Are you struggling to find the perfect social media scheduling tool for your business?
With so many options out there, it can be overwhelming to know which one to choose. Each platform comes with its unique set of benefits at various price points, which is why we’ve put together this blog piece to help you choose the right platform for you.
We will be reviewing and evaluating the following top 3 social media scheduling tools:
Planable – CREATIVE in TiME’s favourite!
Later
Sprout Social
Here, you will find a breakdown of the platforms, what they offer and what makes each one unique for a more informed decision for your social media scheduling. Or, of course, you can get in touch with CREATIVE in TIME, and we can take the stress of social media marketing and scheduling away from you.
If you’re looking for social media planning software that offers a comprehensive and collaborative approach, look no further than Planable.
This user-friendly tool allows businesses to schedule their social media posts in advance, with the added bonus of creating, previewing, and approving content for multiple platforms in one place. But what sets Planable apart is its unique collaborative features, which allow team members and clients to work together in real-time, providing feedback and suggestions on content before it goes live. However, please be aware that when more than one person is commenting etc on the platform, it will increase your monthly cost. This makes it an excellent option for agencies and businesses with multiple stakeholders involved in the social media planning process.
Compared to Sprout Social and Later, Planable offers a more comprehensive and collaborative approach to social media planning, making it a top choice for businesses with a presence on multiple platforms. While Later is great for scheduling Instagram posts, it lacks the same level of collaboration and feedback options as Planable.
And while Sprout Social offers similar features, it provides a different level of collaboration and integration options, making Planable the go-to choice for businesses looking to streamline their social media planning process.
Later is the social media planning software you’ve been searching for to take your Instagram presence to the next level.
With Later, you can easily schedule your Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest posts in advance, all in one place. Plus, you’ll get access to a visual content calendar and Instagram Stories scheduling, making it easier than ever to plan your social media content.
And if you’re a small business or an individual with a limited social media presence, Later has you covered with a free plan that allows you to schedule up to 10 posts per month. With features like a drag-and-drop interface, media library, and hashtag suggestion tool, Later is a comprehensive social media planning tool that won’t break the bank.
While Sprout Social offers similar features, it can be costly for small businesses, with plans starting at $249 (around £199) per month. However, Sprout Social does have more integration options, including LinkedIn and YouTube, making it a better fit for businesses with a presence on these platforms.
And while Planable provides a more collaborative and comprehensive social media planning tool, Later’s Instagram-specific features make it the perfect choice for businesses looking to up their Instagram game.
So, if you’re ready to streamline your social media planning process and take your Instagram presence to the next level, give Later a try.
If you’re looking for a comprehensive social media planning tool, Sprout Social could be the one you’ve been searching for.
This software allows businesses to manage and schedule their social media content across multiple platforms, including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Pinterest. With features like a content calendar, social media inbox, and social listening tool, Sprout Social provides everything you need to stay on top of your social media game.
What sets Sprout Social apart is its focus on social media analytics. With detailed insights into social media performance and audience engagement, Sprout Social provides businesses with the data they need to make informed decisions about their social media strategy.
However, this level of sophistication comes at a cost, with monthly plans starting at $249 (around £199) per month, which may be a drawback for small businesses.
While Later offers a more affordable option for businesses looking to manage their Instagram presence, Sprout Social offers integration with a broader range of platforms and a more extensive suite of features, making it a better option for businesses with a more significant social media presence.
And compared to Planable, Sprout Social offers a more comprehensive social media management tool with a focus on analytics and reporting. Does Sprout Social sound like the ideal tool for you?
How To Know Which Social Media Scheduling Tool to Use
Choosing the right social media scheduling tool is crucial and should align with your availability, business goals, and budget.
Consider the most important features to you, such as team management, scheduling capabilities, and analytics.
You should also choose a tool that fits your budget and provides the features you need to achieve your business goals. By selecting the right tool, you can streamline your social media management and achieve success on your social media platforms.
Social Media Scheduling Tool Roundup
So, we’ve gone over a lot right now and we know it can be overwhelming so here is a more digestible table going over the key differences between the top 3 social media scheduling tools.
