A Social Media Outline For Any Company
Having a social media marketing strategy is no longer a debate on whether it is a “nice thing to have.” It has become a necessity in today’s digital landscape. Currently, over 60% of the world population (4.48 billion people) is using social media, so there should be no question about whether or not this marketing tool is right for your company.
Any person or company with a social media presence can understand these platforms' power. You can reach thousands of users with a single post or even millions with a viral post. Brands' social media channels bring more awareness to your business or product and serve as a digital hub for your customers and followers to communicate daily.
Here’s what a well-constructed social media presence can do for your business -
Reach a targeted audience and increase your brand awareness.
Become an authority and establish your company as a thought leader
Show authenticity and humanize your brand
Stay top of mind daily
Create customer and audience engagement
Increase web traffic, generate leads, and boost sales
Create A Social Calendar
Which platforms should my business be present on?
Each platform serves a different purpose and reaches a different, diverse audience, so you need to define your social media goals before choosing one or all.
One platform your customers will expect you to be on is Instagram. With Instagram Live, Reels, Stories, Posts, and more, there are plenty of creative tools for you to work with to connect with your audience. It falls shortly behind TikTok as the most used social network. Instagram is a great way to repurpose your video content as well. Reshare your YouTube videos, clip them into exciting reels, and show the lifestyle that is your brand. Authenticity is key here.
Largest Age Group: 25 - 34 (33.1% of all users)
Average Time Spent Per Day: 29 minutes
Facebook is an excellent platform for targeting your best customers and boosting your SEO. Another advantage Facebook has over other platforms is combining like-minded individuals with their interests. With Facebook Groups, you can see an audience become excited about something as vague as Aviation or as specific as a Boeing 737. The same excitement can apply to your brand and product.
Largest Age Group: 25 - 34 (26.3% of all users). However, the boomer generation is filling that gap, with the younger generation no longer preferring it as its top social platform.
Average Amount of Time Spent Per Day: 38 minutes.
TikTok is no longer just a creative video-sharing platform for Gen-Z to enjoy. This app is here to stay and is seeing growth among its adult users. With over one billion active users monthly, this is a great way to get creative, try new marketing strategies, personalize your brand, and have a chance to go viral! Like the early stages of Instagram, the organic reach can come and go quickly, so in this app, participate in trending sounds, apply them to your niche, and capitalize off them! For your next video, try to keep it within 7-12 seconds.
Largest Age Group: 18 - 24
Average Time Spent Per Day: 45+ minutes.
LinkedIn is a great platform to connect B2B and build a strong network of individuals, with 810 million users. If there’s a platform that should serve as an industry expert in your field, this is it. With LinkedIn, the feed is set up in a way that allows you to achieve a better organic reach than Facebook or Instagram. Like the early years of Facebook, LinkedIn shows posts not only your connections publish but posts they have engaged with or posts related to your industry. You can expect testimonies, blogs (specifically LinkedIn White Pages), polls, and recommendations to do exceptionally well.
Age Demographics: 46 - 55
Average Time Spent: 22% of users log on weekly.
What do I post about?
Think of yourself as a media company!
Think of your social media strategy as if you were running a magazine in your industry. This is one of the most passive and powerful strategies that works.
Imagine this: You wouldn't bother following a company's social media account if all they did were constantly push their products, list features, and shout, "buy, buy, buy!" It gets old pretty fast. What if they provided content that actually gave you something valuable? That's a different story. Your content can come in various forms like blogs, videos, podcasts, and regular social media posts. Going this route makes you more likely to win over your audience because they now have a positive and trusting relationship with your brand. It's about giving before you ask, and that's a strategy that works wonders in the world of social media.
Here are examples of three different businesses:
Golf Course: Instead of solely promoting tee times and memberships, a golf course can become a media company by producing social media content that appeals to golf enthusiasts. They could create videos showcasing golf tips from their resident pros, blog posts on improving your swing, or Instagram posts featuring picturesque holes. By building an audience interested in golf and providing valuable content, they establish themselves as an authority in the golfing community. Over time, this trust and engagement can lead to increased bookings and memberships as golfers are more likely to choose their course due to the established reputation and connection.
