Amplify brand reach and engagement on Social Media, even with limited resources

 
It’s a common theme we hear that marketing budgets are currently stretched due to the cost of living and energy crises, plus the economy still hasn’t really recovered following the pandemic.
 
Unfortunately, marketing departments where budgets can seem higher, are one of the first areas that companies look at when they need to make cuts.
 
Therefore, when in a market of uncertainty it is key to maximise the output of the resources that can provide you organic reach, content, feedback and engagement.
 

Enter social media

 
Ok, we know that it’s not exactly ‘free’ putting in the hours to develop your social media strategy, plan a calendar for each platform you use and come up with another caption (at least we have ChatGPT to now help a little with that one), but we know that the work put into it definitely can pay off in the long term without the need for huge budgets that ads and events require.
 
After all, there are an estimated 4.89 billion total social media users¹ with the average person using seven different social networks per month1 offering a huge opportunity to reach new customers and connect with existing ones.

Prioritise where your customers are

 
Although it’s tempting to open an account on every platform, spreading yourself too thin means you won’t get the benefit of any.
 
Don’t just have accounts for the sake of it. Do your research into which platforms are the most suited to your business and prioritise which are likely to bring you the best return.
 
Facebook might be the most popular social network, but Instagram is the top for providing the highest ROI for selling products¹.
 
Plus, although the pressure to open a TikTok account can be palpable, unless your target demographic is 18–24 and you and your colleagues are willing to be in the videos you may find it difficult to reach its full potential.
 
Before opening another social account, master what you already have and focus on the platforms where your audience is and are actively engaged.
 
Ensure it’s flooded with content appealing to them and gain that traction before learning the next TikTok dance craze.

Diversifying your content

Adapting your content

Varying your content is going to be the best way to engage with a wider audience, plus different content lends itself to different platforms.
 
So, you can keep the same campaign topic but adapting your content to what performs best on each platform is the best strategy.
 

Authentic content

In an era of reduced budgets, authentic content becomes paramount. Focus on building genuine connections with your audience by sharing relatable and valuable content. Authenticity breeds engagement and loyalty, helping you grow organically without hefty ad spends.
 

User-generated content

User-generated content has multiple benefits, as it not only offers you free content to post (with permission of course) UGC receives higher engagement and provides gravitas to your brand.
 
Giving the seal of approval to the rest of your followers that your brand is worth buying and worth letting people know about.
 
Encouraging your following to post images of them with your product, use your hashtags and tag you will help to create an income of content, but they are also doing some leg work advertising to their own followings hopefully in turn increasing yours organically.
 

Live content

Live content can be very daunting, (what if you mess up?!) but it’s proven that human, real-time interaction with your following increases your brand affinity and loyalty.
 
It is also a hugely under-utilised form of content that marketers are still trying to figure out. The instant and authentic nature of live content stops viewers in their tracks where they are more likely to listen rather than scrolling past.
 
37% of social media users find live video to be the most engaging² and 71% of live stream viewers have purchased something via social media¹ so, adding it to your social strategy is a must, the more you stick at it, the more you will gain confidence and see your viewers increase.
 

Video content

Video is the most popular and engaging content type, 51% of people are more likely to share a video with friends and family over any other content type1 plus 93% of companies have acquired new customers from social media videos².

Optimise for algorithmic success

 
Understanding the algorithms of social media platforms is crucial to maximizing your organic reach. watch Adam Mosseri, Head of Instagram, explain how their algorithm and ranking works³ or you can read their blog article here⁴
 
As a summary he recommends a few best practices:
 

• Experimenting with content – They are becoming smarter at realising who is making original content and prioritising that in feeds.
• Check out your insights – There could be some crucial information about your followers which will help you make more informed decisions on the posts you create and when to publish them.
• Looking at broader trends in content – Try not to look too granular at the likes and reach of individual posts, look at them as a content type as a whole to decide which your following most engages with.
• Check your account status – Under settings you are able to see if any of your posts have been removed, if your posts are applicable to go on the explore page and if your account will appear in search.
• Encouraging collaborative content – Instagram is all about connectivity and creating new things.

 
Focus on creating high-quality, relevant, original and engaging posts that align with the platform’s preferences, incorporating interactive features like polls and quizzes.
 
Remember, growing organically with reduced budgets requires a strategic approach, dedication, and consistency.
 
By focusing on only a few social platforms where your target demographic is, leveraging user-generated content, and staying up to date with individual platforms’ algorithms, you can make a significant impact in expanding your organic reach and achieving marketing success on social media.
 

Sources

1 https://sproutsocial.com/insights/social-media-statistics/
2 https://sproutsocial.com/insights/social-media-video-statistics/
3 https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cs6gh_NgPF0/
4 https://about.instagram.com/blog/announcements/instagram-ranking-explained/
 
 

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