It's no secret that social media marketing, along with other digital channels, is often placed at the bottom of the priority list when it comes to budget allocation. Companies tend to push most of their funds to traditional forms of advertising and spend much less on social media campaigns.
However, few realize social media is actually one of the most cost-effective forms of marketing available today. Not only does social have some of the most active users of any medium (according to Hootsuite, 76.1% of North Americans are active social media users), but social media marketing is highly trackable and often much more cost-effective than other known channels.
If you're ready to enter your next budget discussion armed with facts, figures, and cost savings, here are some of the key social media marketing cost points you should wield.
While social media isn't always the ideal platform for a direct sale, it's proven incredibly successful as an awareness tool. It's also the perfect place to build brand loyalty, which can be far more valuable than a single, one-time purchase.
Data shows that 75% of internet users globally use social media to find out more about brands. Having a social presence gives customers something to interact with, offers a sense of community, and creates opportunities to build relationships.
Social media can also create brand evangelists – customers who were so pleased with the experience that they tell their friends about it, thus creating more potential customers.
Compared to other digital paid advertising tools, social media advertising has the highest level of customization and optimization capabilities. You can quickly adjust targeting and budget parameters, target different social media platforms, track results in real time, and get detailed insights about your audience.
Even with new regulations around data collection, and the dawn of the cookieless future, social media advertising still has deeper data, better insights, and more cost-effective solutions than other traditional digital advertising platforms. With ongoing optimization of social ads, companies can save money while increasing their return on investment (ROI).
Unlike other advertising formats, social media users are highly engaged. Just think about the social networks that you use – chances are, there is something you’re interacting with every day.
Consider these stats from the Hootsuite Global State of Digital 2022 Report:
With this many eyes on social media platforms, brands who fail to capitalize on social media are alienating themselves from a massive audience. Not to mention, passive efforts fade into the backdrop against competitors who put in the effort.
Organic social media is the perfect place to experiment with fresh tactics and campaigns, giving you space to be creative. Why silo your best ideas, when social media allows you to maximize their potential?
For example, social media is a great place to test copy tweaks, creative variations, and even visuals. For paid campaigns, platforms like Facebook make it easy to A/B test ads, giving you valuable insights into what works and what doesn’t.
Remember: people who follow you on social opted in for this, if they don’t like your ideas, who would?
Compared to other digital marketing strategies, social media can be surprisingly affordable. You don’t pay for assets like hosting or a website, and social media platforms have some of the lowest cost-per-click rates (CPC) available.
For example:By contrast, a 30-second TV commercial can cost around $115,000 on a national channel – and that's not even factoring in the cost of producing the commercial itself. Not to mention, this cost won’t even get your ad in front of a global audience.
Unlike traditional advertising, social media marketing enables you to make quick changes and pivot in real-time, without incurring additional costs or breaking contracts. You can quickly launch a new ad campaign with different messaging, creative, objectives, and budget without having to print materials or pay for run times ahead of schedule.
This flexibility becomes especially important when considering testing variables to see what resonates best with your target audience. For example, if you want to know if your audience responds better to an ad with animals in it rather than humans, you can run two ad types on Facebook and Instagram and gather data to prove your theory.
Running the same test on a television ad would require producing two different commercials and paying double for air time!
Now that the cost of social media marketing is more apparent, how do you prepare for conversations with your Marketing VP or other stakeholders? First and foremost, it helps to come armed with data, metrics, and competitor benchmarks. You should also consider showing how social media marketing compares cost-wise to other channels to help demonstrate its value.
Additionally, you can help your Marketing VP understand the long-term potential for social media marketing. Social media platforms give digital marketers an opportunity to reach new audiences and acquire leads with minimal costs. Plus, detailed tracking, analytics, and social listening tools are now available to help you measure ROI.
There's no doubt that video content is one of the most powerful tools on social media. Data from Instagram found that 91% of active Instagram users say they watch videos on the platform every week. Google found that 59% of Gen Z use short-form video apps for discovery, and Insider Intelligence reported social video advertising is expected to reach $79.28 billion by 2024.
But video content is also the most challenging and time-consuming to produce. Not only do you have to come up with a concept, but you also need to film, edit, and post your video. Plus, have a strong social media presence to help promote it.
