Is Social Media the New Search Engine?
Did you know that 40% of Gen Z use social media for search rather than a search engine, according to research done by Google? So, when a group of Gen Z’ers are looking for a local restaurant they just hop on Instagram or TikTok to see what content has been shared locally by other people. This can be done through geotagging or hashtags, where users can now search for location & hashtags as well as general keywords. And now with the ecommerce shopping that is available through social media, it’s making it the best way for people to discover new products/services that they find valuable to fit their tastes.
Did you know that 40% of Gen Z use social media for search rather than a search engine, according to research done by Google? So, when a group of Gen Z’ers are looking for a local restaurant they just hop on Instagram or TikTok to see what content has been shared locally by other people. This can be done through geotagging or hashtags, where users can now search for location & hashtags as well as general keywords. And now with the ecommerce shopping that is available through social media, it’s making it the best way for people to discover new products/services that they find valuable to fit their tastes. One can merely search for a bathing suit and see the possibilities on content creators they may follow and trust. 83% of Instagram users say they discover new products and services this way (Search Engine Journal). This interactive word of mouth (WOM) marketing is going a long way and it seems that this will be the search engine of the future. People want to be engaged. They want to buy from brands that they trust through word of mouth reviews by real people. UGC Hint Hint. If this is going to be the new Google, then brands on social media have to make sure that they’re optimizing their page for social media searches. SEO but for social media. Here are some of the best ways to ensure that happens.
Use keywords from your field and use them in your description in the profile
Use in the name line
Choose videos/photos that match the keywords
Hashtags are NOT a search ranking factor (except for reels)
Use keywords here as well
Make sure hashtags are relevant
Combine well-known and niche hashtags
Use keywords in the captions of your posts
Use reels & carousels
This will increase reach
Aside from keywords improving your visibility it will also help you understand your audience better, grow your following, increase sales and engagement. The more people engage with your brand in real life with positive experiences, the more they will share you through social media channels. People love to share their likes and dislikes on social media platforms. Since this is the new word of mouth, it is going to be the future of online searching.
Not So Social, Social Media: Pay to Play is Coming
The blue check verification has been like the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Everyone wants to get their hands on it, but not everyone can get it. The point of having this is so that your account is less likely to be hacked or copied. And… if you’re a business or content creator can also be seen as a status symbol. This is good for those with larger followings but doesn’t really matter for the lay person who uses social media to connect with friends and family.
The blue check verification has been like the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Everyone wants to get their hands on it, but not everyone can get it. The point of having this is so that your account is less likely to be hacked or copied. And… if you’re a business or content creator can also be seen as a status symbol. This is good for those with larger followings but doesn’t really matter for the lay person who uses social media to connect with friends and family. Recently, Elon Musk has announced that it will be offering Twitter Blue subscription from$5-$8 per month that offers subscribers the coveted blue check mark. Meta followed suit and is trying this out in Australia and New Zealand. Two-factor authentication will be removed from those that don’t subscribe and that leaves room for some angry users. This increases the chances of their accounts being hacked and raises security concerns for typical users. Subscribers will also receive increased visibility. This will blur the line of whether we see content from the algorithm or because those accounts paid for it. Good for content creators and business owners. Not so much for everyday users. “Nearly 1/5 of U.S. teens and adults experienced their social media accounts getting hacked within the first three months of 2022,” according to Time magazine. Social media will now be become a space of pay-to-play, where those that have privilege will have the better hand dealt. This will not only continue to increase the gap between lower and upper social classes, it will further perpetuate suppression of those groups that are underserved.
Social Media Advertising
At this point, you should know the benefits of social media marketing. There are billions of people on social media platforms. That’s billions of potential customers just waiting to be tapped into. Your brand can use data from users to target a certain customer demographic when using social media ads and track ROI directly. Here are some tips to get the best bang for your buck on social media ads.
At this point, you should know the benefits of social media marketing. There are billions of people on social media platforms. That’s billions of potential customers just waiting to be tapped into. Your brand can use data from users to target a certain customer demographic when using social media ads and track ROI directly. Here are some tips to get the best bang for your buck on social media ads.
Know your audience. Who is your target audience? This is important to know and chances are if you’re brand is on social media, you already know which channels are relevant for you. Here is a quick breakdown of who hangs out where in terms of social media channels.
Facebook tends to be more boomers as well as the age range from 25-34
YouTube is age 18-35 with emphasis on video content (that should be a no brainer).
Instagram is age 18-34 and Millennial dominant.
