SN:D Agency

An Overall Guide to Using Videos in Social Media Marketing

SN:D Agency · October 5, 2022 ·

While scrolling through your social media feed, which is more likely to catch your eye: a paragraph of text or a video? Content marketing, especially video content, is quickly becoming the most engaging form of content on social media. There is so much that can be shared in a short video that Facebook or Twitter users may have just scrolled past if it had been presented in a block of text. Studies also show that visual content is 40 times more likely to be shared than content only containing text.

There are an increasingly growing number of social media channels out there, and each one has its own requirements and user trends regarding content. What type of videos should be posted on Facebook? How long should LinkedIn videos be to get the most views? How can your company take advantage of video content to take its social media presence to the next level? In this guide to using videos in social media marketing, let us answer all your questions regarding using video to achieve maximum engagement for your business.

Tips for all Channels

Before getting into the nitty-gritty demands and expectations of individual platforms, there are a few rules of thumb that apply pretty universally across social media video marketing. And they essentially boil down to this: keep it engaging, keep it brief, and keep it accessible.

Create Valuable Content

Even if the goal of your video content is to drive sales and profit, you have to figure out a way to make your videos engaging and entertaining rather than salesy and preachy. What value is the content adding to the consumer? Why should they take the time to watch? 80 percent of people say they prefer when brands lean into storytelling as part of their marketing strategy, so creating a compelling narrative is the best place to start.

Viewers are being constantly bombarded with promotional material and ads, so don’t be the brand that people see as a nuisance or interruption. Focus on video content tells a story or offers something to the viewer rather than just shoving a product down their throats. For example, you can show concrete examples of how your product or service bettered someone’s life or helped solve a problem. See our list below for some ideas for video content that showcase something useful, valuable, or entertaining for the audience, while still working well across a range of social platforms:

Customer Testimonials
Vlogs
Product demos
Tutorials
Expert interviews
Behind the scenes
Explainer animations
Live webinars

Keep It Short

If you want people to engage with your video content, it’s best to keep it short and sweet whenever possible. It’s no secret that viewers’ attention spans are decreasing (the average internet user now has an attention span equal to or less than a goldfish) and you have to be able to keep their interest long enough to get your message across. Keeping your videos under 2 minutes is ideal, and studies show that engagement tends to decrease after just 1 minute, so if you can’t say what you need to say in that time frame, you may need to rethink your content strategy.

Additionally, the opener, or first 10 seconds of the video, are going to be the most crucial in determining whether viewers will stick around. Around 20% of viewers scroll on after ten seconds, so make it worth them sticking around. You can do this by making the video’s purpose clear from the start and answering the audience’s questions of “What’s in it for me?” This will look like a compelling hook that may rely on a startling fact, an enticing but difficult question, a sentence that begins with “what if…” or “imagine,” or the promise of a solution to an important problem.

Add Captions

When posting video, subtitles and closed captions are your friend! Not only does it make
your content more accessible for those with hearing impairments or disabilities, but it’s also in your best interest while reaching all viewers. The mobile social media experience is largely designed for no sound, and 85% on FB users watch video content with the sound off. Adding captions not only explains the context of the video when sound is inaccessible, but it helps viewers retain the information and increases views, engagement, and ROI.

Closed captioning ensures that no one has reason to scroll past your video content, whether it’s someone with hearing loss, a non-English speaker looking to translate captions to their own language, or merely someone without headphones in a public space. You cannot afford to lose any potential viewers for something as small as forgetting to select closed captioning. Additionally, closed captioning also enhances SEO on Google and Youtube, helping you achieve higher rankings and appearing in more searches.

Optimize for SEO

In addition to using closed captioning on your videos, there are plenty of other ways you can optimize your video for SEO on both Google and Youtube, which are the two largest available search engines. This is really all about incorporating text in as many ways as possible–this is because Google can’t watch or understand video content, but it can process text in order to sort and locate your video. Below are some strategies to keep in mind:

Write a comprehensive and in-depth description of your video. When writing this, it’s also helpful to compare your description to the top-performing videos in your category.
Make sure to add all relevant tags.
Choose a relevant title which incorporates important keywords. But don’t just rely on clickbait! Titles should be concise–about 60 characters.
Add a transcript rich in keywords. This will allow Google to find and extract snippets and pull them for searches.
Select a compelling thumbnail image–this is people’s first impression of your video, so you want it to be clear, enticing, and all-around beautiful.