Thankfully, there are plenty of tools out there to help streamline and simplify video content production. Here are a few tips for getting your video content marketing strategy up and running.
While professional video production companies can create high-quality content, not every video needs to have that level of quality. These days, modern mobile phones are capable of capturing high-resolution footage, making it easy for even the most novice of video producers to create content on their own.
Today's audiences are also prioritizing authenticity more than ever before. In fact, a report from Stackla found that 90% of consumers say authenticity is important when deciding which brands to support. Mobile video content produced in-house can capture a level of authenticity and intimacy that is often hard to achieve through expensively produced content. Not to mention, "in the moment" content captures attention more effectively than a highly produced video set.
This may come as a surprise to many, but you don't need to shoot video content to produce compelling videos for your business. Simple tactics like using audio to create video content from photos can be powerful and effective. Animating the photos to the beat of the music can take some time to master, but it is absolutely worth it!
Motion graphics and cinemagraphs can also allow you to create visually stunning videos that can be used on social media, websites, and more. They also provide a unique opportunity to bring a story to life or explain complex concepts in a creative way. Similarly, if you don't have a product or topic that would work on camera, or you're uncomfortable putting someone in front of the camera, motion graphics can help.
Not all of your videos need to be 30 to 60 seconds long. If a video is too long, it can often lose its point and become difficult for the viewer to finish. Video content has the potential to leave a lasting impression on viewers, so focus on making sure that your message is clear and concise.
Consider creating shorter, succinct clips that are 10 seconds or less. You can use these as background for a static text message or add music to create engaging video content. Video loops and slow-motion effects can also help you extend the length of your video, without needing extra footage. Note that using video editing skills to disguise the loop or make it obvious can be beneficial.
Before you start filming any video content, you should have a clear plan in place. Video content should align with your organization’s overall marketing strategy, so think carefully about what message you want to convey and where you want your video to be seen. Every video should contain an element of education or entertainment and must provide value to viewers. You should also make sure all video content is tailored for each placement or platform (like ads vs. feed posts vs. Stories).
Once you know the desired message and placements, create a list of posts and platforms where you want to use the footage. Video content can be used all over the place, not just on social media. Repurpose it for your website, email marketing campaigns, and online ads.
When creating video content, be sure to utilize it both organically and in paid social media advertising. Begin by testing your edited footage with your followers first; if you get good results, refine the post slightly (adding a clear call-to-action or adjusting its length) and use it for paid promotion, as well.
Short videos that do well usually follow a specific format that makes people want to watch them. There are three steps:
First, you need a hook, which is a phrase or action that gets people's attention right away.
Second, you need to make people curious, so they keep watching because they want to see what happens next.
Third, you want to make the video replayable so people will watch it more than once.
As well, take into consideration what your audience wants to see on particular platforms. People use TikTok primarily for funny and entertaining content, and Instagram for sharing more curated photos and videos, while platforms like Facebook and LinkedIn skew more toward educational and professional content. Any video content you create should be tailored to the platform you're using and its associated audience.
Video content marketing doesn't have to be hard. By following these tips, you can create short videos that are highly engaging and shareable.
Video ads should hook users in the first 3 seconds by calling out a problem, solution, or outcome/benefit your consumers are looking for.
The subject of your video content should target a topic your audience cares about. At least, if you want to keep their attention.
Videos should include sound. This could be a voice-over, background music, and even sound effects to keep users engaged for longer so that retention rates remain high.
Videos should also include closed captions if a voice-over is included. It increases accessibility, and also helps boost retention rate (watch time) as humans naturally read words popping up on a screen.
Videos should include a clear and direct call to action at the end of the video (e.g. “Shop now”), and another call to action (if it naturally fits/don’t force it) around 50% through the video (this can be a softer call to action such as “explore our collection”).
Data is the cornerstone of any successful marketing campaign. With the right social media analytics tools, you can measure engagement, predict future trends, and keep up with customer feedback – all essential elements of your wider social media efforts.
Yet, with so many social media analytics tools to choose from, marketers are often left wondering, "Is there one tool to rule them all?"
