Platforms

The Bread and Butter...

In today's media landscape your content must be visual and shareable - mobile first!

"...developing a comprehensive digital marketing strategy can be a time-consuming task. The three following steps are key"

1. Clarify Objectives + Strategy
2. Create Brand Consistency
3. Build Your Digital Marketplace

https://www.socialmediatoday.com/marketing/3-must-know-steps-successful-digital-marketing-campaign

FaceBook

Facebook - "The Signpost" is a giant of social media. As an early adopter of this platform, I saw it at its best, no ads, organic reach and clean design.

Now it is a colossus and not your best business buddy. In many ways you must have a Facebook profile, but for many business clients, it's not the key tool, its a signpost to your site and a teaser for your content. Here is a relevant blog article.

Facebook has potentially high engagement, but, it's full of shit too. My own view is that they manipulate your reach to force you in buying ads (It is their purpose after all).

I'd like to recommend that you move people off of Facebook as quickly as you can. The reason is that your site should be the meeting point, it gives you more options, your colors, your content, your "presence." Contact us directly on... Speak to our ... We recommend...

Key Tips

Set up Business Page

Use Woobox Apps

Limit of 5000 followers

Facebook Paid Advertising - targeting tools

Multiple (free) browser extensions for Site Management

Linkedin

Linkedin - "The Resume" I liked Linkedin as well back in the day in it's duller incarnation - you may think this guy is some grump :).

Since being bought by Microsoft in 2017, it's turned into Facebook lite, with the same emphasis and pressure points.

Key points - a recruiter's wet dream. Linkedin is the place to keep your personal business profile. In terms of engagement with business pages or news feed - debatable whether people spend anytime there, unless they're researching your company or planning to sell you something.

Business pages do have good SEO potential, so keep the business page light and lively. Even if nobody visits it still has domain authority and will come up in search.

Exporting contacts was a great feature. Good messaging system - allied to some excellent free browser extensions make Linkedin a sales machine...even now (be careful, they will shut you down if you nibble too much).

Limit 30000 followers

Groups was a fantastic feature (nowadays use Facebook groups instead or build your own WordPress forum).

Twitter

Twittter - "The Newsfeed" Twitter gets a bad rap in mainstream media - maybe that is a sign that it is highly competitive with MSM as a newsfeed and advertising vehicle.

Post multiple times per day. Advertising, not primarily an engagement channel. If you never read a DM, you're not alone.

Brand your hashtag, spread it across social and paid media.

Highly functional + connectable.

Great content launchpad - if you post it, someone sees it!

Massive browser extension backup. Article here.

I like the lists function - it's a big tool.

Pinterest

Pinterest - The "ScrapBook" Pinterest is massively under-rated.

It hits a lot of the major SEO metrics right out of the park, works as a visual search tool and offers great integration with other platforms.

My top tip ...see not so old after all! See article here

Its not what pinterest does, more its what you can do with it - strategically it's a linchpin for our business.

I love it!

WordPress

You might say any blog platform will do. I'm not going to deny that there is merit in that, for simplicity sake. But...

WordPress comes stacked with extras. The minute you're off the free plan (which is not bad) the world opens up before you.

I/3 of the internet is based on this platform for a reason. Even if you're not yet sure, cross post your stuff to WordPress, you'll thank me later.

https://hostingtribunal.com/blog/wordpress-statistics

YouTube

YouTube - "The TV" The World's second biggest search engine.

YouTube is an interesting one. If you spend the time creating good quality video, then you can re-broadcast to all your static channels later. Footage can be easily re-purposed.

Time is the key with YouTube - If your strategy is long term, you will eventually get to it and build the kind of content You Tubers like.

YouTube can easily become a media hub for your business or hobby.

On the other hand it requires an investment in time, skills and strategy that none of the other platforms really require (from the get go). Think Jay Leno's garage, any famous singer, Joe Rogan or Ronaldo. They were media people first and YouTuber stars second. There is an entire industry of YouTube content production that rivals TV and movies.

That is the thing which seems to bind the major youtube channels; star quality, consistent content uploads and good production values. That ain't exactly cheap in either time or money. If it is, go right ahead.

Collecting views and subscribers is also a bit hit and miss, now that the algorithm is biting down and the metrics for making money have changed.

I'm not knocking YouTube (or video channels overall), but you have to be real with it. Good visual concept, good value. Got time, good value.

YouTube is a global TV station with even more ad breaks. Think Quality.

Instagram

Instagram - "The Selfie" Instagram is easy - upload a few pics, use a few automated scripts and hey presto, followers. If you actually intend to sell something, then there is a little bit of strategy involved.

From a business perspective, it's an easy channel to do, but takes a little nuance to do well. Hashtags, hashtags, hashtags.

A good trick is to look at how other businesses use it. Some use it a fairly static ad platform, uploading great pics and good titles. Some brands like to create a theme. Nike has 19 different "themes."

Others front load the comings and goings of the company or group - there is no right or wrong, it is all visual marketing. They tell me that Instagram will have a buy it now button before long, if so it becomes a highly engaged e-commerce vehicle.

If you can, use a desktop up-loader. Run your images through Canva.com or GIMP, producing a far more professional looking result. All the pros carefully select their images before posting.

Followers are key to Instagram. It looks wrong for a business to hover around the hundreds and have less than 50 images uploaded.

If that is all you can manage - hire a pro for a week, get them to set it up with high quality graphics Then leave it as a static ad with a redirect to your main site.

If you are in business you'll be bombarded with "I can get you followers" messages. There are tools out there, dig around a bit.

Google Search

Search - "The Boss"

The key engagement platform. Google Search often defines your digital strategy and approach to market. If you're not on page 1, you are not being found in the world's top search engine.

SEO and SEM are key tools. We've done posts on both.

Search is a topic with tools, analytics and techniques all on its own. Get Google certified for free - if you have the time. It will be time well spent.

Thats all for now, folks!

Target Your Audience

In this quick list we looked at some of the more popular social platforms. There are many, many, more! Depending on your niche and strategy, you will find the right media.

Beware that most platforms are evolving at speed - keeping up to date is a job in itself.