Every brand utilizes social media in one way or another. Since social media has become increasingly popular, especially as a marketing tactic for businesses, it is starting to lose the
uniqueness it once had. You see the same things throughout these platforms. Here is another Instagram story of new product inventory or another geo-tag on Snapchat promoting an event.
Been there, done that.
It is important to stay relevant and fresh within your industry, and utilizing social media the right way can truly help your brand.
There are so many different things your brand can do with social media. The creative content opportunities are endless, but everyone gets stuck using the same ones. So how can you steer away from the repetitive Instagram stories and Twitter hashtags? Here are 5 social media marketing ideas for your business to use that your competitors are probably not using.
Live Content
There is something exciting about “live” content. Even live television gets it's audience excited, because you never know what’s going to happen. What happens live cannot be cut out, recaptured, and normally isn't rehearsed. Now that you can go Instagram Live, Facebook Live, and you can use Twitter’s Periscope, more businesses should be utilizing this exciting feature.
People want to see this type of content. In fact, there is nearly double the amount of engagement on Facebook Live videos compared to YouTube videos. There are multiple things your business can do with live video streaming. You can do a Q&A, give a tutorial, go behind the scenes of your new product launch, or give a simple office tour to connect with your viewers. Dunkin Donuts utilized their first ever Facebook live video by showing customers behind the scenes in their test kitchen, and BeneFit Cosmetics showed fans how to create the perfect make up look with their products. These are just a few examples of successful live content that your business can easily achieve, too!
Partnerships
Creating social media partnerships are a great way to get other companies involved with your brand and reach a whole new target audience. This will increase your exposure throughout social media, as well as create exciting content to be published. You want to choose a company that isn’t a direct competitor, but rather, someone who will also benefit from the partnership in the long run.
Partnerships should be relevant in current pop culture, too. One successful social media partnership was between CoverGirl and Lucas Films, two companies you would never think could pull this off, but somehow did effortlessly. To promote the newest Star Wars film,
CoverGirl created a limited edition cosmetic line of “the light side” and “the dark side,” a Star Wars reference any fan would notice. This is an example of a brand reaching a whole new target audience, as well. Lucas Films reached more women than ever before, since Star Wars is primarily a male-dominated fan base. CoverGirl also won from this partnership and was trending all of social media for the uniqueness of their ads.
Contests
Everyone loves free merchandise, coupons, or a chance to win basically anything. Holding contests has never been easier when utilizing social media. Not only does this get your audience engaged in your brand, if done right, your giveaway could become a trending social media topic.
Starbucks launched their #RedCupContest in 2015, giving customers a chance to have their design displayed on every Starbucks cup in America and Canada. These designs were
shared all over social media and 13 winners were chosen from six different countries around the world. This was a very smart way to get customers involved with the brand, as well as start a social media movement. There were over 1,200 submissions and the #RedCupContest hashtag was trending for weeks. Not only did customers feel connected to Starbucks, the idea that their design would be in the hands of millions was a great incentive to enter.
Polls
Any interactive content on social media tends to get a lot of engagement from customers. That is why polls are a trending marketing tactic for companies to use. It is easy for businesses to create and fun for customer to interact with. Polls are also a great way to receive feedback from consumers. This is your brand's way of asking them anything you want, by posting on social media. AirBNB asked customers what’s a must have on their vacation and Dunkin Donuts kept it fun for #NationalCoffeeDay by asking customers how much they truly loved coffee.
Social Media Takeover
Takeovers are like partnerships, but are not long term. This is a great way for your brand to work with other industry experts or influencers and gain new audience exposure. This involves another brand, company, or person to take over your business social media handles for the day. It gives your company new content to be posted, a fresh perspective, and a potential start to a partnership.
Snapchat has been known for its successful brand takeovers. For example, the University of Cincinnati used this platform to excite potential new students by letting current students and
alumni takeover their Snapchat handle. This not only gave perspective students an in-depth look at the school, but it also showcased how fun it is to go to school there by letting current students snap away.
There are many ways to use social media as a marketing tactic and to engage your customers throughout these platforms. It is important for your business to use these sites in memorable and unique ways, because this can help your company gain new clientele and trend all over social media.
Need help in creating exciting new social media content? Infinite Marketing's team are social media geeks who love utilizing these platforms, so what are you waiting for? Get in touch today and have the best social media profiles in the game.
