Long gone are the days of TV based, high production advertisements filmed in studios. With the rise of social media a classic marketing campaign just doesn’t cut it anymore. Today, the importance of social media marketing prevails.

Whilst this may seem daunting to those brands who haven’t dipped their metaphorical toe in the social media pool, the importance of social media marketing cannot be understated in the digital age. 

Let’s break down why social media marketing is so effective and why your brand needs to be engaging with it. 

WHY SHOULD BUSINESSES CARE ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING?

Like many things, the pandemic had a huge impact on the marketing industry. There have been stark decreases in marketing budgets worldwide, with more than 400 North American and European CMOs still working at COVID budget levels. Taking a look at the numbers, on average marketing budgets have decreased from 9.5% of company revenue to 9.1% from 2022 to 2023. 

The importance of social media marketing is growing exponentially in this new era of smaller budgets. With an effective campaign, brands are noticing that they can do more with less. 

89% of marketers have claimed that social media is very important to their marketing strategy. On top of this, 82% of B2B marketers use LinkedIn and other platforms to build their brand community, with a whopping 80% of B2B social media leads coming from LinkedIn in 2017. 

If these numbers don’t convince you of the importance of social media marketing, let’s take a look at the potential customers you could be reaching if you hopped on this train. 

More than half the world’s population is active on social media. Of this, Facebook reaches 59%! Finally—and get ready for this one—13 people start using social media every second! That’s 13 more people you could be reaching every second if your brand had a social media marketing campaign. 

Alright, now that we have covered the stats on the importance of social media marketing for business, let’s dive into all the ways social media marketing is so effective. 

DEEP DIVE INTO THE IMPORTANCE OF SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING

Build Brand Trust 

Authenticity builds trust.

The modern consumer is looking for a brand that feels authentic and genuine. Statistics show that a consumer is more likely to trust the opinion of family or friends rather than a brand. The way around this is to establish brand personality and encourage the consumer to view your brand as an authentic, human driven company worthy of their trust. 

Via social media, you can highlight your brand values, showcase your relationship with your employees, and highlight positive consumer interactions.The more your clients view your brand as human driven and trustworthy, the more likely they are to engage with your product. 

Know Your Audience 

One of the many benefits of social media that shows the importance of social media marketing is its ability to generate data on your consumers. Social media provides you with demographic information on your customers, allowing you to quickly identify your real audience. 

By knowing the type of people who are engaging with your content, you are able to perfectly tailor your strategy to your consumer; thus, boosting efficiency. 

Maintain Interest 

Once you have gained a new audience, how do you convince them to stick around? Part of the importance of social media marketing is that with just the name of a potential customer you can follow up their interest in your brand with emails, targeted posts, and more.

Each post, email, or video you share is a reminder to your audience that a) you exist, and b) you’re awesome! 

Social Listening 

Another magical benefit of social media marketing is being able to easily track what is being said about your brand. Comment sections, dislikes, and shares all allow you to see what consumers are saying about your brand; good or bad. Keeping an eye on this allows you to adjust your posts and stay in a positive light. 

There is also room for community engagement. Liking comments and responding to tweets for example, creates a repertoire between you and your consumers that further adds to brand trust and authenticity. 

Grow Your Audience 

If people aren’t aware of your business, then it is impossible for them to become customers. Social media allows you to reach new people and new generations, thus growing your audience. 

The key here is to create relevant content that cuts through the noise of all the other brands out there; hence, the importance of a social media marketing strategy. Surveys show that articles, images and videos on social media are extremely successful at engaging customers and drumming up brand awareness. 

Thought Leadership 

Surveys are frequently showing that the modern day consumer is far more likely to trust the opinions of brands, NGOs and public figures over governments. A great way to tap into this through social media, is to establish your brand as a thought leader. 

Producing thought pieces that showcase your expertise in your industry promotes your brand as a thought leader, and thus improves consumer trust; further emphasising the importance of social media marketing. 

Influencer Partnerships 

A niche of social media that highlights the importance of social media marketing are influencer partnerships. By partnering with an influencer, you are allowing them to provide endorsements on your behalf. 

As mentioned previously, people are far more likely to rely on the recommendation of a friend or family member. In this era of parasocial relationships, an influencer endorsement feels, to many people, like a trustworthy opinion from a friend. 

On top of this, partnering with influencers with larger followings than yourself allows you to reach a far broader audience. Cool, right?

Improve Website Traffic 

Increasing website traffic is further fantastic evidence of the importance of social media marketing. By including links in your bio, or even in posts, you are making it easy peasy for your followers to find out more about you. 

This is also a sure fire way to get readers the second you publish on your site, rather than waiting for consumers to find your work on their own.

Our influencer marketing agency and social agency are located worldwide, with our agency network based in the USA, UK, UAE and China.

If you want to find industry insights, visit our influencer marketing and social media blogs here.

@ Socially Powerful

With the average user spending upwards of 74 minutes per day watching videos on YouTube, video engagement is one of the best ways for you to get your brand out there. But how do you get people to properly engage with the content you’re creating? 

Like most things worth their salt, creating engaging videos isn’t exactly an easy business. But, we promise it’s worth it, and once you’ve figured out how to make engagement work for you, it’s simple! 

But first, let’s back up a bit. What exactly is video engagement? 

It refers to the likes, shares, comments, saves, etc that a video receives. 

Simply viewing a video isn’t engaging with it, unfortunately, otherwise this would all be a whole lot easier. Good engagement means that you have a high engagement rate, which is just a fancy way of saying that most of your viewers are performing engaging actions.

High video engagement ensures brands are reaching their maximum audience and building lots of positive relationships with their consumers. On top of this, video engagement allows you to collect important analytics data that is crucial for marketing strategy. Finally, video engagement ensures you are selling your product in the most effective way. 

Good video engagement is the key to online success and we’re here to help you achieve it.

How to measure video engagement on YouTube 

Now that we know what video engagement is, let’s take a look at how to best keep track of it. 

Start by taking a look at each video individually. Each video is a little piece of the puzzle that adds up to your video engagement. Next, take note of all those video engagement metrics we talked about. Likes, comments, shares, even dislikes, are all crucial to measuring your video engagement. Now, it gets a bit mathy. Don’t be scared, you’ve got this. 

