Social Media Optimization
Social media has created the largest marketplace in human history
The rise of social media has changed a lot about culture, society, and even the world itself. From a marketing and business standpoint, it has brought together the population of the world. Never before has it been so easy or vital to reach out and engage with customers and potential customers.
What Is Social Media Optimization?
The definition of Social Media Optimization (SMO) is almost self-explanatory. This method focuses on optimizing social media platforms to manage and grow your online audience while also getting the word out about your products and services. As a digital marketing strategy, social media optimization can be used to increase brand awareness, connect with customers, and clear up any potential misunderstanding or customer complaint.
Posts on social media platforms can be targeted to specific individuals that are more likely to be within your target audience. Social media marketers can customize their content based on certain profiles, and having a grasp of what your audience wants to see is crucial. And the same product or service can portray different messages. For example, a soda company will promote its product differently during summer than winter. The product doesn’t change, but the audience and messaging do for each season.
Key Platforms
Social media comes in many forms, all of which have their place in the market. Some, like MySpace, have risen and fallen; and others, like Facebook, continue to grow and expand. Depending on the customer you want to reach, the choice of platform can be very important.
YouTube
YouTube has over 2.6 billion active users. That is more than a quarter of all people alive today. Since its inception, YouTube has remained a popular platform and has only grown increasingly popular. Most users are younger, active users of the internet who often use the platform multiple times per day.
While the size and complexity of YouTube can be daunting, it is divided into interests. Those who want a certain product or service look specifically for examples and options in those fields. This means targeting your marketing to the desired audience can be very easy.
Instagram is now owned by Facebook but maintains a solid, separate identity. Over 500 million daily active users and 2 billion monthly active users can be found here. Famed for influencers, Instagram has more female users than male and is famously good for fashion, along with many other industries where visuals can be used to showcase brands and their products.
A vibrant, youthful culture permeates Instagram. Engaging visuals are essential to success on the Instagram platform, which is possibly why National Geographic, Nike, and Victoria’s Secret are some of the most popular brands on the platform.
If there were a king of social media, Facebook would be it. With almost 3 billion active users, nearly 50% of the world’s population uses or has used Facebook. Families, friends, and coworkers often use it to keep in touch with one another. Facebook also has one of the most effective algorithms for categorizing users.
This helps Facebook marketers by giving them tremendous flexibility and insight into their target audience. If it exists in the world, there is a market and group for it on Facebook. While new subscribers have slowed, that is largely because Facebook has already achieved such a large market penetration.
Famous for social activism and connectivity, Twitter users are often young, professional, and socially motivated. Twitter offers a company or brands a real chance to humanize itself. Direct interaction and tailored engagements are all possible through Twitter.
Over 1 billion users are active and current on Twitter. It’s also well known for providing tight targeting to ads. Customers who use Twitter are very easy to reach. Just be careful always to maintain a relatable but professional demeanor.
TikTok
TikTok is one of the newest social media giants. Used by 18% of the internet, this service allows users to create short, 15-second-long video clips. This popularity is particularly strong amongst younger people, with a majority of users between the ages of 16 to 24.
TikTok also has a huge presence in China. It is also one of the few social media platforms with a much larger female user base than males. If the goal is to reach younger customers, TikTok is the best platform.
Perhaps the ultimate social media platform for aesthetic connection, Pinterest is another growing community. Centered around visual interaction, Pinterest has one of the fastest-growing markets of all the social media giants, with great strides being made in the last year amongst Gen Z and male users.
Pinterest is also very focused on lifestyle choices and options. From sustainability to nomad aesthetics, connecting with a motivated, dedicated audience here has never been easier.
Snapchat
Snapchat, more than any other platform, is about quick and effective connections. Videos only last for 24 hours, and the largest demographic on the site sits between the ages of 13 to 29. Users on Snapchat are notably young, with more than half of 13 to 17-year-olds using the app.
While Snapchat is a constantly growing, expanding platform, it is only appropriate for certain brands. The focus must be on younger, trendier products and brands that can connect with that crowd. If a brand does, there’s no better place to stay active on the internet than on Snapchat.
Myspace
At one point, Myspace was the largest social media site in the world, with millions of users who could upload music, and pictures, create posts, and link to other profiles. The American social networking service hit the scene around 2005 and became the largest social media site by 2006. People used it to keep in touch with old friends, make new friends, and even start romantic relationships.
Myspace was created as a free, advertising-supported service that allowed users to create profile pages, allowing them to connect with other users. However, competitive social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram are now the top three preferred sites, and this site is no longer considered market leader.
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