The internet dominates much of our lives, and social media has dominated the internet for many years now. While social media will certainly change and adapt as time goes on, it is nearly guaranteed to stick around in some form for a very, very long time. Companies who seek to expand their market share have successfully used social media marketing to engage with new and existing consumers for decades.
Still, many companies fail to understand the simple concepts behind social media marketing. Today, we will cover some high level social media branding concepts that all brands can use.
Understanding Social Media Habits for Your Key Demographics
Social media activity is extremely fluid. Platforms rise and fall, and the activities of users within those platforms may fluctuate dramatically within relatively short periods of time. Here are a few surprising statistics when it comes to social media marketing:
- Twitter has exploded within the Baby Boomer generation, with 55-64 year old Twitter usage nearly doubling since 2012. Similarly, the 45-54 demographic is the fastest growing on platforms such as Facebook.
- Facebook remains the leader in social media by sheer volume. The social media juggernaut has over 2.32 billion active users logging in each and every month. The question then becomes not whether or not your marketing should flow through Facebook, but how.
- While Baby Boomers may be the fastest growing social media demographic, younger adults still use social media in larger numbers. It has been estimated that over 90 percent of Millennials use social media, where that number shrinks to 78 percent for Gen Xers and under 50 percent for Baby Boomers.
- Over 90 percent of all social media users log on with mobile devices. This is an important distinction as mobile marketing tends to skew towards micro-moments, and may necessitate a different marketing strategy.
The Importance of a Strong Brand Identity and Brand Message
Social media marketing is just one arm of any successful brand’s overall marketing strategy. Companies sometimes get lost in the specifics of social media marketing and lose sight of their already established branding. This is a huge mistake. Delivering a consistent brand message to both customers and potential customers builds brand awareness and ultimately builds trust.
When developing a social media marketing strategy, there are a few key considerations which must be worked through:
- What is my target audience and what are their social media tendencies? This is covered in the previous section.
- What is my brand message and what is my brand identity?
- How can I convey my brand message on social media platforms which will grab the attention of my target audience?
All of these concepts seem simple at face value, but can be deceptively complex. For example, Baby Boomers are more likely to read full articles, spend more time on each click, and up to 20 percent more likely to share curated content on social media platforms. This means that ads targeted towards Baby Boomers allow brands to take their time and develop more in-depth advertisements.
On the flip side, social media marketing targeted towards a younger audience must focus on delivering brand messages quickly and efficiently. This is certainly doable, but requires a markedly different strategy based on your message and your target audience.
Developing a Targeted Social Media Marketing Strategy
Now it is time to bring these concepts together to develop an effective social media marketing campaign. While the intricacies of social media marketing are numerous, here are a few high level tips with which all brands should be familiar:
Consider the 80/20 rule for social media posts
You may be familiar with the 80/20 rule, also known as the Pareto Principle. In the simplest terms, this rule states that 20 percent of effort will result in 80 percent of results. When it comes to social media marketing, we use this rule to set a guideline that only ~20 percent of posts should be targeted ads. The remaining 80 percent should be used to drive user engagement without mentioning sales or promotions.
Understand social media platforms and how to post optimally
There is no shortage of information on the best times to post on social media. This is for a very good reason: timing is everything. Whether you are tweeting or posting a YouTube video, who sees your content relies both on user activities and complex platform algorithms.
Avoid common social media marketing mistakes
As with many things in life, it is easier to create a poor social media marketing campaign than a strong one. Furthermore, simple mistakes can have a hugely negative impact on your overall reach. Mistakes can include posting too much, failing to engage the community, changing branding materials too quickly, and much more.
Social Media Marketing Campaigns from Clock Tower Insight
Clock Tower Insight helps our clients to build their brands through any means necessary. We believe in using cutting edge research to deliver unparalleled insight and understanding into today’s rapidly changing marketplace. With over 15 years of dedicated experience, our marketing insight has helped organizations including Belle Tire, Nielsen, Orbitz, and Kraft Foods.
We are proud to offer a number of services to our clients, including customer experience management, brand positioning in the marketplace, market sizing, market testing, and more.