When looking back at 2020, I’m sure all anyone can remember is the COVID-19 pandemic. But with the rise of COVID-19 cases, 2020 also saw a huge rise in the appeal and consumption of short-form video — especially on the app, TikTok.
Vine walked so TikTok could run
Short-form content — content less than a minute long — is not new to us. It has long existed since 2013, popularized by the now-defunct platform, Vine. This all began when users on that platform would create 6-second looped videos, creating all sorts of content, from synchronized dancing to “meme-worthy” comedy videos.
Consuming content on the go
Now, short-form content is even more popular than before thanks to TikTok, and Instagram’s Reels.
This trend can be attributed to a number of factors, including the shortened attention spans of consumers. In an age of constant distractions and an overwhelming amount of information available at our fingertips, people are less likely to spend a long time engaging with a piece of content. Instead, they want to quickly consume information and move on to the next big thing.
Another key driver is the increasing use of mobile devices. With the convenience that smartphones and tablets bring, more people are consuming content on the go. Hence, they are looking for shorter, bite-sized pieces of content that are easy to consume on a small screen.
Leverage short-form content
Platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and Twitter are designed for quick, snackable content, and they have become a go-to destination for millions of people looking for entertainment, news, and information. And leveraging them is easier than you think!
We previously talked about the power of customer reviews, and how it has the power to influence potential consumer’s purchasing decisions. Instagram Reels makes it really easy for you to share testimonies — simply repost any User-Generated Content (UGC) by getting existing consumers to contribute a video testimonial.
With the increase of users on these platforms each year, demand for short-form content continues to grow. Therefore, the number of users marketers can reach with ads on platforms like Instagram’s Reels feed and TikTok is bound to increase.
Is going viral a bad marketing strategy?
Both Instagram Reels and TikTok present an endless potential; it allows you to reach new audiences that seemed impossible, simply with a trending video.
Now, wanting to go viral isn’t bad. But trying to go viral isn’t a good marketing strategy. The internet and its algorithm are unpredictable, and unless you have the pulse of knowing what the next big thing is, it’s always safer to create authentic content true to your brand.
It is also what makes them hooked. Relatability is the strongest tool in short-form content, and when executed correctly, it helps you stand out in the loud market we’re living in. Remember, audiences want to connect with your content, and that connection is what makes people share your videos around!
There are billions of people across the many social media platforms out there, and this number is bound to increase with each passing year. From Facebook to Twitter, brands and businesses are always looking for ways to connect with their audience, be it in the form of tweets or branded assets.
However, as simple as it may be, oftentimes these brands and influencers tend to make the same mistakes over and over again. This causes them to ask the same old questions, “Why are my followers not seeing my posts?”, “Why am I not seeing results?”, “Why am I not growing?”.
Therefore, we present to you 7 common mistakes in social media management — a handy guide in ensuring you don’t make the same rookie mistakes.
Not switching to a Business account
First and foremost, not updating your Instagram profile to a business one can harm your brand. While Instagram Business and Creator profiles might look similar to each other, they are intended for different purposes and users.
Creator profiles are suited for influencers, creators, celebrities, and artists. Whereas Business profiles are intended for brands and organizations.
Making this switch allows you to unlock Instagram’s tools and features that are designed to help you grow — most importantly, Instagram in-app analytics.
Not leveraging Instagram Stories
Introduced in 2016, it was initially seen as Instagram’s efforts to imitate the Snapchat feature with the same name. However, it has grown to become a key feature and marketing tool on Instagram as it allows users to post whatever they want for a limited time.
Unlike evergreen content that is meant to stay forever (depending on the user’s intention), Instagram Stories are ephemeral content that’d last for 24 hours before disappearing forever (unless posted on “Highlights”).
So why does ephemeral content work? Well, it’s natural to have a fear of missing out (also known as FOMO). And just like limited sales, it evokes a sense of excitement and inclusivity which encourages users to check out this fleeting content before it’s gone forever.
Buying likes and followers
It’s true that having big numbers says a lot about a company, celebrity, influencer, and creator. However, there is also a misconception that the amount of likes and followers measures the level of one’s success.