To calculate your engagement rate for a specific video, use the following formula: 

(Total number of engagements / total impressions) * 100 = Engagement rate %

Your total number of engagements is just the sum of all your likes, comments etc. Your total impressions are provided to you by your YouTube engagement stats (score!) What this fancy little formula gives you, is your engagement rate for that video. 

Now, to find out your engagement rate for your whole account, you need to find your engagement rate for each of your videos, then calculate the average. Ta dah! 

Once you’ve got all that information under your belt, you can start to take stock of how your engagement is doing. Is your rate higher than you expected? Or lower? Are certain videos getting better engagement? What’s the common thread between those? Take note of anything and everything you can deduce from your investigation. 

Tips for increasing video engagement 

How exactly do you achieve good engagement and high engagement rates? To help you out, we’ve put together the best ways you and your brand can maximise engagement on your videos and benefit from video content as much as possible. 

Understanding your audience

The first great way you can up your video engagement is by understanding your audience. Your viewers want relevant videos that speak to them and their needs. Rather than wasting their time, and yours, ensure that each video you share fits in with your channel, and with what your audience desires. 

Thumbnails

Studies show that the best video engagement videos have effective and aesthetically pleasing thumbnails. In fact, a great thumbnail can increase your engagement by up to 154%! Make sure that your thumbnails show what your video is about, are custom, and showcase your brand’s personality. 

On top of this, thumbnails that feature a human face do far better than those without. Faces in thumbnails humanise your brand, making you seem more authentic and personable. 

Subtitles

Another key way to increase your video engagement is by including subtitles. It is shown that 75% of all videos are watched on mobile devices, and 85% of videos watched on Facebook are done so without the sound on. 

Your viewers are far less likely to sit through a video on the tube, or discreetly in the office, if there’s no way to do so without sound. Make sure you’re catering to the needs of the modern audience and plug in those subtitles! 

CTAs

Ensuring that your videos have a call to action is a sure fire way to increase your engagement. Tell your viewers to visit your website to get more information on the topic at hand, or maybe embed a blog right there in your video. 

Studies have shown that calls to action increase video engagement stats by a whopping thirty-one times! That’s 3100% more! Wowee. 

Video length

The next key tip is making certain your videos are the appropriate length. 

Despite the many rumours that us humans have the attention spans of goldfish, shorter videos do far better in the digital age. Make sure you aren’t rambling on, or including too much information at once. Try making a multiple part series if you want to cover a lengthy topic, encouraging your audience to follow through to the next video. 

Oner Active did exactly this by splitting its documentary up into chapters for YouTube.

Relevance

Now, let’s move on to relevance. 

It can be a difficult task to keep up with the ever changing trend landscape, but it is crucial to make certain your videos are relevant. Do this by keeping track of what trends are currently doing well on YouTube and engaging with them. Make sure to tailor the trend to your specific brand, however. 

Another great way to stay relevant, is by implementing search word optimization, or, SEOs. This is done by finding keywords that are trending and plugging them into your description, title, or any other space you can. This ensures that whenever that keyword is searched, your video is at the top of the list. 

Promote

The final tip we have for you is, promotion! 

It may seem obvious, but make sure you are self promoting your content as much as you can. It is important to make sure you’re making it super easy for your audience to find and engage with your content. Post upcoming videos on your social accounts, send emails about videos to your subscribers, or even just mention other videos in your outros. 

So, there you have it; how to maximise your video engagement. Given the effectiveness of videos as a marketing strategy for business, seeking high rates of engagement is a no brainer. Apply these tips to your brands videos, and you’re sure to see great results on all your hard work. 

FAQ’s 

What is video engagement? 

Video engagement is essentially every way that a viewer can connect with your content that isn’t simply viewing it. The most important ones are likes, shares, and comments. 

What is good video engagement? 

Good video engagement is when you are receiving lots of engagement on your videos. Having a high engagement rate is the way you measure if your engagement is good or poor. 

How is it measured?

Video engagement is measured through the number of likes, shares, comments, etc. your videos are receiving. More specifically, video engagement is calculated by your engagement rate. This, in turn, is found through the formula below. 

(Total number of engagements / total impressions) * 100 = Engagement rate in %

Our influencer marketing agency and social agency are located worldwide, with our agency network based in the USA, UK, UAE and China.

If you want to find industry insights, visit our influencer marketing and social media blogs here.

@ Socially Powerful

Societal norms regarding representation in the media are now deeply rooted in inclusivity. Genuine inclusivity. Not how an outsider thinks a marginalised group deserves to be depicted. 

Showing up is important, particularly for marginalised groups who have little to no access to their own voice. The social media platforms practising and using their privilege and reach to amplify these voices are those who are succeeding in 2023.

Since its launch, Pinterest has proved its dedication to plus-size representation on social media, creating spaces for anyone and everyone to feel seen and heard. This has earned the platform 465 million active users, with 79.5% of these being women. 

Taking this into consideration, it only makes sense that Pinterest’s next venture tackles the heavily female-focused body image epidemic in a bid to speak to its most frequented user. 

It’s answer? A new body-type technology. 

@pinterest

The journey to a more inclusive Pinterest starts here. Your favorite plus-size fashion tastemakers helped Pinterest develop new tech that champions diversity. Now you’ll see more body shapes, sizes and skin tones when browsing our women’s fashion and wedding categories. But it won’t stop there. Stay tuned to see this change across the platform in the coming months because inspiration starts with inclusion.

♬ original sound – pinterest

Pinterest has set out to internally reshape the platform’s algorithms to increase plus-size representation on social media within its women’s fashion and wedding-related content. Head of inclusive products at Pinterest, Annie Ta, touches on the platform’s decision to do so:

“We’re attempting to increase representation by building this proprietary, inclusive technology that powers recommendations and […] to create a diverse experience on Pinterest. We’ve learned from our users that, if you identify as a plus-size woman, you don’t only want to see plus-size fashion. And you want to see that plus-size women can be fashionable when you’re looking [for it], but you don’t want to work extra hard to find it”.

Basing the new technology off of its pre-existing skin tone technology, Pinterest will essentially widen the aperture of plus-size representation on social media. Its implementation will enable users to see more images and examples that align with their body type integrated into pre-existing content that would traditionally exclude them. 

