A game plan for winning on social media, TikTok or not
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Greg Glynn, the former voice of the Portland Pirates in the American Hockey League, is the founder and CEO of Pliable Marketing in Augusta.
The recent controversy and very brief TikTok ban highlighted the importance for businesses to control their content and evaluate which social media platforms they are using and why. With more than 170 million users, TikTok is one of the most popular social media platforms because it has content that is informational and entertaining. It is used by businesses, influencers and of course, people who want to find the latest dance trend.
Thinking ahead, what if TikTok does get banned again or what if world events disrupt another social media platform? What would be your next move? Here are some key concepts that businesses and influencers should be thinking about ahead of time.
Start with research
Conduct research about your target audience so you know what social media platforms they are using. If you haven’t done your research and you're just on social media platforms because “everyone else is doing it” you might be spending time and resources posting to people that aren’t your current or potential customers.
There are hundreds of popular social media platforms available. Are you using the best one to reach the psychographics of your audience? If you are on a social media platform because you think that’s where your audience is, be sure you have done the research to back that up.
At least once a month, your marketing team should take a deep dive into the analytics of the social media platforms you are using to see what posts worked well, and which ones didn’t. Your posts should be designed to create engagement. For example, you should encourage comments by asking questions and what people think about a topic or idea.
Video content is critical
One easy way to increase engagement is to use video. It’s much easier to share success stories and show the benefits of your product or service by using video. Social media algorithms are rewarding businesses and social media influencers who can keep their audience engaged the longest.
Total watch time for videos is a key metric that social media platforms are using to determine if the algorithm should show the post to more people or a similar audience. This is why many videos by influencers or businesses start videos with a question or show a step-by-step process (like a recipe) or feature the unboxing of product or package which will lure the viewer to watch the entire video. These trends are popular among social media influencers, including high school and college athletes participating in name, image and likeness partnerships with local and national brands.
The use of video is also great for testimonials from clients. People want to see other people including their emotions and passion for your product or service, which is far more convincing than just the text of a customer’s quote.
Use different platforms for sharing video content
While TikTok is one of the most popular social media platforms for video content, there are other platforms you can consider to get more people to see your videos. If you do create video content, post the video on multiple platforms such as TikTok, Instagram reels, YouTube (including shorts), LinkedIn, X, Twitch, BlueSky and Lemon8.
There are editing tools you can use to format your videos for the dimensions of each platform. You should also be using the videos you create on the communication channels that you can control, such as your website, on-premise digital displays and e-newsletters.
Don’t put all your eggs in one basket
In the case of social media, don’t put all your posts in one place.
Once you’ve determined which social media platforms are the best for reaching your target audience, stick with what works. Ideally, your business should be active on three or more major social media platforms that are accomplishing your goals, such as driving sales, creating brand awareness and sharing information.
Being active on at least three platforms ensures that if something happens to one of the social media accounts you use, you will have others to fall back on.
When done right, social media is a very successful tool for businesses and influencers.
Creating content, especially videos, takes a lot of time and effort. The keys are to do your research, implement efficiently and measure the results. After all, social media is a lot like sports — you will never know if you are winning if you don’t keep score.
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