Top Social Media Strategy tips in 2021
Social media is constantly changing, the methods in which we make our brands events, initiatives, and information available to our audiences must constantly change as well. As the world of social media marketing grows, it is more important than ever to have a robust strategy to impress your audiences on a consistent basis and grow their trust as part of your social media strategy in 2021.
Prioritise quality and authenticity
This has been the number one priority since day one, but it begs being said again. As tools for creating engaging content become more popular and readily available, more and more companies are upping their game, making it harder to "stop the scroll."
As consistently as you can, post high-quality, engaging visuals. And before you ask, yes, there are meme accounts that have insane engagement. But you do not want your social media strategy to be that of a meme account. If you have an important message for your audience, do not sell yourself short with "easy" or poorly executed content. Go the extra mile to procure scroll-stopping videos, images, and relevant captions.
That's right. Our insatiable appetite for video will continue in 2021 - and beyond. In fact, according to the Cisco Visual Networking Index, by the time 2021 officially rolls around nearly 80% of all internet traffic will be video. Social media platforms are increasingly prioritising video as this format appeals across demographic lines. Good news for businesses: 33% of those who watch social videos view brand content. And given the increasing prominence of mobile, social media marketers must make sure that all videos can be played across devices.
Authenticity goes hand in hand with quality. Users are growing tired of fake or “fluffy” (filler) content. We are not claiming that creating authentic content is easy, but we do know that it will encourage your audience to have a growing trust in your brand.
Content Auditing
A content audit is the process of collecting and analysing all the assets you have available on your website or otherwise. When planning social content, knowing what is already readily available will save you time and effort, and will help inspire you in creating new content.
Assess what can be repurposed, tweaked, or trashed, and then categorise each by where that content falls in the buyer’s journey and marketing funnel, as well as by the format type and by any buyer personas for targeting. And do not forget to add notes! Context is always key.
Utilise stories
Most social audiences (not all, but most) are on Instagram. If they are not on Instagram, they're definitely on Facebook. Instagram and Facebook have few things in common, but one stands out screaming, "Hey! Look at me!" and that's Stories.
Stories have legitimately taken over social media since their launch in 2016, with over 500 million users watching them every day. One third of the most viewed Instagram Stories are from businesses—and you absolutely want to be part of that one third.
If you are having a hard time deciding what type of content to post to stories, think quick, easily digestible, and memorable. Any content that requires your audience to "lean in" and digest should be a post. Everything else? Post that baby to a story. (And then add it to a highlight!)
Spend time online
Conversations online spread like wildfire. It's likely that you won't be able to keep up with all the topics of conversation that occur on a daily basis (and we would urge you not to try), but it is important to keep an eye on them if and when your audience is taking part in them. The only thing worse than being ignorant to what is going on is appearing tone deaf to the issue spanning the far corners of the web.
If you are utilising a social content scheduler like Sprout Social, it's easy to check in just a few times a month... but let the automation do its thing! We cannot stress enough how crucial it is to check in weekly—if not daily—and make sure that the content you have scheduled is still appropriate.
You do not have to be everywhere. With several big-name options to choose from—including LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook, Pinterest, TikTok, and YouTube, it is not feasible in terms of time or resources. Focus on the platforms your target audiences are using. Some generalities:
LinkedIn: Most users have a college/advanced degree, and their incomes tend to be higher.
Twitter: 63 percent of all Twitter users worldwide are between the ages of 35 and 65.
Instagram: Instagram skews more towards younger users:
Age 18-29: 67 percent
Age 30-49: 47 percent
Age 50-64: 23 percent
Age 65+: 8 percent
Snapchat: Most users are under the age of 34.
Facebook: Facebook, while not as popular as Snapchat or Instagram with younger users, does span a wide range of ages.
Pinterest: 25 percent more women use Pinterest than men.
TikTok: Although TikTok is fairly secretive about its user demographics, one analysis revealed that 40 percent of TikTokers are under age 20 and another 26 percent are under 30.
YouTube: Who doesn’t use YouTube?! Set up a channel.
By being cognisant about your platform selections, you can make the most of your time and effort - and reach the right people in the right places with your social media strategy.