Social media marketing sounds like such a complicated proposition for some businesses and a no brainer for others.
Between deciding what channels to focus on and how to approach marketing on social media, the decision to move forward can be overwhelming.
Facebook has long been the king of social media marketing. After all, in terms of users, it is the largest social channel. But diversifying your content is key. And while there is no one-size-fits all answer when it comes to social media marketing, it is important consider your options carefully.
With Instagram recently taking over the number two spot in number of users, the platform offers marketers a great return on investment.
Instagram is mobile
With continued growth in the number of users and time spent using mobile devices the importance of being able to reach users on their chosen device is at an all-time high. Mobile is quickly becoming the primary way users are accessing their online content. Instagram was originally conceived as an app giving its platform a leg-up on its competitors that were originally created as desktop sites. Instagram’s simple and easy to use platform has remained fairly consistent since it’s launch unlike its competitors who are constantly updating their apps to integrate pages and menus.
More visibility by your followers
Unlike other social media channels, Instagram does not give your followers the option of preventing posts from popping up in their feed. If a follower of yours doesn’t want to see your post, they need to unfollow you. This means that your marketing efforts will appear in 100% of your followers’ feeds, greatly increasing the chances that they will be seen. Facebook, which owns Instagram, has continued to invest in its advertising services making it difficult for businesses to reach their followers organically. While we may see a shift on Instagram to pay-to-play type of necessity, your business can still cut through the clutter with engaging content, despite the recent change to an algorithm for posts.
It’s all about the engagement
The more you have your follower’s attention the more opportunities you’ll have to build brand awareness, get the word out, and engage in some quality PR. The added bonus to this is an increase in your website SEO. This is why achieving high levels of engagement is one of the most important results sought from social media marketing campaigns. Some estimates suggest that Instagram users are 50 times more likely to engage with content on a brand’s post than other social media channels. If your business is looking to brand itself through visual storytelling, Instagram is your best bet platform.
But realize that you have to deliver great value and excellent content to get the engagement results you desire. Your Aunt Sally may like all your personal instagram posts, regardless of content, but that doesn’t mean the fans of your business will give you the same engagement.
For more social media marketing tips, be sure to follow us on Facebook.
