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Digital Marketing - Unit 4

MEDIUM LEVEL

AKMI S.A

Unit 4: Social media and digital marketing

AIMS & OBJECTIVES

1)The aim of this presentation is to help learners to develop their own social media strategy, knowing which social media platform will choose

2)The objectives of this presentation is to familiarize learners with the basic characteristics of social media.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

LOut1: Create social media campaigns

LOut2: Analyze features of different social media platforms

LOut3: Use case studies and best practices

KEYWORDS

  • Trend
  • Hashtags
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Facebook
  • Social media
  • Social share buttons
  • Red Bull
  • Zappos
  • Ads

TABLE OF CONTENTS

  • AIMS & OBJECTIVES
  • LEARNING & OUTCOMES
  • TABLE OF CONTENTS
  • Introduction
  • Unit 4: Social media and digital marketing
  • Synopsis
  • References

1.1 Introduction

Social media is such an ever-present part of our lives, since it has changed the way that people interact and work. It is also becoming difficult to avoid social media in offline channels as well, considering hashtags and snapcodes on posters, or television shows. We can now collaborate, publish, share content and ideas much more easily than ever before. To succeed in social media, you need to have an idea of the basics, such as the various platforms available to you, which objectives social media can offer you to achieve and how to create a strategy using social media to achieve these objectives.

Social media apps: Facebook

Facebook presented a way of forming and maintaining online social networks for communities of users who already shared interests and activities. Many users already know most of their news and entertainment content through their News Feed on Facebook. Some special features include:

1.Personal profile pages remove much of the anonymity of the Internet, since users of social networks know a great deal of information about themselves, from basic demographics such as age, gender and location, to nuanced lists of likes and dislikes.

2.Each Page consists of the following elements:

  • A cover/header image, GIF or video (the large banner at the top)
  • A profile image that represents an organization or a brand
  • Buttons to like, share, comment or some other form of call to action
  • The ‘wall’, where the brand’s posts and interacts
  • Tabs are distinct pages of information on the brand’s Page.
  1. The Facebook Reaction buttons allow users to share their feeling about a certain piece of content within their social groups. The reactions include the original iconic

‘Like’ button, ‘Love’, ‘Haha’, ‘Wow’, ‘Sad’ and ‘Angry’.

  1. News Feed is the term used for the stream of content users. Facebook uses an algorithm to determine what information is presented on each user’s news feed. This algorithm is called the News Feed Algorithm. According to an official Facebook update, the following factors are considered by the algorithm before it displays content in a user’s news feed:
  • Who posted it? – If you engage regularly with this person or brand, Facebook will show you more
  • Type of content – Whether the content is a photo, article or video can carry different weight in the algorithm sometimes.
  • Interactions – The number of likes, shares and comments.

Facebook: Digital marketing and advertising

  1. Making the Most of Your Facebook Business Page

A Facebook page is a proper for free marketing tool for businesses. These pages offer businesses the chance to identify themselves – not just through listing product offerings and services, but also by sharing links, images, and posts on a customizable page to give a better sense of a business’s personality and character.

  1. Facebook ads

Use Facebook advertising features that include:

  • Demographic targeting by Facebook user data on age, location, and interests
  • Ad testing, in which multiple ad versions can be launched simultaneously in order to compare ad designs and setup.
  • Built-in ad performance measurement tools.
  1. Sponsored stories

Sponsored Stories are used as a type of Facebook ad that shows a user’s interactions, such as a Facebook like, to the user’s friends. The aim of Sponsored Stories is to have a user take the same action as their friends.

  1. Facebook Open Graph

Businesses can create third-party apps that are connected to a user and post a notice on Facebook when a user performs a specific action with the app. Facebook’s Open Graph offers  for creative interactive options outside of the standard “like” and “comment.” Posts can suggest that users “listen,” “taste,” “read,” – it’s up to businesses to get creative.

Facebook: Steps for digital marketing process

  1. Formulation of a FACEBOOK PROFILE
    Go to http://www.facebook.comand sign up
  2. CREATE A FACEBOOK PAGE
    Click on “Create a Page” and start giving it a shape of your company or brand details. You can find “Create A Page” while logged into your personal account in the top right drop down arrow. Then select a category for your business (Local, Brand or Product, or Artist, Band or Public figure). Fill out the additional fields related to your scope.
  1. INCLUDING ADDITIONAL ADMINS TO YOUR PAGE

If you need more than one person to have access to post on your Company’s page it is very easy to add admins to your page:

  • Click on Settings in the top right of your company page (next to Help). If the person is your Facebook friend, type their name and select them from the list that appears. If the person isn’t your Facebook friend, type the email address related to his/her account
  • Click Editor  to select a role from the dropdown list. 
  • Click Save and enter your password for confirmation reasons.

