According to Civic Web Media, one in three internet users will use social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram to discover more about businesses or brands?* Given that Australia now has roughly 20.5 million social media users, this isn’t all that surprising.
With the various algorithm changes that have been introduced over the years, social media has become so much more than just likes, comments and shares.… it’s about delivering an immersive user experience that establishes your business’s credibility and builds a relationship with your target audience.
Source: WordPress
Why have a social media strategy?
A comprehensive social media strategy can aid your marketing efforts at all stages of the funnel: from awareness, to traffic and conversions. It creates social proof that you are an authoritative and credible business, and allows you to communicate your values, aesthetics and goals to help stand out in a competitive environment. It also helps generate customer engagement by building an online community of like-minded individuals who value your service or product.
What is organic social?
Organic social is anything that happens on social media without money involved. Think LinkedIn updates, YouTube videos, TikTok videos, and Instagram and Facebook posts and stories. So, paid posts and advertisements are not organic social.
Utilising these free tools helps to build your brand and interact with your social community. With 30% of Australians checking their social media accounts over five times per day, organic social allows you to engage with your followers in a space they access regularly.
Platform overview
| Platform | Overview | Statistics | Best Practice |
|---|---|---|---|
| Social networking app, owned by Facebook, where users share photos, short videos, stream live videos & direct message other users. It’s a visual centric platform. | • Most popular social network in Australia in 2020** • 10 million active users in Australia More than half of users are younger than 34 • 6 in 10 users log in at least once per day • Avg. usage time per day is approx. 55 mins. | • Post engaging, high quality images & videos • Use visual storytelling to market your brand • Post at optimal times – typically in the late morning & early evening on weekdays • Stay on top of changes in the algorithm, updates and features (EG. stories, IGTV, reels) • Use 5-10 relevant hashtags to get discovered • Ask your community questions to spark dialogue • Use call-to-actions wherever possible to generate website traffic | |
| Social networking website & app where users can share status posts, photos, direct message other users, watch short-form video, maintain friends lists, create events, stream live videos and more. | • Most popular social network in the world since 2006 • 11 million active monthly users in Australia • Facebook stories have 300 million active daily users • Avg. usage time per day is approx. 50 mins. | • Keep posts short & specific – 40-80 characters • Ask questions – question posts generate comment rates double that of non-question posts • Utilise videos – videos earn 135% more reach than image posts • Use call-to-actions wherever possible to generate website traffic • Provide helpful links within posts • Use minimal hashtags – max. engagement occurs when only one hashtag is used • Use trending topics to stay relevant | |
| YouTube | Video-sharing platform where users can upload their own videos and watch, comment, react and subscribe to other accounts. | • The 2nd highest trafficked site in Australia after Google • 70% of users watch what is suggested by the algorithm • 73% of customers are more likely to buy something after watching a video about it • 2 billion logged-in users per month • 1 billion hours watched worldwide per day | • Upload good-quality, high definition videos • Post regularly and on a schedule • Use call-to-actions, such as ‘like, comment and subscribe,’ or ‘check out our other videos for more information’’ • Engage with your viewers in the comments section • Direct viewers to your other social media platforms • Link to a general theme associated with your business’s goal |
Why you should start using a social media content calendar
A social media calendar is the best way to plan ahead, organise and schedule your posts. Exactly as the name suggests, it’s a calendar that keeps you accountable for when and where you are posting. An Excel spreadsheet can do the trick, but management tools like Sprout Social are more effective (see below).
Use your social media calendar to ensure your content is consistent across your channels, and reduce the time you spend drafting posts every day by time-blocking.
How to use social media to your advantage:
- Use platforms that suit your business’s goals;
- Establish a consistent voice and tone across your socials;
- Use branded imagery & keep your brand consistent across all your social accounts;
- Develop platform specific content ideas. What works for Instagram may not work for LinkedIn;
- Use the correct image sizes
- Post consistently, and at optimal times;
- Use call-to-actions wherever possible (E.g. check out our website for more information!);
- Regularly engage with your community by liking and commenting;
- Use relevant hashtags and location tags;
- Monitor and analyse your competition;
- Use UTM tracking (Google’s campaign URL builder);
- Set goals and measure your results. Adjust your strategy accordingly; and
- Analyse your most popular posts – why are they popular? What time were they posted? Etc.
Social media tools we recommend:
| Sprout Social | The perfect single-hub management and optimisation platform for social media publishing, analytics and engagement. Use its social listening tools (user sentiment, trending hashtags, and the most shared/commented/liked mentions across social networks) to drive your business’ strategic decision making. |
| LinkTr.ee | LinkTr.ee is a free tool that allows you to include multiple website or content destinations within your one bio link. It allows for URL tracking, and is great for optimising your Instagram traffic. Use the paid version for customisation and ability to schedule changes in link order and visibility. |
| Canva | Canva is a free tool that integrates millions of images, illustrations, fonts and templates to make it easier to create content such as infographics, presentations and visuals. It has templates for specific social media platforms, including Instagram stories and Twitter posts. Use the paid version for a greater variety of content. |
So, what’re you waiting for? Improve your organic social media presence using these tips and build your own online community of brand advocates!
If you really want to leverage the power of social media to boost your business growth, contact the Springboard team today to talk about your Social Media Marketing strategy. This is the paid side of social media, which allows you to get your brand in front of new, highly engaged audiences within your target market.
Find out more about our affordable Social Media Marketing services here, and get in touch today!