Choosing the Right Social Media Platforms

CHOOSING THE RIGHT SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS

#MKTOGuide Choosing the Right Social Media Platforms SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS There are many different social media platforms you can utilize to reach and engage with your audience. In this section, we will cover some of the core social platforms for your business.

Many of these platforms have media platforms to focus on. Some We’ll cover a variety of social capabilities that overlap and likely are better suited for meeting your media platforms and their benefits will continue to develop more as objectives for earlier stages of the for marketers, including some Reminder each platform evolves to improve customer lifecycle, while others, platforms that have become The content you share on each of these the user experience. Some have ad with more advanced targeting the bread and butter of many social media platforms will vary depending targeting options to enable you to options, allow you to reach buyers social media marketing strategies on the target personas you are trying to serve content to distinct audience at every stage of the customer and others that offer different reach and your objectives for each stage of segments. lifecycle. As you navigate the social capabilities and new formats. It’s the customer lifecycle. As with any of your marketing media landscape, it’s important to important to remember that it’s campaigns, the best platforms have a solid understanding of each not enough to merely post on any to be on are where your buyers are. channel’s features and capabilities of these sites; the key is to engage Keep your audience and objectives in order to help map a strategy and build relationships with your in mind as you choose which social that determines which platforms to audience continuously. participate on.

"Choosing the right social media "Only commit to channels that you "It all comes back to asking yourself "I believe too many marketers are "I'm a big fan of embracing new platforms comes down to asking, can consistently deliver valuable how you can make your story creating strategies focused on tools and platforms with a sandbox 'Where are my customers?' If they information. This means you might relevant to that space. Learning to where their audience is today. Not mentality: Get in there, and get your are on Snapchat, go there. If they only activate content in a few adapt to evolving technologies will only does that not embrace change, hands dirty. Then decide if you can are on Pinterest, get there. If they channels and use the others as change the way that we connect but it forgets to factor in where your see a use for your business. Or not. prefer live video, it's time to adopt listening posts." with people and tell our stories." audience will be tomorrow." (Snapchat? Maybe. Sorry, Ello.) Facebook Live." JOE PULIZZI Founder, Content BRYAN KRAMER Best Selling BRIAN FANZO Change Evangelist ANN HANDLEY Chief Content MICHAEL STELZNER Founder Marketing Institute Author, CEO, PureMatter, TED Talk & CEO, iSocialFanz LLC Officer, MarketingProfs and CEO, Social Media Examiner & Keynote Speaker Choosing the Right Social Media Platforms Facebook interacting with you. This sets the Facebook is one of the most widely stage for you to build stronger, more adopted social media platforms. In authentic relationships with them. % OF ALL AMERICAN ADULTS AND INTERNET-USING fact, according to Pew Research ADULTS WHO USE AT LEAST ONE SOCIAL PLATFORM Center, 71% of American adult A Facebook Page, the business internet users are Facebook users as equivalent of a Facebook profile, well. And globally, there are more is the central hub of your brand. 100 than 1.59 billion active users and Creating a Facebook Page for your 1.44 billion active mobile users on company has many benefits: it Facebook every month. Its continued makes your business discoverable success is largely attributable to its in Facebook search, allows you to 75 focus on customer experience and connect one-on-one with your its ability to navigate the shift to a followers, helps you reach large mobile-first world. groups, and gives you deeper insights into your audience. Facebook offers more than just a 50 way to stay connected to friends, But to accomplish this, businesses family, and colleagues; it’s an need to strike the critical balance of essential tool to connect with your offering content that is relevant and buyers. Since it officially created adds value with content that just 25 Internet Users a space for brands in 2007, it has plain entertains. For your Facebook All Adults continued to evolve the ways that posts, be sure to have a mix of fun, marketers can engage with their ungated (without a form as a barrier) audience. Facebook allows your content and offers as well as more 0 business to be available to people on educational, gated content and 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 a trusted, popular platform, where promotions (using a form as a barrier potential customers can not only to your asset or promotion). Source: Pew Research Center engage with your brand, but also see “real” people (their network)

3 Choosing the Right Social Media Platforms Facebook

IS MY POST GOING TO BE SEEN? WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT FACEBOOK’S NEWS FEED ALGORITHM:

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organic impressions, and now, Actions on videos: Behavior differs a bit Reduction of posting for the sake of posting for video, and people don’t necessarily like, click-baiting headlines: can actually hurt your chances of comment, or share videos that they enjoy. Facebook counts other actions as metrics You won't being seen. Facebook is very user- of success, such as how long someone believe what centric and continually optimizes watched a video, whether someone turned happened next... their platform to ensure that the on sound, made the video full screen, News Feed helps their users—your Time spent reading a post: In the and enabled high-definition. Relevance is past, brands could have manipulated their audience—connect to stories that key—think about sharing fun, educational, engagement rates by running a contest in or humorous video content that is “Clickbaiting” happens when a publisher matter to them the most. Posting which users were required to like, share, or immediately engaging. posts a link with a headline that’s content that is overly promotional comment on a post, but this is no longer misleading or leaves out important will cause your Page’s organic effective. Facebook measures the number information to get users to click on it. of seconds a user spends on each post to distribution to fall over time. So While these posts get a lot of clicks, understand whether the content resonated Facebook research shows that 80% of how do you make sure your post with them. If individuals spend more time the time, people prefer headlines that are is seen? Understand how the on a particular post in their News Feed more informative. So instead, Facebook following issues impact it and compared to others, it’s a good indicator looks at how long people spend reading that it was important to them. how to overcome them: the article and the ratio of people clicking on the content compared to people Time spent with content: Facebook Diversity of posts: Facebook discovered discussing and sharing it. Facebook has starts measuring after your content has that people enjoy reading articles from a also identified phrases that are commonly fully loaded and looks at time spent within wide range of publishers, so they’re reducing used in clickbait headlines to determine a threshold so that longer articles don’t get how often people see several posts in a row which posts are clickbait and which web ranked higher. Ensure that you provide users from the same source. This means it benefits domains they’re coming from. Links shared with timely, relevant, and valuable content you to spread your posts throughout the day from those Pages or domains will appear that your audience will actually read. to increase the chances of them getting seen lower in the News Feed until they stop by your audience. posting clickbait headlines. Choosing the Right Social Media Platforms Facebook IMPORTANT FEATURES Bonus! Marketing automation users: Tabs and Apps Tabs and apps sit in two places on The benefit of using tabs instead The best solutions allow you to publish multiple landing pages directly your Facebook page: in the navigation of directing a user right to a landing to Facebook. Rather than redirecting Facebook visitors to your website, these pages allow you to gather data from customer behavior on bar under your Page’s cover photo page is that the Facebook user is able Facebook—in the same way that you can gather data from a page built on to stay within the Facebook ecosystem and on the left side of your timeline. your marketing automation platform. From a paid promotion perspective, Tabs come with your Page and help and does not navigate away. marketing automation users, specifically Marketo users, can also use users navigate through content such Facebook Groups Facebook Lead Ads to promote specific offers and capture lead data that syncs seamlessly with your marketing automation platform. as your photos, videos, and events. The Group feature is useful for Tabs can also be used to host a variety demonstrating your company’s of apps, which help a business extend passion and expertise in a topic their capabilities directly on their and connects like-minded people Facebook Page, including running to share ideas and insights. It’s a way contests, promoting offers (i.e. 20% for brands to drive and participate in off), connecting to your other social conversations revolving around their accounts, hosting an e-commerce interests. And the more members in storefront, hosting a landing page, your group, the more it gets promoted and more. To see what is available to their friends and networks, and choose apps to add to your page’s increasing the group’s popularity tabs, visit the Facebook App Center. and growth. At Marketo, we use our Facebook tabs Creating a Facebook Group is a to promote our large content assets, great way for businesses to create such as our Definitive Guides. When a awareness, increase inbound traffic, user clicks into a tab, they are shown and foster loyalty. For example, you a social version of a Marketo landing could create a group for your existing Example of Facebook Tabs page. Marketo has the ability to publish customers or around a solution that landing pages directly to Facebook; your company’s product addresses. it is an option a user can select when While you cannot create a group on building their landing page. How you behalf of your company Facebook use your tab space is a question that Page, you can create one from a Example of Facebook Groups from the navigation should be answered by your social personal account, perhaps from an strategy and the goals you hope employee on your social media team. to achieve. 5 Choosing the Right Social Media Platforms Facebook Live Video TIPS AND TRICKS Facebook Paid Advertising As a newer feature on Facebook, • Use the cover photo to promote Facebook live videos are real-time large assets, announcements, or Having a complete Facebook Page profile with regular updates is an important step to video posts that you can start and events. The cover photo is building your audience, but to take full advantage of Facebook’s large user base and then share on your timeline and people-based targeting options, many businesses—those targeting consumers as well typically the first thing a user sees as those targeting business professionals—are turning to paid promotions. Some of in your followers' News Feeds. when they visit your Facebook Facebook’s paid promotions include Boosted Posts (also known as promoted posts), Videos can be watched after the Page since it's front and center, so which allow you to put paid advertising and targeting behind a post on your Facebook fact, and brands are able to offer upload an image that is on-brand Page. Additionally, they offer advertising, which operates off a traditional pay-per-click a subscribe function to notify model, such as promoting your Page or other offers. For more information on digital and makes good use of that ads, check out our Definitive Guide to Digital Advertising. subscribers whenever you start a white space. Since your profile live broadcast. While live video can photo will cover the bottom left feel uncomfortable for many at first, corner of your cover image, it's a because of the popularity of video good idea to have this placement as a content medium, live video in mind as you design your photo will be an important part of your so that important text or images Facebook content strategy. You can don't get cut off. For example, share announcements, do interviews, Fitbit's cover photo promotes two cover events, and share educational of their new products released broadcasts. Live video offers brands earlier this year, Fitbit Blaze and the opportunity to share what they Fitbit Alta, with the images and are thinking and doing right now text centered so that it is shown with their fans and audience. How prominently when you land on do you get started? Facebook offers their Page. Note that the text great “how-to” guidelines in their placement is above their profile help center. photo so it doesn't get cut off.

Fitbit centers images and text in their cover photo so it doesn't get cut off

6 Choosing the Right Social Media Platforms Facebook TIPS AND TRICKS • Use tabs to promote assets, a • Add links to some of your posts landing page, or other important to point to a landing page on items. Fitbit uses one of their your website. tabs to promote their new job • Use Facebook's link format, which openings directly within the appears when you paste a link while Facebook interface. you're writing your post, rather than • Take advantage of Facebook Groups embedding it within a caption, since to grow your network. Create a posts with the link format receive user group so your customers twice as many clicks, according to can connect with each other and Facebook research. participate in other groups • Use dark posts to promote content with similar interests. without flooding your Page updates. • Incorporate Live Video into your This ensures you reach the right posts to engage your audience in the audience with your targeted message moment. Research from Facebook without alienating the rest of your reveals that people spend 300% more audience with irrelevant posts. time watching a Facebook Live video • Take advantage of Facebook's when it's broadcasted live compared Carousel, Slideshow, and Canvas to afterwards. features to turn photos or videos of your new product or latest event into an interactive experience.