The simple answer is no (at least, not yet), but that's not to say there isn't the perfect tool for your specific needs. Whether it's Google Analytics (GA), analytics tools of the native platforms (such as Meta and Twitter), or Social Media Management tools like Hootsuite, each has its pros and cons.
Let's break down the best social media analytics tools, what they're good for, and how to use them.
As we said above, there is no one "ultimate" social media analytics tool. Every tool, whether it's Instagram Insights, Hootsuite Analytics, or Google Analytics, has its own strengths and weaknesses.
That's why it's important to know your KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) before committing to a tool. Are you looking to measure traffic, engagement rates, or media costs? All of them? What about conversion rates? Narrowing down which metrics are most important for you is a great first step in the process.
Once you do choose a tool, be sure to avoid mixing and matching data from different sources. This can lead to confusion when it comes time to compare your performance over time and make it difficult to identify trends in the data.
Thankfully, there's no shortage of options for both paid and free social media analytics tools. Here is a breakdown of the pros and cons of some of the most popular tools.
Wait, Google Analytics, for social media? Absolutely. Google Analytics is one of the best ways to track website traffic and ROI from social media campaigns. While native social media analytics tools only tell you how many people clicked on the link, GA lets you track what the user does once they leave social media (behavior on the website, sales conversions, and more).
Another bonus of GA is that it allows you to compare performance from different channels simultaneously. Is organic social traffic more qualified than paid social? Is Twitter bringing more sales than Instagram? Google Analytics answers these questions, allowing you to make smarter strategic decisions.
The downside of using Google Analytics for social media is that it requires a bit more technical know-how and setup. You need to put tracking URLs in place and keep them up to date to get the most accurate data. You also won't be able to see how the content is performing on social media itself – so you'll need an additional tool to track this data.
Social media management tools like Hootsuite, Sprout Social, Later, and Buffer are other options for tracking your social media analytics. These tools are designed to make it easy to manage multiple accounts from one place and schedule content, as well as track metrics like engagement, reach, and impressions.
Here, you can build custom dashboards tailored to your needs. Or, use their pre-existing dashboards if you need a jumping-off point.
Social media management tools also have a very robust metrics library, and you can often use content tagging to filter content and insights even more. They are especially useful for analyzing creative and content strategy and organic social media performance.
The downside of social media management tools is that they can be pricey. Analytics features may even come at an additional cost to your monthly scheduling and publishing software. They also often lack more detailed analytics functionality found on native tools like Meta and Instagram Insights.
For page-level insights, you can use Meta Insights for Facebook and Twitter Analytics for Twitter. Both of these platforms offer broad data on followers and reach across paid and organic content.
Ads Managers like the Facebook Ads Manager and Twitter Ads Manager are useful for detailed analytics on campaign targeting. They also offer extended performance data that can be downloaded as a spreadsheet.
The downside of these tools is that they are incredibly platform-specific, meaning they don’t offer insights beyond the platform itself. For example, they can't tell you how someone interacts with your website once they have clicked through from a social post. Or, for brands with multiple accounts, it’s difficult to compare performance across channels.
As well, many page-level features on Ads Managers show data for paid and organic performance, but it's not easy to filter out the free vs. paid results.
While there are many social media analytics tools available, free and paid, the best way to decide which one is best for you is to assess what your goals are.
In many cases, a combination of tools may be the best option. Native tools simply don't offer the advanced website tracking you get from Google Analytics. Similarly, while tools like Hootsuite offer an extensive suite of social media tools, many businesses find first-party tools offer more comprehensive data.
Some tools, like Supermetrics, combine Google Analytics, Meta, and other data sources in one place. Having a live, custom dashboard that pulls info from these different sources is an easy way to get an up-to-date view of your marketing performance.
The most important thing is that you focus on your KPIs and find the right tools that allow you to track them. This may look different for each campaign or client you work on, so don't be afraid to try new combinations before deciding on the best social media analytics setup for you.
Too many B2B marketers dismiss social media as only for consumer-focused businesses, but that’s simply not true. Social media is a powerful tool for B2B marketers and can be used to build better relationships with customers and prospects, reach a wider audience, build brand awareness, and even generate leads.
