Social media is not an option for businesses today. Consumers want to be engaged with brands and help to co-create them. Studies have shown that consumer engagement leads to enhanced customer loyalty, satisfaction, connection, emotional bonding, trust and commitment.
With so many social channels available nowadays it can be overwhelming trying to decipher what to post, where to post, and when to post. Let Broadreach take the lead and make your company a “post-er” child.
First, your social media platforms will vary depending on who your target audience is. Yet, make no mistake that it is better to have too much presence than not enough. Here are posting suggestions for the big four.
Where to post:
Facebook. If you haven’t heard, everybody and their mother uses Facebook. In fact, 76% of Facebookers use the site daily, and there are nearly 2 billion users worldwide, this is a huge potential audience. Facebook is a machine in online consumer marketing. If you adopt nothing else in the world of social media, a manicured Facebook page is a must.
Instagram. Pictures are worth a thousand words. 60% of Instagram users are 18-29, even if this isn’t your target demographic, Instagram is a great way to engage consumers visually and cut through unnecessary written content. In fact, Instagram drives more engaged traffic than other visual social content from YouTube or Pinterest.
Twitter. This platform is geared towards traditionally younger users, but the platform is composed of a wide demographic with an average user age of 37. It mirrors Facebook in a gender distribution of 40% males to 60% females. Aside from connecting with users, Twitter can help you keep up with the latest trends in your industry and provide instant feedback on products and services.
LinkedIn. This is regarded as a professional network. LinkedIn is the social media choice for business professionals and businesses alike. The platform follows a business-to-business marketing structure, as compared with the business-to-consumer likes of Facebook. This platform is generally more polished than the other social media platforms.
What to post:
All these platforms can be linked together or to your website to ensure a consistent social feed, although if you don’t know what to post, what’s the point? Research shows that “liked” brands tend to be expressive of the consumer’s inner or social self. Individuals who engage with inner self-expressive brands are more likely to offer positive word-of-mouth feedback for that brand. If you haven’t already heard, positive word-of-mouth references are the strongest indicator of purchase intentions.
Other studies have shown that some social media aspects trigger convenience and product selection, as well as adventure and entertainment motivations, which have been known to impact consumer intentions to browse brands on social media. This increase in browsing has been linked to consumer purchasing and word-of-mouth intention.
Long story short, you need to generate content that is both relatable and interesting to your target audience. If you’re looking to strike up a conversation, try LinkedIn for thought-provoking content and idea sharing. If you’re trying to show off your new product, snap a photo and get creative with the latest hashtags on Instagram.
When to post:
Social media can be tricky, especially when it comes to nailing down the right time to launch your picture-perfect post.
Recent studies suggest that social platforms designed for both mobile and desktop use, such as Facebook, are more likely to get consistent around the clock views. However, studies show that the highest engagement for these platforms occur on the weekends, with the most clicks occurring around 3pm.
If you’d rather tweet, consider posting on the weekends as well, but don’t overlook posting during popular browsing times such as commutes and downtime. On the other hand, if you’re trying to get in tune with the business crowd on LinkedIn, avoid weekends and engage your audience before and after traditional work hours.
Sounds overwhelming, right? Not with Broadeach. We have your back for social media management. Let us take the helm and create the perfect posting plan for your business needs today.
— by Destinee Cyr, 2017-2018 Broadreach Public Relations Apprentice
