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8 Digital Marketing Trends and Predictions for a Post-Pandemic World
Summer 2020 is going to be very different from summers in the past, thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic. While small businesses may be seeing less foot traffic and in-store visits, that doesn’t mean sales have to decline. Here are my predictions on which marketing trends will boom this summer. Get ahead of the game and start implementing them now!
Photo by Kseniia Ilinykh on Unsplash
As more states lift stay-at-home orders and restrictions, businesses across all industries are starting to open their doors once again. For businesses that rely on in-person services and settings, the customer experience will likely be very different.
Leveraging more digital marketing tactics is becoming exceedingly crucial for small businesses this summer, as our country recovers physically, socially, and economically from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Here are eight digital marketing trends that will be hugely important for small businesses this summer. Although adapting all of these strategies may not be the answer for you, it’s worth it to spend some time considering which of these tactics will work best for your business.
Video marketing is essential.
If you’re not incorporating video in your digital marketing efforts, make this summer the time you start. Videos are an easy way to convey information and are proven to perform better on social media. For example, a 2019 study by quintly reports that videos receive 49% higher interactions on Instagram.
When people are hanging out on social media, their attention span may not always be able to carry them through a long text or blog post. A video is more likely to grab their attention and keep them around longer to see what your business has to say.
Plus, with video sharing platforms like TikTok on the rise, adopting a video strategy can help you reach a wider audience on new platforms. You can even repurpose or cross-post these videos to duplicate your efforts.
Authenticity is king.
As younger generations—who have been bombarded with ads their entire lives—enter the workforce and start making more purchasing decisions, we’re seeing consumers flock to brands that are more genuine in their messaging.
Making a shift to more authenticity in your marketing will pay off for your small business, especially if you cater to a younger audience. We already know that this shift has been paying off for brands on Instagram, but how else can you adopt this strategy?
One way to start is to think of your brand’s social media presence as that of an easygoing friend. Stay professional, but don’t obsess over every single picture or creating the perfect sentence. Focus on making connections and building relationships.
AI is the future.
Yes, I’m talking about artificial intelligence! AI is more commonly used in marketing than you might think. AI is present in the algorithms that show related products or videos on YouTube, Google, and eCommerce websites.
How can your business implement AI in its marketing efforts? One word: personalization. Even something as simple as personalizing the marketing emails that you send to your customers can go a long way.
If you have a widely used website, chatbots might be a good idea. Chatbots are website add-ons that allow customers to ask questions 24/7. The application automatically performs tasks or answers questions according to keywords your website visitors use. This is a great way to improve your customer experiences and convert more sales in a more automated way.
Photo by Kevin Bhagat on Unsplash
Social proof pays off.
I think a lot of small businesses still underutilize the power of social proof in their marketing. As a refresher, social proof is the psychological phenomenon that people will adopt the same behavior that they see from their friends and peers.
Social proof exists in forms like customer reviews, influencer marketing, and earned media. Even word-of-mouth marketing is an example of social proof in action.
Make sure to respond to reviews (good and bad), share customer testimonials, and send a “thank you” to customers that refer your business to their friends and family. You’ll see that these simple changes require very minimal effort but can make a huge difference in customer acquisition.
Corporate social responsibility creates stronger relationships.
It’s impossible to ignore everything that is happening in the world, and we’ve seen how big companies taking a stand has paid off in creating stronger advocates for their brand. We also know that younger generations value social responsibility. As stated in Deloitte’s Global Millennial Survey:
Millennials and Gen Zs start and stop relationships with companies for very personal reasons, often related to a company’s positive or negative impact on society.
Even something as simple as a strong statement of support can go a long way. For example, in Reebok’s response to the recent protests against police brutality across the nation, they even stated “We’re not asking you to buy our shoes. We are asking you to walk in someone else’s.”
If you haven’t already, and if you’re financially able, make this the summer your business gives back. Choose a cause that aligns with your brand’s mission statement and get involved.
PPC is out; SEO is in.
When was the last time you clicked on a Google search or display ad? Unless the content of the ad included information you were looking for, or an unbelievable promotion that you couldn’t pass up, it’s unlikely that you have clicked on one of these ads in a while.
It has become increasingly easy for internet users to tune out pay-per-click (PPC) ads, whether it be through the use of technology or just being able to ignore them. As consumers see more and more of them, interruptive digital ads just don’t do it anymore.
