To give you some context into the juggernaut that is social media:

  • Current world population = 7.7 billion people
  • People with access to the Internet = 4.4 billion 
  • Approximately 2.77 billion use social media in 2019 and that's expected to rise to 3.02 billion by 2021
Social-Media-Users

That is 36 per cent of the entire world's population and 63 per cent of all internet users on social m edia.

The average person spends almost 4 hours per day on their phone and one study has shown that almost half of that time is spent on any social media apps or websites. That amounts to an entire day per week that we are awake, spent on social media. Those are some insane numbers and scary insight into the world's obsession with sharing their daily breakfast and playing Farmville.

 

People are so addicted that a phobia has been coined for it. Nomophobia is the fear of being without your mobile or not being able to use it. Can you imagine how laughable this concept would have been in the 90s? Fear of being without your 1kg brick.

 

It's no wonder marketers from around the globe hail social media as one of the most effective tools in their content marketing arsenal, however, to be successful, due to the sheer amount of options nowadays it's important to understand your target audience and their social media habits.

 

To give you an understanding of just how many social networks exist, many but not all are represented in the Conversation Prism below.

 

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Social media marketing is best described as creating tailored content for each individual social media platform in order to drive engagement, reach and sharing with your target audience.

 

To break that down, your content should be tailored for each social media platform to give it the best chance of success. Text in the form of a blog wouldn't succeed on a video-sharing platform such as Youtube and your live stream won't work on Wikipedia.

 

For every social media campaign and strategy the goal will differ however part of it will always be to have your content seen. Your content should drive engagement and extend your brands reach by having users sharing that content.

 

With so many social media platforms to choose from, how do you know which is the right one for you? Once you've worked that out, how do you know which content will perform the best? Check out our list below that gives a brief outline of the top platforms and the types of content to use.

 

Read our complete guide to Social Media Marketing here!

 

Facebook

Facebook should be the bread and butter of most businesses. There is approximately 2.38 billion monthly active users as of April 2019, if you can't find a single member of your audience on Facebook you're running in a serious niche market.

Facebook is best used as the social home for your business online. Customers can interact with you directly via chat, leave comments on your posts or share your valuable content. It's important to keep your Facebook page up to date with a variety of content and to engage with your customers when appropriate.

 

Content Best For Facebook

  • Video content
  • Gifs
  • Questions/polls
  • Photos
  • Offers and deals
  • Share blog and news articles
  • Real-time stories
  • Automated Messenger chatbots
  • User-generated content

 

Top Brands To Check Out On Facebook

Learn more with your guide to Facebook advertising here.

 

YouTube

Youtube isn't just for viral videos of cats or Justin Bieber video clips. Boasting 1.9 billion active users monthly it is the second most active social media channel. Youtube is the place to post longer videos you couldn't post elsewhere.

While it is no easy feat to go viral overnight, if you are lucky enough and your content is original, Youtube will pay you royalties as compensation for your views. Not only are you spreading brand awareness but you'd getting paid to do so - you beauty!


It's important to understand what type of video content your audience engages with, no point posting makeup tutorials if you're a car repair mechanic however "how to change your car tyre" would be a much more suiting tutorial.

 

Content Best For Youtube

  • Tutorials/How to's
  • Live streams
  • Compilations
  • Vlogging
  • Music videos
  • Pranks and comedy videos

 

Top Brands To Check Out On Youtube

Learn about the different types of Youtube Advertising here.

 

Instagram

With 1 billion monthly active users on Instagram it comes in at number 3 of the most used social media platforms.

Instagram is predominantly for imagery and video. While you can post large captions on your content we wouldn't recommend writing 1,000 word essays under every post. Who's got the time or eye sight to read ridiculously long captions on Instagram? Half the time I've barely seen the image and I've already liked it or scrolled past. 

 

Use Instagram as a tool to give your brand personality, show your product in real life and tell captivating stories using content to engage with your followers.

 

Content Best for Instagram

  • Still images
  • Video
  • Tutorials/Live video
  • Real-time stories
  • Highlight stories on your profile
  • Boomerangs - Either story or as a post

 

Top Brands To Check Out On Instagram

Learn more and get #instagood at Instagram here. 

 

Twitter

Twitter is the perfect platform for real-time content and engaging in conversations with people on a global scale. Tweets are immediate and are restricted to 280 characters which actually isn't a bad thing. It means you can have quick and simple conversations rather than getting bogged down in word heavy content.

Twitter is a place for opinions, not sales pitches. People want to engage with brands, not be sold something so start meaningful conversations with your followers if you want to see success. Be sure to include hashtags so likeminded people can find your content.

 

Which brands do Twitter the best?

Best Content For Twitter

  • Text - jokes, stories or conversation starters (limited to 280 characters)
  • Images/gifs
  • Questions/polls
  • Live blogging and commentary of an event

 

Top Brands To Check Out On Twitter

Learn the basics of Twitter advertising here.

 

LinkedIn

LinkedIn is social media for professional, it's where white-collar professionals share their wins, knowledge, job opportunities and network with other professionals.

It's not the place to post pictures of your cats new haircut but it is the place to post knowledgeable articles on the state of pet haircut profits in 2019 (if that is weirdly part of your business). It's The Financial Review of the social media world and like the newspaper, your content should be more formal than what you'd share on Twitter or Facebook.

 

Best Content For LinkedIn

  • Contract wins for your business - awards nights etc
  • Big moments in your industry - trade shows etc
  • Job offerings
  • Informative articles and blogs

 

Top Brands & People To Check Out On LinkedIn

Learn the professional world of LinkedIn advertising here.

 

If your content engages with your audience you're on the right path but that doesn't mean you can just shut up shop. Social media marketing takes time, planning and patience. Posting for the sake of it is not effective marketing, keeping your content relevant and posting at appropriate times are the key to a successful plan.

If you're new to the world of social media marketing or wish to learn how your business can capitalise one the worlds most popular technology, get in contact with Neighbourhood today.

 

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