Fitbit uses tabs to promote job openings

7 Choosing the Right Social Media Platforms Twitter In 2007, Twitter began as what many Twitter has become an optimal what you have to say, what you do, infographics and educational considered to be a flash-in-the-pan network for thought leadership and are asking to hear more from content, to industry news, social media outlet, but brands and growth and development, and you. And having a Twitter page can occasional press releases, and organizations can no longer afford to has become a space where both drive positive interactions with these news announcements— and we are ignore the power of Twitter. Twitter corporate and personal brands can individuals. According to DB5 and available to respond to customer is a virtual water cooler where the develop ongoing relationships with Twitter’s Customer Insight Study, service issues, routing them to the world’s news breaks and people followers. Companies that lack a 50% of users visited or shopped right contact in the organization. gather to discuss industry news, strategic, conversion-based plan the websites of the businesses We strive to use our channel as a pop-culture, and their daily musings. of attack for their Twitter accounts they follow, 60% purchased from way to engage and further develop As of December 2015, Twitter had are losing out on access to a huge a business because of something a relationship with our followers. 320 million monthly active users, potential customer base and an they saw on Twitter, and 43% plan We also take advantage of their with 80% of them on mobile and 79% opportunity to showcase themselves to purchase regularly from the advertising platform. of accounts held by users outside the in a socially savvy, relevant way. businesses they follow. United States. Additionally, it drove Being followed by users on Twitter At Marketo, we use Twitter to engage 1 billion unique visits monthly to sites is a strong signal of their affinity for with our prospects, customers, with embedded Tweets. This social your business. These self-selected advocates, and employees. We giant has proven it’s a critical part of audience members are indicating share content that is interesting any marketing mix. an active interest in your brand, and relevant to them—from fun

60% of Twitter users purchased from a business because of something they saw on Twitter Choosing the Right Social Media Platforms Twitter GROW YOUR FOLLOWING Building your following on Twitter is 2. Twitter Lists: Twitter lists are On the other hand, if you are a key activity that drives awareness a simple way to accomplish two promoting an event or content asset and engagement success on the important things on Twitter: that features thought leaders, you social network. There are a variety strategically listen and curate could create a public list, made up The 4-1-1 Rule of techniques marketers can use to content for your users. Curated of all the thought leaders’ handles, build their following—let’s explore content often comes in the form so that any Twitter user could follow Originally introduced by Joe Pulizzi of Content Marketing Institute, the 4-1-1 rule four key ways: of a retweet and is a good way to that list—making it a benefit you states that for every four early stage, light, 1. Create Engaging Tweets: ensure that your content mix is not offer your audience. Keep in mind and informative content you share, you Because Twitter is so fast-paced, purely self-promotional. that when you add a user to a public can have one soft-sell offer and one hard- list, they are notified and the list is sell offer, like a demo. The 4-1-1 rule can it’s important that you post To make curating content easier guide your sharing strategy for many social open and searchable to all users. A regularly. Without regular posts, for yourself, develop a Twitter list. platforms, not just Twitter. your tweets will get pushed Lists are a way to segment a group private list, which may be used for down your followers’ streams of accounts that regularly feature competitors, is only visible to you. by more recent tweets. As you interesting content. Segmenting craft your tweets, think about these accounts into a list makes creating a mix of content that finding content to retweet quicker ranges from entertaining and and easier. educational, to promotional. A Lists can be public or private, and can good rule of thumb to use when serve very different purposes. For creating your content mix is the example, if you want to incorporate an 4-1-1 Rule. employee's voice or perspective into your content mix, you could create a private list of all of your employees' Twitter handles and use it to quickly find their tweets and retweet them.

A Marketo Twitter List: Top 20 Women Choosing the Right Social Media Platforms Twitter 3. Crafting Your Tweets: There Use @Mentions: Mentions are "I use Social Champ are a few important tips to make a way for you to engage other your tweets more searchable, Twitter users in your tweet. If to spread my posts. Twitter Paid Advertising shareable, and readable on you’re posting a tweet that you Many of my tweets are Because of its large global user base, Twitter. think is relevant to a specific automatically repeated Twitter is able to offer marketers follower or thought leader, tag advertising options that are highly Keep Your Tweets Concise: them at the end of your tweet three times, eight customizable and targeted. Users Hitting your maximum character can interact with promoted content, with an @mention. This will call count happens, but leave some hours apart." such as Promoted Tweets, Promoted their attention to your tweet. Accounts, and Promoted Trends the space for your followers to add Avoid using this in excess because GUY KAWASAKI same way as they could with organic their thoughts when they retweet content (e.g. promoted tweets can it can feel spammy. Chief Evangelist, Canva you to drive more interaction. be liked, retweeted, or favorited and promoted accounts can be followed).

Try to keep your tweet to around Additionally, Twitter offers Website 100 characters. You can use 4. Twitter Chats: A Twitter chat is Cards and Lead Gen cards that promote a URL shortener like Bit.ly and a public conversation on Twitter a call-to-action and aim to drive more website visits or conversions. For more built-in tools on social media based around a unique hashtag. information on digital ads, check out our management platforms. The hashtag allows you to Definitive Guide to Digital Advertising. follow the discussion and easily Use #Hashtags: These symbols participate in it. Most Twitter have become synonymous with chats are usually recurring and Twitter and are used to tag tweets on specific topics, but some are by topic, making it easier for users based around special events. to find your tweet. Marketers can Hosting a Twitter chat is an develop hashtags and use them amazing way to engage with your to help promote and track social audience and followers. It’s also campaigns, events, and connect a great way to understand your with prospects and customers. community and promote your brand or business.