Today, 31.3% of global Internet users use the Internet for business-related research, and 22.7% use social for work-related networking and research – and that's not just on LinkedIn. Twitter is the second-largest B2B social media platform according to the Content Marketing Institute, with 82% of B2B brands using the platform. Even Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram have proven themselves as valuable B2B social media platforms.
Here's how to harness B2B social media platforms from the ground up.
Any B2B business can win on social, as long as they start with the right strategy. The key to a good strategy starts with:
Of course, finding out where your target audience hangs out isn't always a cakewalk. You need to do your research:
The great thing about B2B brands is they already collect detailed information on their best customers and prospects. Your CRM data, Google Analytics, and surveys are all great sources of information.
Once you have the who, it's time to focus on the how. B2B audiences are savvy and have high expectations when it comes to the content they engage with. Your messaging should be tailored to your audience, and speak to their specific pain points. In terms of medium and message, B2B strategies should be education-based and focus on video first – although other forms of content can also be useful later on in your funnel.
For example, IBM recently created a social media campaign about the environmental benefits of code. Did you ever consider that code could reduce pollution, protect biodiversity, and improve resource management? Probably not. But now, IBM has a foot-in with a larger swath of environmentally conscious prospects.
Different social media platforms have different uses and audiences. While LinkedIn is the obvious choice as a professional social media platform, don't discount other platforms like Instagram or TikTok. Depending on your target audience and message, those might be the best places to reach them.
Here’s a quick breakdown of a few major platforms:
We also recommend separating professional social media accounts when targeting different verticals, products, and markets. For example, Facebook for news, Twitter or customer service, and LinkedIn for careers and thought leadership.
Many B2B businesses assume that because what they are selling is serious, they have to be serious too. Yet, it's important to remember that behind every B2B sale is an individual—someone who likely has a sense of humor and, at the very least, likes to be entertained.
Don't be afraid to let your brand's personality shine through. Consider adding humor, emojis, and even memes to your content in order to entertain your audience if you think it would be well-received.
Even if your audience expects a more professional tone, be creative with how you delight, inspire, or otherwise bring joy to their day. Consider email marketing platform Mailchimp, whose recent "Guess Less, Sell More" campaign used playful visuals and assets to help small businesses "take the guesswork" out of their email marketing campaigns.
Source: Mailchimp
Remember, your audience will only believe your positioning if you can prove it with your content. Focus on building an authentic presence that sets you apart from the competition.
Love it or hate it, paid social is the best way to reach your audience, and your goals, faster. That said, it's not enough to create a budget and start pumping out ads. B2B paid social media requires in-depth audience data, tailored messaging, and visual content that will knock their quarter-length merino socks off.
If you haven't ventured into the world of paid social just yet, you might be wondering where to start. While LinkedIn is still the best platform for paid B2B advertising, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram aren't all that far behind.
Still, your audience is unique, and so are the ways they interact with social media. While they may love reading your thought leadership links on LinkedIn, they may recoil at a sponsored message in their DM's. Similarly, your B2B audience may take aim at brand messages on Instagram, yet be enthralled by an engaging video ad on Facebook.
The best way to determine which B2B social media strategies work for your audience is to simply experiment. Conduct a comparison of social media platforms and measure the outcome. Which platform do they engage with more? Is there a particular post type that gets better engagement across all of them?
You may find that some B2B social media strategies yield better results than others. Stick with the juicy ones that give you the highest ROI and keep testing other strategies.
Finally, don’t stretch yourself too thin by trying to be everywhere. It’s far better to focus your time and resources on one or two key platforms and do it well than to try and be present on all of them.
B2B brands already know the value of quality over quantity. So, apply that principle to your social media strategy. Ask yourself, where are my efforts most valuable? Which platforms, content, and strategies will make the biggest impact?
If you're working with limited social media resources, focus on content that is already trending with your audience. Were new regulations introduced that affect your industry? Did a competitor recently make a surprising move? Is the economy in flux? Capitalizing on this content can help you make the most out of the platforms you're already on.
Unlike B2C social media, B2B social media strategies are more effective when optimized for the long term. It's unlikely you're going to win a sale from one piece of content, so focus on building relationships, providing value, and increasing brand awareness.