A table showing the differences between Planable, Sprout Social and Later with their set list of features.
Take Your Social Media Stress Away with CREATIVE in TiME
While there are social media scheduling tools out there that can make your life much easier, our marketing agency can make it a whole lot easier. Yes, with scheduling tools, the act of actually getting your posts out consistently becomes more manageable, but formulating a social media marketing plan, creating the graphics, sourcing the written imagery, writing the captions, finding the hashtags…it’s a lot of work. But it doesn’t have to be.
CREATIVE in TIME is a creative digital marketing agency that has been developing effective social media marketing campaigns for years with a proven track record of boosting engagements and driving traffic to company websites using social media platforms.
As a full-service marketing agency, we don’t just specialise in social media marketing; we do it all! From Search Engine Optimisation and Content Marketing to Pay-Per-Click (PPC) and Website Development, CREATIVE in TIME have the knowledge and expertise to streamline and up-level your business’s overall marketing strategy.
Get in touch today, and we can get started on making the best out of your business’s digital presence.
With millions of people glued to their social media platforms every day, businesses simply can’t afford to miss out on the action. However, manually managing multiple social media platforms can take time and effort that many business owners simply don’t have the time for.
That’s where social media scheduling tools come into play (and of course, CREATIVE in TIME’s digital marketing agency).
With popular and powerful tools like Sprout Social, Later, and Planable, businesses can schedule their social media posts far in advance if they wish, saving your business A LOT of time and effort.
But how do you know if social media scheduling is right for your business?
Pros of Social Media Scheduling
Social media scheduling platforms are designed to make your life easier and save you time so you can focus on other aspects of your social media marketing (SMM).
Consistency is KEY
Consistency is a crucial element of social media marketing.
By scheduling your posts consistently, you can ensure that your brand is always in the spotlight, building awareness and driving engagement. Consistent posting can help businesses stay top-of-mind with their audience, leading to increased engagement and conversions.
Plus, when you’re consistently posting, you’re showcasing your expertise and establishing yourself as an authority figure within your industry. Ultimately, you’re building trust with your target audience and gaining more leads.
Saving Your Business Time
Scheduling social media posts in advance can save businesses significant time. Instead of manually posting on different platforms every day, businesses can schedule their posts for the entire week or month in one go.
This means that social media managers can focus on other aspects of their job, such as creating content and engaging with their audience. And let’s be real, who doesn’t want more time to focus on creating amazing content and engaging with their audience?
At CREATIVE in TIME, we are passionate about social media marketing and maximizing engagement for our clients. We have discovered that strategically scheduling our posts in advance not only saves us time, but also allows us to perfect each post for maximum impact. By utilising the data provided by our clients’ social media accounts, we can confidently post at the optimal time for their unique audience. We refuse to miss out on potential engagement and always aim to post no later than 12pm for optimal results.
Scheduling posts in advance can help businesses to avoid the stress of last-minute posting, which can lead to mistakes and inconsistencies in their social media strategy. Streamlining social media scheduling can help businesses save time and increase productivity.
Improved Audience Engagement
Scheduling posts at the right time can help improve social media engagement.
By analysing the best times to post on each platform, businesses can schedule their posts to reach their target audience when they are most active. This can increase likes, comments, and shares, increasing visibility and engagement.
Maximize your engagement by strategically scheduling your posts at the optimal time. While online guidelines can be helpful, the most effective posting schedule is unique to your audience’s social media activity. Utilize the data provided by your business social media account to gain insight into your demographics and post with confidence. Don’t miss out on potential engagement by posting too late – aim to post no later than 12pm for optimal results.
By posting optimally, businesses can increase their engagement and reach, leading to a more successful social media strategy.
Getting The Data You Need with Analytics
Most social media scheduling tools offer analytics that can help businesses track their social media performance. This data can be used to make informed decisions about future social media strategies. By analysing engagement rates, reach, and other metrics, businesses can identify what is working and what is not and adjust their social media strategy accordingly. Analysing engagement rates can show you how well different types of posts are performing, which can help you build an effective marketing strategy in the future.
