5 Social Media Marketing Takeaways from Social Media Day 2021

Earlier this month, we hosted our 3rd annual Social Media Day. It was packed with education on what’s working today in social media marketing. We’re always so grateful for those in attendance and who appreciate learning what the power of social media can do for a retailer’s business. Thank you to all who participated (or watched the replay)!

It’s no secret that the social media industry moves fast. If you’re not on top of it—leveraging the tactics and strategies that are working today—you’ll get left behind. So, while we want to offer as much help, support, and information as we can on this ever-evolving subject during Social Media Day, we also understand how overwhelming it can be to absorb, retain, and apply all that you learn.

So keep reading for the 5 most impactful takeaways from Social Media Day 2021 and what to look for in the future of social media marketing.

1. Leverage Live Streaming on Facebook to Increase Free Reach.

For several years now, we’ve seen organic (free) reach decline for Business Pages on Facebook. On average, a Page’s post will be seen by about 5% of the people who Like the Page. Only 5%! However, when retailers go Live on Facebook, we’ve seen free Reach jump—some as high as 20% or more. Facebook puts a heavier weight on business Page video posts. So Live Streaming—where you can ask your viewers to leave comments and have a conversation in the moment—helps with the Facebook Algorithm.

All social media platforms have Algorithms, which determine who sees which posts, when. It’s important to understand the Algorithms for each of the platforms you use. This is so you can get the most out of your social media marketing efforts. For Facebook, getting engagement on a Post (Likes, Comments, Shares, Clicks) and keeping people on your content longer than other posts (for example, with a Live Stream video!), helps increase organic reach. The more people that see your posts, the more opportunities you have to drive traffic and sales. In my opinion, if you’re using Facebook to market your business, you need to leverage Live Streaming to maximize your efforts.

2. Use Facebook Ads Manager to Target Current Customers and Find New Ones.

When it comes to advertising on Facebook, I strongly recommend using Ads Manager, not Boosting your posts. Through Ads Manager, you have access to several campaign objectives. It will help optimize your budget for your goals, and give you more creative opportunities (the design of the ad).

Crystal Media’s advertising agency has seen as high as 48 times ROAS (return on ad spend) with Ads Manager—meaning for every $1 you put in, you get $48 out. Now, we can’t guarantee results like this for everyone, but my point is that we see Facebook Ads driving traffic (offline and online) and sales to our retailers weekly, often for a $300-$800/month ad spend. Many of our clients have stopped other forms of advertising because they receive much more powerful results from Facebook advertising. It’s one of the best places to spend your ad dollars if you have a brick-and-mortar business and/or eCommerce presence.

3. Go All In on Short-Form Video Content.

Instagram Reels and TikTok are the top two places businesses are seeing the best organic (free) reach. For TikTok specifically, some businesses go viral fast and become influencers with 500,000 followers or more in a year or less. It’s really hard to get that kind of growth on Instagram or Facebook without the help of Ads or a Celebrity/Influencer. I can’t stress this enough…TikTok is a powerful marketing tool. I group Instagram Reels and TikTok together because they’re both the same type of content—short-form, typically one minute or less, that’s educational, entertaining and/or inspiring.

A few short-form video content ideas for independent retailers are: answering customer FAQs, showing what makes your store unique, letting your personality shine in a BTS (behind-the-scenes) video, participating in some of the current video trends that fit your brand, providing relevant training and tips, and sharing helpful videos that relate to or solve customer problems. Like any social media content that you create, always think of your customers…What do THEY want to see? What will INTERCEPT their attention online versus INTERRUPT it? Then be your authentic self and hit record.

4. Give Your Customers Several Ways to Buy From You.

The frequently used word here is omni-channel. With the pandemic making it difficult for customers to visit their favorite stores in person, businesses jumped into action by offering curbside pick-up, delivery and launching eCommerce websites. Your customers and potential customers want to shop with you in many ways. Whether it’s in-store, online, via email or through social media (i.e. Facebook or Instagram Shops, Facebook Live Streaming videos), they want options. And if you don’t offer the way a customer wants to buy from you, they’ll find somewhere else that does. Not everyone wants to shop online. But many do and we’re going to continue to see that rise since consumers have been forced to get comfortable and gain more confidence with online shopping due to the shut downs.

5. Explore Audio Tools to Grow Your Business and Stay Connected to Customers.

Audio is on the rise and expected to be a big part of our future. From the newest social media platform, Clubhouse, creating virtual rooms to exchange ideas, advice and network with like-minded people, to tools like Voxer and Telegram keeping teams and customers in touch, to the increase in streaming music on platforms like Spotify and Platform…there’s no shortage of audio apps and tools to easily stay connected and grow your brand awareness. And let’s not leave out my personal favorite, Podcasts, where 77.9 million people are listening at least once a week (that’s doubled since 2016*).

I predict we’ll see more audio tools as a channel for learning and delivering content that will keep consumers in contact with their favorite brands. A definite social media marketing strategy for businesses to consider to start building authority and a following.

What I want you to take away from this blog:

• Each of these strategies can have a huge impact on your business. But if it seems like a lot to tackle, I always suggest starting slowly. Pick just one of these areas to focus on and watch your results grow!
• If you’re not using Live Streaming, Facebook Groups or leveraging Ads, you’re wasting your time on Facebook.
• The social media industry moves fast. Learn more about becoming a Crystal Media Insider for the latest social media marketing updates, tips, and best practices.

Ok, over to you! I want to know…

 
How many of these 5 strategies have YOU tried? Let us know what’s working or questions you have in the comments below!

*Source: Business Insider 2021 Podcast Industry Report