Which social media platform(s) should your organisation be active on? Which one best aligns with your brand and will reach your target audience? With a number of options to choose from, we take a look at how you can make choices that will yield the best return on investment.
The first question any organisation should ask itself is:
What is our objective?
Whether it's brand awareness, lead generation, driving traffic to your website or sales purchases, you need focus solely on what you hope to achieve before you even consider a social media platform. Your social media objectives should align with your business objectives.
This needs to be followed by:
Where does our audience live online?
Chances are you already have a deep understanding of who your customers are. Create a profile of your average customer considering things like: age range, gender, relationship status and location – even down to a suburb level. What are they interested in? What kind of things will they be looking at on social media?
All of these factors will help you to ascertain where you will find them online. In New Zealand, the fastest growing social media platform is Snapchat. However, it's worth noting that 75% of Snapchat users are under 25 so if your target demographic is 50+ then it's probably not the platform for you. Similar calculations can be made for the likes of Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest and Twitter – which out of interest is the only male dominated social media platform in New Zealand with a 65% male user base. You will be amazed at how much data social media platforms keep on their users and their viewing habits and how it can help you to make calculated business decisions.
Careful consideration should also be given to:
What kind of content will pique their interest?
The kind of content you have at your disposal will also influence the platform which will generate the best results for you. If you're in the likes of retail or the travel or fashion industries and you have access to a lot of beautiful imagery then Instagram is a no brainer. However, if you're an accountancy firm that never leaves the office, not so much perhaps. It's all case specific but the kinds of content you'll be able to create will also dictate which platform you'll have the most success with.
What will people find interesting about your organisation, product or service offering? The more interesting it is, the more likely they are to share it with their friends and thus generate positive word of mouth.
The first question any organisation should ask itself is:
What is our objective?
Whether it's brand awareness, lead generation, driving traffic to your website or sales purchases, you need focus solely on what you hope to achieve before you even consider a social media platform. Your social media objectives should align with your business objectives.
This needs to be followed by:
Where does our audience live online?
Chances are you already have a deep understanding of who your customers are. Create a profile of your average customer considering things like: age range, gender, relationship status and location – even down to a suburb level. What are they interested in? What kind of things will they be looking at on social media?
All of these factors will help you to ascertain where you will find them online. In New Zealand, the fastest growing social media platform is Snapchat. However, it's worth noting that 75% of Snapchat users are under 25 so if your target demographic is 50+ then it's probably not the platform for you. Similar calculations can be made for the likes of Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest and Twitter – which out of interest is the only male dominated social media platform in New Zealand with a 65% male user base. You will be amazed at how much data social media platforms keep on their users and their viewing habits and how it can help you to make calculated business decisions.
Careful consideration should also be given to:
What kind of content will pique their interest?
The kind of content you have at your disposal will also influence the platform which will generate the best results for you. If you're in the likes of retail or the travel or fashion industries and you have access to a lot of beautiful imagery then Instagram is a no brainer. However, if you're an accountancy firm that never leaves the office, not so much perhaps. It's all case specific but the kinds of content you'll be able to create will also dictate which platform you'll have the most success with.
What will people find interesting about your organisation, product or service offering? The more interesting it is, the more likely they are to share it with their friends and thus generate positive word of mouth.
SOURCE: http://wersm.com
Think about the kinds of stories you can tell to engage your audience. In this age of authenticity, people want to see content that looks and feels like something their friends would post. On social media, user generated looking content outperforms the traditional, sterile marketing material you'd find in a glossy magazine. The page which gets the most engagement across the whole of Facebook is Humans of New York – authentic stories about real people which evoke emotional reactions and have created an online community of likeminded people from all over the world. You can engage your customers more deeply through storytelling, so think about the kinds of stories your organisation has to tell.
Considering these factors will help you to…
Make an informed decision
The good news is that when you're up and running the analytical tools available through social media platforms allow you to see just how well your posts and advertisements are performing. This gives you the opportunity to do more of what's working and less of what isn't.
If you have any questions about which platform is best for you or social media in general, please get in touch via, welcome@theclaritybusiness.co.nz, call us on 09 950 2690, on reach us via LinkedIn or Twitter @ShapeTheMessage.
By Daniel McCabe
Think about the kinds of stories you can tell to engage your audience. In this age of authenticity, people want to see content that looks and feels like something their friends would post. On social media, user generated looking content outperforms the traditional, sterile marketing material you'd find in a glossy magazine. The page which gets the most engagement across the whole of Facebook is Humans of New York – authentic stories about real people which evoke emotional reactions and have created an online community of likeminded people from all over the world. You can engage your customers more deeply through storytelling, so think about the kinds of stories your organisation has to tell.
Considering these factors will help you to…
Make an informed decision
The good news is that when you're up and running the analytical tools available through social media platforms allow you to see just how well your posts and advertisements are performing. This gives you the opportunity to do more of what's working and less of what isn't.
If you have any questions about which platform is best for you or social media in general, please get in touch via, welcome@theclaritybusiness.co.nz, call us on 09 950 2690, on reach us via LinkedIn or Twitter @ShapeTheMessage.
By Daniel McCabe