Search engine optimization (SEO) however, which aims to rank your website first on search engines organically, won’t be going anywhere. In fact, over 55% of marketers surveyed by HubSpot for their 2020 State of Marketing Report say that SEO is either “very important” or “extremely important” to their overall marketing strategy.
Focusing on your small business’s SEO efforts will help you bring more traffic to your website over time. Plus, this traffic will be more prepared to make a purchase from you.
Content marketing isn’t going anywhere.
Along the same vein of SEO is content marketing. Creating content that aims to help your target audience answer their questions will create trust, boost website traffic, and ultimately help you build stronger customer relationships.
It’s obvious that people won’t stop using the internet as a resource for helpful information, and the more your business aims to be helpful, the more success you will see from your marketing efforts. Start with your small business’s blog. Blogs don’t need to be updated constantly to be effective. Focus on quality over quantity, and you’ll see your traffic (and quality of customers) improve.
Photo by Nick Morrison on Unsplash
Less foot traffic doesn’t have to mean less sales.
This summer, it’s likely that people will still be practicing social distancing, at least until a vaccine for the coronavirus becomes widely available. If your business relies on foot traffic and in-person interaction to make sales, it’s time to get creative. How can you bring these important interactions to the digital world instead?
Look to new digital methods that aim to attract more of this “foot traffic” to your website instead of your brick-and-mortar location. It can be any of the aforementioned techniques, or something new like a virtual event.
As far as other customer experiences, what are some things you can implement on your website that will make their lives easier? If you’re offering something like a speedy online reservation or checkout system and your competitor isn’t, which business do you think your customer is more likely to want to support?
Summer 2020 will be very different from summers that we’ve seen in the past. In order to adapt, small businesses will need to adopt more digital strategies for customer acquisition, engagement, and retention. I may not have a crystal ball to see exactly which trends will excel and which will flop, so make sure to stay agile in implementing these efforts!
The RIGHT Way to Market Your Small Business on TikTok
TikTok has seen explosive growth in popularity over the last two years, and its primary users are the elusive yet highly-influential Gen Z-ers. If your small business is looking to connect with more of your Gen Z audience, you might benefit from developing a presence on TikTok. However, I wouldn’t recommend spending any money on the app at all… follow these tips instead.
Photo by Aaron Weiss on Unsplash
If Gen Z is part of your target audience, you may hear about the app TikTok in your market research. You might find out that TikTok is one of the fastest-growing social media platforms in the world, currently standing at over 800 million users worldwide.
What the heck is TikTok?
TikTok is a short-form video-sharing platform where users are encouraged to share stories in 60 seconds or less. Creators range from celebrities, influencers, artists, and more. Content on TikTok ranges from the funny to the weird and from the insightful to the heartwarming.
In 2017, the app merged with a lip-synching app called Musical.ly, so most videos that are shared are recorded over other videos’ sounds.
Creators can add text or use in-app filters on videos they record and share. Additionally, users can “duet” with other videos, which will show their own video alongside the original.
I could go on and on with what the app is like, but I encourage you to download it and do some research of your own to understand the types of videos that are on there. Be careful, because it can be addicting!
TikTok is most popular amongst Gen Z, with 41% of its users aged 16 to 24 years old. Gen Z is quickly becoming the most financially influential generation, so connecting with this audience now is more important than ever.
With all this in mind, you might be thinking about creating some paid ads on the platform to advertise your business. However, this is NOT what I would recommend in order to reach and engage with users on the app. The reason? It’s incredibly easy to ignore the ads and promoted content on the app. They stick out like a sore thumb and are disruptive in a bad way.
Here’s what you should ACTUALLY do…
First off, if you haven’t followed my advice and downloaded the app to explore, make sure you do so right now. Don’t feel silly; there are plenty of adults over the age of 25 (myself included) that have spent a decent amount of time on there. Even Gary Vaynerchuk has a profile (and he sees a lot of potential in it). Carve out some time to do the following:
Scroll down the “For You” page and like some videos.
Pay attention to the way certain sounds and visual effects are used.
Notice how easy it is to scroll past or skip ads in the app.
Follow accounts you like by tapping the + icon on the right side of the video.
Now, think about some ways that your brand can contribute to the content being shared on TikTok. Are there trending sounds or hashtags that you can participate in?
If you’re still feeling lost, here are some content ideas from brands that are doing it the RIGHT way.
(Pro tip: You’ll notice that most of these types of videos have been suggested in some of my previous posts on social media. Get the most out of your content by cross-posting these videos to multiple social media platforms!)
