The Careiginal Designs’ team wears many hats, but one of their favorite roles is that of Social Media Marketer. For businesses both big and small, getting active on social media is vital to any marketing campaign. With over 10 years of working with clients and providing SMM strategies to businesses and personal brands alike, the Careiginal team understands what it takes to make these platforms work for their clients.
We recently had the chance to sit down with the Careiginal social media marketing team to find out more about what they do as social media marketing gurus. Here’s what they had to say:
In marketing campaigns, a strong plan is often the key to success. Can you tell us about how you typically plan ahead for social media?
We plan out content calendars for our clients a month in advance. This is so we have a plan of attack for the month ahead and can take the time needed during the month to grow the accounts.
Typically, our calendars include content creation (a photo, graphic post or video), captions and hashtag research. We tailor the calendar to fit the individual client’s needs and will often include a pattern or specific posting structure - we're big on a professional, clean and eye-catching social feed.
What sorts of stats do you look at on social posts?
We specifically schedule posts in advance for the month so during that time we can track engagement, messages, analytics and growth. Keeping a close eye on analytics is vital, and we are particularly interested in the clicks the posts receive, as well as follower growth. If we are managing ads, we also track the success of the campaigns as a whole.
We are big on authentic reach and growth and do not grow our clients accounts by reaching for a large follower count that does not resonate with the brand at hand. Instead, we target your ideal audience and grow your account with followers that will actually care and engage with your account.
Pro Tip: A large follower count doesn't matter if they aren't interacting with your brand.
There are several social platforms out there, and it takes a lot of work to create content. How do you "work smart" in terms of using the same type of content on multiple platforms while still keeping it fresh and engaging for the audience?
If you post the same content on all platforms, there is no reason for your followers to follow you in multiple places. This is why we base content off of the platform’s specific audience. For example, Instagram and Facebook are very photo-centric. But since each has its own unique audience, it’s possible to post a lot of the same content intertwined together, which helps with cross-posting. To keep it fresh, we will often switch up the posts’ verbiage and our approach to the captions from platform to platform.
When our clients are on a variety of platforms, including YouTube, Twitter and LinkedIn, we will not post the same content on all platforms. This is because of the fact that the audience is different. For example:
Instagram/Facebook: very photo based with the new focus on reels and videos, authentic content to build a community
YouTube: consumers are there to watch videos and could be on there for hours, perfect for those long videos, podcasts and commercials
Twitter: quick news and what's trending, witty comments that poke at humor or newsworthy content
LinkedIn: positioning your brand as the expert in your industry, sharing industry news and insights, building your brand credibility
Where do you get your inspiration from, especially when putting together a social media marketing campaign?
We're big on tailored content calendars that tell a story behind the brand we are working with. A well-put-together feed is our love language, and we find passion in creating patterns and layouts that represent the brand in a professional light that is also enticing and geared toward their target audience.
We are also very careful about when we choose to go in for the sell, because social media platforms are there primarily to form a deeper connection through interacting with your audience. Once you build that relationship based on trust and recognition, the clicks and ROI will follow.
It seems as if social media is constantly changing—how do you stay on top of the trends?
Trends change on the daily and can come up like wildfire. When they hit, you need to hop on the bandwagon quick before the trend is overwhelmed and everyone is doing it. We invest our time in a wide range of articles and groups to stay on top of what is new, now and next. When these trends pop up, we are excited to incorporate them into our clients’ strategies.
As a social media marketer, what is some advice you want to share?
Social media marketing is a marathon, not a sprint—there is no shortcut to success. Be consistent and be authentic because if you can build a story and persona around your brand and really connect with your audience, the sales will come.
Also, every platform is different and what works for one company may not work for another. Focus on mastering one or two platforms first and then expand your reach from there. This will help you understand your audience more, and you won’t be spread too thin across a bunch of platforms.
Is your brand ready to take a deeper dive into the world of marketing on social media? Careiginal Designs has the tools you need to leave a lasting impression on your social media audience. Click here to learn more.