10 Choosing the Right Social Media Platforms Twitter TIPS AND TRICKS • Create a Twitter list for your • Regularly engage with influencers employees, competitors, by interacting with their posts and influencers, and top followers. For sharing it with your network. instance, General Electric creates • Include a relevant link. Tweets public Twitter lists that serve with links are 86% more likely to different purposes. Their "Reading be retweeted, according to Buffer. List" features different publications • Retweet or quote tweet (adding like Mashable, New Scientist, a comment to a retweet) your Discover Magazine, and New York previous posts to highlight an Times Science—likely sharing the important takeaway again or add type of content that their audience onto a previous thought. Quote is interested in. tweeting yourself allows you to • Keep your tweets short and sweet. provide users with context into Research from Buddy Media shows what your comment is about. For that tweets that contain less than example, if you promote an event 100 characters receive 17% higher registration and it received a lot engagement than longer ones. of engagement, you can retweet • Create hashtags for events, or quote tweet to remind your product announcements, and audience to register for the event other campaigns that need a big before the deadline. promotional push and understand • Twitter handles and media the popular hashtags that apply to attachments don't count toward your business, product, or service. the word count anymore, but use According to research from Buddy this extra space wisely. You don't Media, tweets with hashtags receive want to overwhelm users with too twice as much engagement than much text. those without. But use them • Add stickers to your tweets to make sparingly, since tweets with more them more fun and engaging. than two hashtags showed a 17% GE creates Twitter Lists for different interests Stickers are searchable and function drop in engagement. as a visual hashtag. 11 Choosing the Right Social Media Platforms LinkedIn As the world’s largest professional Encourage your employees to network on the internet with more participate on LinkedIn—it’s a great than 400 million members in professional venue for your employees LinkedIn Paid Advertising over 200 countries and territories, to both promote your brand and their LinkedIn has expanded its solution own personal brands. Leverage the LinkedIn is a great way to reach an audience with a business mindset. Some of LinkedIn’s paid promotions include Sponsored Updates and beyond a hiring and networking business network of your employees LinkedIn Ads, which amplify your status updates and advertisements platform to include robust company by asking them to share your company to your target audience. And with Sponsored InMail, you can send pages, a highly targeted advertising posts and join and participate in messages directly to a user’s LinkedIn inbox. For more information solution, and a publishing platform. relevant groups. The more evangelists on digital ads, check out our Definitive Guide to Digital Advertising. With these additions, LinkedIn is now you have on LinkedIn, the more the way to reach an audience with opportunity you have to become a a business mindset. thought leader in your space. BUILD YOUR BRAND PRESENCE Companies can build a profile on LinkedIn that showcases products, employee networks, blog posts, upcoming events, and status updates. Much like Twitter or Facebook, users on LinkedIn can follow your profile to learn more about your company. You can also post job openings on LinkedIn and search candidates, making it a great venue for recruiting talent.

12 Choosing the Right Social Media Platforms LinkedIn A strong LinkedIn presence comes should aim to be fairly professional of your company page that is their merchant solution (targeted from leveraging different aspects of and engaging. We’ve found that designed to highlight specific at business owners and sellers of the social network, which include: because users are on LinkedIn products or services. Showcase goods) versus the payment tool 1. Profile Page: Your company mostly for professional purposes, pages are especially helpful that they have for consumers. profile page is where a user lands educational posts perform very well. when your business has multiple Having these segments allows when searching for you or clicks LinkedIn Pulse is the latest offering solutions with different types of users to follow the parts of your on your logo from a user’s profile. by LinkedIn to help users expand fans and followers. business that relate to them. Company profile pages are a their personal brand and thought For example, PayPal has a free LinkedIn service for any user leadership. Any user can publish showcase page that highlights looking to start one on behalf of to LinkedIn Pulse, and if they get their brand. Because this is your a wide enough readership and primary, branded landing page distribution through their own on LinkedIn, it’s very important to network, LinkedIn will increase the make sure that you have carefully posts’ visibility by sharing it broadly thought about the images and across the network. For brands, messages you choose to represent this means that cultivating a set of your brand. thought leaders in your organization 2. Content Sharing: On your has more benefit than ever before. company page you have the ability You are able to use LinkedIn Pulse to share posts. Posting on LinkedIn articles to increase your inbound is a key way to build followers and links, support your thought fuel your paid advertising efforts. leadership platform, increase These posts can be comprised of the followers on your company text, images, links, non-native video profile page, and boost your social (like a YouTube link), and slide decks. following on other social platforms. It's important to note that because 3. Showcase Page: A company LinkedIn is seen as a professional showcase page is an extension network, your content mix and tone

PayPal's Showcase Page highlights their merchant solution, PayPal for Business Choosing the Right Social Media Platforms LinkedIn 4. Groups: LinkedIn groups • LinkedIn Groups makes it easy are communities on the social for companies to locate potential platform formed around topics of customers. Simply make a list LinkedIn for Talent, Recruiting, and Careers