Well, most influencers receive money in exchange for a post or two, having a large community of followers doesn’t guarantee the success you think it does. Using these gimmicks to grow your profile, not only goes against the platform’s guidelines but also diminishes your credibility and tarnishes your reputation.
But rather, focus on building your engagement rate which allows you to grow without vanity metrics. Vanity metrics are statistics that may appear spectacular on the surface, but don’t translate to any business value. For example, follower and view count.
Failing to engage in conversations with your audience
On that note, prioritizing follower count over engagement rate is also a mistake that’s going to cost you in the long run. If you’re just starting, sure, it’s good to strive for a higher follower count. However, the higher your follower count, the harder it is for you to achieve a good engagement rate. Hence, when you’re starting, engagement rate might not be an issue.
What many users fail to understand is that there is no use having millions of followers, with an engagement rate of less than 1%. That is why you need to start boosting your engagement rate, by simply creating content that people want to engage with.
If your posts aren’t gaining any form of engagement, it’s a sign for you to reevaluate the type of content you’re putting out. And when your audience is finally engaging with your content, don’t forget to engage back!
Not defining your target audience
There are millions of users out there. This makes it crucial to streamline your audience, so it reaches the right users.
Not everyone on the platform will relate and connect with your content, and no matter what hard work you put in, if you aren’t able to understand your audience, you’ll struggle to achieve the results you want.
Therefore, defining your target audience, allows you to focus your marketing efforts on users that matter.
Treating all social media platforms the same
Another rookie mistake is to treat all social media platforms the same. Each platform is unique and users on each platform digest content differently.
By seeking to understand how each platform works, you’d be able to learn the language of each platform and better communicate your objectives without missing the mark.
Understanding your audience can also help you to increase visibility and with engagement from the right audience, processors would be able to promote your posts to the right audience.
Coming on a little too strong
With billions of combined users on social media, content fatigue is very real. It describes the exhaustion users face by constantly being surrounded with NEW content all the time, and being unable to keep up with them.
To stand out among the crowd, you need to engage and not flood your followers’ feeds with content every second of the day. By doing so, you’re causing your followers to dislike your brand. And soon enough, you’ll see your follower count take a nosedive.
Therefore, it’s okay to take a break once in a while, and only put out content that matters — not for the sake of putting them out and overwhelming your audience.
Bonus: Not tracking or using analytics tools
Your social media strategy should be constantly updated to keep up with this ever-changing industry. A great way to move forward is to see the impact and performance of your past efforts.
Therefore, by tracking your posts and using analytics to gather insights, you’re able to weed out content that underperformed or failed to achieve its intended purpose. It also allows you to know which content your followers are engaging well with, which only means one thing; you’re on the right track!
You probably read the title and hoped to find some answers. But before we dive into what you’re here for, let me ask you this: How many times have you looked up something and gone straight to the customer reviews section?
Exactly. In this day and age, online shopping is so convenient, and checking out is just a few clicks away. But before completing our purchase, we as consumers, feel the need to check out existing reviews — a second nature to us.
But why are customer reviews so important to us?
Boost credibility & social proof
It is true when they say “your reputation precedes you” because even tech giants like Apple and Microsoft have based their success on credibility. They are able to amass huge sales numbers, thanks to their ability to increase their social proof.
Product reviews are powerful testimonies that can be featured on all your marketing touchpoints, from your e-commerce platform to social media pages. So, why do consumers trust these reviews so much?
Because they are able to gain a greater insight into the business’s service and the brand’s product. 88% of potential consumers trust reviews as much as personal recommendations. After all, consumers are spoilt for choices, and these reviews serve as simple guidance that differentiates countless products and services out there.
Reviews left behind by consumers provide insight into the overall customer experience and satisfaction. With access to such opinions, you’ll know what are the gaps in your service/product. And by implementing changes and improvements, your consumers will know that their voices are heard.
Therefore, collecting and analyzing consumer reviews can help improve your business, increase brand awareness, and more.
