The digital marketing cheat-sheet for brand marketing teams

Source: SMW

“You’re doing it wrong” – six years in social media, varying accounts across industries and platforms, and that’s the one line that’s a constant in my head. We all want brands to succeed on social media. We’re inspired by the creative thoughts used by Zomato and Swiggy, love the moment marketing campaigns done by Durex and Netflix, but can’t figure out how they’re doing it and we’re not able to. They’re the gold standard – the benchmark. They set the trends, and we’re busy following them.

Yes, their creativity is unbelievable. Yes, the sheer number and quality of comments on most of their posts would put other brands to shame. But the gulf isn’t that big. It can reduce if you get the basics right.

1. All social media platforms are the same.

NO. THEY. ARE. NOT! While most marketers and brands appreciate the nuances of different platforms, they still tend to do things that damage them in the long run. “Let’s repost the business-related content we’ve made for LinkedIn on Instagram so more people can see it” – I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve told my clients it’s not the right thing to do. Just think of how many people you’re instigating to unfollow you. Who does that help?

2. A brand needs to be on all platforms to make the most out of social.

There’s a reason why small online boutiques with just a website and Instagram page are able to sell product, while giant MNCs are struggling to navigate the minefield. They get their customer, and they’re clear about what they’re trying to say. A multi-platform presence is definitely doable, but it needs to be done intelligently. The game of social media is like poker. The best players won’t reveal their cards. The novices will go all in every time, and walk away with their wallets much lighter.

3. “Let’s run ads after the page receives organic traction”

“Let’s fill fuel in that brand new car after it’s taken us on a 100 kilometer ride”. If you’re waiting for organic traction, here’s a tip you’ll thank me for – “Don’t”. Just don’t. Getting people to appreciate branded content is hard enough as it is. You don’t need to make it more difficult by limiting it to a fractional percentage of people that interact with you.

Source: Aww Memes

4. More hashtags = more discovery

With that logic, each post should be supported with a million hashtags so that your brand has the most organic visibility! Relevance is important. If you’re selling a food item, #doorknob won’t get you much. But it will if you’re selling doorknobs on the internet. Just stick to hashtags that are relevant for your brand and the content you create. Set a limit, and don’t let that number be over 10. Ever.

Source: Memeful

5. Negative comments hurt the business!

You’re absolutely spot on about that. Instead of avoiding the situation, or ignoring it, how about addressing it? Also, it’s not just those with a large following that deserve a viable solution. You’d be surprised at how a single user with ten followers can suddenly become too hot to handle. Having your ORM processes in place is essential. But owning that ORM process, and providing real value to customers through effective resolutions, is completely up to you. If your answer to negativity is a token response, you’re not going to enjoy social media all that much.

6. More posts = better visibility

You’re as much a consumer as your audience is. If a brand you follow put up 40 consecutive posts on your Instagram feed, how fast would you unfollow? That’s the dilemma you put your audience in when you ask your agency to spam people with content just because you have an event/major occurrence at your office. The outcome is pretty straightforward. Your views might go up, and in the short term, there aren’t any negatives. However, you’ll see that gradual decline in interactions and followers soon. 12 posts a month. Let your content get people involved.

Source: Meme Creator

7. There’s no ROI.

There’s a 24% revenue increase on brands that use social media for lead generation. With the right content, and a partner that works as hard as you to drive success, you can measure almost every detail of a campaign. This isn’t limited to just B2C brands or product sales. Social media is a powerful tool for B2B, and there’s a lot more than just updates on the company and hiring that can be done. (If you need ideas, we’re just an email/call away). Ticket size, niche audiences and geographical constraints are easy to overcome when you know what you’re doing.

Source: imgflip

8. A business shouldn’t get personal.

Personalization always works. Talking directly to a consumer, asking questions about the product, what they think, how they feel – could, in turn, generate content for your brand. Be a refreshing breath of air from the mountains, rather than smog from the world’s most polluted city. If you want someone to like you, you need to connect with them.

9. Social media is for the young/old/rich/poor/men/women/children. My audience is not on it.

Everyone with a smart phone consumes social media content in some form. Even your grandad with Whatsapp and YouTube installed on his phone (native app on android). When he plays the classics on YouTube he’s exposed to the ads designed for him. Tier 2 and 3 are on Helo and TikTok. Many women are exploring Bumble. Kids watch Peppa Pig on YouTube. Your audience is on digital. Ask us how to find them if you need help.

10. Moment Marketing

“We’ve got to grab every opportunity that comes our way!”. Wrong. You’ve got to take all the relevant opportunities to market your brand. Moment marketing can create powerful branded content messages, but if you try to link your brand to irrelevant opportunities, you’ll be perceived as someone who tries too hard. Remember “Eager Beaver”? Don’t let your brand become one.

 Source: Meme Generator

If you are struggling to find a solution to market your products/offerings on digital we can help. The advice is free. Our services to help you turn that advice into a viable solution? That’s chargeable.

Let me know if you found this helpful: fatema.khan@quantent.in