How-To Videos
Although I am located in Michigan, there is a cafe called Bagel & Deli Shop in Oxford, Ohio whose account I follow. Why? Because they share videos of how they make some of their locally-renowned bagel sandwiches on the app.
The videos are oddly satisfying to watch, and they make me wish I was in Ohio so I could try one of their sandwiches! I’m not the only one who feels this way either. This account first started posting content on April 17th, and as of today, they have around 37,000 followers!
What you can take away: Don’t expect to go viral in your first month, but the more helpful your content is, the more likely you are to gain a following. What is something you can teach a potential customer about what you do in less than 60 seconds?
Helpful Tips
After spending some time on TikTok, you’ll start to hear that certain sounds and songs are more popular than others. I recently came across the account of a chiropractor by the name of Dr. Jordan Estrada who has built a following by posting his own remixes to these popular songs. His videos include recommendations and stretches for people experiencing back pain, neck pain, headaches, and more.
Are his videos cringeworthy? Yes. Does he have almost 400,000 followers? He sure does! Also, people find his content to be genuinely helpful. Imagine coming across this account and realizing that Dr. Jordan practices in your area. You would probably be calling his office for an appointment!
What you can take away: I wouldn’t recommend posting your own remixes of songs on TikTok, but you can follow Dr. Jordan’s lead by sharing helpful information and sharing your expertise. This will create trust in your brand and your services.
Demo Videos
Never underestimate the power of a demonstration video! Have you ever found your eyes glued to the screen of a “How it’s Made” video? What about a video showing how to use a cool product?
This account belongs to someone that sells customized water bottles, mugs, and more. Their videos have a ton of views, and if you look at the comments, there are a lot of interested potential customers too!
What you can take away: People that are scrolling through TikTok are looking to be entertained, and learning something new in the process is just a bonus. Play on both of these things by showing a video of your product in action, or by showing your process in creating something behind the scenes. Make sure to use the hashtag #oddlystatisfying to target the right kind of audience!
Influencer Marketing
I touched on influencer and micro-influencer marketing in my previous post about marketing to Gen Z, and those types of videos have a place on TikTok too.
Believe it or not, this dog is an influencer on TikTok! With over 5 million followers, Tucker the Golden Retriever brings joy to his followers with hilariously cute “review” videos. Influencers like Tucker have the power to introduce your product or service to a much larger audience.
What you can take away: Identify influencers or micro-influencers related to your industry. Reach out and see if they would demo your product and what their rates are. If influencer marketing is way out of budget, brainstorm ways to develop a product or service that people genuinely want to talk about on their own. Are there people out there promoting your brand already? Give them more of a voice.
What’s great about TikTok is that you can use it as a sort of “test kitchen” to play around with different forms of content to see what works and what doesn’t. By focusing on entertaining and informing your viewers, you’ll create a strong following of potential customers and ambassadors that trust your brand.
Five Marketing Strategies to Help You Reach and Engage with Your Gen Z Audience
Generation Z, currently defined as those born in 1997 or later, is quickly becoming the most financially influential generation ever. If your small business is looking for more ways to reach this type of audience, it’s important to first understand exactly what makes this age group so unique, and how to best resonate with them.
Photo by Laura Chouette on Unsplash
Generation Z, defined by Statistica as those born in 1997 or later, is the largest generation in the US, making up over 90 million of the population. This group is on track to become the most financially influential generation ever.
Gen Z already has an estimated purchasing power of $44 billion per year, which means now is the time for small businesses to adjust to this group’s behaviors and values in their marketing strategies.
However, it’s important to understand what makes Gen Z-ers unique. As the first generation that was born into this digital age, Gen Z is excellent at shutting out the more traditional, disruptive advertisements that offer them no value or personalized experience.
In general, this group of consumers seem to be much more responsive to:
Genuine reviews from experts or influencers
Personalized ads and experiences
New, interesting, and up-to-date content
Corporate social responsibility
Connectedness (both in-person and digitally)
With this in mind, here are some strategies that your small business can utilize to help you reach a Gen Z audience.
Influencer Marketing
According to a report by Morning Consult, nearly 75% of Gen Z-ers follow at least one influencer on social media. An influencer is loosely defined as anyone with a large following that can, obviously, influence the decisions of that following.
Have you ever seen a YouTube makeup artist do a special unboxing or demo video of a package of product sent to them by a major brand? What about an Instagram post spotlighting a product with the hashtag “#ad” in the caption? These are examples of influencer marketing.