But why now? 

Pinterest’s latest announcement comes during a time where a lot of people’s attention is focused on fashion weeks around the world. Shrouded in controversy, fashion week’s are the catalyst for discussions surrounding plus-size representation on social media and in mainstream fashion. Being a frontrunner in tackling these topics, Pinterest sets itself apart from the competition. 

Similarly, allowing plus-size women to see themselves represented in mainstream media will see many new users flock to the platform. With an increase in new users comes an increase in advertisers looking to pitch up and sell themselves. It’s a win for all parties.

How will Pinterest ensure this isn’t performative? 

Coupled with previous displays of advocacy – such as its skin tone technology implementation – Pinterest is well aware of its responsibility when it comes to amplifying the voices of silenced groups. 

Manager of inclusion and diversity at Pinterest, Megan D’Alessio, nods to Pinterest’s unique position as a primarily visual search tool to emphasise its ability to impact the future of plus-size representation on social media.

To ensure its genuineness, the new technology is reportedly built on user feedback. Users cited that they regularly had to make a number of modifications to their search requests in order to generate relevant results. In fact 52% of additional terms added to fashion searches related to plus-size, D’Alessio states. 

Moreover, Pinterest understands the importance of such movements being headed by those they represent. In keeping with this, the social media campaign for the new body-type technology will recruit Instagram model and body activist, Tess Holliday and other Pinterest creators as its hosts. 

And that’s not all.

Along with the launch of the newly-curated technology, Pinterest is also launching a new Creator Inclusion Fund dedicated to North American creators who share content related to different body types.

Interested creators can apply here.

What will Pinterest’s new technology contribute to?

In short, the plus-size movement. 

More specifically, the way brands and other social media platforms contribute to plus-size representation on social media. 

Multiple parties have made strides to increase the visibility of plus-size representation on social media, but, with the help of new technologies, Pinterest is able to take these even further. In 2016, Refinery 29 partnered with Getty Images to launch “Project 67 Percent”. Here, they committed to featuring plus-size women in 67% of its images across its website and socials, representing the then 67% figure of plus-size Americans. 

More recently, Google began to offer marketers and advertisers best practices for body-positive representation. While we can’t be certain of the extent to which these offerings have changed the game, what we do know is that plus-size models have gained popularity and positively impacted a body-inclusive model of beauty in 2022. 

With an amalgamation of successes from past projects and a desire to be a voice for marginalised groups, Pinterest will be able to diminish the reported 60% of plus-size women who say they have trouble finding fashionable clothing in their style. In doing so, they set the standard for other social media platforms, marketers and advertisers running inclusivity efforts and plus-size representation on social media.

The proof will be in the pudding.

Pinterest’s stride will increase the number of users to the platform, making it an attractive option for marketers and advertisers. Once other social media platforms start to see an increase in various aspects of Pinterest’s workings – such as ads revenue, influencer activity and marketing campaigns – we predict the penny will drop. From here, they will see and understand the importance of showing up and amplifying the voices of marginalised groups. 

Our influencer marketing agency and social agency are located worldwide, with our agency network based in the USA, UK, UAE and China.

If you want to find industry insights, visit our influencer marketing and social media blogs here.

@ Socially Powerful

In this article, we will be outlining how to generate a successful eSports marketing strategy in 2023, as well as establishing the growing prevalence of eSports marketing campaigns which will be more vividly exemplified later in the article.

You may be wondering, what is eSports? 

To put it simply, eSports is short for “Electronic Sports”. It refers to competitive video gaming, whereby gamers compete against each other in electronic matches, with the winner being awarded a prize in the end. 

The demand for eSports is growing. According to Statista, the eSports market is projected to reach 1,866 million US dollars in revenue in 2025. This offers a promising marketing prospect for brands in pursuit of landing successful eSports marketing campaigns.

In the past, the eSports industry was relatively unexplored by brands in terms of investment, with only a handful of companies like Red Bull and Capcom demonstrating interest in the sector.

Currently, Twitch is the biggest streaming platform for eSports. Reportedly, a triumphant 5.71 billion hours of content was watched on Twitch in the Q3 of 2022, far more than any other platform.

Twitch’s live chat feature fosters interactivity, which is a strong interest driver for the platform in general. Sponsored ads have a high success rate on Twitch as the average time people spend watching content is longer, so people are more engaged with the ads they see occasionally on a stream. This makes the platform commercially viable for eSports marketing campaigns.

How to develop your eSports marketing strategy

When venturing into the realm of eSports marketing campaigns, you need to understand the different types of games that people play. 

Your primary directive should involve prioritizing a singular genre, whether that be RTS, MOBA, MMORPG, FPS, or PVP. Then construct a content strategy tailored to your chosen genre, a task which should be facilitated by collaborating with existing eSports influencers who specialize in crafting that content. 

After establishing these fundamentals, you are set to officially launch an eSports team, which can help propel a marketing campaign for eSports. 

eSports teams are a collection of gamers who share a collective passion for the same game. Whenever members in that team stream content, it can allow you to tailor their advertising and get insight into their fans thus allowing you to drive campaigns in your own direction. When you’ve got your team, you can start hosting events such as mini tournaments, podcasts and meetings in order to develop your brand!

Best eSports marketing campaigns

Ralph Lauren and G2 Sports

In June 2021, eSports brand G2 eSports ambitiously collaborated with global luxury fashion brand Ralph Lauren who became their exclusive fashion outfitter for their eSports players. 

At the forefront of this campaign, League of Legends star Martin ‘Rekkles’ Larsson was selected to feature in an advertisement where he switched from his sportsgear to flaunt in his new blazer and jeans which predominantly generated positive sentiment in the comments, meaning this campaign was a success.

Erste Group and European League of Legends Championship

Erste Group partnered with the European League of Legends Championship (LEC) to stage the downfall of eSports in a humorous campaign film. 

In the campaign film “eSports Doomsday”, Erste Group presents a scenario of the gaming world reacting to eSports being denied the status as a sport. This is reflective of the fact that there has been a recurring debate in history as to whether eSports is a legitimate sport or not. 