The more you know about your audience the better here. So, consider how you might gather audience data both in and out of social. Are your lead magnets and website forms capturing email data? Are those customers on social media? If so, where? Similarly, how might you track offline conversions and lead those back to your social media profiles?
Just like any sound marketing strategy, it's all connected. Don't be afraid to ask questions, leverage data, and think outside of the box to connect the dots.
The rise of digital video has been unstoppable in recent years. In fact, it’s projected that adults will spend 184 minutes per day watching digital videos by 2026.
While consumers love short-form video content, it's often time-consuming and complicated to create. You've probably heard from your peers that a Reel is just a TikTok, which is really just a YouTube short. So, why are we wasting time creating all of this custom content? Can't we just repurpose this content across platforms?
Unfortunately, no (sorry to burst your bubble). Just because these videos look the same, doesn't mean they perform the same. Plus, different platforms have different needs.
Let's take a closer look at why social media content creation for Reels on Instagram differs from TikTok, YouTube, and the like.
Here are a few things to be aware of if you're repurposing your social media video content across platforms.
First off, social media platforms are in competition with one another and they want to keep their audiences engaged. This means that when you post the exact same content on multiple social media platforms, the platforms recognize this and may suppress the performance of your posts unless you stagger upload times effectively. Yikes.
Additionally, social media platforms have very different age demographics. For example, TikTok tends to skew younger towards a Gen Z demographic. Instagram, on the other hand, finds the majority of its user base in the 25-34-year-old age range.
Content that works for one audience may not work for another. Have you ever asked an elder millennial what "no cap" means? Or asked a Gen Zer to recite the lyrics to an 80s glam-rock song? Yeah, good luck with that.
Ultimately, every content creator wants to go viral. But, not every platform views viral content in the same way. For example:
TikTok’s content is more authentic, raw, and unpolished and relies heavily on shock and awe. While Instagram’s content is elevated, often highly produced even when shot on a phone.
Even if your video goes viral on one platform, don't expect the same success on another social media platform. Though cross-posting an already viral video does help users find that particular content on the platform they are active on.
Finally, let’s look at where both platforms and formats sit within the sales funnel. Video can be used for any stage (Awareness, Consideration, Decision, Adoption, Advocacy) depending on the message, of course. However, it is important to note that not every message is right for both social media platforms.
Instagram Reels can be successful in all stages of the sales funnel. While content needs to be well-produced, it is worth the effort! IG Reels can be a powerful tool for driving consumer engagement (and, therefore, conversions)!
TikTok has potential across the funnel, but its main strength is driving awareness and consideration. While some brands have tapped into its conversion capabilities, this is still in the early stages of development.
We don't want to totally rain on your parade. Content marketing is difficult, expensive, and time-consuming, so it's understandable to want to use the same social media content across platforms. The answer is 'yes,' but with a few caveats.
Video elements such as music and visual effects should be tailored for each social platform. IG Reels and TikTok videos both often use their own specific fonts and motion graphics that users expect to see.
Some social platforms also have different guidelines for content length, quality of sound, and video resolution so you need to make sure that your content meets the necessary requirements for each platform.
Similarly, how you film and edit social media content should be tailored to the respective platforms. While video formats are the same on both TikTok and Instagram (1080×1920 [9:16]) you won't be able to move this content to YouTube without it looking messy.
As well, keep in mind the difference between a content asset and footage. Footage can be repurposed for all social media platforms, but you don’t want to upload the same content asset to every platform. The trick is to know your message, and where you want to upload the video, before you film it. Then, make edits to meet individual platform (and audience) needs.
If you’re unsure what social media content creation works best for your business, the experts at Major Tom are here to help. We’ve seen first-hand how social media content creation can increase brand awareness and help you reach your desired audience – regardless of their platform or preferences.
Don’t believe us? Let the results speak for themselves. Check out how we earned 1 million organic social impressions for Giants of Africa. Or, how we helped Milk Makeup achieve a 158% year-over-year increase in transactions on Facebook, Instagram, and Stories.
Follow these five key social media strategies to help your business succeed this year. Need help getting things off the ground? We'd love to help. Contact us and let's discover the opportunities.
