There’s no doubt that social media is the bread and butter of marketing strategies for many brands these days. With the ever-changing digital landscape, how can you be sure your brand survives the algorithm game? From the launch of Threads as “the new Twitter” and another LinkedIn revamp, to the rise of AI-powered creative tools, we see brands struggling to pivot their strategies on social media management. To adapt to recent changes in the market, I counsel my clients to go back to the basics. Here is my five-step guide to building a strong social media strategy:
1. Identify your hero platform(s)
Usually, brands – especially new ones – try to show up on all possible social media platforms. This approach, however, not only drains budgets by trying to maintain a presence on multiple platforms, but it also raises concerns over return on investment (ROI). It’s important to know your audience, not must their demographics, but more importantly their behaviour and the social media platforms they’re most active on. Just like conducting a brand audit, a platform audit should always be on your to-do list. Focusing on one or a few top platforms that yield higher ROI with your target audience is better than blasting content everywhere, which is unlikely to drive brand impact.
2. Focus on engagement
The announcement by Instagram earlier this month about reforming its analytics to make views the primary focus reminds us to carefully consider which metrics are actually useful when measuring impact. In the past, Instagram and Facebook’s algorithms were structured around followed accounts or pages. Now, with AI an integral part of the algorithm, your main feed is largely populated by content that the algorithm thinks you might like, rather than what you actually follow. Thus, engagement (views, comments, sends and saves) should a be prioritised over follower count. Content that doesn’t generate engagement is likely to see a decrease in reach. Similarly, LinkedIn’s recent algorithm updates prioritise meaningful interactions. Thus, constructive discussion and thoughtful comments drives your content to more ‘relevant’ connections.
3. Utilise best performing content formats
If you’re still using a one-size-fits-all approach for creating social media content, it’s time to change. Each social media platform is unique and requires a unique strategy to ensure success and impact – from post length and hashtag use, to content type and the aspect ratio of visuals. It’s crucial to A/B test post formats and optimise content, taking into account each platform’s post specifications and best practice. As the 2024 Instagram Benchmarks Report by Socialinsider found, Reels continues to be the most engaging content format on Instagram, for instance. We also see the rise of document posts for LinkedIn, which enhances the readability of wordy content – the type that LinkedIn users tend to enjoy and are more likely to engage with.
4. Collaborate and co-create content for a win-win
A good collaboration has so many benefits on social. Work with your creator friends and non-competitive brands that align with your values and audience targets. Social media collaboration is a great way to grow brand presence and expand audience base. Whether it’s a sponsored post, product giveaway, or event invitation, co-created content helps captivate the right audience and improve engagement. What’s even better, collaborations often lead to user-generated content which amplifies the reach and adds more authenticity to your marketing efforts. If you haven’t tried an Instagram Collab post, you should give it a go, you may be surprised by the synergy you can gain. In a B2B context, co-creating content with thought leaders, or putting the top leadership team forward, builds trust and reputation for brands.
5. Redefine authenticity
While generative AI has become a great assistant for our day-to-day work, let’s not be overly excited. According to Hootsuite’s recent survey, audiences are not necessarily as big a fan of AI and AI-generated content as the organisations who embrace it. In fact, different generations have different levels of acceptance towards AI. Gen Z are more likely to trust and engage with AI-generated content than others, whereas baby boomers take the opposite view. To thrive in the AI era, brands need to redefine authenticity. It’s our job to decide which tasks to keep to ourselves and which to delegate to AI. With storytelling the most important aspect of content creation, we always have to ensure that we are telling a unique story not a generic one.
At Sinclair, we empower clients with the latest social media trends and cross-platform content strategy. Let’s talk and see how we can help you win the social conversation.