Gamers begin to destroy their PCs and equipment after being told that “eSports isn’t a real sport”, making their existence feel meaningless. However, by the end of the ad, eventually it is seen as a great hobby to have, and that enthusiasts should “ignore the haters” and embrace their passion, by being told to ’#believeinyourself’. The ad generated very positive sentiment, with many commenters claiming that it is one of the best eSports marketing campaigns they saw, and that it was funny and creative.

FaZe Clan x Snoop Dogg: FaZe Snoop

Snoop Dogg’s partnership with FaZe has helped propel the eSports organization into the spotlight of the mainstream media. Making his affiliation with FaZe official in an animated video, the collaboration achieved even greater prominence when Snoop Dogg took the stage at the Super Bowl half-time show adorned with a FaZe-branded chain. 

The primary objective of this campaign was to showcase FaZe to a global audience by advertising its newly acquired high-profile member — a goal that was undeniably accomplished. Once again, the ad received highly positive reception, with people finding it funny and heralding Snoop as a great addition due to him being a legendary hip-hop artist.

Dolce and Gabbana X Mkers: GoodGame

This captivating series of videos is a collaborative effort between the two esteemed companies, Italian eSports brand Mkers and Italian fashion brand Dolce and Gabbana. 

This episodic series offers a remarkable insight into the eSports industry, documenting players’ experiences presented in top-notch video quality. While these videos didn’t generate a lot of engagement due to it not quite aligning with Dolce and Gabbana’s target audience, they were conceptually appreciable and should be used as inspiration in terms of content quality.

Tenz x Finalmouse: Welcome to my realm

In 2022, popular Valorant player Ten Z participated in one of the most successful eSports marketing campaigns with Finalmouse to launch the “Starlight Pro”. Aided with a professional and intriguing advertising video, the mouse product was sold out in a few hours, highlighting the brand power of professional players. His fans generally loved the video, showing that the correct types of brand collaborations can generate extremely successful results.

Our influencer marketing agency and social agency are located worldwide, with our agency network based in the USA, UK, UAE and China.

If you want to find industry insights, visit our influencer marketing and social media blogs here.

@ Socially Powerful

Threads is still in its infancy. Unfortunately a lot of features are yet to be implemented when it comes to improving discoverability for brands, creators and communities. 

Features such as hashtags, a trending conversations tab and ads are still not readily available for use and the Threads algorithm is yet to see some level of customisation and chronology. Currently, the Threads algorithm offers a balanced mix of posts from those one follows and algorithm-selected posts from new accounts. While this is beneficial to those seeking new communities to join, we understand that not everyone enjoys this mix. Recently, Threads launched the Following tab on the platform. This offers users some level of control over who they wish to see and interact with. 

In the meantime, there is technically no right or wrong way for brands and creators to run discoverability efforts. However, leading industry experts claim that, while we wait, the trick to improving discoverability on Threads lies within conversation contribution. Simply being involved in relevant Threads will put you in good stead for appearing in front of your target demographic. 

Unfortunately, rediscovering Threads is also not yet a possibility. This means that just contributing to a select few relevant conversations will not be enough to get your name out there and improve your discoverability on Threads. Instead, offering sound thoughts to multiple conversations will ensure you are constantly appearing in front of the right audiences. 

But until these features are launched, our advice is to spend time finding your voice on the platform before diving right into business. This way you can assess the nature of the audiences you are trying to reach and tailor your targeting strategy accordingly; ultimately enhancing your discoverability on Threads.

Finding your voice on Threads

One of Threads’ distinct advantages is its focus on Thread discoverability. Thanks to its algorithm promoting new content on feeds, users can easily explore and discover Threads beyond their immediate network, providing ample opportunity for brands and creators to expand their reach. To leverage this, brands and creators should optimise their Threads for discoverability. This could look like the following:

For brands this looks a lot like implementing themselves into multiple relevant conversations—avoiding spam-like behaviour of course. For example, skincare brands could offer advice in the comments section of a Thread exploring a particular skincare concern. Presenting as a valuable source of information and authoritative figure within this space will prompt interested users to explore your profile and, then, your brand. 

Similarly, creators can leverage their ability to slot themselves into relevant conversations to appeal to their target audience and benefit their existing community. This could involve joining conversations about the future of Threads and how they wish to see it evolve for the sake of creators connecting with their communities. Multiple users have expressed their desire for a real-time, chronological feed. This will make comments more relevant and invite new followers to interact. 

Adam Mosseri has since commented on the concerns regarding the platform’s feed, saying that “both Instagram and Facebook have chronological feed options, so yes, we are going to bring one to Threads too”. 

Threads’ association with Instagram also works in the favour of both brands and creators. The ability to share individual Threads to one’s Instagram Story puts content in front of a new audience of people who may not have downloaded the app yet. This is somewhat of a double-edged sword, however. While this boosts discoverability, it also takes away a user’s need to go to Threads itself to actively discover content. This only adds to the rise in the passive consumption of content, as users are becoming more and more used to seeing cross-platform content appear on their preferred network, potentially hindering Threads’ initial sign up success. 

If resharing Threads content to Instagram is part of your strategy, then by all means, do so. However, our suggestion is to carefully select those which are most likely to persuade your target audience to download the app to discover more about your activity on the platform. 

What will discoverability on Threads look like post-feature rollout?

As with all social media platforms, relevant keywording, hashtagging and engaging titles are all non-negotiables when it comes to improving discoverability. As we predict, Threads will be no exception. 

The issue users are currently faced with is the inability to rediscover Threads of interest. However, appropriately embedding discoverable hashtags and keywords into your content will ease the task of searching for your profile. These can also be included in your Thread replies to important and relevant topics of conversation. When a user searches for you on Threads they will be able to learn of your opinions and interactions with others, rather than just how you present yourself on your own profile.

It’s time to address the elephant in the room…ads. 

The question on everyone’s lips is “when can we expect to see ads rolled out on Threads?”. Zuckerberg’s answer? Once Threads hits 1 billion sign ups. However, with the EU falling seriously far behind due to Meta legislation issues, we’re not sure we can expect this any time soon. A more realistic timeline has since been presented by Mosseri who, in a podcast, explained that ads are the “most likely direction”, however, Meta is not focused on their rollout at all right now. 