We’ve gone over some general advice for using video, but arguably the most important factor in the success of your video content is where you put it and how it interacts with that specific platform. Read on for what you need to know about using video on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram.

Tips for Facebook

Provide Entertainment and Inspiration

Facebook users resonate well with entertainment, rather than technical videos meant to solve problems or provide in-depth information about a business or their products. Instead, studies show that broad emotional appeal does better on Facebook, so utilize content that highlights narratives and relationships. For example, videos of customers telling stories about their relationship to the brand, employees sharing surprising facts, or colorful and eye-catching imagery of products, facilities, and behind-the-scenes footage.

Upload Content Directly to Facebook

The next thing to keep in mind for Facebook is to make sure you’re uploading videos directly to Facebook. Viewers don’t want to be interrupted from what they’re doing to be taken to another site. Keeping the content on their Facebook feeds means it’s more convenient for scrolling, and people are more likely to stay and view the entire video. Another advantage is that you can track video views this way (instead of just link clicks). This will lead to more accurate metrics analysis and allow you to have a better idea of what content is performing well.

Use a Profile or Cover Video

Another way to incorporate video into your business’s Facebook page is to create a Profile or Cover video. This means instead of including a static profile or cover page picture, you can instead display a fun collage or montage of images or short clips. This can do an even better job of grabbing attention and showcasing what your business is all about.

If you decide to go this route, use something more fun like a slideshow of photos or brief video clips that users can scroll away from at any point to access the technical information on the page. Profile videos can be up to 7 seconds long and are meant to grab attention and very quickly define the brand and brand personality, without going too deeply into detail. Cover Videos, on the other hand, can be 20-90 seconds long. Since the cover image is not the main content of your FB page, it shouldn’t be too long or informational since you shouldn’t expect people to stay at the top of the page for very long. Think of it like a first impression–you want to grab their attention, give a glimpse into your brand’s personality, and ultimately leave them wanting more.

Target Case Study

A fantastic example of a brand using video on Facebook well is Target. This video follows all the guidelines outlined above, from being eye-catching and colorful to appealing to viewers’ emotional appeal. It’s reflective of Target’s brand while still being entertaining over informative, it stays under a minute, and the text makes it easy to follow along.

We especially like this video because it doesn’t feel overly professional or stiff. The images and clips edited in feel authentic and more candid than scripted. It feels like the stuff of real relationships and teamwork, which was what the video was seeking to emphasize. This example shows the value and effectiveness of keeping it real.

Tips For LinkedIn

Stay Informative

LinkedIn users mostly use the platform for professional purposes–to look up information about business or products or services offered, and tend to engage with this type of content more. Flashy, entertaining, inspirational content–such as what you would find on Facebook–doesn’t do as well on LinkedIn. Instead, think about posting the following:

Videos teaching about your brand’s products or services
Content highlighting your business information, including hours, location, and updates
Demonstrations showcasing how to use your brand’s products or services
Interviews with consumers, employees, or team members
Q&A videos

Invest in the Right Tools

On LinkedIn, especially when representing a company or brand, people expect a higher level of professionally than they might on other platforms, and this translates into using the right tools. If you’re recording an interview or demonstration and your lighting or sound is falling short, your video will come off as amateurish. If the audio is poor or the camera is shaky, people aren’t going to stick around to watch the whole video. You want to come across like you know what you’re doing.

Fortunately, you don’t have to be a professional director to get a good quality video. Investing in tools like a tripod to steady your camera or phone, a glow light, or a good microphone can all be game changers, and they don’t have to break the bank to make a big difference. When you invest in your video quality, your viewers will be more willing to invest their time.

Salesforce Case Study

For a study of what works well on LinkedIn, look at this Salesforce video. This particular clip follows the above guidelines of keeping it brief (it clocks in at around 30 seconds) while also being informational. It’s visually interesting while still highlighting Salesforce’s services, and plays with color, graphics, faces, light music, and even humor to pull viewers in. It’s a terrific balance of holding viewers’ attention while still getting the intended professional message across.