Social media analytics can help businesses identify their target audience and tailor their content to meet their needs and preferences. Social media analytics allows businesses to make data-driven decisions about their social media strategy, leading to improved engagement, reach, and conversions.
Cons of Social Media Scheduling
However, social media scheduling does come with its drawbacks. Social media scheduling can be difficult to get your head around and make it work effectively for your business. Get in touch with CREATIVE in TIME and let us do what we do best so you can focus on the rest of your business.
Lack of Flexibility
While scheduling social media posts in advance can be a time-saving and efficient strategy, it can also be limiting when it comes to responding to current events or trending topics. Businesses may need to adjust their scheduled posts to stay relevant and timely.
For example, when a major yet sudden news event happens such as when the Queen dies, you need to be able to move your social media posting around.
You might need to delay or cancel scheduled posts that are no longer appropriate or could be seen as insensitive. You might also want to create a new post in line with the new update. Also, if your business goals change, you might have to change your entire social media marketing strategy.
It is crucial for businesses to strike a balance between scheduling posts in advance and leaving room for flexibility.
At CREATIVE in TIME, we understand that many business owners don’t have the time to be able to amend their strategy suddenly, which is why we are here to work with you. As dedicated marketing experts, we are used to this sort of thing and can save you time and stress by reworking your strategy.
The Dangers of Over-Scheduling
Scheduling too many posts in advance can overwhelm your target audience, leading to a decrease in engagement. Posting too frequently can cause followers to become overwhelmed and disinterested, leading to a decline in engagement.
Over-scheduling can lead to a lack of authenticity, as the business may need to engage with its audience in real-time. Therefore, it is important for businesses to carefully consider the frequency and timing of their scheduled posts to avoid over-saturation and maintain engagement.
A Costly Investment
While social media scheduling tools can be a valuable asset for businesses, they can also be costly, especially for smaller businesses with limited budgets. Some scheduling tools require a monthly or annual subscription fee, which can add up over time, and some tools may have additional costs for advanced features or analytics.
It is important for businesses to carefully consider the cost-benefit of using a scheduling tool and to explore different options to find one that fits their budget and needs. Businesses can also consider using free scheduling tools or relying on the scheduling features within each social media platform to save costs.
Summary
Scheduling social media posts in advance offers countless benefits, including saving time, maintaining consistency, boosting engagement, and providing valuable analytics. While it’s important for businesses to be aware of potential drawbacks such as limited flexibility, over-scheduling, and associated costs, the advantages of social media scheduling are truly impressive.
When it comes to choosing a social media scheduling tool, there are dedicated tools available, with these being our top 3.
Sprout Social
Later
Planable
Social media scheduling can be a game-changer for businesses looking to improve their marketing efforts. With the right tool and strategy, businesses can save time, improve engagement, and reach their target audience more effectively.
Use CREATIVE in TIME for ALL your social media marketing needs
CREATIVE in TIME use social media scheduling tools and marketing strategies to market your business towards success. By automating the scheduling process, we can spend more time fine-tuning your marketing strategy and crafting individual posts that will blow your audience away.
With a vast experience in the marketing industry, CREATIVE in TIME has been at the forefront of the social media landscape, providing top-notch services across all areas of marketing. Trust us to help you stay ahead of the competition and achieve your business goals
Want to know more about social media marketing? Check out our blogs on social media for more information:
Don’t let your social media presence fall behind. Let us help you create engaging content and effective campaigns that will drive results for your business. Contact us today at CREATIVE in TIME today.
Ever wondered why people eagerly await the latest John Lewis advertright before Christmas? This is just one case of a successful video marketing strategy!
Marketing is all about how you tell your story. Video marketing allows you to tell your story in a whole new way that engages and resonates with your audience. Videos not only grab your audience’s attention, but it holds onto it, lingering in the back of their mind until they convert.
