How to Dominate Social Media for the Remainder of 2020

It’s been a year unlike any other for businesses all across Australia and around the world.

We’ve seen businesses sadly have to close, as well as others grow like they’ve never grown before.

And whilst there has been so much uncertainty, one thing we know for sure is that having an active presence on social media & a strategic digital marketing strategy, is KEY for businesses no matter their industry.

With only a few months left in the year, we’ve put together a few tips to help you dominate your social media presence for the remainder of 2020…

Conduct an Audit (it’s not as scary as it sounds)

First things first, you need to complete an audit of your current social media presence before you start anything else!

What does this mean?

Well, you’re going to deep-dive and fully “social stalk” your own accounts.

First step:

• Checking your audience analytics - it’s vital to know who you're talking to when you post.

Take note of your target age range, their location and what times they’re most active on the platform. This information will help inform you about what to post and when to post it. 

Next:

• You need to focus on your current content - what have you been posting, which posts are performing the best, when are you posting it and does it align with your goals for your brand?

Here, you’re tracking what type of content is connecting the best with your audience. Once you find what content has received the best engagement, you know what your audience likes and you can focus on creating more of this type of content. 

It’s important to be honest with yourself in the process and be open to curating content that matches your target audience. No matter the result of the audit, you now know the information needed to bring your brand back even stronger than before. 

Try Something New

Get out of your comfort zone and experiment with new features on platforms.

There’s a huge growth in video content on Instagram at the moment. Utilise aspects such as IGTV, Reels and Stories to reach your audience in a new, fresh way.

IGTV is perfect for longer content (over 15 seconds), giving you time for a more in depth video on a particular topic. The most common and successful uses for IGTV are unboxings, try ons, mini vlogs and Q+As.

Reels differ as they are 15 second videos that immediately get shared to Instagram’s Explore page, potentially reaching a diverse audience rather than just your own followers.

These videos are perfect for a quick clip of an outfit, product, a view or announcement.

Stories are perfect for miscellaneous content or content that you don’t want permanently on your main feed. Stories are also a great way to connect with your audience more casually and ask fun questions or to conduct a poll. 

Play around with these features and figure out which format works for you.

User Generated Content

This right here is the key to creating trust and an authentic relationship with your audience.

User Generated Content (UGC) is exactly as it sounds. It’s content made by your audience or ‘users’ of your brand/business.

A simple example:

Let’s say you make and sell candles.

If one of your customers posts an image on their own social media page of them using your product and tags you, boom, that’s UGC!

Now, it’s time to use this content and re-share it on your page; it can be on your story or feed, that’s up to you. However, we do recommend at least occasionally posting this content on your main feed as it shows a successful sale and happy customer to other potential customers. 

Due to the increase in influencer marketing over the previous years, utilising UGC is essential to creating trust with customers.

It’s the same reason why people leave and read reviews - they trust what others have to say about your business.

Use the UGC to illustrate the trust other people have in your business to turn potential customers into current customers. 

Be Consistent

If there’s one tip that will help you dominate the social media game, it’s plan your content and be consistent!

Consistency is key to not only growing your following but also keeping them engaged. 

As a business, we recommend almost daily posts, scheduled for your prime audience time.

We suggest setting aside a few hours at the beginning of the week, fortnight, month (whatever works for you) and schedule in social media content that resonates with your audience and is true to your brand.

We love using Later to schedule our social media content, as it’s simple and user friendly. Scheduling content means you don’t have to worry about not being available to post at certain times, or not having time to create content, because it’s all done ahead of time!

Consistency is also not just about content, it’s about regularly engaging with your audience and businesses around you.

Make sure you’re replying to comments on your own profile, as well as and commenting on other accounts in your similar sphere of business to stay relevant and engaging.

People respond best when they feel like they are being listened to and their input is valued. 

The key is to remember to stay true to your brand and engage, engage, engage!

Now, go out and finish 2020 with a bang!

The Dak & Co Team