Tips For Twitter

Be Authentic

For Twitter, production value matters less than appearing “real.” Viewers want to see authenticity, which could look like a business owner talking directly to viewers, or a more candid behind the scenes of a business’s process or work environment. Try featuring content of people talking directly to camera or phone, and stay away from too many graphics or loud music. However, the content should still be eye catching with a good hook to get you to stop scrolling.

For video content ideas, try:

GIFs
Interview clips
Calls to Action–what do you want your viewers to do after watching?
New product or service introductions

Keep it Even Shorter

Twitter is a fast-paced social media platform, meaning its users are posting multiple times per day. Since accounts tend to tweet more often than they would typically post on other platforms, there is a lot of content on the site that people are scanning through. Users may be following hundreds of accounts, and since there is so much content each day, users won’t commit minutes of their time to one video when there’s so much more to see. It’s best to keep content around 30 seconds or less to get the best engagement and most views.

Glossier Case Study

This video from make-up brand Glossier’s account is a great example of content that’s perfect for Twitter. It’s not overly produced, but still visually pleasing. It features someone speaking directly to the camera, and therefore the viewer, and it doesn’t feel scripted or forced. Instead it’s highlighting the product in a way that feels authentic and natural. Most importantly, it’s brief, only taking up about 15 seconds.

Tips For Instagram

Use Visual Appeal

Instagram is all about aesthetics. The content on Instagram tends to be more eye-catching and visually appealing, with extra attention to color, balance, texture, etc. Posts will appear alongside highly curated photography, design, and art, so if your video is not as visually appealing as the ones next to it in the feed, it will easily get glossed over and be left unnoticed.

For Instagram, there’s an expectation for higher production value compared to Twitter. Ideally, your video content will also feel cohesive and reflective of your other visual content on Instagram. Don’t use electric colors if your brand’s presence typically reflects pastels or neutral tones. For Instagram video content, consider the following:

Showcasing product designs
Tutorials
Displaying products and products in action
Staff introductions
Interviews
Q&As
A day in the life

Video Options for Instagram

Regular Video Uploads

You can post videos between 3 seconds and 10 minutes in length to your Instagram profile, and this video will appear on your followers’ regular feeds. If the video is over 1 minute, then a 60 second preview will appear on feeds, and viewers can click on the video to watch the entire video on your profile. You can also share videos in a carousel feed with other photos or videos. This is a great way to record videos in a more permanent way to your profile.

Reels

Reels are videos that can be set to a huge library of audio sounds. There’s also a larger selection of editing tools available, and they can be up to 1 minute long. Like regular Instagram video uploads, they will appear on users’ feeds and your profile page, but they are also heavily featured on the “explore” tab. This is where a greater audience of people can also find your reels. Reels is a great place to get creative and experiment with backgrounds, filters, transitions, audio, and more.

Stories

Stories are videos or photos that you share to your Instagram profile that disappear after 24 hours. However, you can add stories to your “highlights” where followers can watch them after that 24 hour period. You can edit your stories with background, text, filters, gifs, and more. They appear as 15 second clips, but you can post up to 100 clips in a day. You can also share your videos or reels to your story, but they will appear as previews if they are longer than 15 seconds. From there, followers can click on the video link in your story to watch the full thing. Stories are great for sharing content in a creative but also less permanent way.

Ben & Jerry’s Case Study

For inspiration for producing Instagram video content, look no further than this example from Ben & Jerry’s account. It’s fairly simple, but visually attractive with good lighting, and it’s very reflective of Ben & Jerry’s account as a whole. It also included subtitles and subheading text that appears to have higher production value than it would without. Overall, the bright, light colors, the light, even child-like music, and the playful nature of the cuts and editing all make this a video that makes you stop and crave a Ben & Jerry’s shake right then and there.

In the fight for space and attention across social media channels, harnessing the power of video content is essential. It’s time to get creative and represent your brand, products, and services in a whole new dynamic way. By keeping it visually attractive, making your message accessible, and utilizing text, music, and narrative to tell your brand’s story, we know you’re gonna see results in engagement.

SN Digital Agency is an experienced, results driven full service social media agency! We understand that many businesses need extra help during this time, and we would love to hear from you about partnering with your business to leverage your social media presence for success now and in the future! Contact us today!