interest, industry, title, professional of keywords that relate to your LinkedIn Talent Solutions is a product that serves recruiters and HR, and can organization, brand, etc. In these prospects or the industries you showcase your company culture. The focal point of this offering is the company spaces, users can, based on group target, and run a search for career page, a paid page that sits tabbed behind your company profile page. The permissions, share articles, post jobs, any LinkedIn Groups related to career page offers marketing, HR, and recruiting a specific space to run activities that pertain to attracting talent. exchange advice, and gather digitally. these keywords. Once you find Groups can be a strategic and the right groups, participate in This space augments your Company Page branding efforts by sharing the important way for an organization discussions, ask questions, and personality and brand of your corporate culture. Your marketing and messages on to create a community of its users, make connections. your Career Page are targeted specifically at prospective employees or followers who are looking at all aspects of your company and personality. demonstrate thought leadership TIPS AND TRICKS around a specific area, and gain insight into the pain points of • Encourage employees to potential customers. From a user participate on LinkedIn Pulse group, to an industry group, to an and LinkedIn Groups to build invitation-only advocacy group, their network and generate brands can use groups to segment awareness around your brand. their audience and develop relevant • Create a group for your conversations. Before starting a customers and brand advocates group, identify your objectives and or an industry group for decide which group structure will professionals in the same space. best facilitate those goals. LinkedIn • Treat and optimize your LinkedIn offers a variety of functionality Page for SEO—include your controls in groups—like choosing top keywords in your company whether to have an open or closed description and specialties to see group, turning on or off the ability a real impact in search results. to post jobs, etc. Make sure that • Use LinkedIn Pulse to keep track your group settings match the of industry news and engage with objective of the community you are key influencers. trying to build and are not overly strict—it is still a social network. Choosing the Right Social Media Platforms A CONVERSATION WITH DAVID KAREL Head of B2B Marketing, LinkedIn Marketing Solutions

MKTO: How do you see the role of MKTO: How does social media MKTO: How do you see market social media marketing changing as help marketers connect to buyers shifts, and technology (like mobile part of the overall marketing mix? and customers across the entire and IoT) shaping the future of social (paid and organic) customer lifecycle? media marketing? DK: Done right, social media marketing DK: Social campaigns should be DK: Continued shifts in both is a vehicle that allows you to be a designed to reach, educate, and consumer behavior and technology part of the conversations that your influence buyers at every stage. For advances will keep marketers on their prospects and customers are having example, through paid or organic toes and give them more ways to and participate in the buyer’s journey means—and leveraging targeting make an impact through their social of exploration and self-education. In capabilities at your disposal—you can media marketing efforts. For example: this way, social media has arguably distribute content in social media • Optimizing campaigns for mobile more potential than any other channel feeds that supports brand building experiences will be key, as we to influence and shape purchase objectives, specific direct-response increasingly spend our time on outcomes, and will continue to become goals, or deeper education on topics mobile devices vs. sitting at our an increasingly core part of any that will set them up for success desktop marketing effort that’s set up for impact. as customers. It all comes down to Marketers who find social media at your content strategy and targeting • Smarter machine learning and the core of their mix will put complete approach to guide content relevancy. predictive capabilities will give us thought into customer segmentation more tools to ensure relevancy and persona development work, build • Tools will allow us to more content development skills into the DNA seamlessly tap into our employee of their marketing org, and embrace base to amplify company the channels and platforms that can content—scaling our efforts efficiently get content in front of the exponentially audiences that matter. Choosing the Right Social Media Platforms Pinterest Pinterest is a virtual scrapbook or Pinterest pages can also be used Make sure you are including a their design, products, culture, and pinboard that allows users to share for a landing page for an email good content mix in your Pinterest values. When pinning, pin the most and organize visual imagery and link campaign, event, or presentation. boards. Followers will want to see visually interesting aspect of what to external sites. You can even think The boards provide a unique way a combination of business and you are sharing, like a special banner, of it as a visual search engine. In of organizing content to be visually culture content. slide, or cover page to get the most fact, an Ahalogy study revealed that appealing to your prospects, but Intel's boards consist of different engagement and to make your brand 42% of active pinners prefer to use always make sure that your content elements that showcase their look like it belongs. Just make sure all Pinterest instead of search engines. is relevant to your audience. brand, covering everything from of your content is visually appealing, A user can pin anything from around inspiring, or interesting. the web and other users can re-pin their images. And users can organize their Pinterest pages by categorizing content on boards. Pinterest can serve different purposes depending on the type of business you’re promoting. For B2B organizations, it’s a great way to curate visual content like infographics, videos, company culture, and even blog posts.

Intel creates Pinterest boards that highlight everything from products to design to culture Choosing the Right Social Media Platforms Pinterest For consumer organizations, If a brand cares about or spends Pinterest is a valuable tool that money on any of the following, allows brands to not only curate then the answer is definitely “yes”: Pinterest Paid Advertising content that builds and reinforces • Awareness: Pinterest’s platform Through Promoted Pins, you can reach their brand's look and feel but is a search engine in itself, also, depending on the product, more people through your pins and allowing your buyers to search ultimately drive more traffic not only to can serve as a platform that drives for content they’re interested your boards but to your website. You conversions and sales. From retail in, which can very well be your can target buyers based on keywords they search and their interests, location, to fitness to vacation packages and brand’s. beyond—Pinterest has become a language, device, and gender. And with • Engagement: Do you have Buyable Pins, consumers can purchase valuable conversion generator for some interesting content that products from the Pinterest iOS or many marketers. Android App through a “Buy It” button, has done well on other social without having to leave the app. A consumer brand like home channels? Why not pin it? Just improvement retailer Lowe’s creates as the Facebook audience posts that offer how-to tips and is different from the Twitter inspiration, promotes their products, audience, Pinterest allows you and some have a combination of to appeal to a more visually both elements. focused crowd that may not be The pinning of handbags and skirts, spending their slow hours on directly or through fans, is a great Facebook or Twitter. Content way for retailers to socially market pins can be a great way for your their goods, but companies that audience to collect a library of sell consulting packages or aircraft useful assets they can refer to. engines still don’t have Pinterest in their marketing plans. Should they?

