How to Stay on Top of Social Media Marketing

Whether there is a pandemic or not, marketing your business on social media channels will only help you if you spend appropriately.

This new year, we're presenting some pointers for small businesses wishing to improve their exposure through social media channels. While many of these trends aren’t new, mastering them will be the ultimate key to becoming a marketing expert.

According to Hootsuite's 2022 Social Trends research, the "smartest brands in 2022 will tap into creator communities to learn more about customers, streamline content creation, and build brand awareness and affinity."

1. "Social Listening" should be practiced.

"Social listening," or assessing who's talking about your business and what they're saying, is a critical tool for effective marketing, according to Hootsuite. Social listening entails actively listening to and comprehending people's conversations about your products and services, as well as your industry as a whole, rather than simply monitoring data (shares, likes, and engagement) around your brand. You can build a more effective marketing approach if you know what customers want.

But, especially if you're using various social media channels, how can you keep track of all the talk about your business? Various companies, including Mention and Falcon.io, provide social listening technologies that collect data every time your company, industry, or a relevant phrase is referenced online. Some businesses provide free basic programs, while others cost hundreds of dollars. This HubSpot article lists some of the top-rated social listening tools, along with their prices.

2. Invest in Paid Advertising

Small businesses' dissatisfaction with marketing on Facebook and Instagram (which was purchased by Facebook in 2012) has grown, but these platforms aren't going away anytime soon. In 2021, Facebook had 2.9 billion monthly active users, and 200 million enterprises (mainly small businesses) use the site's free tools to reach clients, according to CEO Mark Zuckerberg.

However, unless the Instagram algorithm works in your favor — which it won't if you don't have thousands of followers who regularly engage with your material — you'll have to pay to promote on these sites. According to Hootsuite, a Facebook post's average organic reach is 5.2 percent, which means "just 5% of your followers may ever see your posts if you don't put any paid budget behind them."

Paid advertising is simple to plan for, but the more you spend, the more likely your material will be viewed.

3. Outsource Creators

Influencers have made a lot of noise recently — the industry is expected to be worth roughly $14 billion by 2021 — and they're here to stay.

Every influencer has their own set of restrictions and fees, but if you want to work with a creator, it's wise to budget ahead of time. Although some influencers may still be receptive to it, the days of swapping free products and services for an Instagram shoutout are long gone. Most collaborations, particularly those involving small enterprises, necessitate payment to the creators.

However, how do you cooperate with creators who have hundreds of thousands of followers? You must first identify your market, after which you must seek out a creative who shares that interest. There's an influencer for every type of business, from Potterheads to fashionistas. Some services, such as IZEA, can connect you with creators, or you can try emailing or messaging them directly.

4. It's about time... make a TikTok video.

Last year, we advised you to use TikTok to express yourself. We hope you paid attention because, in 2021, the social media site achieved 1 billion monthly active users, making it the fastest-growing social platform ever.

Numerous small businesses credit TikTok for their success. One example is Nectar, a hard seltzer brand that went viral after creating a self-deprecating "brew fail" video with a popular Drake song. According to the founders, the company's sales increased dramatically following that.

What becomes viral on TikTok is entirely up to the algorithm gods, but experts advise using various hashtags, crafting videos with trending tunes, and keeping clips short yet captivating.

Influencer marketing is just as "influential" on TikTok as generating videos. One individual raving about your product can sometimes be enough to make it go viral.

5. Take Advantage of Ever-Changing Technology

Social media networks certainly provide tools that can help you accomplish your job more efficiently, but you must first learn about them.

For e-commerce, Instagram has made all sponsored posts shoppable within the app, allowing users to buy a pair of jeans just by clicking on them in a tagged photo. TikTok has also started experimenting in-app purchases.

Twitter recently introduced Super Follow, a monetized service that allows users to charge followers for exclusive information. Activists, journalists, gamers, and creators on the platform will benefit most from the functionality. Spaces, a platform where you can host live audio-only discussions, and Ticketed Spaces, where you may charge others to watch these live events, are also available from the company. LinkedIn has recently jumped on the WFH bandwagon, allowing users to watch live video streaming.

There's a tool out there for everyone, whether you're a little e-commerce business, a fitness instructor, or the publisher of a new publication. It's simply a matter of familiarizing yourself with the available materials.