If and when they are implemented, there is no denying that ads on Threads will be huge. A new platform means new activity and new data and, therefore, new ways to learn what users like and dislike. If Threads continues to grow at the rate it has been, inventory on Threads will increase and cost will decrease, paving the way for ads that may not have been profitable, to be profitable with lower costs. 

Our prediction is that the delay in the introduction of ads to Threads will push creators and brands to adopt a truly culturally-fluent, organic social strategy. Instead of rushing into uncertain business strategies, influential accounts should take the time to bask in the simplicity of Threads. The most beneficial business move that can be made is to let audiences shape the future of Threads and then figure out where brands and creators can slot in; all with the intention of adding to communities and, therefore, having a truly purposeful and effective role on the platform. 

Discoverability on Threads remains a new and relatively untouched subject matter. To some this is seen as a setback, as a clear, successful strategy is not yet evident, but to others the freedom to approach one’s discoverability on Threads strategy how they wish is, in fact, beneficial. New approaches pave the way for new marketing techniques and, in turn, paint Threads as a pioneer in the online marketing space. 

Our influencer marketing agency and social agency are located worldwide, with our agency network based in the USA, UK, UAE and China.

If you want to find industry insights, visit our influencer marketing and social media blogs here.

@ Socially Powerful

Knowing how to promote your YouTube channel is an obstacle that more creators face than you think.

YouTube is the second most visited site on the web right now, with the average person spending 6 hours on it per day consuming video content. It’s a perfect place for promotion. 

With long-form video content making a comeback, and many different brands now looking to run integrated ads, it’s the perfect time to start growing your channel and we can give you the all important tips for optimum promotion. 

Here are our top 10 tips on how to promote your YouTube channel:

Choose Google-friendly keywords 

To understand how to promote your YouTube channel, you need to know what keywords to use. Your audience will not just be using the YouTube search bar to find videos they’ll also be using Google. Seeing as Google places video suggestions at the top of the search results page, you’ll want to ensure your video lands there.

To do this you can use Google’s own Keyword planner (part of Google Ads) as well as your own research using the Search Engine Result Page (SERP) to understand which keywords display videos and which display webpages.

Use concise, descriptive video titles

Once you have your keywords it’s time to put together a title. For this you’re going to want to keep it short and sweet, we recommend 60 characters or less so your title doesn’t get cut off when displayed. On a similar note, remember to have your keyword in the first half of the title as most readers will focus on the first half and skip the rest. 

Lastly, try to be engaging rather than “clickbaity”. We know it can be very tempting, but clickbait will have a negative impact on your reputation in the long run.

Create custom thumbnails 

Thumbnails are just as important as titles in terms of catching a potential viewer’s attention. YouTube can auto-generate one for any video created, but many will come out blurry or out of focus. This is why we’d recommend you to always create your own for each video you make. 

Here are some rules of thumb when it comes to making them;

1. Keep the resolution at 16:9 and with a width above 640px preferably 1280 x 720 px
2. Stick to JPG, GIF or PNG for formats 
3. Keep all thumbnails below 2MB 
4. Add colour and text to draw in clicks
5. Remember to keep consistent branding across all videos

Fill out your profile information

Knowing how to promote your YouTube channel is knowing how to promote yourself too. Producing a compelling profile can be one of the easiest ways to promote your YouTube channel and increase your SEO presence. Let your viewers know your uploading schedule so they can come back and see more of your content, and remember to include links to other socials or contact methods to help you land some partnerships and collaborations.

Optimising your video descriptions 

Another aspect a lot of creators overlook is the description of the videos. This can be another key learning point for knowing how to promote your YouTube channel. 

It’s important to front-load your keywords into your description by incorporating them into the first 100 – 150 words, which will appear above the ”SHOW MORE” button. For the rest of the description, you can do a variety of things such as creating a “contents page” for timestamps throughout the video, adding relevant links such as playlists or socials and even adding hashtags, as long as it abides by the YouTube hashtag rules! 

Lastly, remember to keep your character limit to 5000 so you don’t overload your reader.

Remember your metadata

YouTube’s guidelines on metadata focus on two main points when it comes to the use of keywords. Firstly remember to be honest in your use and secondly go for quality over quantity. You can use these for tags and categories features, but keep tags in the tags sections rather than your video description!

Strive for high-quality content

Even the best videos in the world can be weighed down by poor video quality. Always try to make sure your content is at a professional level before posting. Using a decent camera, soundchecks before recording and learning some basic editing skills will go a long way.

Interact with your fans

If you want to know how to promote your YouTube channel effectively, you must learn to interact with your fans. Continuing the engagement in and outside of your videos is crucial. Simple things like replying to fan comments, “hearting” and pinning can show your audience you’re there ready to show them some love for supporting you!

Try Q&A’s

A Q&A can be another great way to increase engagement between you and your followers. By asking your audience for questions through comments, emails or tweets you can help build your community and let your fans know who you are and your story. 

Create a series

Consistency will pay off! Posting videos on a regular schedule can keep viewers coming back. Choosing a catchy and keyword-friendly name and similar thumbnails can help the audience identify any new episodes whenever they’re posted and will keep them engaged and craving more.   

And that’s our list of how to promote your YouTube channel now it’s your time to get out there and put it into practice!  

Our influencer marketing agency and social agency are located worldwide, with our agency network based in the USA, UK, UAE and China.

If you want to find industry insights, visit our influencer marketing and social media blogs here.

@ Socially Powerful

We are genetically wired for interaction. Pre-internet, interactions happened in-person, but with the digitisation of the world, the majority of us have grown accustomed to them happening online.

The new kid on the block, Threads, acts as the middleman by offering social media users a human approach to online interactions. The text-based, conversation-led platform is a hub for like-minded social media frequenters to come together and discuss shared interests or involve themselves in important conversations—from education and healthcare to music and fashion. 

Compared to Twitter, Threads has been likened to a warm hug. This is because its group-chat style offers a safe space for users to comfortably share their thoughts. Threads has also seen a surge in users taking an out-of-the-box approach to what they’re sharing with their community members. Speaker and author, Kiaundra Jackson, admitted to sharing things on Threads that she would never share on any of her other social media platforms, from spur-of-the-moment thoughts to personal opinions. Sharing such thoughts is a surefire way for Kiaundra to strengthen her relationship with her community.