As a small business, you might think that influencer marketing is way out of your budget; this simply isn’t true. You can identify micro-influencers who have a smaller following of people more related to your industry or product to create ads that are much more organic and appealing to your Gen Z audience, who appreciate more personalized and genuine content anyway.
Personalized Communication
Speaking of personalization, this is something to keep in mind when creating content for Gen Z consumers. According to Mobile Marketer, Gen Z prefers to see online ads and communication based on their browsing history.
This might open up the idea of remarketing through Google Ads or another platform, but remember that this generation has been looking at online ads almost their entire life already and have gotten really good at ignoring them.
To cater to Gen Z’s personalization preference, use it as much as possible in email marketing and other communications. Rather than send a newsletter with a list of new products, send a coupon code for a recently viewed item, or spotlight an item related to one that was already purchased.
Video Marketing
What do YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok all have in common? They’re not only three of the most popular social media platforms for Gen Z users, they are primarily video-sharing platforms. Video is a great way to not only grab the attention of your Gen Z audience, but also quickly and effectively communicate with them before they move on to the next thing.
Your small business doesn’t need expensive equipment to start creating video content, either. Even a video shot on a smartphone can get your message across—just make sure you have some sort of tripod or stand to hold it in place.
Create videos that explain your product or service, show customer testimonials, or that simply tell a great story. Don’t be shy—get in front of the camera and tell people how your business can help them.
Photo by Louis Hansel @shotsoflouis on Unsplash
Social Responsibility
Experts report that corporate social responsibility (CSR) is huge for both Millennials and Gen Z. As Sarah Cavill writes for Digital Media Solutions:
Gen Z, in particular, looks at the world with a side-eye stemming from having grown up amid recessions, fractured politics and often unexpected job transitions for their Gen X parents, leading to decreased trust in businesses.
If you’re looking for more ways to appeal to potential Gen Z customers, consider implementing a CSR program for your small business that aligns with your vision. Choose a cause that you or your staff are passionate about, and find ways to contribute and/or bring awareness to that cause that incorporates your mission, products, customers, and employees.
Still not sure where to start? Your cause could be as simple as sourcing your materials or supplies from other local or sustainable businesses. What are other changes you can make to your business model that support this cause? Are there any hands-on opportunities to volunteer with your staff? Is there a way to donate a portion of your sales to this cause?
Once you have that sorted out, make sure to communicate this with your customer base in a variety of ways. Make it clear to all potential customers—not just the Gen Z-ers— that by supporting your business, they are also supporting this cause.
Social Media Marketing
Unsurprisingly, out of all the other generations, Gen Z spends the most time on social media—two hours and 55 minutes each day, on average. This makes social media a great way to reach this age group. However, keep in mind that they’re not logging on to social media with the intention to connect with brands, but to connect with friends, peers, or just for entertainment. This means that your small business’ approach on social media should be less purchase-driven and more focused on one or more of the previously mentioned strategies.
If we know anything about Generation Z, it’s that they can see right past the forced, synthetic messaging that comes with traditional marketing tactics. As children of the digital age, they have the ability to ignore so many types of advertising. One thing to keep in mind when marketing to this very influential age group is to be as genuine, personable, and non-disruptive as possible.
Top 7 Biggest Myths About Social Media Marketing
There are a ton of misconceptions about social media marketing best practices, and what generates the best results. I’m here to debunk some of these myths, as well give you some tips to help you get the most out of your small business’s social media marketing strategy.
It’s 2020, and by now we know that social media isn’t just a fad, but something that is ingrained in the lives of nearly every single person on the planet that has internet access. As a small business, social media can be used to get in front of a new audience and connect with them on a deeper level. Here are some common misconceptions about social media marketing for small businesses, along with some tips to make your social media efforts go even farther.
Myth #1: Your business needs an active presence on every platform.
In the real world, you can’t be everywhere at once, and the same applies to social media. It’s much better to have a strong presence on 2 or 3 platforms where you’re fully engaged rather than 7 or 8 platforms, most of which are not supporting any customers or potential customers that are reaching out to your brand. Decide which platforms are most popular amongst your target audience (here is a post to help you), and work on having a strong, consistent presence on those networks first.
Myth #2: You need to post something every single day.
Notice the word I just used: “consistent”. The secret to social media success doesn’t rely on posting the most often, but the most consistently. Consistency is what creates an audience of captive followers, because over time, they will find that they can rely on you to share something valuable to their feeds.
If your business is just starting out, don’t sweat it. Even one post per week is an improvement from zero. Start there and work up to posting more often as you feel more comfortable with hitting that goal.
