10 points to incorporate in your 2023 social media strategy
We’ve researched a lot of predictions and trends for the year and have summarised it for you. Here are 10 pointers to consider while planning your social media marketing strategy to enhance your business in 2023.
1. Instagram deserves your time and attention
You need to be where your customers are. Instagram has 1.5 billion daily active users (and 2+ billion monthly). According to Hootsuite, 62% of Instagram users say they use it to research brands and products (Facebook takes second place with 55%).
It is an integral part of marketers’ portfolios and rightly so. According to Influencer Marketing Hub’s research, 87% took specific action like following a brand, visiting its retail store or making a purchase after seeing posts with product information on the Gram. Leverage everything that the platform offers with a strong presence.
2. Short video formats drive maximum user engagement
The popularity of short video formats on platforms like TikTok, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube is growing. Instagram reports that users are engaging more with reels than any other content format on the app accounting for 20 percent of the time people spend on the app. Emplifi, a customer experience platform, shared that brands earn nearly 40% more engagement with reels compared to other Instagram content formats. The biggest brands in the world are leveraging videos and reels to maximize reach and engagement.
3. Tap into influencer marketing to reach your target audience
More and more brands are turning to collaborate with influencers to enhance brand awareness and reach out to their target audience. According to Influencer Marketing Hub, 61% of consumers trust influencer recommendations, compared to 38% who trust brand-produced content.
Sometimes influencers can also prompt sales conversions. Statistics show that consumers want to follow people they can relate to, instead of celebrities. Think about working with nano and micro influencers and not just mega influencers. It is important to pick the right kind of influencer for your brand and not just be swayed by the number of followers an influencer has.
4. Focus on quality content
You do not need to be present on all popular social media platforms. Pick a few but make sure that you bring your A-game along. Try keeping your content more personal and less marketing-oriented. People are looking out for real connections. The content should be valuable and interesting. Visuals are very important. You only have a few seconds to grab user’s attention so make it count. Animation and stop motion videos, if done well, are also attractive.
5. Be Consistent
Social media algorithms prioritise consistency. This is what helps make an impact. At the same time, don’t make compromise on quality content at the cost of posting daily. Serialised content is a great way to maintain consistency. Take one topic and create a schedule to post about it. Also consider consistency in the visuals and the overall look to help with brand recognition.
6. Interact with your audience
Utilise the power of social media to connect with your audience. Consider live streaming on Instagram and Facebook to launch products or new campaigns or simply answer questions. Join Facebook groups to connect with potential customers. Running polls, contests, promotions and giveaways are great way to engage with users as well as get to know them better.
7. Highlight User Generated Content (UGC)
Featuring user generated content on your page enhances your authenticity and influences consumers purchasing decisions and sales conversions. Try and include content curated and published by someone else on your page. These could be testimonials or reviews by brand loyalist, customers receiving their jewellery, or key opinion leaders visiting your store. Get customers to tag you or include your hashtag when they post something online.
8. Track your competitors
While you may use tools to review your own data, there are digital tools to gather data on your competition’s performance as well. Facebook’s Ad Library enables you to analyse the advertising approach of brands while the Pages to Watch allows you to compare the performance of your page with that of other businesses you. There are several free and paid tools that give you insights into your competitor’s strategy and key takeaways that you can incorporate in your own social media blueprint.
9. Social Listening
Investing in social listening tools helps you understand what your customers or potential customers have to say about your brand, competitors and related keywords. It helps identify what your customers want from you and enables you to tweak your offerings. You can also uncover the latest trends and stay ahead of the competition through social listening.
10. Social Media Customer Service
Social media handles are an easy way for people to reach out to your brand for queries about your products. Be Prompt and offer immediate assistance. Create a guideline for responding to requests on social media listing out the tone, response time and protocol for escalation. You could also list out FAQs to save time and effort.
