Social media is one of the fastest changing channels in marketing. Even 10 years ago, the content we would consume on social media was limited to short pieces of text that described what we were doing at that moment. Everyone remembers when Facebook’s default posts started with “Natalie is…” and you’d fill in the blank.
Since then, social media has erupted as a must-have marketing channel for many businesses. In the past few years, the way people interact with content has also changed. No longer are static posts with business information good enough to generate leads. Content must be personalized. But, what exactly does that mean?
What is personalized content?
Personalized content refers to digital content that is strategically tailored to your customers’ behavior and specific needs. The advantages of personalized content are increased conversion rates, improved customer experience, and improved relationships with customers.
Now, this doesn’t mean that you have to create 1,000 different social media posts to reach your 1,000 different followers. Rather, this means that your content should be strategically developed to speak to the commonalities amongst your 1,000 followers and encourage them to engage with your content. To be successful, you must know your brand, set business goals and key performance indicators (KPIs), and know the different social channels.
Using social channels for their intended use
Social media is a blanket term for many different channels of communication. The easiest representation of this is the 280-character-per-post Twitter versus the almost limitless functionality of Facebook. Each social media channel has a different intended purpose, and the content posted on those channels should be tailored for that channel. While it’s time-saving to share the same content across all social media profiles, you will find that strategically it doesn’t make a whole lot of sense.
Let’s look at the two main social channels OTM manages for our clients, Instagram and Facebook. Instagram is visual. People consume images and video on this platform. Since links are not an enabled feature in Instagram, users rarely leave the app. In order to grab their attention, instead of posting a blog for them to read, you might turn that blog content into a short video highlighting the key points. On the other hand, Facebook has been used as a way for users to get their news and other helpful information. These users are more likely to navigate away from the app by clicking on links making it a more appropriate channel for driving traffic to a website.
You should distribute content on the appropriate channel to increase engagement, brand awareness, and build relationships.
The transition to video content
What is common among all social media platforms is the transition to video content. Why? Video content cuts through the noise of static images. If you’re scrolling through Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, you are more likely to pause when you see something moving in a sea of static images. A video is also an easy way for users to consume information. As a matter of fact, 90% of consumers claim that video helps them make buying decisions. The video may not have been about a specific product or service, but it generated brand awareness and ultimately led to a sale. It is predicted that by 2020, just a few months from now, 75% of all social content will be video. Why? People engage with video content.
How to deliver a personalized experience on social
At OTM, we take care to understand your business goals and tailor a social media strategy to meet those goals. Understanding your business goals is the first step to delivering a personalized experience on social media. Once those goals and KPIs are identified, we can then look at your social media audience to determine how to best communicate with them.
Each social media channel has its own set of analytics where we can take a look at the general demographics of your audience. Using that information we can develop text, images, and videos that will resonate with that audience. We can also determine where your audience is most actively engaged.
Throughout the month, we determine what’s the most engaging content, we engage with users who are commenting on posts, and we listen to competitors and your audience. It is our goal to humanize your brand and turn your followers into life long customers.
Are you ready to deliver a personalized experience on social media? Reach out to OTM today!