The Art of Being SOCIAL: LIVE – In Conversation with Michael Anschel

SN:D Agency · July 8, 2022 ·

At SN:D Agency, we are obsessed with learning from the experts. We know that every business and individual we work with has their own unique story to share, and we find that we are all better from the chance to learn from people’s incredible expertise.

That’s why we’ve started The Art of Being SOCIAL: LIVE–a series of candid, live-streamed interviews with thought-leaders, movers-and-shakers, and dreamers-and-doers. This unique series brings together artists and innovators, business leaders and entrepreneurs, those with a platform and those who move behind the scenes, in order to highlight those leveraging real connections (including through social media) to bring their ideas and talents to the world and make it a better place.

By building connections with these industry leaders, we not only invite viewers to share their knowledge, but we help shine a spotlight on these dynamic individuals and the inspiring work they are doing.

This month, we have another very special guest joining us, and we are so excited to introduce Michael Anschel.

The Art of Being SOCIAL: LIVE – Who is Michael Anschel?

Michael is an expert on green design, remodeling, and building. He is the owner of OA Design+Build+Architecture, an award-winning, nationally celebrated design, build, and architecture firm now celebrating 27 years in business. Michael is also the CEO of Verified Green Inc. which consults with Local Government, product manufacturers, suppliers, builders, and architects on Green building. Michael has led the effort to develop MN GreenStar, is past-president of the national GreenStar Alliance, and also teaches Green Building at Boston Architectural College.

Originally from Minnesota, Michael attended Capital Normal University in Beijing and the University of Minnesota. Michael helped develop the city of St. Paul’s sustainability building policy, and re-wrote Minneapolis’s yard ordinance, which was named #25 in Metro Magazine’s 100 reasons to love the Twin Cities. Michael has been called “one of the nation’s most outspoken green building advocates” by MN Business, and his building assemblies have been published in numerous publications, including the US Department of Energy.

In short, he’s a man making a difference in his field, his community, and beyond, by working towards a more sustainable future and advocating for our planet through his work. He’s just the kind of changemaker that we are committed to lifting up and learning from on The Art of Being SOCIAL: LIVE!

The Art of Being SOCIAL: LIVE – Why Are We Featuring Michael Anschel?

We are particularly in awe of how Michael successfully straddles the building, design, and green worlds by engineering profitability into sustainability. Michael is a perfect example of a thought leader who has not only been incredibly successful in his industry and business endeavors, but has worked hard to use his skill sets and passions for the larger good of society and the environment.

We are so excited to sit down with Michael and hear more about his career and experience, from what it means to have a global perspective while remaining in the United States, what opportunities lie in building green, how to create a culture of creativity, and the changes Michal is seeking to bring to the construction industry.

We really can’t think of someone better and more qualified to share about using their career to promote the greater good, and we can’t wait for you to join us in what we know will prove to be a brilliant and insightful conversation.

To learn more about Michael and his work, visit his website at www.oadesignbuild.com, and be sure to follow him on social media: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok.

If you missed The Art of Being SOCIAL: LIVE on Tuesday, July 26th, watch Michael’s episode on YouTube here.

The Art of Being SOCIAL: LIVE – In Conversation with Mychele Boardman

SN:D Agency · June 21, 2022 ·

At SN:D Agency, we are obsessed with learning from the experts. We know that every business and individual we work with has their own unique expertise to share, and it’s amazing how much we can all grow together if we simply take the time to listen.

Last month we launched The Art of Being SOCIAL: LIVE with our first guest Kristin Maija Peterson. This series is made up of candid live-streamed interviews with thought-leaders, movers-and-shakers, and dreamers-and-doers. This unique series brings together artists and innovators, business leaders and entrepreneurs, those with a platform and those who move behind the scenes, in order to highlight those leveraging real connections (including through social media) to bring their ideas and talents to the world and make it a better place.

This month, we had another very special guest join us, and we are so excited to introduce Mychele Boardman.

The Art of Being SOCIAL: LIVE – Who is Mychele Boardman?

