Welcome, 2020!
As we look ahead and aim for a successful year online and in inboxes, here are five strategies that companies will need if they are to dominate social media marketing in 2020.
- Embrace multi-platform social marketing
This is the year to cast your net wider, reach more prospective clients, and engage with new followers. Thanks to the multitude of social media platforms at your fingertips, you can.
But don’t automatically cross-post on each platform. Your audience varies and the delivery of your message does as well. What works on Facebook may not on Instagram or Twitter. Additionally, captions or cutlines have different lengths, so your message may literally get lost. Take the time to tailor content to the platform and your audience will notice.
When you optimize content for each platform you’re content takes on a more professional look and can more easily reach the right people. Things to keep in mind: when you post, caption or cutline adjustments, image sizes, and how often you post. All of these contribute to your social media marketing success.
- Invest in visual
Compelling visuals grab attention, spread a message, and are easily shareable. This year, how can you kick your visuals up a notch?
Even if you don’t have a big budget, it’s possible to make a little go a long way with help from design tools like Canva, which have a free and a premium subscription option. Or, if you are already using such programs, maybe it’s time to see what can happen if you allocate time for a special project with a videographer or professional graphic designer.
- Invest in TikTok
As one of the emerging social media platforms of 2019 (and one that made more than a few waves in 2018), TikTok is a platform to be on in 2020.
What is TikTok? A video-sharing social platform where users can create and share short lip-sync, comedy, and talent videos.
The concept has been around in various forms for a few years, and in summer 2018 TikTok merged with similar service musical.ly. According to the social media marketing research from industry resource apptopia, TikTok’s worldwide downloads have been steadily climbing: worldwide downloads went up 20 percent while U.S. downloads increased by 25 percent after that summer takeover. It’s also filling the void video app Vine left behind.
Quick, funny, creative. That’s what works on TikTok. Even if you’re not sure how it fits into your marketing plan right now, it’s time to pay attention to this platform, especially if you want to reach a younger demographic.
- Sponsor social media contests
Do you have a goal to reach new audiences and grow your followers? Sponsoring a social media contest in 2020 could help you do just that. Fun, engaging, and attention-grabbing, a contest can encourage people to share, tag, post, and follow. All told, a successful social media contest can convert casual viewers into followers and raise brand awareness.
- Use social media analytics
Data, data, data! We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again, setting SMART social media and marketing goals makes us more effective communicators.
If there’s something you hope to work toward in 2020 — growing followers, launching a profile on a new platform, gaining emails for your contact list — tracking your progress throughout the year is essential. Make the most of data already available through your Instagram business profile or sign up with a tool like SproutSocial. There’s no excuse to not be tracking your social media in 2020.