Lowe's uses Pinterest boards to showcase their products and provide helpful tips and tricks for home improvement

17 Choosing the Right Social Media Platforms Pinterest • Branding: Are you a design- Pinterest’s search is mainly how • Organize your boards around forward company? Or do you people find you and your pins, and different themes: different product typically develop design-forward it is all about keywords. For example, collections, company culture, campaigns? Pinterest is all about a picture of a fish with no description inspiration, how-to, etc. To get the visuals, so leverage the fact will not be found in a search for “fish.” started, document all of the that graphic designers are one However, simply adding a description different types of assets you can of the most prolific groups of (adjectives help!) will immediately get share on Pinterest, then group pinners and get your creative eyes on your pin. Load up relevant, them into common categories. team to pin their work to inspire popular keywords in the description Some of your categories may and be inspired! Just as designers of your pins and boards, and you are be more broad (office fun), pin and re-pin designs that guaranteed to get more views, while others will be more inspire them, marketers pin and likes, and follows. specific (infographics). re-pin campaigns that inspire Just like any other social media • Get verified as an official business them. Start a company board to platform, Pinterest rewards those so that users view you as a show your peers the beauty of with fresh content. So while it’s trustworthy source of information. your marketing and build your very easy to fill a board with re-pins, This will make your pins stand reputation among prospects ultimately the fastest way to increase out as a verified source as users and possible job candidates as a your following is by pinning new and scan through different pins, which top-tier company. Next, start a interesting items. is especially important if you're board with pins of other brands' directing them to another website. marketing campaigns that TIPS AND TRICKS inspire you. Use relevant keywords to describe your pins so users can easily find • Conversions: Pins can link to a them. Over 80% of pins are re-pins, page on another website, which according to RJMetrics, giving your gives brands the opportunity to brand the opportunity to go viral if drive buyers to a landing page for your audience can find and engage a gated asset or registration page, with you. If you're a consumer or to a product’s page to purchase. marketer, consider adding prices to your pins. Pins with prices get 36% more likes than those without, according to a study by Shopify. 18 Choosing the Right Social Media Platforms Instagram Instagram is a photo- and video- run contests and scavenger hunts. CAPTURE: The time has come to start • Make it personal: Post photos sharing app that is becoming more Whether you are a B2B organization creating and sharing your content! and videos that give your audience and more valuable to marketers, or a consumer brand, here are a Consider the following objectives as personal insight into the inner especially with Facebook’s few tips to help you find success on you create your visual content: circle or workings of your product acquisition of the platform. With Instagram: • Make it exclusive: Post images or company. People want to feel more than 500 million active PLAN: Before you begin sharing and videos that can only be seen like they are part of something, monthly users, Instagram has photos and engaging users, it’s up to on Instagram and making them feel like an a very active user base. Many insider works wonders. you to create a plan to help you reach • Make it visually engaging: consumer brands are already your audience with posts that they will Instagram users are savvy and • Include your audience: Find realizing tremendous success from like. Ask questions like: creative, and know lackluster ways to feature your followers Instagram, using it to showcase • What does my target audience content when they see it. Don’t and promote them (with their their products and engage their want to see? post a photo or video unless it has permission). Including and audience through posts, contests, acknowledging your audience • How can I get them to engage aesthetic appeal. and giveaways. will encourage them to continue with my photos and videos? to engage and share. • What will get them talking about For B2B organizations, you can my company? At its core, the plan use Instagram to share interesting stage is about determining what quotes and fun visuals, capture will make buyers engage with event and office culture photos, and your brand in a positive manner and creating a plan of execution.

19 Choosing the Right Social Media Platforms

HASHTAG: The Instagram hashtag Implement hashtags that are unique is a powerful feature to engage your to your brand and industry, as well as viewers. Hashtags act as keywords, hashtags that are popular keywords. providing a way for people to find And remember to use hashtags photos through a simple search. (more than one!) on all of your posts. Hashtags are especially useful as you seek to establish your brand as an industry leader and get more followers.

HASHTAGS AND AVERAGE ENGAGEMENT PER POST

50,000 45,000 40,000 Average of all posts: 31,827 35,000 30,000 25,000 20,000 15,000 10,000 5,000 0 Posts with hashtags Posts with Posts with Posts with Posts with five Posts with Posts with and location tags two hashtags three hashtags no hashtags or more hashtags four hashtags one hashtag

Posts that include both a hashtag and a location tag over-index engagement, averaging 43,061 Likes and Comments each. Posts with multiple hashtags also perform better than average. Choosing the Right Social Media Platforms Instagram ENGAGE: Engaging with potential TIPS AND TRICKS customers and sharing are the primary • Make sure your Instagram account • You can only post images or videos Instagram Paid Advertising reasons to utilize a platform such as name is very similar to your on Instagram, so if you want to share On Instagram, brands can advertise through Instagram. Luckily, there are a variety of company’s name and that it’s set text, such as a quote or important ways for brands to do this: a wide variety of photographs and video to public so that users can easily takeaway, you can create an image imagery. Through single photo ads and • Events: Post photos and videos of find you through search, hashtags, with the text written within it. In this multiple photo carousel ads, you can advertise events you host for your current and and their networks’ activity. example, Cisco shares a statistic on content that appears like a seamless addition to the user’s Instagram Feed. For more potential customers. the rise of wearable device usage by • Post at peak times. Because information on digital ads, check out our • Geolocation: Use the geolocation Instagram is a mobile-only app, uploading a photo of text. Definitive Guide to Digital Advertising. feature to provide yet another point users can only access it on their • Use Instagram Stories to post more of engagement with your viewers. mobile devices, and your posts frequently without overwhelming By tagging your location, users can can quickly be filtered down by the your audience. This feature makes easily discover your account and your time they open the app. These times your content available for 24-hours, photos. This might come in handy for will vary depending on who your and you can choose which ones you a conference or event you’re hosting, audience is. want to save to your regular feed for or to promote in-store events. • Identify the hashtags that fit for a longer shelf life. • Gamification: Hold a contest for your business and product, the your audience. Have viewers submit trending hashtags (like throwback photos, provide captions, or solve a Thursday #TBT) that you want puzzle about your photos. to participate in, and those that • Convert: Instagram offers are unique to your brand and advertising that can drive direct incorporate them in every single sales, form fill-outs, subscriptions, post. Consider using a branded and a variety of other conversion hashtag as well. Simply Measured activities. While these are not organic reports that 70% of the most-used posts, they are important to consider hashtags are branded. as you create your Instagram content mix that serves your goals.

