Let’s be honest; 2020 wasn’t the best year for any of us. It was a challenging year with a lot of change and a lot of hardship. Our lives suddenly went online, and the e-commerce industry began to accelerate at an increasing speed. Luckily 2021 may be our beacon of light. After a tremulous year like 2020, we have become accustomed to this new way of life. 2021 has provided us with the perfect opportunity to start planning for a better year to come. The marketing world has changed dramatically as we enter the new year, and what better time to jumpstart on your social media strategy to get in on a booming industry. To help you get a head start on your social media strategy, here are 5 tips that will step up your business.
What Is a Social Media Strategy?
Before jumping into a strategy, let’s go over the definition. You might’ve heard the word social media strategy about an influencer posting tweets or Instagram photos. That’s a common misconception, and though it is a part of a social media strategy, it is not the whole of it, and it is much more thought-out.
A social media strategy is like a blueprint for your brand. It answers what, when, how, and why for all the content you’re posting on your business’s various pages. Just like there is a strategy for everything we do, a social media strategy is the same. It is an influx of ideas, goals, and a purpose for what you’re posting and creating.
A social media strategy is the backbone of any digital PR Agency. The strategy itself is a vital ingredient that is made up of understanding your audience, knowing what they are looking for, what their needs are in relation to your goals, and how you can attract them to your business.
Once your strategy is in place, consider a social media sharing platform from Greenfly to streamline the posting process.
1. Try Your Hand At Video Content
If you haven’t noticed, video content has blown up this past year, from Instagram adding Reels to Twitter adding Fleets. We can’t forget TikTok, which reigns supreme but could, of course, never top the original video giant YouTube.
All these social sites provide tons of opportunities to add video content to your social strategy and boost your engagement. Began experimenting with the platform you already have an engaged audience on and branch out from there.
If creating video content sounds daunting, know that you can always repurpose your videos from one platform to another. Video content doesn’t always have to be a lot of work and no fun as long as it appeals to your audience.
2. Everyone is Shopping Online
E-Commerce is booming, and though it is under some not-so-great circumstances, it has proved to be a safer and more comfortable way of shopping. We were already familiar with brands like Amazon, Whole Foods, and Walmart who began letting customers buy groceries online and have them delivered to their doorstep.
It seems everyone has joined the game, from Instagrams Reels Shopping and Live Shopping to TikTok’s partnership with Shopify.
Not only is this excellent news for a multitude of well-known businesses, but it is a huge benefit for small businesses around the world. With a digital storefront, they can see revenue coming in amid a global pandemic.
If you haven’t already, take that step to optimize your social media profiles and cut out the menial steps like a customer starting on social media then ending on your online store. These days, they can simply tap on a product in a picture on Instagram and make a purchase without ever leaving the app.
Here’s an example of a jewelry brand that uses IG to advertise products:
3. Don’t Be Afraid to Collaborate
The best part about a social media strategy is the ability to connect with people all over the world. Not only can we gain an audience from a diverse range of people, but we can build communities with them.
This is where collaboration comes in. If there’s a business within your niche that you’re interested in or a like-minded one, take a leap and reach out. Collaborations don’t always have to be sponsored posts from high-end brands. They can be giveaways or a collaboration on a video or social media platform.
Check out this Instagram collab giveaway:
4. Get Personal
People love knowing that there’s a real person behind the screen. If you’re guilty of hiding behind your work and solely being a service-based business owner, it’s time to get in front of the camera.
Talk to your audience about daily life and get personal about your business and yourself. Share thoughts on how you might be feeling down or how self-care is essential to our wellbeing. Show the people that there is a real person behind the business.
5. Memes, Memes, and More Memes
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you know the effect meme culture has on social media. To put it simply, everyone loves memes.
In the midst of a global pandemic, memes have provided the comic relief we need after seeing Covid-19 news everywhere we turn. The best of memes are shared with friends and family and reposted on various social media platforms, gaining traction. Therefore, brands have taken the initiative to jump on memes to grow audiences and boost engagement, and you can too.
Create a meme specific to your brand. It might take a while to come up with an original, but it will be worthed when you realize its potential to go viral.
Take a look at how popular snack brand SlimJim is in on the game:
Conclusion
Now that you know how to get ahead of the game this year, it’s time to implement these ideas. Create a social media strategy, set some goals and chase them. Dream big because anything is possible with the power of social media. 2021 is here to make those dreams a reality. And who knows? You just might create the next viral meme.