In this article, you will find a comprehensive list of whyCREATIVE in TiME think you need to implement video marketing in your marketing strategy in 2023.
Rank Higher on Google
Those who use video marketing in their strategy have noticed a significant improvement in their SEO rankings. By having SEO-optimised content and video marketing, you not only appeal to your audience but also to Google’s algorithm. YouTube video previews are a great example of how Google ranks video content for its users.
YouTube itself allows you to add links to your website and blog in the description of your video whereas TikTok allows you to redirect viewers to your store or website when using paid advertisement on your video content. These backlinks can help to boost your SEO rankings through Off Page SEO.
Get Higher Engagement Rates
Videos get far more views and engagement than still photo posts on your social platforms. In fact, social video generates 1200% more sharesthan written and image content together. But why?
Video marketing has the power to engage your audience by using a variety of mediums including visual audio and text. Rather than relying just on one aspect, it combines multiple features into one format. It is a fully immersive experience which can capture your audience’s attention and retain it through to the conversion stage of your marketing funnel.
User-generated video content is proven to have a direct impact on a brand’s success as they build trust that doesn’t directly come from the company.
Build Trusted Relationships
A lot of users prefer to learn through video. So, let’s give them exactly that.
One of the most effective ways to build a relationship with your audience is by using video marketing. Video marketing can help you build trust, which will make it easier for you to sell your products or services. It is much more personal as it provides the human element to your business – a key point in the selling process. With blog pieces such as these, you don’t get to meet the person behind the words but with video content, you can feel more connected to who you are talking to.
Elevate Your Existing Marketing Channels
You might have noticed that the public’s attention span is nothing like it used to be. Users switch off if something doesn’t strike them in the first few seconds. This just means that you have a few mere seconds to hook in your audience. Video content is able to do just that not only by being engaging but also by delivering information quickly and easily.
By adding text or graphics at strategic points in your video, you’ll be able to draw attention where it matters most while keeping things interesting enough that people want to see more from you down the road. Video marketing also has great potential when it comes to other marketing strategies such asemail marketing campaigns.It can help increase your click-through rate and decrease your unsubscribe rate by having a mix of content in forms that resonate with your audience more. The video element makes them stand out from other forms of promotion because they’re more personal.
Video is one of the most powerful tools available at our disposal when it comes to reaching out to customers and potential customers. Why waste it?
Create Highly Shareable Content
Video content is highly shareable across any channel.
Fully immersive video content allows your target audience to become fully engaged with your business. This leads to a higher chance of them actively connecting with your business and converting. Video allows you to stand out from the crowd and build your brand, especially onsocial mediaplatforms. Social mediais the perfect place for video marketing! It’s not just another form of online content but an entirely different way of communicating with people.
A video on how to make the most out of your SEO and digital marketing for your business with Andrea Warner, co-founder of CREATIVE in TiME.
With the rise of TikTok, it’s easier than ever to create video content. All you need is a high-quality smartphone and some creativity. Video is a great way to get your message across in a compelling way as well as to help to increase brand awareness.
By using video marketing on your social media platforms, you have created content that your target audience wants to share with others, helping to expand your reach even further.
Say you have a blog post or a client testimonial in your case study, have you ever considered turning that into video content? You will be using the same informational content however by having it presented in video format, you can share this information across social channels and present it in a more digestible way for your audience.
There will be members of your target audience who won’t necessarily have the time to read through your whole case study or blog but by having it shortened into a minute-long video, they will be able to consume this content in a way that works best for their needs.
This also allows you to create one video that can be used across multiple channels, meaning businesses don’t just need to focus on one platform. A longer and informative YouTube video can be broken up into a shorter clip with a key moment that will drive your users to the YouTube video. Shorter videos can be repurposed and distributed across TikTok, Instagram Reels and YouTube Short for maximum coverage.
Getting the Most Out of Video Marketing
Hopping On Current Trends
Creating short yet engaging videos on your social channels can be an effective way to hop on trends in a cost-effective manner. When it comes to TikTok, trending filters and sounds can change within a matter of days, so it is vital to hop on this trend in a way that benefits your business as soon as possible. These same trending sounds and filters are also often seen repurposed on Instagram reels.