Coffee Shop: A coffee shop can adopt the media company approach by regularly sharing content related to coffee culture, such as how-to brewing guides, profiles of coffee bean suppliers, or posts about the art of latte-making. By engaging coffee lovers with this content and building a sense of community, the coffee shop can create loyal customers who not only visit for their daily caffeine fix but also feel a strong attachment to the brand, resulting in word-of-mouth referrals and repeat business.
Restaurant: Rather than just advertising their menu, a restaurant can become a media company by showcasing behind-the-scenes footage of chefs preparing dishes, sharing cooking tips and recipes, or interviewing staff and customers to create a sense of connection and community. By becoming a source of culinary inspiration and a hub for food enthusiasts, the restaurant can develop a loyal following. When people think of dining out, they're more likely to choose the restaurant they feel connected to and trust, based on the content and relationships built through their media efforts.
Three words to focus on when creating social media content -
Educate - We all want to learn something new, and teaching your followers is a great way to be seen as an authority in your space. For instance, sharing the history of your industry and the significant milestones could be informative and helpful. If you’re selling paddleboards, coach them about the variety of exercises to do on the board or the best places to paddle in their state.
Entertain - People are on social media to find amusement or enjoyment in the accounts they follow. Visual stimulation has great power, which can come in various ways. Creating captivating pictures, videos, and words that humor, excite, or impress your followers holds much value. For example, spotlight a few of your most active members, take them behind the scenes of your business, or even post a visual lookbook of your product.
Inspire - Do you remember “Monday Motivation” back in the day? It was a trending hashtag and received a ton of awareness because empowerment is an impactful feeling. Inspiration can come in many forms: Outfit ideas that go with the shoes you sell, recipes to try with the sauce you make or even the different types of furniture you can create with the wood you offer.
How far out should I make my content calendar?
Initially, we recommend planning out two weeks' worth of content. This makes it easy to organize your calendar in one session, adjust it as needed, and remain spontaneous for the remainder of the month. Having a two-week lead also allows you to test different schedule cadences.
What Content Do I Use?
To grow on social media, you must diversify your content creation through in-house production, outsourcing, and user-generated content (UGC) is crucial for success.
In-House Content Creation: There is no need to worry if you don’t have a marketing team in-house. Encourage everyone in the company to take videos and photos during the week. Some of our clients' most incredible viral videos came from quick 10-15-second videos shot on an iPhone. If you’re a facility that builds your product in-house, film the build process and the intricate details of each product. Highlight employees who specialize in building those parts —The overall experience from beginning to end. Check out one of our client's recently viral videos - 48 million views! This video was filmed on an iPhone and was published with trending music.
Outsource Content Creation: Outsourcing content creation for social media is a smart move for companies because it brings in specialized expertise and fresh ideas, saves time and resources. WHen you work with a professional, this ensures a constant flow of high-quality content, which gives you a much better shot at thrive in the digital landscape.
Here’s an example of the exact van conversion that went viral with the iPhone video (see above), but this was shot on a nice camera and edited. While it didn’t receive a million views, it did provide a more detailed tour than the iPhone video. Where the iPhone viral video got the reach (width), this video provides more insight and clarity (depth).
User-Generated Content: This content is original, brand-specific, and created by your consumers. Whether they realize it or not, they generate content for you to repurpose and share when they take pictures and tag your brand. It’s excellent for showing authenticity and allowing potential consumers to see the buyer's journey and appreciate the experience. Reposting user-generated content also encourages your audience and their followers because they will have the potential to be featured on your account! Everyone appreciates the recognition. Imagine how excited you would be if your favorite brand shared your photo.
Engage with Your Audience
Your audience is vocal; use it to your advantage! Whether they have questions about the product, concerns, or just want to give you a thumbs up, like and respond to each one. This helps give your brand personality and a voice to resonate with your audience. You can also engage by staying up to date on your tagged photos. You may find unique content that you’ll want to repost later. Engaging with your audience also shows that you enjoy communicating with them and incentivizes them to engage through comments.