Twitter age 25-49 that is dominated by the educated and the wealthy.
LinkedIn is age 46-55 and predominantly for working professionals.
TikTok age 10-19 and predominantly female.
SnapChat ages 13-17, 25-34 but dominated by teens.
Know your objective. It’s important to know what your social ad objective are.
Are you looking to increase your brand awareness?
Are you trying to increase your reach?
Are you trying to tap into new audiences?
Are you looking for more engagement?
Looking to generate more leads?
Use organic posts to inform. Use current posts to see what it is that your followers like to see. Which ones got high engagement? Which one got a lot of likes?
Measure results. Use the insights from your advertisements. Who is seeing them? How is the response? Which ones did the best and look at the times they went out. This can help you make real time adjustments. This will also show which ones are not working.
Social media can be a great tool for your brand. Not only can it generate new business, it can help you understand your audience as well.
Best Social Media Sites for Video Content 2022
Over 58.7% of the global population is on social media and uses it as their primary source of information. That’s roughly around 4.65 billion people. When it comes to social media marketing though, a one size fits all approach does not work. It’s important to know which audience hangs out where so you can know what kind of video content to make and where to put it.
Over 58.7% of the global population is on social media and uses it as their primary source of information. That’s roughly around 4.65 billion people. When it comes to social media marketing though, a one size fits all approach does not work. It’s important to know which audience hangs out where so you can know what kind of video content to make and where to put it. According to a HubSpot survey, YouTube is still in the lead with 35% of people watching social media videos. This is followed by Facebook, TikTok, Other and Instagram. TikTok is on the rise as it now surpasses Instagram but this is just according to one small survey done through HubSpot. Other sites show different data. So, who’s right? Who’s wrong? Well, they’re both right. It all depends on who your survey group is. Different groups that are different ages or from different regions will alter the results. The real take away here is that you make sure to market and advertise over a range of platforms, young and older. As social media evolves, so will the need to change strategies.
Instagram’s Nudge Feature
Instagram’s new(ish) nudge feature “is designed to encourage teens to discover something new and excludes certain topics that may be associated with appearance comparison,” according to The Verge. This is a serious step in the right direction since the Facebook whistle-blower, Frances Haugen, outed them for choosing profit over safety back in 2021. The trial that took place revealed documents of internal research studies resulting in data that it negatively impacts young users. Specifically, the negative impacts on teenage girls who see constant images of ideal bodies and how teens felt addicted to the platform. An external study showed that “58.2% of people agreed that these new nudges made their social media experience better.” This is step in the right direction in helping guide young women away from negative body imaging.
Social Media Mistakes to Avoid
We’ve all posted that low quality video that got very little love and immediately regretted it. Maybe even taken it down shortly after the fact. We know we’ve done this. There are a few major pitfalls to avoid when attempting to optimize your social media channels. We’re only going to focus on Instagram for the purpose of this article.
We’ve all posted that low quality video that got very little love and immediately regretted it. Maybe even taken it down shortly after the fact. We know we’ve done this. There are a few major pitfalls to avoid when attempting to optimize your social media channels. We’re only going to focus on Instagram for the purpose of this article.
1. Low quality videos. This goes for really any channel. A low-quality video is a sure way to get low engagement.
2. Missing out on live streaming. This new, powerful tool is a great way to engage your audience in real time. This helps you get feedback immediately.
3. Uploading videos with TikTok watermark. Don’t recycle your videos. Or anyone else’s for that matter. Always upload the original video without the watermark logo if you decide the video is worthy of a double share.
4. Skipping out on the bio. This is where you can increase your discoverability. Linktree can help you add multiple links to your bio if needed.
5. Having a personal or private account. I think the reason for this speaks for itself. If you’re a brand you must have a business account in order to see your metrics.
6. Buying followers. Although it may be tempting, buying followers is a hollow purchase. These followers are often bot accounts that won’t engage with your content.
7. Skipping the opportunity of a great caption. Just as when writing a good article, it’s important to have a good caption to hook your user’s attention and can offer more context for your amazing posts.
We love social media and the engagement it creates between brands and consumers. It’s something that brands were unable to do in such a way prior to. With social media, a brand’s audience can connect with them on a deeper level through engaging with their posts, sharing and saving them. It also gives brands an idea of what their audience likes to see versus what they don’t. it’s a great tool for content marketing so making sure that you are doing all the rights things is pivotal. Social media is something that we specialize in when it comes to sourcing user generated content for campaigns so we’ve seen the benefits of it for brands first hand.