Evergreen Content
Evergreen content is content that can be consumed at any point in time, and it would still be relevant to the user. Instagram reels are an excellent home for evergreen content as they can be used for informative content. This will help keep your engagement up for a longer time period over trending topical content.
The Right Social Channels
TikTok
TikTok videos are trendy and short. They are often best for B2C businesses and to promote products such as clothing, home products etc. User-generated content thrives on this platform.
LinkedIn
Posting video content on LinkedIn is ideal for B2B businesses and is usually best for targeting companies over individuals.
Instagram/Facebook
Instagram videos are often best for B2C businesses with videos being uploaded in reels rather than on standard posts. Instagram and Facebook platforms can be linked and post the same content to both platforms.
YouTube
YouTube videos can be used by B2B and B2C businesses as the users on the platform vary. YouTube is known for long-form content which can often be informative.
Twitter
Video is not commonly used on Twitter but due to its short character limit for tweets, it can be an ideal way to show your message. Since video is not used much on this platform, it would be recommended to use the other platforms for your video content.
So, Should You Use Video in Your Marketing Strategy?
Absolutely!
Video marketing is an extremely effective way to communicate with your audience and grow your brand. If you haven’t been using video marketing yet, why haven’t you? It is one of the most cost-effective marketing strategies out there. Once you have your engaging video content, you can repurpose it for any online and offline platform with the power of video editing.
What are you waiting for? Get in touchtoday to find out how CREATIVE in TiME can elevate your marketing strategy with video marketing.
Be it business profiles or personal accounts which are being used to support your business, social media marketing is important for all businesses.
It can help you build up your brand and generate leads, but there are some things that you need to keep in mind before diving into this enterprise.
One drawback of social media marketing is that it can be very time-consuming. It’s not right for every business—only those who know how to implement a successful campaign.
Did you know that customers spend 20% to 40% more money on brands they’ve interacted with on social media?
Is Social Media Marketing Really That Important?
If you’re looking for a way to reach your target audience and help them discover your brand, social media marketing is a great option.
By building an online presence on social networks like Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram, you can increase brand awareness, boost sales and even build your brand’s reputation.
Social media marketing also gives companies the opportunity to generate leads by offering something of value in exchange for contact information.
This could be anything from free eBooks or webinars to access to exclusive deals or discounts on purchases made through the company’s website or app store listing.
What Is Social Media Marketing?
Social media marketing is a form of digital marketing that uses social networks and social media platforms to drive awareness, engagement and sales.
Social media marketing has become an essential part of the overall marketing strategy for most businesses and organisations.
Social media marketing works because people use it every day as a source of information about topics they like or are interested in learning more about.
When you post content on social networking sites such as Facebook or Twitter that appeals to your target audience’s interests (and when it includes links back to your website), those users will (if you’re doing it right) find it interesting enough to comment on or share with others who might be interested too!
Why Is Social Media Marketing Important?
We may be biased, but social media marketing is important for a number of reasons.
Let’s start with the first reason: connecting with customers.
When you’re looking for someone to hire or buy from you, what do you want? The ability to answer questions quickly and accurately? A great deal on something your company sells? Someone who’s responsive when it comes down to resolving problems?
Social media gives businesses an opportunity to do all of these things by keeping their customers informed about changes in products or services—or even by offering discounts or other incentives (like free shipping).
Another reason that social media marketing is important is that it helps build brand awareness.
It gives potential buyers an easy way to reach out and talk directly with companies they’re interested in buying from—and that means more sales opportunities!
Did you know that it takes 6-8 marketing touchpoints to make a sale?
This makes social media marketing more important than ever to ensure that your potential customers have multiple touch points with your business.
How To Get Started with Social Media Marketing?
These are just a few of the basics of social media marketing. You can do your own research to find out more about this topic, but if you want to get started right away and make sure your profile is complete and professional, here’s what you should do:
Create a social media profile for yourself or your business. This might be on Facebook, Twitter,Instagram or another platform—it doesn’t matter which one so long as it’s relevant to your industry and audience.