The notion of community has become so centralised for brands and creators looking to achieve online success, that those who fail to tap into their communities miss out on leveraging a niche group of people for both business and personal gain.

Luckily, as Threads is still in its infancy, building communities from scratch is easy. On established platforms like Instagram, communities are very clearly set up, with brands and creators hosting the most popular, being instantly recognisable. Trying to persuade community members to abandon their loyalty is almost an impossible task. 

Threads offers a level playing field full of wandering users looking to be taken in by or creating their own community. Creators and brands can take advantage of this by optimising their profiles and content output to reach as many of these people as possible. 

The great thing about communities on Threads is that users can carry them over from their Instagram accounts. This means that their pre-existing communities are ready and waiting for them, allowing the user to pick up where they left off. However, does community interaction look the same on Threads as it does on Instagram? If not, how can brands and creators adopt a new approach to community engagement on this vastly different platform?

What does building a community on Threads look like?

We’re in the age of meaningful conversation. Don’t get us wrong, visual content is still thriving, but the modern-day social media user wants more. Something meaningful. Conversations are exactly this. 

If creators on Threads want to contribute something useful to their community, they must be seen to be involving themselves in relevant conversations. Put perfectly by social media marketing educator, Lia Haberman, “conversation contributors will become just as powerful as content creators”. Offering sound thoughts to the right conversations paves the way for deeper community connection due to the weight that words carry. Not only this, but appearing to be actively listening and contributing to important conversations will entice new members to join your Threads community.

The conversational nature of Threads also deters the growth of the passive consumption of content. Reading on screen text—and a lot of it—forces the users to slow down and concentrate on the words in front of them, naturally increasing active engagement. On the other hand, Threads encourages mindfulness among creators, as they will have to think more about what they are publishing to such a conversation-heavy space. What conversations will their Threads generate? How will these conversations benefit or hinder their community?

The future of communities on Threads 

Communities across Threads will begin to see more frequent interaction from their favourite creators and brands due to the app’s ease of use and less demanding content creation. Take travel updates, for example. Creators on Threads are more easily able to share frequent, in-the-moment updates on their travels, keeping their community engaged and feeling like a priority even while on holiday. 

As a result of the surge in such intimate Threads communities, dedication to community management will continue to prevail. Seeing as the entire platform revolves around interaction and connection, the enactment of these will be held in such high regard. As the epicentre of each community, conversation hosts should be looking to correctly monitor and prompt activity where necessary to ensure community members feel seen, heard and prioritised.

Our influencer marketing agency and social agency are located worldwide, with our agency network based in the USA, UK, UAE and China.

If you want to find industry insights, visit our influencer marketing and social media blogs here.

@ Socially Powerful

Social media for business has become integral to nearly everyone’s day to day lives. Social media can help businesses of all sizes make some serious money moves and increase growth tenfold if used correctly. Here are some benefits of using social media for business growth.

Find Useful Customer Feedback

Success, both digitally and traditionally, is achieved by understanding—and delivering—the best quality customer service possible.

Thanks to the ease of social media, customers (existing and potential) can ask questions, propose concerns and have them answered swiftly. These exchanges not only help the business discover areas of improvement, but builds a public level of trust with consumers. If social media users see a brand actively trying to rectify a situation, or offer assistance, the brand immediately becomes more trustworthy in the eyes of the user.

Track Your Competition

Social media channels allow brands to keep their finger on the pulse of, not just other marketing tactics and practices, but the strategies used by direct competitors.

And we can learn a lot from our competition.

We all have room to learn and figure out how to utilise the best social media for business growth. Brands want to become the number one within their chosen niches, and have their target audience actively choose them as the authoritative figure, over their competitors. 

It’s worth monitoring and finding ways a brand’s social media for business can do more to educate and entertain users.

Become a Thought Leader

Without utilising social media in a social-first age, it’s hard to become a household name. Top social media for business allows brands to become a thought leader in the space they operate in.

The benefit of social media means it’s easier for brands to reach a global audience, rather than those within their close proximity. Social media offers brands the chance to establish their own voice online, and engage with those who share their core values.

Make Your Brand Relatable

One of social media’s greatest qualities is its ability to humanise the brands people use the most throughout their lives. Not only does it give a brand a good vibe, but it makes it more relatable.

It’s human instinct to want to connect with others, and this now extends to brands too. Using social media for business allows brands to create their own personalities, and interact with customers and fans easily. Brands can use social media to share their values in more creative ways than traditional advertising. 

Build Awareness

If people don’t know about a brand, they can’t purchase from said brand. 

Social media boosts visibility and brand awareness among potential customers, letting you reach a wide audience without using a large amount of time and effort. 

Define what you want to get out of social media to develop a social media strategy for brand awareness. Do you want new customers to discover your services? Do you expect to bring more local shoppers into your stores? By keeping your plan specific, you can determine which social media channels are the best fit for your business.

Grow Affordably

Marketing costs add up, and not every business can afford huge campaigns. But you can get a big bang for your buck with social media advertising. Your social media for business, regardless of size or budget, has an opportunity to grow your audience.

While social media isn’t a set-in-stone science, a brand should remain data-driven when developing a social media strategy. The data shows what’s being both seen and engaged with most—but analysing this, and re-creating content in a similar way, a brand can easily grow its social media presence, without breaking the bank. 

Increase traffic and improve SEO

Nearly half the world’s population uses some sort of social media. Naturally, these platforms are ideal places to reach out and capture potential customers. But this goes the other way as well. People usually scour social media to find what they need.

You can share useful content such as blogs, photos, and videos from your website in your social media for business. By directing leads to your website, you are actively boosting your site’s traffic and increasing SEO ranking.

Happy customers lead to free advertising

Through social media for business, content customers can do the advertising for you. You should encourage your clients to share reviews and experiences on your page. Not only that, but they may share their experience on their own social media accounts, marketing your businesses to their own network and contacts.

Your brand authority becomes stronger if you have pleased customers who share their positive experience with your network. Positive testimonials help reinforce the idea that when people choose to work with you, they are making the right decision. 

Impact sales and conversion rates

Successfully marketing your social media or a specific product on social media should have a helpful impact on sales.

While many of the leads gained from social media are considered top-of-funnel, industry research has found that the average person spends 147 minutes—or nearly two and a half hours—on social media each day. This means your content will be seen widely and can compel viewers to become customers.