Customer reviews don’t just provide feedback and boost your brand’s credibility among consumers. They also generate more searches and sales. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is all about what people are searching for online, the answers they’re seeking, and the products/services they need.
The words they’re using matter a lot to your brand. For example, if your business sells pet shampoo and you have great reviews, when someone searches for ‘great pet shampoo’, Google will bump up your website. With a better perspective of the product, potential consumers are more susceptible to take action after reading a positive review.
Pawjourr is here to help
By choosing Pawjourr, we bring you closer to the pet community. And this doesn’t just consist of well-known pet influencers. I’m talking about your day-to-day pet owners that would offer genuine insights into the brand’s product or service.
Followers of these creators also trust them more. However, these nano influencers are not just trustworthy, they are also much more excited and willing to work with you!
A US-based treat brand used Pawjourr to engage product testers for all their products. The goal? To gain insights among the pet community, and improve their formulations and packaging. Ultimately, they were able to increase sales by 70%!
They’re a great way to grab the attention of potential customers. By failing to encourage them to leave reviews of their own, your band loses out as they’re simply a great avenue to increase sales.
Online customer reviews are here to stay. As the number of internet users grows, the importance of customer reviews will continue to grow as well.
Since the rise of social media influencers in 2006, more and more personalities have emerged to vie for their chance at starting a career as an influencer.
The most unexpected contender? Your pets!
Pet Parenting
COVID-19 lockdowns have led to a rise in pet ownership. Many find themselves with ample time at their disposal, and as such, has taken the opportunity to fill their time by pampering and raising furkids of their own. As such, the total pet revenue growth has grown to 63% since COVID-19 (commonthreadco, 2021)
The rise in pet ownership has also led to a demand for pet parenting. Many new pet owners scour the internet for useful insight and advice from pre-existing pet owners.
Photo Credit: Instagram @cocopomsky
As such, pet influencers who utilise their platform to endorse pre-loved Brands or to provide tips into pet parenting are a hot spot for these new paw-rents. Many new paw-rents look up to these pet influencers and are likely to interact with their content in hopes of discovering more about their furkids.
Marketing for Brands?!
However, that’s not all!
Pet influencers are not limited to the pet industry alone hence the term pet marketing.
Under pet marketing, every day (non-pet related) Brands can utilise the demand for these cute and fluffy animals in their product releases or marketing campaigns.
Most notably, makeup brand Perfect Diary worked with Li Jiaqi and his ‘insta-famous’ dog Never to promote their palette collaborations with the Discovery Channel.
Photo Credit: Perfect Diary
Their marketing tactic was a massive success– garnering 85,000 monthly sales for the palettes, 156,000 pre-sale orders and most importantly, a trending hashtag “Li Jiaqi Never Eyepalette” (JingDaily, 2020).
Their success owes to the Brand’s strategic and successful partnership with Never. Using the dog’s cute image garnered excitement over their eye palettes. Choosing to add a fluffy and cute twist to their promotional material was also an innovative way to engage the beauty industry– which is heavily populated with human models.
How can I Use Pet Marketing?
Working with Pet Marketing does require you to be strategic.
For example, Mercedes Benz worked with @loki, a pet influencer known for travelling the world with his owner. His love for travel and spontaneous road trip drives made Mercedes Benz a relevant Brand to collaborate with. Through these stories of travel, the efficiency of the vehicle is highlighted upon. As such, engaging via pet stories might be a beneficial way for you to partake in Pet Marketing.
Photo Credit: Instagram @tunameltsmyheart
However, you can also use Pet Marketing to boost the ethical image of your company. The Body Shop uses Pet Marketing to promote its company’s belief in non-animal tested products.
Additionally, you can also consider Dyson’s collaboration with pet influencers to promote their Dyson Cyclone V10 vacuums. They related to the pet owner struggle of having to clean up after your pet– such as the shedding of fur or ransacking of the house to showcase the Vacuum’s efficiency in cleaning up after such messes.
Photo Credit: Instagram @franky_goes_to_dogywood
Regardless, there’s always a way for those brave enough to try.
Whether you are a Brand or a consumer, these cute animals are guaranteed to grip and entice your heart!
