Social media marketing has become a core component of digital marketing strategy. It provides organic engagement with customers and enables even the driest of B2B brands to achieve a “human” element for their brand.
But social media is so much more than posting regular updates to your feed. It has grown into a marketing discipline all of its own, and it continues to evolve.
Tactics for brand engagement, click-throughs, and content are not the same from year to year, and neither are the social media platforms that are deserving of marketers’ precious time and resources.
That said, certain social media giants are here to stay and will always be worth including as part of your strategy.
1. Facebook
Facebook is 1 of the original social media success stories, growing from an amateur set-up in a college dorm into a giant of the tech world. As of 2019, 1.47 billion people log onto Facebook daily. Although the number of Facebook users has been decreasing amongst the younger generations, there is nothing to suggest that the platform will be going anywhere soon.
Where the value lies for brands in Facebook these days is less in organic engagement, and more in the platform’s extensive paid advertising options.
Click-through on ecommerce ads has increased threefold over the past 3 years on Facebook, with video ads performing particularly well. Now that they’ve acquired Instagram and Whatsapp too, it’s predicted that advertising opportunities through Facebook Ads Manager will only get better.
Whether you invest a lot of time into organic or paid promotions on Facebook, it’s still well worth ensuring that you have a profile so customers can find your information, and regular posting can improve SEO. A web development company can help ensure your website is optimized to convert social media traffic. Check out Chennai Creative’s website to learn more.
2. Whatsapp
Many messaging apps have come and gone, and now there are 2 main competitors in the space: Messenger and Whatsapp.
The appeal of Whatsapp lies in its simple interface and unlimited free messaging and calling from anywhere in the world (once you’re connected to wifi, of course).
There are 1.5 billion Whatsapp users and 300 million daily active users worldwide, and the only other messaging app that comes close to the same usage is Facebook’s Messenger app.
So how can brands leverage such a popular and enduring private messaging app? In 2019, under new ownership by Facebook, the Whatsapp Business app was launched.
Currently, this tool is only useful for small- to medium-sized businesses as a free means of handling customer queries and messaging. But with Facebook at the helm, there's no doubt that brands will be provided with more tools in the future to leverage the app for marketing purposes.
3. Instagram
There has rarely been a rise as impressive in the social media world as the recent success of Instagram. Not only has it become popular amongst users, but it’s also bringing brands high engagement rates and click-throughs.
Instagram is streets ahead of similar platforms such as Snapchat (150 million active users) and Twitter (326 million active users). At 500 million active users and counting, Instagram is quickly cementing its place as a social media app that's here to stay.
Aside from the fact that its growth continues apace, Instagram is also 1 of the most beneficial places for businesses to promote their products and services.
About 80% of users follow at least 1 business on the platform, and 60% say they learn about new products that way.
To get the most out of Instagram, brands should make sure to leverage regular posts, Instagram Stories, paid ads, and the myriad of ways to build attractive and interactive content to engage users.
4. Reddit
Reddit is a social media platform that marketers have been nervous about diving into, and for good reason. Users of the platform are particularly skeptical of promotional material and advertisements, and it's outright banned on some subreddits.
However, Reddit has 330 million monthly active users and continues to grow. If marketers can find the right subreddits to connect with their target audience, there is plenty of engagement to be had.
Links make up over 50% of best-performing Reddit content. If you’re planning on trying this tactic for yourself, be sure to only post content on the platform that's consistent with other popular links on your chosen subreddit and provides genuine interest or value for users.
5. YouTube
YouTube has 1.9 billion users worldwide and is the second most popular social media app in the world. From posting highly profession marketing videos to amateur creative videos, all kinds of content can be found on the platform.
There are 2 main ways that marketers can leverage the platform:
1. Posting marketing videos and growing your brand channel
Video marketing is still on the rise and is preferred by audiences everywhere, earning higher engagement rates for brands who use it. YouTube is also 1 of the easiest ways to distribute video content through links and embedding on other sites.
2. Influencer campaigns
YouTube is the original home of the influencer, and the number of YouTube channels with over 1 million subscribers has increased by more than 75% since 2017. If you’re planning on working with influencers, YouTube channels in your brand’s niche should be at the top of your list.
Final thought
Social media apps have come a long way since the MySpace age, but these 5 players are definitely here to stay. Stick with these apps, and you won't go wrong with your social media strategy.