Our influencer marketing agency and social agency are located worldwide, with our agency network based in the USA, UK, UAE and China.

If you want to find industry insights, visit our influencer marketing and social media blogs here.

@ Socially Powerful

What do the current reigning social media platforms all have in common?

They offer their users the opportunity to tap into video content creation and, therefore, the latest online trends. Think TikTok, Reels and Shorts; the rapid rise in video content creation was largely triggered by the pandemic in 2020 and, to this day, is used by 86% of marketers worldwide. 

But if the social media landscape is so dominated by video content, where does a text-based app like Threads fit into the equation?

Social media trends have shifted with the times. Now, consumers favour community, connection, and an authentic and human approach to the way we consume online information.

Threads offers users exactly this. The app prioritises community by offering ample opportunity for users to share opinions on hot topics and engage with those with shared interests. This is the new key to online success. Not only this, but the general consensus gathered so far is that users are loving the fact Threads is not a short-form video copycat, further solidifying the demand for a text-based, community-focused app at this point in time.

How can Threads content compliment other video-based platforms?

Just because Threads offers something vastly different from what most social media platforms offer—all bar Twitter (sorry, X)—it doesn’t mean that it can’t be used in conjunction with other platforms. In fact, there has been a recent surge in users on video-based platforms using Threads to inspire content creation.

Adam Tyler Smith does a great job of explaining exactly how to execute this.

@adamtylersmith

Use Threads as idea catch all -> review daily -> script best ideas -> create short/long form video = not being overwhelmed. #threads #socialmediamarketing #makingmoneyonline #monetizingtiktok #businessgrowthtips #tiktokgrowth

♬ original sound – Adam 🤙🏻

Resharing Threads content to TikTok or other platforms is a great way for creators to avoid burnout, but it does present Threads the challenge of keeping users active and engaged on the platform itself. Resharing Threads content to another platform results in users passively consuming Threads content via an alternative platform. Just think about how many Twitter highlights you’ve seen on Instagram or TikTok—the same threat applies to Threads. 

Due to TikTok’s hyper-relevant and highly addictive algorithm, users are shown the exact Threads content they will find entertaining, something they would have to dig to find in Threads’ current algorithm. To beat this, Threads needs to find a way to keep users coming back to its platform for more. In addition to this, Threads will now have to compete with TikTok’s latest update, where users can now create text only posts with up to 1,000 characters. 

As Threads is a text-based, conversation app, there isn’t as much need for visual content as there is on Instagram. However, this doesn’t mean that visual content can’t still be talked about or promoted. 

If you are a video content creator looking to tackle Threads, a great way to blend your efforts and start on the new platform is to see Threads as a space to generate conversations about the visual content you have created for Instagram, or elsewhere. Because of the ease of combining Threads and Instagram, creators can consider Instagram as their storefront, and Threads as the breakroom. You show your followers what you like on Instagram, and Threads shows your followers who you are. 

Where Instagram content creation typically entails meticulous planning, attention to detail and a performative approach, content on Threads is a lot more ‘in-the-moment’ and casual, inviting users to take a more laid-back approach to content creation. This allows video content creators to continue focusing their efforts on what they do best, while simultaneously using Threads to casually spark conversation about their creative process or the topic/reason for a video’s creation.

The modern day user no longer tolerates “empty” content. Instead they are looking to engage with that which is meaningful. While Threads content doesn’t require meticulous planning, the words published still hold just as much weight as the amount of work that goes into a 30-second Reel. Starting important conversations serves as meaningful content and is that which video content creators should enter the Threads space remembering.

Should video content be avoided altogether?

Being the sister platform to Instagram, integration between the two is seamless. In fact, many creators see Threads as complementary to Instagram. Threads users are able to repost Reels and videos to their account, while also tapping into Threads Carousels to relay visual content. Though there are options to post pictures and videos, users should be wary of how and when this is done. 

To many, Threads is likened to one big group chat. If you’re in a few of your own, you’ll understand that visual content sent in the group chat is typically relevant to the topic/conversation at hand. Sending memes, videos and images without context doesn’t always land very well and can risk generating confusion. 

Our suggestion? Before posting visual content to Threads, think to yourself, ‘would this be posted in the group chat right now?’

Our influencer marketing agency and social agency are located worldwide, with our agency network based in the USA, UK, UAE and China.

If you want to find industry insights, visit our influencer marketing and social media blogs here.

@ Socially Powerful

If you’re a small business yet to devise a social media marketing strategy then read on.

The ad space on the side of a bus stop costs around £300 on average for two week’s worth of exposure. The average billboard cost for the UK is roughly £200 per week for a standard 48-sheet hoarding. During primetime TV, adverts can go anywhere from £10,000 to £30,000. 

The point here is that traditional advertising can mean taking significantly large portions of your budget just to market your business. For small business owners, this isn’t always an option. 

Luckily the year is 2023 and social media advertising is an option. And a very viable one at that. 

Social media is home to 4.72 billion active users who spend an average of 2 hours and 25 minutes on social media everyday. That’s a lot of potential customers. 

Creating a social media marketing strategy is an effective – and a lot cheaper – way for small businesses to compete among the masses and get their names out there. From increasing your online presence to running social media advertising campaigns, online marketing is quite literally for businesses of all sizes – no matter how small. 

If social media is a daunting concept to you (this is a judgement-free zone!), we’re here to eradicate that fear. Our blog will walk you through creating your very own social media marketing strategy so that your small business can be propelled to the heights it deserves. 

Why social media?

We think a better question would be ‘why not social media?’. 

Social media is no longer reserved for big businesses. Today, 77% of small businesses utilise social media for promotional activities. Here is what these businesses are achieving through running a social media marketing strategy:

Reaching more potential customers

Social media offers a level playing field, where small businesses are able to fairly compete for the attention of social media users through the content created, interactions conducted, brand messaging conveyed etc. 

Increasing brand awareness

The more interesting and engaging your content is, the more likely people are to share it with their followers. This puts your business in front of eyes you may not have reached, alone. 

Better understanding customers

Certain demographics frequent certain platforms. Knowing this information can trickle down into learning more granular information as you discover their interests, needs, behaviours etc. This valuable information is crucial for improving your social media marketing strategy.

