Key Questions to Consider Before Joining a Social Network

For small and large businesses alike, the limitless potential social media holds can be a double-edged sword. Billions of people from all backgrounds glued to their social accounts on a 24/7 basis, just waiting to be engaged and influenced by brands like yours.

All well and good, but where on Earth do you even start?

No business can realistically afford to spread itself with even effectiveness across all social networks. There are just too many of them, and the whole thing would be far too time-consuming.

 

Instead, therefore, it is a case of considering which social networks are likely to work best for your business. Something that can be surprisingly simple to figure out, after considering the following five questions:

1. What is your main motivation for choosing this platform?

This will instantly help you narrow things down, as you need to consider your motivations carefully. Are you considering joining a social network because it is popular, trendy and has a massive global audience? Or are you doing so because the platform could genuinely support the mission and objectives of your business? Be where the temptation to bandwagon-hop where social networking is concerned, as it often paves the way for wasted time and money.

2. Do you have the resources?

You also need to consider carefully whether you have the resources you will need to run a viable campaign on the platform in question. It’s important to remember that the content creation process on platforms like TikTok is completely different to that of Facebook or Twitter. You may have your needs covered comfortably for your current social requirements, but do you have the resources to branch out into new territory?

3. Are your customers using this platform?

A little research is all it takes to discover exactly who is using which platforms, and for what reasons. Depending on the age, location, preferences and even income level of those you are targeting, some platforms could be entirely more suitable than others. For a good indication of where your audience is, take a look at the platforms your biggest (and most successful) competitors are focusing their efforts on.

4. Who will oversee the project?

Two options here – one being to handle things in-house, the other being to outsource. Of course, you’ll need to be involved in your own social media efforts to at least some extent, due to the nature of the beast. They want to see you, talk to you, hear about you and connect with you – not with an unrelated third party. Even so, outsourcing at least some of your social media marketing activities could help you get the most out of your project.

5. What are our specific goals for this initiative?

Last up, a social network selection should be based primarily on your brand’s broader goals and objectives. Are you looking to generate leads, get new customers on board, boost your brand image and reputation, sell more products, diversify into new markets, or simply build better customer relationships? Some platforms are better than others at helping businesses achieve these and other goals, so consider your selection wisely.

How to Turbocharge Your TikTok Strategy

 By early 2019, TikTok had already chalked up more than a billion downloads from the world’s two biggest app stores. Today, it’s the number-one social media app on both by a clear margin.

TikTok is renowned for its viral marketing potential, attracting the attention of small and large businesses from all over the world. But with such a frenzy of competition from all corners, running a successful TikTok strategy is far from a cakewalk.

Ultimately, it is the quality and relevance of the content you publish that will determine the outcome. Other than this, the following tips and guidelines could help you take your TikTok strategy to the next level:

#1 Use the Right Hashtags

The hashtags you attach to your videos will play a major role in determining which viewers are sent your way. Your job is to find the right hashtags to represent your content - i.e. those that are both relevant and trending at the time. Avoid the temptation to overuse hashtags, or use those of questionable relevance to your content. Tactics like these will only ever prove counterproductive.

#2 Research Your Audience Continuously

The key word here is ‘continuously’, given how the preferences and habits of all social media audiences are constantly shifting. Irrespective of who you are targeting on TikTok, you need to develop the deepest possible understanding of them. Never view audience research as a one-time-only task, but as a continuous and cyclical process.

#3 Keep it Casual

TikTok is not the platform people head to for anything too serious. Instead, it’s with a head for cheap laughs and casual entertainment. Keeping things casual and light-hearted is therefore the way to go. Unless, of course, doing so would be inappropriate for the topic/video in question.

#4 Keep it Concise

Likewise, TikTok is also not the kind of place people go for long-form content. Instead, it is where they head with instant gratification in mind. The most engaging and shareable videos on TikTok are those that get the job done in a matter of seconds. The quicker you can get your point across and hook the viewer, the better.

#5 Prioritise Authenticity

Avoid the temptation to jump on every bandwagon that comes along, simply because it is trending at the time. Everything you share on TikTok needs to be authentic for your brand and relevant to your audience. Or in other words, be true to the genuine voice and personality of your brand, rather than putting on a façade in hope of influencing TikTok audiences.

#6 Reach Out to Influencers

Last up, even a brief mention from an established influencer can be all it takes to hit the big time. However, influencers are not in the habit of chasing down potential partners to recommend and represent. If you want to get influencers on board - which you should - you need to do the legwork and outreach.

Get Social-able With Your Online Marketing

So after all the hype, the concept of ‘web 2.0’ and the promise of a more ‘social’ focus on the internet now has its feet firmly under the table. Social media, driven by the relentless expansion of heavyweights Facebook and Twitter has exploded.

So much so, they, along with platforms such as Youtube, Wikkipedia, Flickr and many others can become the foundational basis of a company’s online drive. It’s no longer just about a good service and functioning website. As a firm, the world expects you to interact with them and, perish the thought, even be interesting.

Just look at the some of the statistics of the growth of social media over the past 4 years. It makes quite astonishing reading.

Facebook for instance, plodded along for a year or so before in early 2007 the uptake of new users positively burst into life turning it into a global phenomenon. Nowadays the social networking giant boasts some 750 million (as of July 2011) active users worldwide. Of which, an impressive percentage log-on to get their fix at least once a day.

While Twitter, can boast nearly 100 million tweets per day from its dedicated bank of registered users of some 180 million. Now they’re impressive numbers, and self evidence why social media, and Twitter in particular are invaluable ways to interact with your market/audience and release company information, such as new products, promotions or services.

The next 12 months show every sign of being even bigger in terms of growth. Facebook has recently rolled out the latest iteration of its layout and news feed, while the industry gets excited about the imminent arrival of ‘facebook timeline’ (a direct response to Google’s fledgling Google+ social network service) which promises an all-new way to showcase your personality in cyber space.

One thing’s for sure, your company needs to be part of this revolution. If you don’t have the marketing set-up to develop a sufficient online model in-house, then a search marketing consultant is what you will need to take full advantage. Before you know it, your business will have the Facebookers and Twitterati that matter unable to stop trending about your company.