Mychele is the founder and CEO of Inner Journey Studios, Creative Kaleidoscopes Art Journaling membership, and Mychele Boardman Art, based in Clermont, Florida. She is also a Mixed Media Artist and Online Course Creator. Mychele’s art is inspired by inner stories and the versions of ourselves that lie beneath what the world may perceive.

Through her online classes and studio, Mychele empowers women to express themselves creatively, reflect inwardly, and have fun through art journaling. Mychele says her greatest joy comes from helping women discover their own stories through her Creative Kaleidoscopes art journaling membership and the various mixed media art and art journaling classes she offers. She also has a new membership, Oracle Art Journey, where she’s empowering women to journey even deeper into their stories by tapping into their intuition while making a deck of oracle cards. Her mission is to help busy women prioritize themselves and their self care.

The Art of Being SOCIAL: LIVE – Why Are We Featuring Mychele?

By featuring Mychele on The Art of Being SOCIAL: LIVE, we hope to introduce others to her work and highlight her unique artistic reach through digital media. During this episode, Mychele will be speaking about her process and showcasing some of the work she does through Inner Journey Studios and Creative Kaleidoscopes. We’ll also get to hear from Mychele in response to questions like: What exactly is art journaling? What’s your teaching philosophy? What’s your top tips for women pursuing art? And much more.

We will also be discussing what it’s like to create online memberships as a business model and how Mychele has been able to do this and find success. She is an experienced online marketer with a mastery of Facebook groups that showcases her level of intuitiveness and expertise in leveraging these channels to grow her business. Currently she still does all her marketing herself, so she is not only running several online memberships, she is running all the marketing as well. She is an amazing solopreneur startup success story–one we are thrilled to hear more about and honored to play a role in sharing with the world.

And Mychele’s story impacts more than just herself: her work uplifts and inspires so many women to tell their own stories. Mychele can be found sharing her love of art on Facebook and Instagram at @InnerJourneyStudios, so be sure to check out Mychele’s work, business, online art memberships, and socials and give her a follow. Mychele is also offering a Gratitude Card Making Challenge as a gift to YOU when you sign up for her updates!

Watch Mychele’s episode of The Art of Being SOCIAL: LIVE on YouTube here

The Art of Being SOCIAL: LIVE – In Conversation with Kristin Maija Peterson

SN:D Agency · May 27, 2022 ·

Have you heard the saying “If you’re the smartest person in the room, you’re in the wrong room”? At SN:D Agency, we are addicted to learning and growing, and we know that everyone we meet has something to teach us.

That’s why we’re bringing some of the smartest people out there into the same room.

Introducing The Art of Being SOCIAL: LIVE, a series of candid live-streamed interviews with thought-leaders, movers-and-shakers, dreamers-and-doers. This unique series will bring together artists and innovators, business experts and entrepreneurs, those with a platform and those who move behind the scenes, to lift up, learn from, and celebrate those who are leveraging real connections (including social media) to bring their ideas and talents to the world and make it a better place.

By building connections with these leaders in their industries and fields, we’ll not only learn from them and allow viewers access to their knowledge, but we’ll help shine a spotlight on these dynamic individuals and the inspiring work they are doing.

That’s why we are so proud and excited to be launching with artist Kristin Maija Peterson. Kristin has worked as an art director for SN:D since its founding in 2010, serving as an advisor and graphic artist both on the SN:D brand as well as on our client projects since our first day in business. Kristin’s career in graphic design spans 35 years, with both agency experience and running her own graphic design company. Quite simply, she is one of the very best in the field, and now, at age 60, Kristin has set out to launch her second career as a fine artist.

With this exciting career shift, we are so excited to be advising her on how to leverage social media and digital marketing in order to keep growing connections and introduce individuals to her artwork. It really is a full circle process watching Kristin step away from the support side of marketing in order to become a marketer of her incredible and world-changing art, and we are excited to be helping her get the word out on this exciting new career direction.

Watch or listen to The Art of Being SOCIAL: LIVE – Episode #1 – Kristin Maija Peterson on Youtube here.

The Art of Being SOCIAL: LIVE – Who is Kristin Maija Peterson?