        4. EDIT YOUR PAGE

  • Complete your Page info
  • Click Edit Page Info and fill in with a description of max. 255 characters to define who you are and what you do.
  • Contact information: Fill in all the ways you want people to be able to find you.
  • Extra options: If it’s relevant to your business, include your operating hours, price range, and privacy policy
  1. INCLUDE A CALL-BUTTON

A call-to-action button offers people a quick and easy way to reach out your organization. Click Add a Button under your cover photo to set one up.

  1. Text

This is the most core type of Facebook post. It is literally nothing but next: No photos, no videos—not even a link.

A text-only post can’t help people to reach your website or drive conversions, but it can be used to create engagement on your Page.

 

  1. SHARE OF PHOTOS

If you sell something less tangible, stock photos can be a  good tool for help.

The “photo” in your post doesn’t have to be a photo at all. It could be any kind of image, like an infographic, illustration, or any other visual. A short video post can be compelling if your product has strong visual appeal. Since videos can play automatically in the News Feed, even a clip that’s only a few seconds long post great engagement.

 

Case study: Zappos

Zappos, a leader in online shoe commerce, and sets the gold standard for online customer care. Zappos provide a 365-day money back guarantee, but they also have free shipping both ways. Their social media tactic revolves around their company website and main social media networks, including Facebook and Instagram. In Facebook, Zappos.com rans photo ads that present its most visually attractive products.

To reach the right people, Zappos targeted people who had expressed an interest in shoes on Facebook. It also segmented the consumers and then targeted them, by using custom audiences.

Social media apps: Instagram

Instagram (instagram.com) is used as a mobile-based photo app that offers  you the chance to take a picture with your phone camera and then add an interesting artistic filter to make it look polished and beautiful. This can then be shared on Instagram itself and on other social networks for followers to view and comment on. Some features include:

1.Users have a profile and a unique username. On their profile, users post images or videos.

2.Use of hashtags

3.Posts can be liked, by double tapping the picture or tapping the heart icon and commented on

4.Shopping tool

Instagram: Digital marketing and advertising

  1. SWITCH TO A BUSINESS PAGE

Before you think about your Instagram digital marketing plan, be sure that you have an Instagram Business Account. You can create a business account.

 

  1. FREE INSTAGRAM TOOLS

Business profiles on Instagram aren’t all that different from Facebook business.  Since Insights tool are available, you can view statistics like impressions, engagement data, and more.

You can even have a breakdown of the demographics of your followers, involving information on their age, gender, location, and most active hours.

  1. PRODUCT TEASERS

 

         4. CAROUSEL ADS

Instagram ads can become commonplace on the platform.

You can present just one sponsored ad or multiple ads with the carousel feature.

This offers brands the ability to target their audience in a whole new way. Before sponsored posts, only users following your account could showcase your updates and photos.

  1. PARTNERING

If you partner with the right industry influencer, you can be your brand out in front of those users. Here’s an example of how Gravity Blankets included influencer Jessi Smiles to promote their product on her Instagram

 

Case study: Red Bull

Red Bull Media House has a focus on sports, culture and lifestyle content across TV, digital, and print and produces and licenses a broad selection of global live events. Influenced by its media house and its ownership of sports teams and events, Red Bull has been able to offer the boundaries between entertainment and marketing.

Through Instagram, Red Bull’s main thing you notice, is the approach to social content with a focus on video.  Red Bull’s main YouTube and Instagram channel boasts over 9 million subscribers, with a further 3.9 million across its smaller channels according to statistics of 2020. People can find mini-series, short documentaries, longer-form video content and livestreamed events. 

LinkedIn: Steps for digital marketing campaign

  1. CREATION OF A PAGE

Before your company can start LinkedIn marketing, it needs a LinkedIn page. Here’s a quick guide on how to implement it:

  • Visit the LinkedIn Pages section of LinkedIn Marketing Solutions website.
  • Choose your appropriate category of business
  • Fill in company details with a page preview that displays how it looks it is a core step. Include a good URL for your brand.
  1. INCLUSION OF INFORMATION
  • Company description: Showcase customers your vision, mission, values, and offer a description of your products and services in three to four short paragraphs.
  • Location: Add your store or office locations.
  • Hashtags: Up to three hashtags can be added to create your profile more searchable. Choose hashtags that are commonly used in your industry.
  • Cover photo: Choose polish to your profile with a background photo. Choose an image that showcases your business. Avoid shots that are too busy. Recommended size is 1584 (width) x 396 (height) pixels.
  • Custom button: Add a button to your profile to encourage action. Options involve visit website, contact us, learn more, register, and sign up.
  • Posting: LinkedIn’s algorithm ranks posts based on the following signals: personal connections, interest relevance, and engagement probability.
  1. SELECT DIGITAL MARKETING TOOLS
  • Canva

Canva is referred as a tool that offers you to create custom images for free (in-app purchases are also available). Canva offers an extensive stock photo library with branding and customization options. But you can also use Canva to create graphic pull quotes and data visualizations. Or simply share a branded hashtag as an image. Canva can also be related to actions for creating GIFs and videos with your own recordings, stock footage, or graphics.

