No doubt you have heard all of the buzz around adopting a mobile-first approach to social marketing to your target audiences. To begin adopting a mobile-first mentality first we need to understand what mobile devices have done to our marketing ecosystem.
Marketing has always been about creating a message or story, and then placing that message into desirable piece of content and transmitting that content to an audience. The idea behind this hasn’t really changed, but what has changed is the way in which our audiences perceive and react to that content. According to Google’s research 87% of Millennials have their smartphones by their side day and night. More and more users around the world are moving online as mobile-first and even mobile-only consumers. Billions of people now have powerful phone/camera devices with internet access at their fingertips 24/7. The has led to a profound shift in communication: images are replacing words. Marketers need to realize this shift and understand the value of storytelling on visual mediums.
In order to be successful in this new visual ecosystem, brands need to share images that:
- Tell a story.
- Create an emotional connection.
- Match the aesthetic of the rest of the visual experience in the user’s feed.
The best part about this format is that Marketers don’t have to rely on elaborate productions or expensive photo shoots. There are thousands of small business owners and hobbyists that are already creating well-crafted, compelling content with basic photo editing tools on their mobile devices.
An important thing to understand is that social media is not just a communication tool any longer, consumers can use it to search for new services or products. They want to be visually inspired by unique, creatively captured moments, and they don’t care if it comes from a friend, foe, or brand, as long as the content is compelling.
So knowing all that we will take a look at a few tips for marketers to keep in mind when launching their next social campaign.
Storytelling
This is the most important piece of the puzzle. Creating a captivating story that your customers will find compelling, combined with good images or videos will amplify the outcome and fit within the native experience of the platform.
One key way to create a running narrative on platforms such as Instagram is to take a step back and look at your account as one cohesive work of art, rather than lots of seperate images. Follow a theme or style that suits your brand’s purpose and goals.
Branding
Create a strong brand consistency across campaigns by establishing cohesive elements across images and videos will make your brand more prominent. Using elements like matching photographic styles, composition, and color palette will make your brand more recognizable.
Remember to always include a mention of your brand in a subtle way withing the written content that compliments your visuals.
Goals
Like any other form of marketing, you should always have a goal in mind when you set up your campaigns, and social media is no different. Are you trying to drive traffic to your website or app installs, or are you pushing an online sale? Maybe your objective is just to simply create brand awareness. Compelling ads ave a strong concept tied to a clear objective. Whether it’s driving brand awareness, website clicks, or app installs, your creative should align with the campaign goal in order to measure your campaigns effectiveness.
Make sure that you experiment with different things to see what works for your brand, and most importantly have fun! Make sure that you monitor the results of your campaigns so that you can see what works and doesn’t, and make adjustments as necessary.