Social Media For All
No question: the social media landscape has changed even in the last year.
Social media is a powerful and engaging resource that individuals and businesses have been using for the last 15 years to close the gap between their brands and their audience.
But navigating it can feel downright tricky.
With so much changing in the social media landscape from year to year, it can be hard to keep up. So, we sat down with our very own Triston Dimery and asked her to give us some pointers on how we should use it and, of course, if a brand is the right fit for it.
Is Social Media Just For The Kids?
The short answer is no. The longer answer? Social media is for everyone in some capacity. Social channels are communication tools that serve different purposes for various users and everybody contributes their part: the youth drive trends. Young adults fuel innovation. Middle age users establish applications. Elders breed adaptation. There are no essential users of social media, because they’re ALL essential.
How To Use Social Media
Without putting too fine a point on it, social media should be used to meet the consumer where they are. For a long time now, products and services have no longer been readily accessible in a single brick and mortar location.
As in - good luck walking into Best Buy and finding a copy of Bridget Jones Diary 2. It is forever “not available at your location.” This inability to find everything we want in one convenient place has shifted the purchasing power to the consumers.
Companies should not only be looking to promote products but be using the forward facing aspect to tell their brand story. Focus less on what you sell and instead inspire people with why you sell it.
Social Media Misuses?
The three biggest misuses are:
Being too sales-forward,
Inconsistent with content production
And lack of engagement.
Social media gives brands the unique opportunity to connect directly with consumers that are undoubtedly interested in their product or service. There is little need to pay the middle-man. Publishing consistent content and interacting with followers are the greatest factors of success. Brands such as ChocZero are masters at creating posts that generate an insanely high engagement rate that correlates straight to sales growth.
Best Platforms For Brands / Businesses?
Social media does not have a one-size-fits-all approach. Each platform has its own distinctive functions and demographics. I recommend focusing on two to three platforms that target segments of the existing customer base and another that may lead to an increase in brand awareness.
LinkedIn: B2B and B2C professional consumer bases
Instagram: Consumer products or service with a strong image presence
Twitter: Text-based platform that tends to do well with companies who publish informational content
TikTok: Video-based platform geared towards a younger audience
Twitch: Video-based platform great for consistent live streaming
Bumble: Dating + friendship app that emphasizes meeting online connections offline
Finding the right platform and execution for your brand can take time and effort. But you’re not in it alone!
For more ideas on how CultureCraft can help YOUR brand grow, check out our services here!