2015 Social Media Checklist
We're a week into the New Year, but it's certainly not too late to make some resolutions. In the social media world, things are changing. In fact, they're always changing and it's important to keep up.
Luckily, we have made it easy for you. Here's a list of 8 social media strategies to incorporate in 2015:
This may seem vague, but that's because it is. Content can come in a variety of forms. Podcasts, infographics, blog posts, videos, and slideshares are just a few examples. The point you need to remember is that brands need to act more like publishers on social media in 2015. The more you relate to your audience and provide them with relevant, valuable information, the more they will engage and show loyalty to your brand.
Slideshare, specifically, seems to be an up-and-coming social platform, especially for B2B companies. It offers and easy and effective way to create and distribute content.
Launched only four years ago, Instagram has exploded onto the social media scene and has now reached over 1 Billion monthly active users. Its success has shown that people are more responsive to visual content. Brands of all sizes have started the Instagram marketing journey and if you haven't, jump on that bandwagon in 2015.
Like Instagram, Pinterest is also a place where visual content thrives and people search for ideas and inspiration. It has gone from a niche platform for artsy women to a platform for all demographics with information on just about everything. It also has shown to be powerful in Google search results and in 2015, Pinterest has made Promoted Pins available to all advertisers for the first time.
This is especially important on Facebook. With more companies seeing a decreased organic reach, Facebook's answer? Pay for advertising. The options within paid advertising schemes are also becoming more advanced, you can better target specific consumers, and many times it's simply more effective.
In 2014, we saw Facebook surpass YouTube for desktop video views for the first time. While YouTube is definitely still important, other social networks (Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter) have embraced video wholeheartedly. Brands can create their own video episodes, answer questions, give inside looks, and convey information in an appealing way by publishing more videos.
In addition, video also allows brands to be candid and transparent. You will be amazed at how popular a short, yet insightful video hosted on Instagram or Vine can be to your followers. There's no excuse for brands not to produce video as you no longer need thousands of dollars worth of video equipment anymore, rather maybe just a smartphone.
One of the best ways to get your followers to participate on one of your social networks is to create a contest. Give something away, promote a charity, or maybe just build comradery around a hashtag.
Hashtag activism and communities that collaborated using a single hashtag hit an all-time high in 2014. We don't expect that trend to decline in 2015. This is a great way to connect conversations across Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, Google+, and Instagram and it's a great way to get your followers to do the work for you.
Set benchmarks, record data, and ask yourself if the metrics you're using to measure social media success are actually doing something for your business. Find some new tools to measure your social networks and make adjustments based upon your findings.
Finally, don't ever stop learning and progressing. We believe that you can count on these strategies 100 percent in 2015. However, in a few months there will be a new list of predictions and ideas to incorporate as the social media world is always changing and evolving.
Do you need team of professionals to implement these strategies, stay ahead of the curve, and grow your brand on social media for you? Contact us here or call Thoughtwire at 800-367-2570.
Luckily, we have made it easy for you. Here's a list of 8 social media strategies to incorporate in 2015:
1. Create Content
This may seem vague, but that's because it is. Content can come in a variety of forms. Podcasts, infographics, blog posts, videos, and slideshares are just a few examples. The point you need to remember is that brands need to act more like publishers on social media in 2015. The more you relate to your audience and provide them with relevant, valuable information, the more they will engage and show loyalty to your brand.
Slideshare, specifically, seems to be an up-and-coming social platform, especially for B2B companies. It offers and easy and effective way to create and distribute content.
2. Get on Instagram
Launched only four years ago, Instagram has exploded onto the social media scene and has now reached over 1 Billion monthly active users. Its success has shown that people are more responsive to visual content. Brands of all sizes have started the Instagram marketing journey and if you haven't, jump on that bandwagon in 2015.
3. Get on Pinterest
Like Instagram, Pinterest is also a place where visual content thrives and people search for ideas and inspiration. It has gone from a niche platform for artsy women to a platform for all demographics with information on just about everything. It also has shown to be powerful in Google search results and in 2015, Pinterest has made Promoted Pins available to all advertisers for the first time.
4. Give Paid Advertising a Shot
This is especially important on Facebook. With more companies seeing a decreased organic reach, Facebook's answer? Pay for advertising. The options within paid advertising schemes are also becoming more advanced, you can better target specific consumers, and many times it's simply more effective.
5. Create more Video
In 2014, we saw Facebook surpass YouTube for desktop video views for the first time. While YouTube is definitely still important, other social networks (Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter) have embraced video wholeheartedly. Brands can create their own video episodes, answer questions, give inside looks, and convey information in an appealing way by publishing more videos.
In addition, video also allows brands to be candid and transparent. You will be amazed at how popular a short, yet insightful video hosted on Instagram or Vine can be to your followers. There's no excuse for brands not to produce video as you no longer need thousands of dollars worth of video equipment anymore, rather maybe just a smartphone.
6. Run a Contest - Create a Hashtag
One of the best ways to get your followers to participate on one of your social networks is to create a contest. Give something away, promote a charity, or maybe just build comradery around a hashtag.
Hashtag activism and communities that collaborated using a single hashtag hit an all-time high in 2014. We don't expect that trend to decline in 2015. This is a great way to connect conversations across Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, Google+, and Instagram and it's a great way to get your followers to do the work for you.
7. Analyze Deeper
Set benchmarks, record data, and ask yourself if the metrics you're using to measure social media success are actually doing something for your business. Find some new tools to measure your social networks and make adjustments based upon your findings.
8. Keep Learning
Finally, don't ever stop learning and progressing. We believe that you can count on these strategies 100 percent in 2015. However, in a few months there will be a new list of predictions and ideas to incorporate as the social media world is always changing and evolving.
Do you need team of professionals to implement these strategies, stay ahead of the curve, and grow your brand on social media for you? Contact us here or call Thoughtwire at 800-367-2570.
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