3 of the Most Effective Social Media Strategies You Should Use

A majority of people are obsessed with social media. You can see many of them around scrolling their Instagram feeds or reacting to posts on Facebook.

In fact, people use at least 4 social media platforms every day. Not just standard posts but perishable posts like Snaps and Instagram Stories have also gained massive popularity.

The reason behind the massive popularity of social networking sites is that social media has given people a better way to connect with one another. It has become easier than ever to share your thoughts, photos, and achievements, and, more importantly, express your views on posts by others. 

What does this mean for your brand?

You can use this platform to promote your products and services, tell your brand’s story, and build connections with your existing and potential customers.

But to get good results, you need to build a strong social presence using high-quality content, eye-catching visuals, and good customer service.

Wondering where to start?

Here are the most effective social media strategies that can help you grow your business:

1. Use the Power of Video Content to Your Advantage

People enjoy watching videos and they find them quite engaging. This has led to the growing popularity of streaming services like Netflix.

People’s love for video content isn’t limited to shows and web series. Every social media platform offers at least one video-sharing feature now and consumers seem to be loving it.

Videos on social media create perfect scroll-stopping experiences for users.

You can create video content to educate your audience, introduce new products and services, increase engagement, and, of course, build trust.

Are you still wondering if you should use video content for your business?

As per a recent report from Cisco, video content will account for 82% of the total internet traffic by 2022.

Did that number make you think again?

If you don’t have a video marketing strategy in place yet, it’s high time to create one.

Whether it is short video Stories on Instagram or long videos on YouTube, videos appeal to a majority of people. You can use them to tell your brand’s story, showcase your products, and promote offers.

Bonus Tips for 2020

• Tap into the market of personalized videos.

For example:

Barclays created personalized videos that directly spoke to viewers. The video below explains how their potential customer, Clare, could get the car of her dreams with a Barclays’ loan.

Video via YouTube

• You should scale your video marketing strategy using effective video tools that allow you to edit your video content professionally. With easy-to-use filters and presets, you won’t have to invest in setting up a large video content team.
• 2.72 billion people will watch videos on their smartphones by 2023. That’s why you need to ensure that your videos are optimized for viewing on mobile phones.

2. Capitalize on the Rise of Social Commerce

The desire to feel a product and try it on before making a purchase is steadily declining. People are choosing the comfort of buying online over the traditional shopping experience.

In 2019, retail ecommerce sales worldwide amounted to $3.53 trillion and that number is expected to rise to $6.54 trillion by 2022.

With the rise of social commerce, users no longer have to leave a social platform to purchase a product they like. One moment, you’re scrolling through your Instagram feed, and the next moment, you’re filling in your credit card details. 

Shopping is now that easy.

Many consumers scan through a brand’s social media accounts to research products before actually purchasing them. In fact, 87% of ecommerce shoppers use social media to make shopping decisions.

How can you leverage social media to generate sales?

To encourage people to buy on social media platforms, you should focus on selling a lifestyle, not a product. Your consumers are more likely to purchase a product that isn’t directly sold to them.

For example:

Brands like H&M, Zara, and Nike are leveraging social commerce by using in-context photos of people using their products. This makes their social media content look authentic and non-promotional.

You can use similar images for your Shoppable posts on Instagram. The platform allows you to tag up to five products on each organic post.

Image via Marketing Week

You can also use the right social media tools to plan, schedule, and analyze your social content more efficiently.

Bonus Tips for 2020

• You can also deploy a Messenger bot to engage your prospects better.
• You should focus on using high-quality visuals and video-based content. Let your consumers know all about your product before they buy it.
• If you want to ace the game of social selling, it is extremely important to create a robust customer experience strategy. This can help you increase conversions, enhance customer satisfaction, and maximize customer lifetime value.

3. Transform Your Marketing Strategy Using Augmented Reality

The demand for enhanced and engaging experiences has led to the adoption of high-end technologies like augmented reality (AR).

You might have used the engaging AR filters on Snapchat.

But is the use of AR limited to having fun?

No.

Brands and marketers are using this technology to enhance the customer experiences they are delivering and encourage consumers to buy.

For example:

Wanna Kicks is a shopping app that leverages the AR technology to let users try on sneakers virtually. You can go through photos of an array of sneakers, choose the one you like, point your feet to your smartphone’s camera, and try it on.

Image via TechCrunch

Wondering if using AR technology will require a big investment?

It will but it is worth the money. It can help consumers visualize your product, increase customer engagement and satisfaction, attract a wider audience, and reduce the number of returns.

You should definitely incorporate AR into your social media marketing strategy in 2020.

Bonus Tips for 2020

• You should be excited and open about trying out new technologies. However, you should spend some time to consider if they fit into your business plan and budget.

If using AR doesn’t seem the right fit for your business yet, you can revisit it later down the road.

• You should only use AR if it can help you solve any pain points of your consumers or make shopping a better experience for them. Do not use it for entertainment purposes only.

Are You Ready to Use These Strategies in 2020?

Social media marketing comes with a number of benefits. You can take advantage of them by using trending and effective social marketing strategies for your brand.

You should try using the strategies we’ve discussed above to improve your social media marketing plan in 2020.

Do you have any questions about using these strategies for your business? Share them in the comments below.

Gaurav Sharma is the Founder of Attrock, a digital marketing company. He works closely with top marketing influencers and has helped numerous brands, ecommerce firms, and SaaS companies grow.

He is also a certified Google Analytics and Google Adwords specialist and regularly contributes to reputable publications like HuffPost, TechCrunch, and many more.