A life-long artist, Kristin attended the University of Minnesota, Morris for Fine Arts and Art History and worked as an agency art director for nearly a decade. For the past 25 years, Kristin ran Grand Ciel Design Co., her own graphic design and branding company. Much of Kristin’s work with Grand Ciel Design Co. revolved around environmentally focused clients, such as Minnesota DNR, Metro Blooms, and Blue Thumb, which led to a lot of curiosity, research, and inspiration for Kristin’s art.

Today, Kristin is a self-proclaimed post-modern ecological and visual artist who produces nature-inspired art that seeks to advocate for the environment. Since 2016, Kristin has been showing her art regionally around the Twin Cities in juried and group exhibits, but soon she will host her debut solo exhibition titled “Children of Nature: Find Your Wonderland.” Kristin’s exhibition opens June 5th and runs through June 30, 2022, at the Owatonna Arts Center in Owatonna, Minnesota. The exhibition offers an educational and healing perspective on climate change and encourages viewers to reconnect with their child selves, remembering a time when they were innately curious and more connected with nature. Each piece will be accompanied by a short story authored by Kristin.

The Art of Being SOCIAL: LIVE – Why Are We Featuring Kristin?

By featuring Kristin on The Art of Being SOCIAL: LIVE, we hope to introduce others to her work and highlight her unique ecological artwork through digital media. On her feature episode, Kristin will be speaking about her process and showcasing some of her work, allowing viewers a sneak peak and insider look into her show. We will also be providing insight on how artists can leverage storytelling and social connections to help increase their own connections around the world, as well as exploring what it means to drastically change careers later in life. We’ll hear first-hand from Kristin what this transition has been like for her and how leveraging modern tools like digital marketing can make a difference in career success.

Our goal is to help Kristin harness the power of social media to share her art with all those just waiting to connect with it, so we’ll also be discussing digital strategies that make a difference in Kristin’s work, ways social media is not only useful but necessary for artists, rather than a distraction, and how a solo-artist can afford to use and make time for social media.

SN:D has always been passionate about supporting female business owners and artists, especially ones like Kristin whose work and impact on the environment is so important. In addition to her thoughts on digital marketing, we’ll also be hearing from her on a range of topics, from the greatest challenge she faces as a woman in the fine arts world, ways we can and should support other women artists, and the unique perspective she brings to her work.

We’re so pleased to be able to give a brief introduction to Kristin and her work, so make sure to tune into our live-streamed episode of The Art of Being SOCIAL: LIVE featuring special guest Kristin Maija Peterson! We’re so excited to be able to ask her questions about her career, her art, and the social connections she draws on in order to succeed at the work she does.

Learn more about Kristin’s debut here. You can also see more of Kristin’s work by following her on Instagram here. There she will be sharing REELS about her artwork and her process for people to get to know her better. Join us in supporting and uplifting the incredible work of artists like Kristin!

A Guide to Creating Long-Term Marketing Plans During COVID-19

SN:D Agency · March 18, 2021 ·

In the time between now and when COVID-19 first entered our lives, consumer social media usage has surged by over 50% across markets. So why do many brands say they are posting LESS on their company social media accounts than they were before the pandemic?

It’s not uncommon for businesses to cut marketing budgets amid an economic downfall. Especially in a rapidly changing situation like a global pandemic, finding a long-term marketing plan that can endure shifts in public focus is difficult. Surveys show that only one in four companies are expected to increase their marketing activities in the coming months, but here’s why you should: cutting marketing costs might have saved you money in the beginning of the pandemic, but COVID-19 is projected to impact us well into 2022 and beyond. Even after the bulk of the population is vaccinated, the lasting effects of it on our culture will prevail.

With the right long-term marketing plan, your business can get back on the path of growth and stability, and continue growing for years to come. Read on to discover how businesses can hone in on core markets, strategies and initiatives, and create effective long-term marketing plans during COVID-19.

Long-Term Marketing Plans During COVID-19: Focus in On Core Business

One mistake many businesses make is trying to be everything to everyone. The best strategy is to focus on the core of your business—this is the foundation that the rest of your business is built upon. This means figuring out what the main selling point is that defines your brand. To determine this, you’ll have to get to the nuts and bolts of your business, including its purpose, consumer-base, and central product.

