Simply paying for ads on social media does not mean you will reach your audience; you must have clear and engaging content. When we think about the ongoing trend of targeted, relevant posts on social media, it is important to optimize different content formats. A lot of the content we see on the internet is moving from written content to pictures and videos. We are living in a fast-paced society in which people don’t have the time to sit down and read every single word on their social pages.
For example, cooking tutorial time-lapse videos have been extremely popular on social media. Posting full written recipes on social media would not be ideal and may be a little overwhelming for some users. In March, Buzzfeed’s online cooking channel, Tasty, had the highest growth engagement out of all the U.S. media publishers. Their 30% engagement growth was driven by their time-lapse Facebook videos.
It is much easier and more satisfying for people to watch a video with yummy food and vibrant colors than it is for people to read simple text. More importantly, a real person’s hands are making these drinks and meals, and this kind of human characteristic engages audiences and makes them feel capable of doing what they see in these videos.
Stay on top of the trends.
Staying on top of trends is important, and we can see this is the case with instances such as the time-lapse videos. Other opportunities include Facebook’s new Live feature. Facebook Live allows businesses and users to hold live stream videos. You can interact with your audiences in real time. Users can comment and like the video, and live streamers will be able to see the time points at which these actions were taken. In addition, Facebook users have the option to be notified when a Page they like has gone ‘live.’
“While your current fans will be able to keep up here and in News Feed, the experience will help new followers discover you too.”
The Facebook Live Map allows users to browse the live streams all over the world. Users can hover over a live beacon in a certain location, and if they like what they see, they can join in on the stream. Former MullenLowe employee Alan Parker says behind-the-scenes broadcasts or “talking head” videos will not be enough to capture audiences. If businesses want to take advantage of this amazing opportunity, they will have to be entertaining. What this means is that there will have to be new roles within agencies to allow for considerable attention to inventive strategies for this important new feature.
We are also seeing a variation of this live engagement with social media platforms such as Snapchat and Instagram. Although live streaming does not exist on these apps, Live Stories do. Snapchat was the original creator of these stories, and Instagram followed suit.
These stories, both photos and videos that disappear after 24 hours of posting, humanize brands. The stories offer audiences a different point of view, a more human point of view. Whether it is a snap by snap behind-the-scenes look at an event or a day in the life of someone who works for the company, a real person is behind the camera. These postings are not automated, and they don’t seem like ads to most users, but stories can sell in this friendly manner. Snapchat and Instagram users are used to interacting with their friends and viewing friends’ stories on these apps, and it can be easy for brands with dedicated fans to become just another friend on these interfaces.
What is even more convincing is when brands have influencers on social media. Famous people with a lot of followers on social media are highly desirable when it comes to selling products. People tend to trust the people they idolize, and if a famous person is using a certain product in their snaps or Instagram stories, people may be tempted to go out and purchase these products.
Businesses need to have content in appealing and engaging formats. A static, written advertisement will not work as well as it used to in a world fueled by new, engaging media. Be entertaining, personify your brand, and become a loyal friend to your audience.