Myth #3: You need to use as many hashtags as possible.
Hashtags are a great way to get your posts in front of more people, but sometimes, less is more. Stuffing your posts with tons of hashtags that aren’t all related to the content of your post could end in spam reports of your content, and ultimately, less trust in your brand. Additionally, some platforms like LinkedIn might mark your post as spam right off the bat if you use more than five hashtags in a single post.
A good rule of thumb is to focus on the relevancy in your hashtags. If you were searching for posts with the hashtag #AffordableWeddings, you would want to see content that gives tips and examples on how to save money when planning a wedding, not price lists from drone companies.
Myth #4: You need a call to action in every single post.
Ask yourself this: when YOU are on social media, what are you looking for? More times than not, the answer is interaction and entertainment. Social media users are looking to be entertained, not to be told to buy something. Even so, you can be strategic about the posts from you and your brand on each of the different platforms.
Even if you’re not linking to your website, talking about your products or services, or asking people to give you a call or email, you can create value for your target audience that will (over time) equate to revenue. Share some insights or information that will appeal to them and that aim to create trust. Interact with them by asking questions. Take some time to actively listen to what their daily struggles are. This helps build the strongest business-customer relationships.
Myth #5: You can’t really measure the success of your social media efforts.
Photo by Georgia de Lotz on Unsplash
There are a ton of metrics and KPIs that you can track to help you build a better social media strategy for your small business. Here are just a few of them:
Engagement (likes, shares, comments)
Reach
URL clicks & referrals to your website
Video views
Conversions
You’ll want to track a combination of these metrics for posts on each of your accounts. There might be additional metrics that are unique to your marketing goals, such as mentions of your company in forums that relate to your industry.
As you grow your business, it might be worth investing in additional software, like HubSpot, that will help you track your customers’ acquisition and behavior on your website much more closely.
Myth #6: Posts from your company page will always be the most successful.
This myth may be surprising until you think about it this way: it’s easier for people to connect with other people rather than a faceless business. We see a great example of this on LinkedIn, where individual profiles outshine company pages in terms of both reach and engagement. This is also why 80% of marketers say that they find influencer marketing to be an effective strategy. People listen to people because people like people.
As a small business owner, think of yourself as the “face” of your brand. Switch up some of your social media tactics by sharing content from your individual account, as well as by commenting on other pages and posts relating to your industry.
Myth #7: B2B companies won’t see any success from social media marketing.
Like I said at the beginning of this article: it’s 2020. Your target audience is most likely spending some time on social media, and it’s your job to find them, connect with them, and create enough value to convert them to customers. If you’re a B2B company, there are likely groups or forums on social media where people in your industry connect and share ideas with each other.
It’s still important to have a profile for your company on these networks, but think about having an active presence as an individual as well. Remember what we’ve already talked about: people like people. It will be easier for other business owners to take advantage of your products or services when they see value in what you bring to the conversation as well.
Social media marketing really isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution. Every business will have different goals and strategies for success. One thing that applies for any business, however, is that when you shift your focus to having a presence on social media that is relevant, consistent, and valuable, it will be easier to see a return on the time and money that you invest in social media marketing.
The (Busy) Small Business Owner’s Guide to Social Media Marketing
If you're not engaging with potential customers on social media, you could be losing out on reaching a larger audience. This guide to social media for small businesses will help you determine which social media platforms will give you the biggest return on your marketing efforts.
Photo by Sara Kurfeß on Unsplash
A recent report shows that internet users spend an average of 2 hours and 22 minutes each day on social media networks. As a small business owner, if you’re not also spending some time on these networks interacting with your customers and potential customers, you could be losing out on a much larger audience.
Understandably, you’re also trying to develop and run your small business. It can seem pretty daunting to think about the hours you might need to pour into your social media efforts. However, streamlining your strategies to focus on the platforms that will give you the highest return will help you save time while still reaching a wider audience.
Why should I focus on Social Media Marketing?
Social media is ingrained into the daily activities of so many people today, and this number is only going to increase. It is estimated that by 2021, there will be over 3 billion social media network users worldwide.
You can accomplish a wide variety of goals by reaching and engaging with users on social media. Here are some examples:
Generate brand awareness with an audience that otherwise wouldn’t have heard from you
Increase customer engagement with your brand through thought-provoking conversations with potential customers
Increase the number of leads that you can target in other ways
Retarget and re engage with users that have visited your website in the past
Promote new products or events to a more engaged audience
How do I find the time to be on Social Media?