Re-establish Core Purpose and Objectives

It’s challenging to plan for the long-term without a dependable vision of where you’re going, especially when COVID-19 means that nothing is predictable. Ground your marketing plan by remembering your business’s primary purpose, mission, core values, and key message. Do they still hold as true today as they did before COVID-19? The reality is that the way you think about the future of your brand may look very different now.

Recall some of the questions you and your company had to ask yourselves in the beginning of the pandemic and reassess your answers now. What are your long-term goals for the business? Where do you see the future of the business in 5 years? 10 years? What do you need to do to get it from here to there? Once you’ve re-evaluated your business goals and values and feel confident in them, you can start considering your concrete marketing goals. These should be specific to the times we’re facing during a pandemic, when many places of businesses are still not fully open and face restrictions. More than anything, you should be considering how to reach them digitally. Determine what your digital marketing focus should be, whether its increasing brand awareness, driving traffic to your website, expanding your audience, or otherwise. Remember, it’s not just about boosting sales, it’s about how you intend to boost sales.

For more tips on determining marketing goals for your advertising campaign, read: GUIDE TO CREATING A SUCCESSFUL DIGITAL ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN

Focus on Core Market

Once you have your business and marketing goals, the next step is to hone in on your core market segment. Take an honest look and determine who your main customers still are. This doesn’t mean other markets are neglected, but you should identify your key market segment so you can build your core strategy around them. A good indication is who has still been spending during the past year of the pandemic.

Next, determine their long-term needs and how you can cater to them and retain their loyalty for the long run. Think solid customer service, listening to their needs, creating loyalty programs, and meeting them in the current moment, while embracing flexibility, since the needs of the current moment continue to change.

For more tips on targeting the right customers during COVID-19, read our blog post here: TARGETING THE RIGHT CUSTOMERS DURING COVID-19

Focus on Core Product

Your store may have 200 different products, but typically, people are coming for one or two specific products (or types of products). Instead of investing money into all your different items, pick the one (or two) main things that really define your business, and put your ad spend into selling those.

You might be thinking about how many great products or services you have to offer, and of course they are still valuable. However, customers typically come for one thing, and the important thing is to get them through the door (or to your website) and check out the others products along the way.

Sellers using Shopify, one of the top ecommerce sites in the nation, frequently say that they have the most success when their website’s front page has just one to three featured products. Of course, there’s a link to shop the entire store, but the first thing you see on their page is best-sellers. You can also highlight these products using referral programs and deals, or advertising special offers.

This strategy works because when you settle on a specific product, or type of product, at a time, you can define your core marketing around it and invest your messaging and money into that primary selling proposition. By identifying what your market is returning to over and over again, even during a recession, you’ll have a better chance of succeeding overall.

Long-Term Marketing Plans During COVID-19: Advertise Smarter, Not Less

We recommend that businesses and brands do not attempt to keep all of their marketing initiatives that they used pre-pandemic. However, we are also not suggesting that they reactively slash all budgets towards advertising.

Instead, our advice is to make informed decisions based on analysis of metrics data, and look for areas that are working well that you can invest more into, as well as aspects of your marketing plan that aren’t working well that can either be cut or revamped. How do you determine what parts of your marketing plan are successful or not? We’re glad you asked.

Analyze Channels

Social Media

Which of your social media platforms are driving traffic? This is the first step to determining where to cut spending and where to invest more. To get a better sense of what’s working and what’s not, you should:

Review metrics every week and/or month to see where traffic is coming from, what the conversion rate is, how many conversions come from each source.
Look for channels that consistently generate leads and consider allocating more money into those to continue growing your business during COVID-19.
Identify the channels that don’t tend to drive much traffic and determine whether to try a new strategy, add more budget, or cut those costs and reallocate the money to better-performing channels.

For example, if you run an equal amount of ads on Facebook and Instagram, but Facebook drives 90% of your traffic, analyze why this is (does your market simply not use Instagram, or do you just need a better Instagram marketing strategy?), and act accordingly.

