So, the internet’s been buzzing for quite some time now. These days, we’re bombarded with new releases of photo editors, vertical videos, design, and music apps almost on a daily basis! There’s always something for everyone to geek out on.
The web, or rather social media, has never been so present than it is now. It’s all fun when you’re just an average user looking for directions, entertainment or catching up on your friends’ escapades as you while away the time. But on a professional level, it’s entirely a different ball game altogether. Brand managers and marketeers need to keep their ears, eyes and fingers logged on (dare we say 24/7!). There’s no time to blink when it comes to staying ahead of the competition. As the saying goes – you snooze, you lose!
Digital transformation has forced companies to change their business models and adapt to the new market reality. It’s no longer enough to post bland updates. Today’s customers expect relevant content that directly connects to what they’re doing and on their devices of choice.
In our 24 hour, insomniatic environment, how can we stay relevant? What can we do to foster better customer engagement in real time? There are a number of different apps you can use for sure, but our focus today is on helping you stay up-to-date with the help of algorithms to boost your company/brand’s online presence.
Facebook is Your Friend
If you still haven’t heard about Facebook, you may as well bury your head in the sand. We’re all loyal followers but are we seeing the returns?
Facebook’s been known to value meaningful interactions. They pay attention to content and interactions among friends and family. Focus your marketing on creating conversations with your audience on Facebook. Long comments help generate discussion and engagement, and pulls up the ranking. But if you ASK people to like, comment or share, that’s when you’ll get the stink eye from algorithms. Facebook loves native content, which means they’re more likely to prioritize posts that keep users on Facebook instead of pushing them elsewhere to another site.
They want the limelight, so give it to them. Post relevant content regularly and make sure your business page is complete in every way – it’s all about building credibility. Facebook values their users’ trust just as much as you do.
Time for Twitter
To all you Twitter-birds out there, you’re probably familiar with important categories. Ranked tweets are the ones that are recent and relevant; “in case you missed it” are for the tweets you didn’t get to see but are relevant to you; and the remaining bulk of tweets are displayed in reverse chronological order.
Timing here is of upmost importance. You’ll gain greater exposure when you tweet more and if your tweets bite. Once you start getting likes, replies and retweets, the algorithm recognizes your effort and credibility. The use of videos and gifs, otherwise known as rich media in tweets, increase engagement by up to 55%. When someone’s engaged with your tweet or your profile, there will be opportunities to repeat the interaction. People who receive responses to their comments are 44% more likely to share their experience and are likely to recommend your brand. It is best to tweet at the right time to maximize reach and engagement. Make use of the scheduling feature – it’s a lot easier to get your tweets out there without the nagging pressure to be online.
Initiate on Instagram
Hashtags! One word can link a thousand posts to the explore page on Instagram. Again, consistent posting of regular content will create a stronger presence. The longer a person looks at your post, even for a bit, while in a scrolling frenzy – the more the algorithm sees you and, in turn, lets other see you. Every post after that will increase your credibility. Now, you’re #legit.
If you’re engaging with posts similar to your own, that’s a plus – it’ll attract more people with commonalities to your content and profile. Try Instagram polls, stories or even their highlights to make sure your best moments last longer and are prioritized on your profile. Gifs and quizzes are available for Instastories to get more traction. Get creative!
Keep a look out for new features that’ll help you stay in touch with new ways to stay social, but still marketable. Word on the street is that Instagram’s developing a new ‘Stop-Motion’ camera option for Instagram Stories – another tool to help with interesting video updates, without having to record any actual video. Facebook is also testing a new ‘Preview’ option for Page posts, so you’ll be able to see what your update is going to look like before you hit the ‘Share’ button. One thing to remember about Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, is that they show your content to a smaller group first, to evaluate how it holds up in terms of engagement before sharing with a larger audience. Keep this in mind the next time you post something and make sure it’s meaningful, and not for clickbait purposes.
One Last Update:
Social media has always revolved around its users – apply that logic to your own campaign strategy and you’ll be able to build a common space for your audience to communicate. As social marketers, we need to keep up with changes and updates with the apps we use, to facilitate quality engagement and interactions. After all, it’s really about creating experiences that add value to your customers and the communities that your brand may be a part of.
Written by Sarah Begum, Corporate Media
Corporate Media Services 