Choosing small can return big results!

This dates back to MySpace to Facebook, and more recently TikTok. There’s been so many avenues for brands to take advantage of that we’re now at a crossroads as to where the energies should be put into. In other words, there may be too much choice.

Here’s just a brief list of social channels:

• Facebook
• Twitter
• Instagram
• Snapchat
• LinkedIn
• YouTube
• Twitch
• TikTok

Every social channel above has a point to prove, and a benefit to give to a business. However, if you’re aware of only the first three or have even used some budget in advertising for them, it could be time to spread your wings into utilising the others.

Choose a few platforms to really take a deep dive into research-wise. Look into how they work and how they’ve benefited other businesses in the past, while also seeking out their potential for the future.

It’s also beneficial to look at the freely-available tools to see how much engagement a post is having. Google Analytics is a go-to option which accurately shows the highs and lows for what a campaign can achieve and what investing capital into it can do.

It’s important that we keep track of what channels benefit a business at the present moment. Relevancy is key, but it also needs to relate to the business at hand. You may research a social network that may, on reflection, hold no benefits to your business. However, parts of it may be useful if a department expands, or you go into a different product category.

When also looking for another channel, you should be asking some key questions:
“Are people searching for the product?”
“Do you need to educate people about the product?”

It’s all well to choose a social network, but the context of it is what will matter to the audience. Depending on the aspects of the business or a product that will be marketed, it needs to be relevant to the social network chosen.

Try to use ten to twenty per cent of the advertising budget on trying out a new platform. It could bring low engagement, but ultimately that’s what risk is about. The industry is all about trying the unknown to see what works, but research and knowledge of the platform is paramount.

TikTok is a good example of this. We have been looking at how ad spend on TikTok has been affecting a campaign, and so far we have seen some affect conversions across other channels. A client has been spending £1,000 a day on the platform recently, and we’ve found that the CPA (Cost Per Acquisition) has decreased on Facebook and Instagram, while the spending increases on TikTok. That’s a prime example in trying out a new platform and seeing just what works, and how it works.

Become an expert in a few areas, then go all in on them across campaigns. Just make sure that you don’t put your time into every social channel out there; take your time, and research their strengths and weaknesses. Be mindful of their progress as well. What are they working on? What features are they ending? Facebook is about to bring in a revamped design to their website for example, so the questions to businesses will be, how will this impact their advertising?

You should always move with the times, or you may get overwhelmed.