For more tips on best practices for each social media platform read our blog post here: WHICH SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS YOUR BUSINESS SHOULD BE USING DURING COVID-19 AND BEYOND

Blogging

The benefit to blogging is that it drives traffic to your website and improves SEO. But in order for your blog posts to be successful, make sure you are using an optimal blog strategy. Here are the main things you should keep in mind:

Choose interesting topics. Blogs drive traffic – but only if they are on topics that people are interested in. Don’t post blogs just for the sake of posting them. Find out what topics people in your market are curious about, and use your blog to meet your audience in the current moment. You can also use Google Analytics to analyze which of your blog posts drive the most traffic. This will help you to get an idea for what’s working well for you, and then invest your time into putting out more content like that.
Choose useful topics. In addition to making sure you are writing posts that intrigue people, write about topics that provide value to your customers (and potential customers). This could be a step-by-step guide, a list of useful tips, or an opinion piece incorporating your knowledge as an industry leader. It should also speak to how your business is responding to COVID-19 and provide evidence of what sets you apart. Show your expertise to your customers and they will be more likely to choose you over a competitor.
Promote blog posts with ads. While the above tips focus on how to organically generate more leads, you may still feel you aren’t getting the exposure you want. If you have great blog posts that aren’t getting seen, try running some ads for them. Google Ads and Facebook Ads are great places to start getting your content noticed.
Promote blog posts with emails. Another tool you can use is the email list. Use your business’s email list to send emails to people who have either bought or looked at your products, and start sending them updates when a new blog post comes out. This is a great tool because this specifically targets people who have shown some interest in your brand already, and would be most likely to take interest in your blog.

For more tips on optimizing a blog post for SEO, read our blog post here: HOW TO OPTIMIZE A BLOG POST FOR SEO

Invest in SEO

SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is the process of growing the quality and quantity of website traffic by increasing the visibility of a website or a web page to users of a web search engine. This includes using keyphrases consistently, balancing images with text, using outbound links, and more.

SEO is important during COVID-19 because it provides businesses with the online visibility they need to market to customers digitally. Since people have shifted significantly to online shopping and activities, SEO allows you to position your website high on search engines. When potential customers search related keywords or topics, you can ensure that your website is ranked highly in their results. In the long-term, this can help make up for lost foot traffic and engage some of those casual shoppers who are no longer visiting your store in person.

Long-Term Marketing Plans During COVID-19: Create a PR Plan

Advertising is only half of a great long-term marketing strategy–the other half is public relations. Part of being engaged with consumers during a crisis is sharing how your company is responding to changing needs and feelings of people. It also creates a strong brand image and shows your corporate social responsibility.

Most people believe that businesses have a duty to contribute to important causes, which is why crisis response is such an important part of business strategy.

Show You Care

When and where it’s appropriate throughout the duration of the crisis, share how your business is responding. During COVID-19, there will continue to be new updates, relevant news, and more information arising for many months. Continue to adjust and share your company’s response when this happens. This means releasing new or updated guidelines, safety procedures, services, offers, and more.

One example of a great PR response is Hewlett Packard, a software engineering company. They responded to the crisis by donating supercomputers, as well as their own engineers, to help the U.S. government make software for fighting the virus.

Ford also responded to the crisis in a timely manner. They partnered with other companies to help by contributing the air filtration system from one of their truck models and engineering it to be used in ventilators.

If you can invest in big causes for big changes, great, but it’s also just as important to be involved in your community and contribute to local causes, whether it’s fundraisers, special offers for healthcare workers, or simply meeting and contributing to this moment we’re all in. This will ultimately help show your customers that you care and create long-term trust and loyalty.

Be A Trusted Source

Overall, be a credible source for your customers who they can trust. When talking about the pandemic, keep it relevant to your industry. While contributing to the cause is important, make sure you are focusing, for the most part, on how it relates to and affects your industry, employees and customers. None of us are complete experts on COVID-19, but the key is to be credible. Stick to the facts, follow CDC guidelines, and make choices that are best for the safety of everyone involved.

The right digital marketing strategy in the age of COVID-19 makes a huge difference for businesses of all sizes. As a full-service digital marketing agency, we have seen firsthand these long-term marketing plans make a huge difference for our clients. These strategies allow businesses to continue growing throughout the pandemic and overcome challenges that come their way.

For more tips on how to successfully market during COVID-19, be sure to check out our other blog posts, and remember that SND Agency is an experienced, results-driven digital marketing agency who understands that many businesses need extra help during this time. If that sounds like you, we would love to hear from you about partnering with your business to leverage your social media presence for success now and in the future! Contact us today!