Make sure that all the information on your profile (name of the page/profile; contact information) is completely accurate and up to date; this way, people will know whom they’re interacting with when engaging with your profile.
Include your company logo as your profile images to encourage brand awareness.
Remember to include links back towards your website to provide easy access to potential customers.
What Are the Benefits of Social Media Marketing?
Social media marketing is a great way to increase traffic to your website and make it easy for people to find you online. It also allows you to connect with potential customers and grow your audience, which can be very beneficial in terms of growing sales.
It helps companies promote their products or services, build relationships with customers and potential customers, create communities around their brands, drive direct traffic to their websites, get new leads and make more sales.
One benefit is the ability to increase brand awareness.
When people see your products or services advertised on social media platforms, they may become interested in what you have to offer. They could decide that they need what you’re offering themselves, or they might want their friends (or family) to know about it as well.
Either way, this is an effective way for companies like yours to reach new audiences who may not otherwise be aware of what products exist.
Social media marketing is one of the best ways to reach your target audience and build brand awareness.
It’s also important to keep in mind that while social media marketing is a great way to get started with digital marketing, it doesn’t have to be your only strategy. You can still use traditional forms of advertising and promotion as well!
If you would like to broaden your digital marketing horizons, then we would suggest usingSEO (search engine optimisation). If you would like to find out more about SEO, thenclick here.
Instagram is a competitive social media platform but it is not impossible to gain traction…if you do it right!
With an active audience of 1.16 billion people, it is no shock that Instagram can be an amazing place for businesses to gain followers and traffic.
The potential reach of Instagram is only set to grow and did you know that 90% of Instagram users follow at least one business?
It isn’t only businesses marketing to consumers that can benefit though, over 36% of businesses use Instagram when researching new services and products.
Think of this as a cheat sheet to use for your business so that you can get your Instagram strategy up there with the best.
Setting Up An Instagram Account
If you already have an Instagram account, then you may not need this section but before you can set up a strategy, you need an Instagram Business account.
Skip ahead if you have a business account already, or look at step 3 if you already have a personal account.
Step 1: Download the Instagram app
Step 2: Sign Up
Open the app
Tap either Create New Account (iOS) or Sign Up With Email or Phone (Android)
Enter your email/phone number and click Next
Choose your username and password
Fill out your profile information and click Next
Step 3: Switch to a Business Account
Go to your profile and tap the three lines at the top right
Click Settings, then Account
Scroll down and click Switch to professional account
Tap Business and follow the prompts!
Best Instagram Marketing Strategies for 2023
Now that you have your Instagram account set up, it is time to look into how you should be using your account and why.
1: Choose Your Goals
Before you start posting, you need to decide why you are posting. You can’t use your Instagram account effectively until you know what you are trying to do.
Instagram marketing isn’t one size fits all, it can mean different things to different businesses.
Do you want to:
Improve your brand awareness?
Drive traffic to your website?
Get new leads?
Sell products?
Establish brand authority?
You can even use multiple of these goals to build a strategy unique to you. If you are unsure of what your strategy goals are then get in touch now to see how we can help you.
2: Understand Your Audience
Once you decide your goals, you need to understand your audience on Instagram.
In the UK, Instagram statistics show that:
30.36 million people in the UK use Instagram
Instagram reaches 60% of the online population in the UK
25-34 year olds make up the largest user group
76% of 15-25 year olds use Instagram
42.5% of users are male and 57.5% are female
From these statistics, you may want to market towards these demographics however this does not mean you have to.
Whatever audience you want to market to, you need to make sure your content is speaking directly to your audience.
3: Optimise your Profile
The dreaded Instagram bio, with only 150 characters, it can seem impossible to make a good first impression and convey your businesses personality.
Those 150 characters really have their work cut out for them!
