Have you seen Social Media Marketing: The Movie yet? If not, you should.
I made the movie because I wanted to explore how businesses can use social media to boost their brand online. To that end, I sat down with several key influencers in digital strategy. They shared some insights I hadn’t thought about before. It’s likely that you could learn a lot from those experts as well. Here are some of the things you need to know about Social Media Marketing: The Movie.
1. YouTube Videos Are Evergreen
Amy Landino is an expert in YouTube marketing. During my interview with her, she made the point that YouTube videos tend to be evergreen. When you post content on Twitter or Facebook, people scroll through it and it’s gone. And that’s assuming that the algorithm was generous enough to let your page fans see it in the first place!
On the other hand, YouTube content can live forever. That’s because people often use YouTube as a place to find solutions. They’ll type a query in the search bar at the top of the site and check out videos that have the answer that they’re looking for. It’s not often the case that people use Twitter or Facebook to find solutions to their problems.
If you’re looking to make a long-term statement online, consider producing high-quality videos and uploading them to YouTube. You’ll stand a better chance with that platform than with other, hit-and-run social media sites. Also, make sure you optimize your title, description, and tags, so that people can find your videos when they search. Remember: YouTube is the #2 search engine in the world.
2. Podcasts Are Evergreen
Podcasts are evergreen as well. When I spoke with podcasting expert Pat Flynn, he told me that people are still listening to some of his early podcasts from years ago. He knows that because he wisely checks his analytics. So if you’d like to get into an evergreen channel but think that video might be just a bit too time-consuming or expensive, consider podcasting.
Remember, podcasting is audio-only. It’s also dirt cheap. Keep in mind, though, podcasting is a marketing strategy that requires consistency. You shouldn’t start a podcast unless you can commit to it regularly. Once a week is a great rule of thumb. Also, you can put a call to action (CTA) in your podcasts. That’s a great way to use them for marketing purposes.
3. Give the People What They Want
Michael Stelzner runs Social Media Examiner. During my interview with him, he offered a very valuable piece of advice about how to use social media to reach people. “Literally, give them exactly what they want for free,” he said. That’s right. For free.
Upload a video telling people how to solve their problem. Post a link to a web-based course packed with valuable info. Send out an invitation to a helpful webinar. And give all of that to them free of charge. That might seem like a counterproductive move, but it’s really an effort at building good will.
Once you’ve done that, you’re more likely to land a sale. Or lots of sales. Social media is typically not the place to go for the quick close. That’s especially true if you’re a new brand or just getting started on social media. Instead, it’s a place to win converts. It’s where you go to get people to like your company. Make that happen by giving people free stuff.
4. Organic Reach Is Gone
During my interview with Mari Smith, she reminded me of a painful truth: organic reach on social media is gone. In the past, she said, marketers used to get 200% to 300% organic reach when they posted content on Facebook. Those were the good old days. We are now in the bad new days. You’re lucky to get 1% to 6% organic reach with your Facebook page. And those tiny numbers will probably drop over time. That’s why you need to set aside an ad budget for social media.
Going forward, that’s probably how you’ll have to reach people with great content on platforms like Facebook and Twitter. Fortunately, social media sites offer outstanding targeting options. You can focus your marketing efforts on people who are likely customers. So even though you’ll need to pay for reach on social media, you still could enjoy a positive ROI.
5. Content Marketing Isn’t Just for Your Blog
When you think about content marketing, you probably think about great articles that you publish on your blog. But there are other opportunities for content marketing as well. When I spoke with Viveka von Rosen, she reminded me that digital strategists can use LinkedIn for content marketing as well.
Specifically, she said to use LinkedIn to post video content. That’s a great way to stand out from the crowd. Also, you can repurpose older, evergreen blog content on LinkedIn. That’s an efficient way to generate some more buzz on the platform. Keep in mind: great content will help position you as an expert in your space. That’s what you want to do on LinkedIn.
Social Media Marketing: The Movie
These are only some of the things you need to know about Social Media Marketing: The Movie. If you want to learn more, you should check out the movie, here.
The movie is by John Lincoln, and was originally posted on Ignite Visibility. Do check out the original, and check out their excellent blog.
You may also want to read: Social Media Marketing Is About Relationships, Not Broadcasting
Interview: Social Media Marketing Trends For 2017 & Beyond
CURATTI GUEST