2022’s Social Media Marketing Best Practices

On Social media, it’s no secret that with a solid strategy, you can take your brand to new heights with the likes of TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and more. While these social media platforms are still the preferred channels of choice for marketing purposes, the rules for how the game is played are constantly shifting.

In this article, we’ll discuss social media marketing best practices such as:

1. Diversifying Your Content

Content is king on all social media platforms. While it’s essential to invest in an effective content creation and marketing strategy, it’s just as important to determine the best ways to make your content stand out from the hundreds of thousands of images, videos, graphics, and more that are already on your favorite social media platforms. This is where content diversification is an absolute necessity. 

Social media users are tired of seeing the same type of content from the brands they follow. If you want to make a huge impact with your social media marketing strategy, start getting creative with the types of posts and the content you share. For example, many brands use reels and carousel posts to shake things up on Instagram. With more to look at than just another closeup product shot, you’ll be sure to catch your followers’ attention long enough for them to click through to your page. 

2. Using Platform-Specific Strategies

Every social media campaign should acknowledge the fact that each platform requires its strategy. To succeed on your favorite social media channels, it’s important to make an effort to optimize every campaign for each social network. While it may take a bit more effort to tailor each post for every platform, it will help you better relate to your audience.

For example, TikTok users prefer shorter videos that get straight to the point. Alternatively, LinkedIn users appreciate long-form informative content. You’ll enjoy the greatest results and engagement by working to refine each of your posts to the needs of the users on each platform. 

3. Conducting Social Media Audits 

Social media audits are another important best practice for social media marketing in today’s world. In a social media audit, you’ll analyze your performance across each social media channel to better understand where you can improve your current social media strategy. 

Conduct a social media audit by reviewing insights and KPIs such as:

• Hashtag performance
• Engagement rate
• Follower count
• Posting frequency
• Follower analysis

By taking a closer look at the way you use social media and how your audience interacts with you, you’ll be able to better refine your campaigns to connect best with your followers and reach new users. 

4. Tracking Engagement Data

When focusing on metrics, it is essential to zero in on your engagement insights. As engagement is the most monitored KPI, it pays to invest more time and money in growing this metric. True engagement on channels like Instagram and Facebook is measured by likes, saves, shares, comments, and messages. These factors indicate the value of your social content and how important your brand is to your followers. 

With a keen focus on constantly improving your engagement, you’ll be able to create the most relatable content that connects to your audience and perfectly represents your brand. 

5. Analyzing Your Hashtags

As you aim to refine your social media marketing strategy, it’s essential to analyze your hashtags as proper hashtag use is essential on apps like TikTok, Instagram, and Twitter. Brands have a habit of using the same hashtags for their content week in and week out, hoping to reach new followers and expand their audience. Change things up by making an effort to regularly research new hashtags and analyze the performance of the ones you already use. 

The better your hashtags perform, the higher engagement your content will enjoy. As you update your hashtags, be sure to tailor each one to every social media platform. This way, your campaigns will perform at their best on every platform. 

6. Researching Influencers 

If you partner with or hope to collaborate with influencers, you must do your research before each project. Each influencer you partner with is an extension of your brand, so it’s essential to build a solid partnership with every influencer you plan to work with. Do your due diligence by analyzing the influencer’s audience, as well as their values and what they choose to share from their accounts. Additionally, pay attention to their posting frequency, rate of engagement, and their overall history on the platform. 

7. Use Long-Form Content

Long-form content is making a comeback. While Instagram Reels and TikTok Videos tend to be a few seconds to a few minutes, statistics are indicating a rise in the popularity of long-form content. From longer videos to extensive think pieces, longer posts offer your audience increased value with more quality content. 

Marketers that can create compelling long-form content enjoy more social media shares as well as an increase in backlinks. While not everyone will stop to watch or read long-form posts, those that do are sure to enjoy every bit of it. Ideally, marketers will be able to craft a social media strategy that is the perfect mix of short- and long-form content. 

8. An Increase in “Snackable” Content

With the return of long-form posts comes the arrival of snackable content. Snackable content is favored by users of Snapchat and Instagram. They are short-form, easy-to-share pieces that educate users on your brand. The popularity of this type of content is in response to shorter attention spans and never-ending feeds. Snackable content is also something that will improve your relevancy as your followers happen upon your content when scrolling through their news feed. 

Staying relevant on social media goes beyond creating and sharing as much content as you can. Today’s social media user appreciates a brand that shares quality, educational, and entertaining media. Keep these social media best practices in mind as your work to craft an effective strategy for your next social media campaign.