However, there is a shining light, you also have some other fields on your profile which allow you to showcase your brand such as:
Name: up to 30 characters
Username: up to 30 characters
Website: a clickable URL
Category: A business feature where you can tell people what your business is about without using precious bio characters
Contact information: A way to show people how to contact you
Make sure that all of these features are being utilised and showcase your brand in the best light. Many people will form opinions about your brand from your social media profiles.
4: Create Content
Instagram is a very visual platform and therefore your posts need to look the part.
You don’t need professional photographs or fancy cameras to take good pictures. Just make sure that they are clear, well-lit and in focus. If you are photographing a product then it needs to be well-composed with a simple backdrop reflecting the product.
If you are using other images such as infographics then make sure that your text is easy to read and not too small, that your colours are cohesive and that they are crisp.
Once you have some amazing images, you need to make suer that they are serving a purpose. You wouldn’t cook a 5* dinner if no one is hungry!
Your images need to tell a story, get people engaged or excite people. You need quality posts to make the most out of your images.
If you are stuck on what content to create then don’t fear! Check out this list of content ideas to get your started:
Videos
Reels
Behind-the-scenes posts
Infographics
Reviews
Quotes
Instructional posts
Company events
Share blog content
Industry news
5: Use Hashtags
Hashtags are a great way to increase your visibility and get your profile found by new users. When you use a hashtag, your post will appear on the page for that hashtag. People can also choose to follow hashtags which means you could shows up on users feeds even if they don’t follow you (yet!)
You are able to use up to 30 hashtags in a post however we would recommend using around 11 per post.
Make sure that your hashtags are relevant to your business and specific to your niche.
6: Use Instagram Stories
Video is quickly becoming a large focus of social media strategies and over half of business use stories.
A third of the most viewed stories on Instagram are posted by businesses!
Stories are a great way to be open and raw with your audience as they disappear after 24 hours. It allows you to post whatever content you want without it clogging up your social media profile.
There are a few uses for stories which we think all businesses should make use of:
Show behind-the-scenes clips of people at work
Answer FAQs
Link out to your website or useful resources
Tell a story
Talk to other people
Let’s Summarise Instagram Marketing
In your social media strategy, you should:
Use a business account
Choose your goals
Understand your audience
Optimise your profile
Create valuable content
Use hashtags
And use Instagram stories
Do you need help creating an Instagram marketing strategy for your business? Get in touch now to see how we can help your business to flourish on Instagram.
Are you looking to up your social media marketing game in 2023? We think you should and now is the perfect time to get started with a new social media strategy.
In 2023, social media marketing is more important than ever and giving your business a stellar online presence could give you an edge on your competition.
A social media strategy for your marketing allows you to focus on what IS working and cut out what is NOT working. If you have a social media strategy already then click here to learn how to up your social media game!
More goes into creating a social media strategy than just making an Instagram account and posting pictures of your product but what else does it need…
What Are Your Goals?
Before you create a social media strategy, you need to decide what your goals are going to be. You cannot form an effective social media strategy without targets to achieve. Below is a list of example goals to get you thinking, you may choose one of these or decide on your own.
Example Goals:
Increase brand awareness – Do you want your name out there? Do you want people to know your brand?
Grow your audience – Do you want more followers? Bringing in new followers means that you are introducing your brand to people who haven’t heard of your brand before.
Generate sales and leads – People don’t purchase your products by accident, they need encouragement and a reason to. Are you showing off your product catalogue? Showing customers new products and promotions? Running new deals?
Boost engagement – Do you want followers to interact more on your social media?
Increase traffic to your site – Do you want more people visiting your site from social media?
Whatever goal you pick, make sure it is realistic for your brand and size. If you have a small business, then it is unlikely to expect to gain thousands of likes if you are currently only getting 10. Set manageable targets that you can reach, once you have reached them, set new targets and so on.
Who is Your Social Media For?
Once you know what your goals are, you need to find out WHO your target audience is and WHO your social media strategy should be for.
Your target audience can determine which social media platforms you should use, what content you should put out and even what time you should post!
Looking at your current social media can be a good start, who is currently following you? Who is engaging with your content?
