Ever since the launch of YouTube in 2005 and its subsequent acquisition by Google, the company has evolved from being a mere video repository into the largest online video platform online. On YouTube, you can view user-generated content as well as corporate content. Think about any topic. You’ll probably find it here.
A bit about the platform
In 2020, YouTube had a reach of over 74% in the USA while its penetration through mobile devices saw similar success around the world. In 2021 alone, the YouTube Music app was downloaded more than 5.1 million times from the Apple App Store and more than 5.2 million times from the Google Play Store.
In 2020, there were around 2.1 billion YouTube users from around the world. Its video streaming service is popular especially among the younger users, who use the platform to view the latest news or to see entertainment channels.
Nowadays, if it is not on some screen, people get bored quickly. However, they get around this issue by enhancing their knowledge and skills through audio-visual aids like videos.
Having a social media strategy is a must when it comes to digital marketing. Just take a look at how much social media has influenced the way we market and communicate!
However, we can all agree that the right social media strategy will bring you the best returns. Not all methods built equally, which is the difference between a good strategy and a bad strategy.
One area to focus on in your social media strategy is the number of shares you accumulate. After all, part of what makes social platforms so powerful is the ability to expand your reach and gain enormous amounts of exposure — only by word-of-mouth. Going “viral” is a thing — and it’s not always bad.
Social shares do precisely that. However, to get the maximum amount of social media shares, there are steps to follow. Results don’t come by easy — they need the effort to achieve it. Here’s what we think can help you get the shares you need.
1. Prioritise the most shareable content format
This might go without saying, but a lot of times, marketers make the mistake of sharing all forms of content without considering what sort of content they are.
Research has shown that visual content is the most shared on social media, as they are quick to read and easy to digest. TikTok is one such proof that visual content is all the rage right now — look at how rapidly it has grown within the past few years. Sprout Social Index found that of all content that has been shared on social media, 68% of them are images, and 50% are videos.
Use the functions that are already available in these social media platforms to your advantage. For instance, Twitter allowed you to pin one tweet that your followers would see above all else, and Instagram has the Highlights section where your audience can click in to discover more about your brand. So prioritise putting videos and images in these areas for maximum shares.
2. Use in-built features to generate responses & increase engagement
When we talk about the function, social media platforms are now rolling out many features to cater to the increasing number of brands that use their site. