitter, is still a platform to keep an eye on. Even with some issues over the last year, it’s clear that there are big plans for the platform, and it’s still a leader among social media platforms.
If your business is connected to entertainment, sports, politics, tech, or marketing, there are still chances to get a lot of engagement on this app – if you can find your audience there.
On X, brands can really shape and refine their voice. There’s room to be smart and friendly while still giving useful information.
Join conversations, bring value, share your content and other people’s, and be a part of the discussion. Just make sure to keep an eye on the app and your audience to make sure your efforts are paying off.
Pinterest
Launched: 2010.
Headquarters: San Francisco, CA.
Monthly Active Users: 465 million.
Founders: Ben Silbermann, Paul Sciarra, Evan Sharp.
Pinterest, like Instagram, is a social media platform all about beautiful visuals. Whether it’s mouth-watering recipes, home decor ideas, wedding plans, fitness routines, or creative DIY projects, Pinterest is where visual aspirations come to life.
If your brand loves telling stories through visuals, Pinterest is the perfect playground for you.
It’s worth noting that 60% of Pinterest users are women. So, if your audience is mainly women, that’s a great reason to put your time into social media marketing on Pinterest.
But don’t think men are left out – male users on Pinterest have increased by 40% year-over-year, and so have Gen Z users!
Pinterest is more than just a pretty picture platform; it’s a potent marketing tool. A whopping 89% of people who use Pinterest weekly do it to get inspired before making a purchase. Plus, 80% of users have stumbled upon a new brand or product while browsing through Pinterest.
Reddit
Launched: 2005.
Headquarters: San Francisco, CA.
Monthly Active Users: 430 million.
Founders: Steve Huffman, Alexis Ohanian, Aaron Swartz.
Revenue: $400 million (estimated).
Reddit proudly calls itself “the front page of the internet,” and according to Alexa rankings, it’s among the top 20 most-visited sites.
Since Reddit isn’t a public company, it doesn’t have to share its financial details. Still, back in mid-2021, the company mentioned hitting $100 million in quarterly ad revenue. So, making a reasonable estimate, it’s likely around $400 million annually.
Known as the ultimate digital watercooler, Reddit has taken over the role of forums and chatrooms. It’s now the primary spot for connecting with communities that share your interests and finding answers to your questions.
Reddit is a unique mix of content and community, boasting over 2.8 million communities, or subreddits, covering every imaginable topic. Whether you’re into tech, fashion, gaming, or health, there’s a subreddit discussing it.
With such diversity, every brand and business can find a place to engage their audience. The key is discovering the niches where your potential customers are active.
But, here’s the catch: Reddit thrives on authenticity and genuine interaction. Users don’t usually respond well to direct self-promotion, and marketing tricks are met with sharp skepticism.
Brands should tread carefully before stepping into any subreddit and pushing their products. Getting the tone right is crucial from the start, as users won’t hesitate to call out what they see as inauthentic.
Engage thoughtfully, contribute genuinely, and Reddit has the potential to be an incredible marketing tool for your brand.
LinkedIn
Headquarters: Sunnyvale, CA.
Launched: 2003.
Monthly Active Users: <350 million (2023) estimated.
Founders: Reid Hoffman, Konstantin Guericke, Allen Blue, Jean-Luc Vaillant, Eric Ly.
LinkedIn has proven to be a surprising success among social media platforms. Even though a career-oriented social platform might not have seemed likely to become popular, it has indeed emerged as one of the more engaging platforms, boasting a vast and influential community of professionals.
Unlike some other social media platforms, LinkedIn doesn’t publicly disclose its monthly active user count. However, as part of the EU’s new DSA, the company did release MAU counts for its EU users. By using this information and applying the same trends to global user counts while considering variations in usage, Social Media Today estimated “less than 350 million” as a reasonable figure.
With over 180 million users holding senior roles, 63 million decision-makers, and 10 million C-level executives, LinkedIn has become a focal point for those looking to connect with individuals who have the authority to hire your company, stock your product, or collaborate with your brand.
LinkedIn is not just a networking platform; it’s an aspirational hub. Every week, 61 million people use LinkedIn to explore job opportunities, making it a strategic place to market your brand.
LinkedIn stands out as a highly focused social media platform, offering unparalleled potential for connecting with a select group of professionals who can significantly impact your business.
Threads
Headquarters: Menlo Park, CA.
Launched: 2023.
Monthly Active Users: 100 million (2023).
Founders: Mark Zuckerberg.
Revenue: Unknown.
The latest entrant on the scene, Threads, was developed by the team responsible for Instagram and made its debut in July 2023. This text-based app was crafted to compete with X (formerly Twitter).
In appearance and functionality, Threads closely resembles X (formerly Twitter), but it mandates users to have an Instagram account to sign up.
Threads initially grabbed attention in the social media sphere by swiftly exceeding 150 million downloads, making it the most successful social media platform launch in history.
However, it has faced challenges in retaining users since then, although there remains significant potential for the platform’s future.
Determining who should advertise on Threads is still uncertain in these early stages. The positive note is that Threads seems to be captivating users by emphasizing its strategy to foster a positive community atmosphere, steering away from the highly politicized landscape often found on X.
If your brand is exploring alternatives to X (formerly Twitter) or is eager to experiment with a new platform, Threads is definitely worth trying. Its integration with Instagram offers the potential to rapidly build a following, especially if you already have a strong and engaged Instagram community.
Which Platform(s) Should You Use For Your Business?
The prevalence of social media is undeniable.
From the teenager next door striving for TikTok fame to the 86-year-old grandma reconnecting on Facebook, everyone finds a purpose in social media.
However, applying a one-size-fits-all approach to social media in business simply won’t cut it.
If you were anticipating a straightforward, definitive answer to the perfect platform for your brand by the end of this piece, you’re in for disappointment.
Every social media mix is distinct.
Each platform comes with unique features and functionalities, some of which naturally complement specific industries or marketing goals.
Whether your aim is to enhance customer engagement, broaden your reach, or craft memorable brand experiences, it all begins with clarifying your goals.
Start by understanding your objectives, identify where your audience is most active, and then customize your strategy to resonate on those channels.
Making the right choices and authentic alignment are key to harnessing the full potential of this powerful marketing opportunity.
Most small business owners opt to enlist the services of a social media agency to address specific needs, such as insufficient in-house resources or a lack of internal expertise. Alternatively, the decision may be driven by considerations related to budget constraints or long-term planning, favoring the agency route over hiring a full-time resource.
Regardless of the rationale, businesses that engage agencies for social media tasks frequently encounter challenges in managing both the relationship and the quality of work.
With the economy being unstable and business owners frequently cutting jobs, it’s a good time to discuss when and how to use an agency effectively. Let’s talk about when it makes sense, what tasks to use them for, and how to make the most of your relationship with the agency.
Before you hire an agency
Put plainly, turn to an agency when you need assistance. It could be because your team in the business is not enough, or you require specialized knowledge in a specific social media aspect. The key is to figure out exactly what help you need from the agency before deciding to work with them.
Do you need assistance in planning? Making content? Handling your social media channels daily? What you require should guide the kind of agency you search for and how you assess candidates. Some agencies specialize in specific industries or parts of social media. It’s crucial to clearly state the help you need. Agencies are good at following directions, but not so great at creating their own and hoping it works.
A common mistake is letting someone who doesn’t know much about social media choose an agency. Imagine hiring a new chef for a restaurant—would you ask another chef or a hostess who never goes into the kitchen to interview candidates? For a social media agency, you need someone familiar with social media to assist in the selection process.
It’s quite simple for agencies to sound impressive when talking to someone who lacks the experience to tell the difference between the fake ones and the real deal. Even if you need to bring in an outside expert to help evaluate your options, that’s still better than making a choice without enough information and just hoping for the best. (By the way, people also make this same mistake when hiring for jobs within the business.)
When to use an agency
Considering the current situation, here are the most common ways I see agency partners being effectively and meaningfully utilized:
Strategy
If your business doesn’t have a solid social media plan in place, agencies can be a big help in this area. Search for a skilled agency that has crafted social strategies for businesses similar to yours. Request examples and references. Seek a partner with relevant experience in your industry and aligning with your business needs.
Content creation
If you don’t have an in-house creative team, agencies can be incredibly valuable by allowing your social media team to focus on engaging with your audience rather than spending time creating multiple versions of each post. This becomes especially beneficial if you require more advanced content like video, animation, or graphics.
Organizing and Managing Editorial Calendars
I strongly advocate for the ‘Air Traffic Controller’ role within a social media team. This person oversees the entire content flow on your channels, acting as the last check and gatekeeper. An agency can step into this role if necessary.
Governance
One aspect that frequently gets overlooked is governance, which involves the control and security of your social media accounts. While this is crucial for any business it poses an even greater risk for large enterprises. A compromised account can result in significant damage to your brand and a crisis that you’ve created yourself—the most challenging kind to handle. Unfortunately, many social media teams are too stretched to prioritize this, and it’s an area where an agency could potentially provide assistance.
Paid social
It’s no secret that paid social media requires a specialized set of skills. If you lack an expert in paid advertising on your team, it might be a good idea to outsource it to the right agency.
I’ve witnessed agencies incorrectly setting up ads, targeting them inaccurately, and wasting budget. Some even create ad campaigns that essentially compete for the same audience, driving up costs by bidding against themselves. Keep an eye on your ad campaigns, assess their performance, double-check the targeting, and request regular reports from your agency about their efforts and results. If your agency is reluctant to provide metrics, something might be amiss. Accountability is crucial, especially in this area.
Community management
While it’s feasible to enlist an agency to handle your channels on a daily basis, I approach this suggestion cautiously. Entrusting my channels and brand voice to just anyone from the agency team doesn’t sit well with me. Outsourcing community management tends to make responses slower and less nimble due to an additional layer of communication for every question that arises.
Cost is another factor to ponder. Depending on the agency’s charges, it might be more cost-effective to hire a part-time resource or a junior staff member for your community management needs. It’s wise to crunch the numbers and weigh your options.
Invest in the right partners (and hold up your side of the deal)
If you find yourself depending on your agency for tasks beyond this list, it might be time to reconsider. If your agency is handling everything without oversight, accountability, or your input, they’re taking the lead instead of you.
Remember, you’re the paying client. You dictate the work and determine what’s acceptable. However, this requires your active involvement and knowledge. I’ve witnessed too many instances of social media agencies dominating their clients because the clients lacked sufficient knowledge, giving the agency too much freedom.
Despite this, I don’t want agencies to get a bad reputation. I’m the CEO of my own agency now, so I must have a positive view! It’s entirely possible to find an excellent agency partner and establish a fruitful working relationship that adds value to your team and brand. However, if your current relationship with your agency doesn’t align with that, some adjustments may be needed.
As budgets tighten and expenses come under scrutiny in boardrooms worldwide, it’s the right time to assess your agency relationships. When asked to justify the spending, you want to ensure that the collaboration and results are worth defending
It can be overwhelming to manage several social media accounts in the fast-paced digital world of today. With an endless flow of new content, news, and ideas, it’s easy to get caught up in the day-to-day tasks of social media management.
That’s where a well-planned and organized social media content calendar comes in. In this comprehensive guide, we will break down the basics of using a social media content calendar, explore its key benefits, and provide strategies to help you effectively manage your social media content.
What is a Social Media Content Calendar?
A social media content calendar is a strategic and hyper-detailed plan that outlines your upcoming social media posts. It helps you organize your content by publishing date and time across all your social channels.
In addition to scheduling posts, a social media content calendar can also include important details such as links, tags, @-mentions, copy, and media elements like images and videos.
There are several tools available to create a social media content calendar, including digital calendars, spreadsheets, and social media management platforms like Sprout.
Benefits of Using a Social Media Content Calendar
Using a social media content calendar offers numerous benefits that can greatly enhance your social media strategy. Let us review several of the principal benefits:
Saves Time and Increases Team Efficiency
One of the primary benefits of using a social media content calendar is that it saves time and increases your team’s efficiency. By planning your social calendar in advance, you can avoid the daily scramble for content ideas and trending topics.
This allows you and your team to focus more on creating high-quality content and testing different strategies to engage your audience effectively.
Maintains a Consistent Posting Schedule
In the world of social media, consistency essential. A social media content calendar helps you maintain a consistent posting schedule, ensuring that you have a steady stream of content to keep your audience engaged.
By planning ahead, you can prioritize the quality of your content and maintain a consistent brand voice and style across all your social channels.
Ensures Quality Assurance and Brand Safety
Proactive scheduling through a social media content calendar allows your team to review and double-check their work before publishing. It provides an opportunity to catch any potential typos or errors, ensuring that your brand’s reputation remains intact.
With a workflow approval process in place, you can minimize the risk of any PR crises and ensure that all content aligns with your brand guidelines.
Streamlines Collaboration Across Teams
A well-crafted social media content calendar improves visibility and promotes collaboration across different teams within your organization.
It provides an overview of all upcoming content, making it easier for everyone involved to stay aligned and informed.
By sharing the content calendar, stakeholders from various departments can provide feedback and ensure that social media efforts align with broader marketing initiatives.
How to Setup a Calendar for Social Media Content ?
Now that we understand the benefits of using a social media content calendar, let’s dive into the step-by-step process of creating one.
Conduct a Social Media Audit
Before creating your social media content calendar, it’s essential to conduct a thorough audit of your current online presence. Evaluate your past content and analyze important metrics and key performance indicators (KPIs) for each social media account.
This will help you define success, identify your target audience, and determine what types of content resonate the most with them.
Additionally, consider analyzing your highest and lowest performing posts, as well as any opportunities for improvement or experimentation.
Use a Social Media Content Calendar Template
Creating a social media content calendar template is crucial for staying organized and streamlining workflows. The following components ought to be included in your template:
Social media networks and accounts
Date and time of each post
Social copy, including hashtags and links
Media elements (GIFs, images, videos, etc.)
Approval steps
Space for collaboration and feedback notes
Key performance indicators (KPIs)
Key to organize your content using color coordination
To enhance your social media content calendar template, consider adding advanced features such as published post links, UTM tracking links, geo-tags, network-specific formats, associated campaigns, and approval status. These additions provide more context and enable you to track performance effectively.
Decide Which Social Media Platforms and Content Types to Use:
Based on your social media audit and target audience analysis, choose the social media channels that your audience engages with the most.
Additionally, identify the types of content that resonate with your audience. Utilize your analytics and research tools to understand what your audience wants to see and plan your posts accordingly.
Remember to prioritize informational content over promotional content, aiming for a ratio of two-thirds informational content to one-third promotional content.
Define a Posting Schedule
Once you have determined the types of content you will be posting, it’s important to establish a posting schedule.
Consider the patterns that emerged from your social media audit, including the publish dates and times for each platform. Take note of any specific themes or trends.
By organizing and planning your posts strategically, you can optimize visibility and engagement. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to posting frequency, as it varies depending on your audience and industry.
Some professionals recommend posting as regularly as possible to stay top of mind, while others suggest focusing on high-quality and valuable content.
Research the best times to post on each platform, broken down by specific industries and niches, to maximize your reach. Tools like Sprout’s ViralPost® feature can analyze your audience data and suggest optimal send times for each platform.
Track and Analyze Your Content Calendar
Your social media content calendar isn’t just a planning tool; it’s also a valuable resource for tracking and analyzing metrics.
Continuously monitor the performance of your social media campaigns and optimize your content accordingly. Tag posts to specific campaigns for easy tracking and optimization.
Save and repurpose high-performing content for future use. By leveraging tools like Sprout’s Asset Library, you can store and access your best-performing videos, text, and images, ensuring consistent quality and brand guidelines.
Share Your Calendar Across Teams
To further enhance collaboration and gather fresh ideas, share your social media content calendar with other teams within your organization. Seek feedback from team members and stakeholders to improve your calendar and align it with broader organizational goals.
Collaborate with departments like product, human resources, and public relations to incorporate important dates, milestones, and upcoming launches into your content plan.
By integrating your calendar into a social media management platform like Sprout, you can grant access to relevant contributors and ensure smooth workflow across teams.
Social Media Calendar Apps
There are several social media management tools and scheduling apps available to help you create and manage your social media content calendar. Here are three popular options:
Google Calendar/Sheets: Google Calendar and Sheets are free and user-friendly tools for creating a social media content calendar. You can find ready-to-use templates and easily view upcoming posts, add comments for feedback, and collaborate with team members.
Notion: Notion is a powerful note-taking app that can also be used to create social media content calendars. Its customizable and collaborative features make it a versatile tool for marketers. You can track the status of content and gather feedback via comments, all in one platform.
Sprout Social: Sprout Social offers a comprehensive suite of tools specifically designed for social media management. Its interactive content calendar, publishing, and scheduling features increase visibility, improve team efficiency, and enhance customer engagement. Sprout’s Asset Library and approval workflows further streamline collaboration and content creation.
Level Up Your Social Media Content Calendar
Creating and utilizing a social media content calendar is a game-changer in today’s social media landscape. It allows you to plan ahead, save time, maintain consistency, and streamline collaboration.
With the right tools and strategies, you can optimize your social media efforts and achieve your marketing goals.
Take your content planning to the next level by implementing the tips and techniques outlined in this guide.
Embrace the power of a well-crafted social media content calendar and watch your social media presence soar.
Social media has become an integral part of our lives, and it’s no surprise that businesses are leveraging this platform to promote their products and engage with their target audience.
In fact, social media marketing has become an essential tool for businesses to increase brand awareness, generate leads, and boost conversions.
However, creating an effective social media marketing strategy can be a daunting task. In this comprehensive guide, we will explore everything you need to know about social media marketing and how to build a strategy that works for your business.
What is Social Media Marketing?
Social media marketing is the process of creating and sharing content on social media platforms to promote your products or services, build a community with your target audience, and drive traffic to your business.
It involves creating engaging and valuable content that resonates with your audience and encourages them to interact with your brand.
Benefits of Social Media Marketing :
Implementing a well-defined social media marketing strategy can bring numerous benefits to your business. Let’s look over a few of the main advantages:
1. Increase Brand Awareness :
Increasing brand awareness is one of the primary goals of social media marketing. With billions of users on various social media platforms, having a strong presence can help you reach a wider audience and introduce your brand to potential customers.
By consistently sharing valuable content and engaging with your followers, you can create a recognizable brand that stands out in the crowded digital landscape.
2. Generate Leads and Boost Conversions :
Social media platforms provide a powerful channel for lead generation and conversion. By strategically promoting and sharing your products or services, you can attract potential customers who have already shown interest in your brand by following your account.
You can also leverage social media advertising tools to target specific demographics and drive traffic to your website or landing pages.
Additionally, features like Facebook’s Shop Section and Instagram’s Shopping feature allow users to make purchases directly from your social profiles, streamlining the conversion process.
3. Foster Relationships with Customers :
Engaging with your audience on social media allows you to build meaningful relationships with your customers. By responding to their comments, answering their questions, and providing assistance, you can establish trust and loyalty.
Actively listening to your customers’ feedback and incorporating their input into your strategy can also help you improve your products or services, enhancing customer satisfaction and retention.
4. Learn from Competitors :
Social media provides a unique opportunity to keep an eye on your competitors and learn from their strategies.
By analyzing their social media presence, the content they share, and their engagement with followers, you can gain valuable insights into what works and what doesn’t in your industry.
This knowledge can help you refine and differentiate your own marketing approach, ensuring that you stand out from the competition.
Creating a Social Media Marketing Strategy :
Now that we understand the benefits of social media marketing, let’s delve into the process of creating an effective strategy. Follow these steps to build a solid foundation for your social media marketing efforts:
Step 1: Set Clear Goals :
Before diving into social media marketing, it’s crucial to define your goals and align them with your overall business objectives. With your social media efforts, what goals do you hope to accomplish?
Whether it’s increasing brand awareness, driving website traffic, generating leads, boosting customer engagement, or improving customer satisfaction, clearly define your goals to guide your strategy.
Break down your high-level goals into smaller, actionable steps. For example, if your goal is to increase website traffic, consider increasing posting frequency, optimizing content for sharing, or running targeted ad campaigns.
Step 2: Research Your Target Audience :
To create content that appeals to your target audience, you must have a thorough understanding of them.
Conduct thorough research to develop buyer personas and gain insights into their needs, interests, and pain points. This information will help you tailor your content to meet their expectations and engage with them effectively.
Consider using tools like surveys or social media listening tools to gather feedback from your audience. This data can provide valuable insights into their preferences and help you refine your buyer personas.
Step 3: Select the Appropriate Social Media Networks :
Not all social media platforms are created equal, and it’s important to determine which ones are most relevant to your target audience.
Not all social media platforms are created equal, and it’s important to determine which ones are most relevant to your target audience.
Consider where your audience spends their time and what platforms align with your business objectives. Some popular social media platforms include:
Facebook: With 1.9 billion daily active users worldwide, Facebook is the largest social media platform. It’s suitable for building brand awareness, advertising, and community building.
TikTok: TikTok has gained significant popularity, particularly among Gen Z and Millennials. It’s ideal for short-form, creative video content, user-generated content, and brand awareness.
Instagram: Instagram is known for its high-quality images and videos. It’s a great platform for showcasing visual content, user-generated content, and advertising.
Twitter: Twitter focuses on short, concise messages. It’s effective for public relations, customer service, and community building.
LinkedIn: LinkedIn is a professional networking platform. It’s ideal for B2B relationships, business development, and social selling.
YouTube: YouTube is the second most visited website globally and offers opportunities for brand awareness, long-form entertainment, how-to videos, and advertising.
Snapchat: Snapchat is popular among Generation Z and is suitable for brand awareness, advertising, and location-based marketing.
Pinterest: Pinterest is a visual platform that provides inspiration for various topics. It’s effective for visual advertising and brand storytelling.
Clubhouse: Clubhouse is an audio-only platform that allows users to engage in conversations and build community. Both B2B and B2C businesses can use it.
Choose the platforms that align with your target audience and business objectives, and develop a strategy tailored to each platform.
Step 4: Establish Key Metrics and KPIs :
To measure the success of your social media marketing efforts, it’s crucial to establish key metrics and key performance indicators (KPIs). These metrics will help you track your progress toward your goals and identify areas for improvement.
Use analytics tools provided by each platform or third-party tools like Google Analytics to track and analyze these metrics regularly.
Step 5: Analyze Competitors :
Conduct a competitive analysis to learn about the social media strategies of your competitors. Observe their content, campaigns, level of engagement, and any unique approaches they take.
By understanding what works for your competitors, you can identify opportunities to differentiate your brand and stay ahead of the curve.
Monitor customer reviews of your competitors to gain insights into their strengths and weaknesses. Use this information to refine your own strategy and provide a better experience for your customers.
Step 6: Create Engaging and Distinctive Content :
Creating engaging content is essential for capturing your audience’s attention and encouraging them to interact with your brand. Conduct market research to understand your audience’s interests and needs, and develop content that aligns with their preferences.
Utilize the features offered by each platform to create unique and visually appealing content. Experiment with different formats, such as videos, images, infographics, and live streams, to keep your content fresh and engaging.
Encourage user-generated content by reposting your followers’ content or creating branded hashtags.
Stay up to date with current social media trends and incorporate them into your content strategy when relevant. However, ensure that you join trends early to avoid appearing inauthentic or like you’re trying too hard.
Step 7: Plan a Posting Schedule :
Consistency is key in social media marketing. Develop a posting schedule to ensure that you consistently share valuable content with your audience. Consider the optimal posting frequency for each platform and experiment with different posting times to determine when your audience is most active.
Use social media management tools like HubSpot, Sprout Social, or Hootsuite to schedule and automate your posts. These tools also provide analytics and reporting features to help you track your performance and adjust your strategy accordingly.
Step 8: Review and Adapt Your Strategy :
Social media is constantly evolving, and it’s important to regularly review and adapt your strategy to stay relevant. Set a cadence for reviewing your social media strategy, whether it’s monthly, quarterly, or annually, to evaluate your progress and identify areas for improvement.
Keep up with the latest social media trends, algorithm changes, and emerging platforms to stay ahead of the curve. Continuously analyze your metrics and adjust your strategy based on the insights gained.
Conclusion
Social media marketing is a powerful tool that can help businesses increase brand awareness, generate leads, and foster relationships with customers.
By following these steps and implementing a well-defined social media marketing strategy, you can effectively leverage social media platforms to achieve your business objectives.
Remember to set clear goals, research your target audience, choose the right social media platforms, establish key metrics, and analyze your competitors.
Create engaging and unique content, plan a posting schedule, and regularly review and adapt your strategy based on data and insights.
With a well-executed social media marketing strategy, you can build a strong online presence, engage with your target audience, and drive meaningful results for your business.
With a well-executed social media marketing strategy, you can build a strong online presence, engage with your target audience, and drive meaningful results for your business.
Get started today and unlock the full potential of social media marketing for your brand.