Many forms of social media have their own insights/analytics section for businesses which can show you your current demographics.
Let me ask you this, do you monitor your metrics? Do you know if/when/how you are being interacted with? Check out our breakdown of important metrics to watch:
Clicks: This is exactly how it sounds; it is the number of clicks you get on your content or account.
Engagement: This is the number of social interactions divided by the number of impressions. This is how willing people are to interact with your content.
Reach: Your reach is the number of unique users who see your post and how much of your content is actually reaching your users’ feeds.
What Platform Should I Be Using?
With the number of social media platforms, it is vital to understand that each social media platform attracts different audiences. Once you know who your target audience is, you need to find out where you should focus your efforts.
Social media is not one size fits all!
We have curated demographics for the most used social media platforms so that you don’t have to! It is always imperative to do your own research, but this should guide you in the right direction.
Demographics
Facebook:52% of Facebook users are female whilst 48% are male. The largest demographic is between 25 and 34 years old with 11.2 million users in the UK.
Instagram: The largest demographic on Instagram is 25-24 with 30.8% of users and then 18-24 with 23.1%. In 2021, 57.42% of women and 42.68% of men reported using Instagram.
Pinterest: As of January 2021, 75.2% of Pinterest audiences in the UK were female and 19% were male. The main age group using Pinterest is 18-24 with 55%! Pinterest currently has 16.7 million active users in the UK.
LinkedIn: As of 2021, LinkedIn had 33 million users in the UK. 57.2% were between 25-34 years old. 57% of users are male and 43% are female.
YouTube: More than 35.6 million people in the UK use YouTube! 46% of users are female and 54% are male. The main demographic is 25-44 years old.
TikTok: TikTok had over 3.7 million users in the UK in 2021 and the number is climbing. The main demographic of users are between 18-24 which is 26% of all users. In 2020, 65% of users were female and 35% were male.
Twitter: In 2020, 58.5% of users were male and 41.5% were female. The largest demographic group of users is 18-29 which is 37%. The next largest group is 30-49 at 25%.
Create your Content
Now, to top it all off, you need to create your social media content!
Once you have discovered your target audience, the social media platforms you’ll use and which goals you are trying to achieve, it is time to create your own unique content.
When creating your own unique content, you should try to stick to a theme. This is something that all well-loved brands do. It means that when you see a post from that brand, it feels like theirs.
This could mean sticking to a colour palette, tone of voice, writing style or even using the same fonts in all your images. If you have a website, keep your branding cohesive across all your content. This increases brand consistency and avoids any confusion.
When building your brand presence on social media, one of our top tips is to respond to followers on social media ASAP. This is especially important for negative comments or questions. Doing this shows that you care about your customers and their experiences.
Show off your human side! People like people, simple. Show the people behind the business and do not make every single social media post focused on sales. Post behind the scenes images, employee birthdays, the office dog, work get togethers!
One of the main forms of content which you may consider creating is video content, if you are wondering whether it is worthwhile…well we have a whole section below on it so what does that tell you?
Video Content
Don’t underestimate the impact of video! Did you know that 54% of marketers say that video is the most valuable form of content for reaching your social goals?
Whether this is on YouTube as full videos, stories on Instagram or clips on TikTok, video is the future of social media marketing, and you should definitely include it in your social media strategy if possible.
One great use of video content is to put faces to the business and show that your values and ethics are worth engaging with. Similarly, to other content, showing your personality and employees can help customers feel welcome and comfortable interacting. It is easier to interact with a person than a faceless brand.
Is your Social Media Marketing Strategy sorted out for 2023?
As this guide shows, starting up your social media presence well is more than just posting out content for the sake of it on all social media platforms. Quality over quantity is key here.
That said, this doesn’t mean that your social media must be a chore. Your social media should serve you however, it can be a long process, if you are strapped for time and want someone else to handle your social media for you then get in touch now!
See how CREATIVE in TiME can build you an effective and goal-driven social media strategy now through a free SEO and social media audit.