Cisco posts statistics on Instagram, visualizing them with photos and text Choosing the Right Social Media Platforms YouTube YouTube has over a billion users— or register for an event. almost one-third of all people on the TIPS AND TRICKS internet. And according to Alexa, it’s YouTube Paid Advertising • Use a keyword-rich description the second-largest search engine • Broadcast live video on your Whether your buyers are looking at since this section represents the in the world after Google, which YouTube channel (and then host funny cat videos or watching explanatory meta data that is searched by marketing videos, there are various types makes sense when you think about the recording) by connecting Google. National Geographic's of ads you can show to targeted audiences how people use YouTube—as a your channel to Google based on content: In-Stream, In-Search, YouTube videos are packed with video search engine for a new movie Hangouts. You can learn more In-Display, or In-Video Overlay Ads. For descriptive keywords to reveal trailer, a how-to video, or even a on Google Hangouts help page. more information on digital ads, check out our Definitive Guide to Social Advertising. product demo. what their videos are about, not to mention help with keyword As such, your video titles should be search rankings. customer-centric and descriptive so that users can easily find your • Post new videos on a consistent content, and your video description basis so that users feel like it’s should be two or three sentences worthwhile to subscribe to that include targeted keywords. your channel. Set a cadence Be sure to take advantage of the for how often you will publish tagging feature, which is the way videos and keep it. Once you’ve that YouTube determines the set expectations with your relevance of your asset and groups audience, it can hurt your brand similar videos together. 5–7 tags to not meet those expectations. are optimal and will ensure your Furthermore, you can lose video is associated with other videos credibility if your content is that use the same tags so they can stale–this applies across all appear as a “related video” when social media platforms and users are viewing other videos. marketing channels. Aside from just posting content on • Include calls-to-action in YouTube, you can take advantage of your videos, asking viewers to its ad platform, which allows you to subscribe or visit a link. You can display ads before a video to your direct them to your website target audience. to learn more or to a landing page to download a coupon National Geographic uses keyword-packed descriptions that help boost their search rankings Choosing the Right Social Media Platforms Vine

Note: On October 27, 2016, Vine announced that they will be discontinuing their mobile app. If you have an existing Vine account, you’ll still be able to access and download your Vines for use across other channels. Vine plans to keep their website online and will notify the public before they make any changes to the app or website. Check their blog or Twitter account for the most up-to-date information.

Vine is a video-sharing app that was • Create animated drawings or acquired by Twitter to allow users to diagrams to bring a concept create and share six-second looping or presentation to life. Cisco's videos with their network. For Vines help conceptualize their brands, Vine presents an opportunity technical concepts into for them to tell visual stories in easy-to-digest short videos. digestible tidbits. For a longer story, • Map out your six-second story users can easily break it up into before you start and identify different “chapters” and offer distinct what will make it visually information in each section. interesting. Because of the TIPS AND TRICKS short format, you need to grab a viewer's attention quickly. • Use Vine to unveil new Because Vine videos are only products, showcase your six seconds long, it's critical to work, or give teasers using plan your content. Successful a hands-on approach. formats include: repetition— • Vine video can have audio, but so the video seems seamless, most users won't turn it on. Make stop-motion, 360-degree view sure your video is engaging with and spot the difference. and without sound.

Cisco's Vines conceptualize technical concepts with animated graphics

23 Choosing the Right Social Media Platforms Periscope Unlike the other video-sharing TIPS AND TRICKS platforms, Periscope is a live • Before you jump into starting your streaming platform that broadcasts own Periscope broadcasts, do your live video from your phone. Users research and watch some other can interact with brands in real time, broadcasts first to get a feel for the watch replays after a broadcast, and platform and format. provide feedback. While the videos • Host video interviews with disappear on the platform after a prospects, customers, employees, certain amount of time, videos can be and thought leaders. For higher saved onto your phone to republish production quality, invest in tools on other channels. Because this is a like studio lights, a tripod, and live channel, with real-time interaction fun backdrop. with your audience, it’s important to be prepared for anything—from silly • Show viewers on-site footage moments to tough questions. of an event. Have a team ready to answer customer service questions, and follow up with questions you can’t get to while you’re "on air."

24 Choosing the Right Social Media Platforms

Turn on the chat Periscope 101 functionality Allows users to interact with your broadcast and ask questions or make comments. You can open it up to all users or only users that you Write your headline here follow, but it's a good idea to open Include a short description of your it up to everyone to allow them to video and add mentions and hashtags engage directly with your brand. to increase engagement. This will be the same copy that gets shared to Change your camera view your Twitter feed if you turn on After you start broadcasting, you the functionality. can double tap your screen to change the camera from front- facing to rear-facing. Share your location This makes your broadcast discoverable Turn on Twitter post on Periscope's Global Map tab and will also allow users who search for your Drive traffic to your Periscope location to discover your broadcast. broadcast from Twitter.