Better understanding competitors 

By keeping loose tabs on your competitor’s activity, not only can it inspire your own social media marketing strategy, but it can also make you aware of what’s working well for them and what isn’t – and, hopefully, ensure that you don’t repeat the same mistakes. 

Driving traffic to websites 

Intriguing social posts are good for giving users a glimpse of what’s on offer. Including a CTA or direct link to your website through your content is a great way to drive site traffic. 

Which platform should you use?

The answer to this question is dependent on where your audience spends most of their time (and it’s not wise to make assumptions about this either). 

Just because you’re marketing to Gen Z doesn’t mean you should be ruling Facebook – for example – out entirely. In fact, data shows that nearly a quarter of Facebook users are aged 18-24. 

Choosing which platforms to run your social media marketing strategy on doesn’t have to have an all-or-nothing approach. You can use different platforms to reach different audiences and achieve different goals. 

Having said that, let’s talk about what each of the platforms can offer. 

Facebook

Though it garners mixed opinions, Facebook is the most used social media platform with 2.9 billion monthly active users. For more Facebook demographic insights, click here.

Facebook can offer the following to small businesses:

A wide demographic range

Being multi-use: you can create a page, run an ad campaign, run an ecommerce store – all on the same platform.

It can be a one-stop shop: Facebook provides a seamless shopping experience in-app.

If choosing Facebook, here is what you need to consider:

Who your target audience is: Facebook’s most engaged audience is between 18-44.

What your business goals are: Facebook Pages are great for increasing brand awareness, while Shops is good for selling your products. 

How much time you have: the best way to get results on Facebook is to post 1-2 times per day.

Instagram

Instagram is known for its influencer marketing successes and is where you can afford to get specific about your niche. The fashion, travel, beauty/skincare, luxury and food industries are those which tend to do well here. 

Instagram can offer the following to small businesses: 

In-app shopping: Instagram runs Shoppable Ads, making it easier for users to shop what they see on Reels, Posts, Stories etc.

A visual platform: makes it ideal for small businesses within the fashion, travel, beauty/skincare, food sectors

Highly engaged users: users spend roughly 12 hours on the platform per month

Things to consider if running your social media marketing strategy through Instagram:

Does your brand present well, visually?

Can you commit to regular posting? Instagram requires consistent presence, posting 3-7 times per week.

Do you have time to create engaging content? Instagram is all about high-quality content.

TikTok

If you look at TikTok in fear because of Gen Z’s intimidatingly creative minds, then we’re here to tell you that a lot of brands outside of this target market are experimenting with the platform also. 

TikTok can offer: 

A level playing field: you can create high-quality content on TikTok for free.

High levels of creativity: thinking creatively and outside of the box means you’ll thrive on TikTok.

Lots of opportunity for virality: good content stands a chance of being seen by millions of people thanks to the algorithm. 

If considering TikTok for your social media marketing strategy, consider the following:

Do you have time to create TikTok videos? Video creation and editing takes time.

Does your target audience use TikTok? TikTok’s audience tends to skew towards the 18-24 range, perfect for Gen Z and Millennials. 

Do you have creative video ideas? There is quite a lot to compete with on TikTok so ensure your ideas are fresh. 

@bobbiegoods

pack an order with me 📦🧸 #smallbusiness #asmr #orderpacking #shopify #restock

♬ It is an environmental sound of the cry of birds in the forest (about 1 minute … – Ai-tomo

What does a social media marketing strategy look like?

Every strategy looks different, but what we can give you are the key ingredients for making one for your small business.

Narrow down your demographic: once you know which demographic you are targeting, you will be able to figure out whether you’re going to adopt a niche marketing strategy or take a broader approach.

Define your brand voice: this is essentially your brand’s personality. How do you want to come across? What first impression do you want to give? Think innovative, powerful, inspiring etc.

Unique brand voices can help customers form an emotional attachment and association with your brand. 

Choose your platform(s): as mentioned previously, this is crucial. Many small businesses don’t realise that setting up an account on a specific platform means setting the hub for customer interaction. Make sure you know how to use it!

Create a content calendar: after deciding who will handle your socials, creating a content calendar is your next step. Not only should this determine when content is created/uploaded, but also schedule in time to interact with your audience. Ensure a posting schedule is set in stone and opt for publishing a mixture of content. 

If you’re unsure of what to put out, use the social media content strategy rule of thirds:

Figure out the algorithm: for a social media marketing strategy to work, you need to understand how the algorithm ranks content on your chosen platform. Platforms like TikTok and Instagram favour short-form content, whereas YouTube and Spotify prioritise longer formats. 

Remember, platforms are constantly evolving and changing their algorithms accordingly – make sure you’re always staying up to date on the latest changes.

Create a focused campaign: now you know who you’re targeting and where you’ll find them, you can begin achieving the goals for your social media marketing strategy. This is the stage where you define the content you are going to present to your audience. For example, you might want to increase site traffic in the days leading up to Christmas by posting a series of shoppable Carousel posts on Instagram. No matter how small the campaign, set key performance indicators (KPIs) to help you stay on track.

Evaluate and review strategy: after carrying out your campaign, you’ll want to assess your performance by comparing the key metrics with the goals you initially set. From here, you can identify what went well and what can be improved upon for your next campaign.

There you have it. A concise overview of how to create a social media marketing strategy for your small business. It is important to note that nothing is ever final. Social media moves quickly. Your business will also go through many changes and your social media marketing strategy will need to change to reflect that. View your social media marketing strategy as a document you can review and adjust as and when. 

FAQs

What is a social media marketing strategy?

This is a summary of everything you plan to do and achieve on social media, business-wise.

How do you create an effective social media marketing strategy?

To create an effective social media marketing strategy, you must first narrow down your target audience and choose the best possible platform for the goals you’re looking to achieve. From here you can begin planning a detailed content strategy.

Why do you need a social media marketing strategy?

A social media marketing strategy will allow you to compete against competitors in your niche and help put your brand in front of relevant audiences.

Our influencer marketing agency and social agency are located worldwide, with our agency network based in the USA, UK, UAE and China.

If you want to find industry insights, visit our influencer marketing and social media blogs here.

@ Socially Powerful