  • Slideshare:

SlideShare is LinkedIn’s built-in professional content sharing tool. You can upload your PDF, PowerPoint, Word, or OpenDocument file to share with your followers. These presentations offer engagement to your posts.

  • LinkedIn Groups:

There are groups on LinkedIn that are useful for page admins and business owners as well. These involve:

  1. Entrepreneur & Small Business Forum
  2. LinkedIn Small Business Innovators
  3. Small Business & Independent Consultant Network

 

Case study: Adobe

Adobe established itself as a leader in digital marketing and raise awareness for its digital marketing. In this context, it wanted to further elaborate its campaign. To do this, Adobe needed a relevant channel to share thought leadership content and expertise with its target audience group. LinkedIn’s publishing platform was the ideal channel for Adobe to reach people. The campaign included:

  • Sponsored Content in the LinkedIn feed targeting U.S. marketing decision-makers and people
  • Links to relevant to leadership content, including infographics related to marketing trends based on Adobe-commissioned research, tips and insights for marketers and business people, and humorous videos promoting the Adobe Marketing Cloud
  • Instant performance feedback data focused on engagement

Twitter: Steps for digital marketing campaign

1.Metrics

Your organization should take the first step by documenting all existing accounts, and which team member has the responsibility for them. Your team should collect information based on the following:

  • How often does this account tweet?
  • What’s the engagement rate?
  • How many followers does it have?
  • Twitter Analytics or Hootsuite Reports can provide you with these metrics.
  1. Complete your profile
  • Your profile photo appears next to every tweet you send, so you want it to look sharp. Use your logo or wordmark
  • Your header image is presented on your profile page, and you may want to update it more often than your profile photo.
  • A Twitter bio should include at least 160 characters, so keep it snappy. Use a tagline, or get creative to showcase your brand personality.
  1. Feed

You can also subscribe to lists by other accounts that function as best practices. Subscribe to their list:

  1. Navigate to their profile page
  2. Click the icon with the three dots above their bio, then select View Lists.
  3. See the lists they’ve created, as well as lists that include their account
  4. Click the list you want to follow.
  5. Hit Subscribe.
  6. To see all the lists you own, follow

  1. Show who you are
  • Showcase your character, by open up yourself and communicate your brand values. Are you edgy? Funny? Inspirational? Bold? Tweet yourself and present what you do.
  • Be human. App users want to know there’s a real person listening and engaging with them
  • Be original, by don’t tweet the same message over and over. Posting similar messages across your social media accounts is a big NO. Each of your tweets should be unique
  • Create polls, since they are a great way to engage your audience, because they’re simple and fun. And if there’s one thing people love to do on Twitter, it’s express strong opinions about worldwide news, commercial world etc.
  • Schedule all your tweets
  • Create a branded hashtag, presenting your organization.
  • Run campaigns

Case study: Coca Cola

The Coca-Cola Company have included other varieties of Coke, the most prominent one being Diet Coke, with others offering Caffeine-Free Coca-Cola,  Coca-Cola Cherry, Coke Zero, Coca-Cola Vanilla, and special versions in the form of lemon. In 2013, it was reported that Coca-Cola was available in over 200 countries worldwide. Coke rolled out the ‘Share a Coke’ campaign through various channels like newspapers and TV commercials, with a special focus on Twitter. The campaign had achieved mass sharing, since customers could connect with each other. The “Tweet-a-Coke” promotion permits a link to be tweeted that, once opened, lets the recipient order a Coke at Regal Cinemas locations. To send the Coke, users must be authenticate and enter the information of their credit card.

SYNOPSIS

Social media advertising is an effective channel, at the very least, to offer as many of your users

as possible on the platforms on which they are active. Certain guidelines apply to all social media

advertisements, such as ensuring that ads strategy will be effective and will look good. Each platform offers its own unique advertisements, targeting options and analytics capabilities.

In this lesson, we covered some of the most popular advertising platforms, but others do exist

and should be considered depending on audience, location and capabilities, as well the job of each digital marketeer.

List of references