Make your broadcast private To start a private broadcast, tap on the lock icon and select the followers whom you want to share the broadcast with. You can only invite users who you are following and are following you. To get more brand awareness and reach, it's a good idea to keep your broadcasts public, but this function can come in handy if you host a private broadcast intended only for your employees, customers, or partners.

25 Choosing the Right Social Media Platforms Snapchat While Snapchat is more of a messaging • Create branded geo-filters for app, brands use this platform to tell events, launches, and big events interactive stories. Snapchat has grown for your audience to use and share Snapchat Paid Advertising as much in one year as Twitter has in with friends. At Marketo's Marketing four years combined, and it is now Nation Summit, we used a geo- Snapchat’s 3V (Vertical Video Views) ads, which appear in both premium the country’s second-favorite social filter within the conference center and curated content, allow brands to promote their stores in a portrait mode that takes up the full screen space. And with the geofilter feature, network, behind Facebook, according vicinity that users could interact businesses can create unique filters for their audiences to use to to Convince and Convert. Snapchat’s with and share with their network. promote a campaign or event. functionality is similar to Periscope • Sharing snaps? Understand how where your content disappears after your tone, voice, and branding will a period of time, but can be be represented. Consider starting downloaded and saved elsewhere. an employee ambassador program TIPS AND TRICKS to share unique views of different • Create a custom QR code for your teams within your company. brand's profile (your profile ghost) • Think in terms of a story—the and get creative with where you "My Story" part of Snapchat place it. For example, at events accumulates your snaps over a or in-store, you could place it on 24-hour period of time. What do swag and signs. you want your audience to know • Choose a username that is your about you in that time period? name, or very close to it, and use your other social networks to drive your fans and followers to find you and engage with you.

Marketo's Snapchat filter at Marketing Nation Summit 26 Choosing the Right Social Media Platforms PRESENTATION SHARING

Presentation-sharing platforms, like other social media platforms, play a TIPS AND TRICKS critical role in the research your buyer • Make it a part of something bigger: • Take it on the road: Use your • Get SEO Value: Make sure that all does long before they get in touch with Your presentation is more powerful presentation outside of simply of your presentations are optimized you. Presentation-sharing platforms if it’s part of a much larger content posting it to the presentation- for SEO, so you can reap the search such as SlideShare and Scribd offer yet initiative. If your presentation is sharing platform. Share it at a engine rewards from the work that another way for you to display your part of a larger campaign, you company meeting, user groups, you have done and drive traffic content, educate your audience, and have the opportunity to engage meetups, and conferences. not only to your presentation and support your SEO strategy. your audience further, with content channel, but back to your website. For an organization just getting started that you know will interest them. on a presentation-sharing platform, • Base your presentation on a a good place to start is by auditing the topic in which you are an expert: content on your corporate website Leverage subject matter experts and uploading key pieces. Think of within your company for topics these sites as an extension of the they are knowledgeable in. This “Resources” or “Downloads” section on ensures that you are offering your company website, with the added your audience a unique and benefit of even greater exposure. expert point of view on a topic Upload and share content that and providing value. Content addresses your buyer personas and Marketing Institute's SlideShare track which sites are most popular provides users with educational with each persona. Then, refine which content around different aspects topics and content work best on of content marketing, which is different sites. Types of content you their expertise, from how-to, to may want to share include infographics, stakeholder buy-in, to SEO. slide decks, and webinar slides.

CMI publishes SlideShares on a variety of different topics to educate marketers Choosing the Right Social Media Platforms Q&A

Q&A sites provide a platform for users TIPS AND TRICKS to ask questions, provide answers, • Listen for conversations that are Link Building and discuss topics of interest. The going on about your company best sites provide easily searchable or product and ask employees Many Q&A sites have high rankings and a continuous amount of traffic. Adding links to answers and can be good for SEO. to join in when appropriate. your responses on Q&A sites is a great way to drive traffic to your website and will have a positive impact on your SEO. However, make sure that you aren’t just placing links Popular Q&A sites include Quora, For instance, if customers are without a quality response and that your link is relevant to the question and your answer. Reddit, Formspring, and answers. experiencing a technical issue com, although topics on these or looking for advice about your sites can vary significantly. Q&A product or service, you can alert sites help you drive traffic to your your colleagues and ask them to website, and they also help you build answer the questions. relationships with key influencers. Set • Host an AMA, “Ask Me Anything,” up Google Alerts for your company, with subject matter experts competitors and top keywords and and thought leaders within keep an eye out for questions you your company. CEO and CTO can answer. Remember to provide of SpaceX Elon Musk did an AMA, thought leadership and insight within which received a lot of traction your comments, and only include at over 11,000 comments. AMAs link-backs when relevant. And, of give your brand direct access to course, always focus on building your buyer's needs and interests relationships. and allow them to connect with you on a more personal level.

Elon Musk hosted an AMA to engage with his audience Marketo provides the leading engagement marketing software and solutions designed to help marketers develop long-term relationships with their customers - from acquisition to advocacy. Marketo is built for marketers, by marketers and is setting the innovation agenda for marketing technology. Marketo puts Marketing First. Headquartered in San Mateo, CA, with offices around the world, Marketo serves as a strategic partner to large enterprise and fast- growing small companies across a wide variety of industries. To learn more about Marketo's Engagement Marketing Platform, LaunchPoint® partner ecosystem, and the vast community that is the Marketo Marketing Nation®, visit www.marketo.com.