If you want to build relationships with target customers, you will also need to build their trust. And if you want to do this, there are few better ways than using social media as a marketing tool.
It's true that Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and others have real potential for doing this, but in this article we'll talk mostly about YouTube because of all platforms, it really does perform better than the rest for advertising purposes. So let's look at how social media, and particularly YouTube, could be used for marketing your brand.
Why Is Social Media Marketing Important?
Social media
allows companies to communicate with millions of users every day … so long as the companies are visible in the right places! This is because it's possible to talk, and solve problems, directly with customers. In this way it it creates brand awareness and, predictably, loyalty. Different platforms have different features, so when you make your choice, its important to use the one that's relevant to your objectives.
With Instagram, stories can be told visually. Facebook is good at building community. And TikTok is great for showing short entertaining videos. But YouTube's strength is that it allows the promotion of long-form video content. This is why
YouTube promotion services, unlike static images, are more influential and can be used more effectively for brand promotion.
Building a Strong Social Media Presence
On social media, you need to build – and maintain – a strong presence. So let's take a look at how we can improve our performance on these platforms:
1. Post Regularly
Setting up a schedule for posting is a great way to start. That's because regular posts ingrain you into the audience's mind, enabling them to easily remember you. Whether you buy a content calendar or create one yourself, make sure you do it so you have control – and consistency – with all platforms.
2. Focus on Quality Content
If you want to capture you audience's attention, you need good captions, proper graphics, and well made videos. Cutting corners to save time and/or money is a false economy because people won't engage with it. Good content suggests professionalism and raises credibility. Get yourself some tools, or even hire a professional, just to make sure that you stand out.
3. Engage with Your Audience
Building trust means replying to comments and even messages. Engaging your audience actively is essential: it gets them to realize that what they say matters to you. Use polls and even comments to get their attention.
4. Use Hashtags
Hashtags are used by platforms to position your posts. They are, effectively, free exposure … as long as you
use them in the right way. This means that using proper hashtags can turn your unknown social media account into a popular one overnight. But you must always use hashtags that are relevant to your own field. Never put in random hashtags just to look ‘cool': people may click on them, then leave your post in a second. The platforms notice this lack of engagement, so if you create a history of doing this, you'll probably find you don't get as much visibility as you'd expect..
5. Partner With Influencers
If you possibly can,
work with influencers to improve your growth and gain credibility. But of course, work with influencers whose audience aligns with your brand. If you're selling heavy machinery, partnering with a fashion influencer wouldn't be a wise choice. And set up objectives so the effectiveness of the collaboration can be measured.
This tactic is very effective on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.
YouTube Promotion: Unlocking New Opportunities
YouTube stands out as a platform for long-term brand growth. Because the videos are long, they are memorable and provide more information than other formats. So to maximize this potential, make sure you follow these rules;
1. Leverage YouTube's Algorithm
This is trained to recognize the level of posting activity, how well a channel's audience is retained, and how users engage with the platform's content. Make content that encourages engagement and motivates people to interact by sharing their thoughts, giving thumbs up, and (of course) subscribing.
2. Use YouTube Ads
There are several types here: display ads, skippable ads, and non-skippable ads that relevant to the kind of audience you are targeting. They are effective because people do actually look at them – and learn about the advertiser's brand.
3. Work With YouTube Influencers
As we've said, working with big influencers has the potential to expose your brand to a massive audience. And don't forget that their followers are likely to purchase what they recommend, which makes it a great promotion strategy.
4. Make Educational Content
Informative tutorials give your potential customers insights into the use of the product and at the same time, show off your expertise and experience – which is an enormous builder of trust.
Measuring Success on Social Media and YouTube
Tracking performance is essential to monitor the success of your strategy. And here are some key metrics to monitor:
- Engagement rate. Measure likes, comments, shares, and views to see how well your content is received.
- Audience growth. Track the growth of followers and subscribers across all platforms.
- Click-through rate (CTR). Monitor the rate at which people click your video thumbnails so you can see what works.
- Watch time. YouTube rewards videos with higher watch times, which means the “best” videos get the most exposure. So keep an eye on this!
- Conversion rate. And of course monitor the number of visitors who perform the actions you want, which could be visiting your website or making a purchase.
With Google Analytics, YouTube Studio, and even social media dashboards, tracking this information is very straightforward.
Conclusion
Effective social media marketing is essential to any growing brand. Instagram, Facebook and TikTok are great for networking, but we believe that YouTube is in most cases the best for long term results. And this is simply due to the long-form format of videos, which means they will always be remembered.
And if you start building your presence now, you'll set yourself up for the long term success you've always wanted.
