Did you know that Facebook is the world’s third-most visited website and Instagram is the six-most visited website?  

With over 3.21 billion people actively using Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp or Messenger each month, 722 million members on LinkedIn and a projected 275 million monthly active users worldwide (last recorded in 2019) on Twitter, social media is one of the most powerful and exciting platforms for businesses to use. Not to mention that Tik Tok is predicting to reach 1.2 billion monthly active users in 2021.  

This is one of the most exhilarating fields in marketing and with more people than ever before using social media, now’s the time to consider its role in your marketing strategy and how your business can utilise social media more effectively. 

Between July and September 2020, over 180 million more people used social media than in the previous three months, driven by worldwide coronavirus restrictions causing us to spend more time at home and on our devices. With social media you need to be responsive and act upon trends in a way that will get you noticed and leave your competitors on the sideline.  

If you’re unsure where to start, or your social media activity is lacking a coherent strategy, you might be considering seeking expert help. But what should you look for when researching and choosing a social media marketing agency to support your brand?  

Initial audit of your social profiles 

Before setting to work on a new social media campaign, a good social media marketing agency will conduct a thorough audit of your existing profiles to understand what you’re doing well and what needs improvement. By reviewing your current activity and that of your competitors, the social media pros will be able to recommend ways to enhance your pages and grow your reach. 

Cross-channel content 

Your social media agency will ensure the great content you create gets seen by sharing it across all of your brand’s social media profiles. Different platforms require a different approach and an experienced social media team will promote your content in the most effective way on every platform.  

The powerhouse that is Facebook who also owns Instagram is continuously looking at ways to improve its user experience and ways that people and businesses can share what means the most to them.  

Facebook and Instagram Stories has taken the platforms to another level, allowing people to share engaging content for 24 hours – this gives businesses the prime opportunity to share sneak peaks for a new product launch or generate suspense and excitement for a sale or competition that is soon to be launched. The opportunities are endless. In 2018 and on Instagram alone, 500 million Instagram accounts used Instagram Stories every day, of which 1/3 of the most viewed Stories were generated by businesses.  

What’s more, Facebook claims that Instagram has helped 80% of Instagrammers decide whether to buy a product or service. Can you imagine how many then go on to purchase whilst on the app? Keeping an active profile and your products purchasable on Facebook and Instagram shopping could instantly improve your businesses bottom line. 

Relationships with influencers 

Partnering with the right social media influencers can help get your brand seen by a wider audience. Ask any potential social media agency about the results they’ve achieved for other clients with influencer marketing. Brand advocacy is a powerful tool that can harness fantastic results. Finding the right influencers that your target audience trust and engage with can help you unlock new fans, followers and ultimately customers – and any good social media marketing agency will know exactly where to find them.  

Content calendar creation 

Running a business can leave you with little time to dedicate to social media content. Working with a social media agency gives you access to people with the time, resources and skill to create engaging and informative posts that your followers will love. When it comes to communicating to your audiences you want to get them involved, ask them questions, create a poll, let them have their say and you should see engagement and brand advocacy soar. Of course, your agency should always give you final approval of any content so you feel confident that your brand is communicating in the right way. From the word go, your agency should agree key messages and objectives. There should be overarching messages that your brand lives by and others can change from time to time dependent on seasonality and the campaign you’re promoting.  

Managing your community 

Replying to comments. Responding to messages. Sharing posts that show love for your brand. There’s a lot involved in managing a social media community and as your reach grows, so will the workload. The more engagement your posts receive the longer and higher up the feed they tend to be, especially when it comes to Instagram. Keeping the conversation going, answering any pain points your customer may have and providing solutions will give people a reason to follow you and share their experiences with you. Trusting a social media team with this will ensure that you always know where and how people are talking about your brand, making it easier to discover potential areas for growth. 

Data-driven marketing 

Your brand’s social media activity should be informed by data. A good agency will provide monthly reports to demonstrate what’s working, and identify how they will adapt the strategy if things aren’t working as well as expected. Looking forward and seeing what seasonal trends are coming up, your agency should also keep you informed of new possible directions. Clear and concise reports will also help you understand how your brand is growing through social media and keep track of your return on investment.  

Unity Online has a team of specialists who can support your brand’s success through clever and creative social media marketing. Contact us to find out more.