There are plenty of opportunities to connect with users, as there are hundreds of social media platforms out there today. To be successful at Social Media Marketing, you don’t necessarily need to develop a presence for your business on every single one. Depending on your target customer, you may only choose 2 or 3 platforms to focus on, especially when you’re busy with getting your business started!
So, how do you know which platforms to focus on? Some may be obvious, while others could be your secret weapon. Take a look at the graph below to see which platforms other small business owners tend to focus on right now. Obviously, there are many more social media platforms out there than the ones listed, but this is a good start!
Remember, you won’t be able to focus on all social media networks on your own. Pick 2 or 3 to start with, and go from there.
Which social networks should I focus on?
Photo by Georgia de Lotz on Unsplash
Ask yourself a few questions first to find out where to best reach your target audience. Who are they? Where do they spend most of their time online? If you haven’t already, build a profile of your target customer that lists their demographics, behaviors, problems, and interests. This will help give you a better idea of which social platform they are spending time on (and where you should spend your time on, too).
Let’s take a quick look at some of the most popular social media platforms to help you decide if your target customers are there.
Facebook has 2.41 billion monthly active users, 2.2 billion of which spend their time browsing the platform on their mobile phones. It is without a doubt the biggest social media platform. It’s safe to say that a good portion of your target customers is spending time on Facebook.
Facebook can help you achieve plenty, if not all, of the goals listed earlier. With the ability to create events, join groups, and run ads as a page, having a presence on Facebook is a great first step for your business.
Create a business page and make sure to update it with all of your business’ information, such as your website, address, phone number, etc. Then, make sure you’re posting to your page on a regular basis to engage with your fans and followers. You can reach a wider audience by boosting posts or running ads.
If your research shows that many of your potential customers are instagram users, this is great news! It turns out, 80% of Instagram accounts follow a business profile. Instagram actually has the highest engagement out of any of the listed platforms, with engagement rates that are 58% higher than Facebook and a whopping 2000% higher than Twitter.
To be successful on Instagram, start thinking about investing some time into getting high-quality shots of your product or service in action. Your posts should focus on the visual aspect of your offerings. One way to accomplish this once you have a strong customer base is to ask your customers to post pictures of your product on their profiles so that you can repost them on your page. Make sure to ask permission and give credit!
Video posts and Instagram Stories are other great ways for businesses to engage with customers on the platform. You can repurpose this content from YouTube or Facebook videos too.
YouTube
Creating a YouTube channel is a great idea if you offer a product or service that requires a demonstration or explanation. You can also share customer video testimonials or interviews.
Tag your videos with keywords that will help your target customers find your videos. Use consistent branding in your videos, and engage with viewers by replying to questions and comments.
Twitter is considered by some as a micro-blogging platform, with a 280-character limit for posts.
Photo by NordWood Themes on Unsplash
Many brands use Twitter to simply start a conversation with their customer base. If you’re a consumer-facing company, you might find some return on your efforts on Twitter. However, keep in mind that you’ll get out of it what you put into it. Many suggest tweeting 3 times a day to gain enough visibility and traction on your account. Use hashtags to increase your engagement; just don’t overdo it.
If you’re a B2B company, you might find that LinkedIn is a great place to engage with your target audience and grab more leads. In fact, 79% of B2B Marketers say that LinkedIn is an effective tool for generating leads.
Post about what’s going on in your industry, your latest blog post, or a thought-provoking question that many of your customers have. Like Twitter, LinkedIn allows users to follow hashtags that interest them. Be sure to use hashtags in your posts to gain more views and engagement.
Snapchat
If you’re targeting a younger audience, marketing on Snapchat is a great idea to reach that audience. In the US, about 90% of 13-24 year olds are using Snapchat today. This platform is huge, with over 14 billion daily video views.
Create a Snapchat account for your brand, and start posting videos to your story. You can repurpose content from your YouTube or Instagram videos or just take them on your smartphone. Make sure to promote your account on other platforms so that your target audience knows to follow you.
Don’t forget that as a growing business, it’s just not feasible for you to have a strong presence on every single social media account out there—at least not right away. Start by creating a few accounts that make the most sense for you, don’t be afraid to cross-post to multiple networks, and be sure to engage with your followers that engage with your brand. Soon, you’ll start seeing more and more traffic to your website, and people will trust your brand enough to make a purchase!
Hi! I’m Jennie.
Thank you for visiting my blog! I write about marketing tips for small businesses and how to succeed as a female professional. I write from experience about the things that I love.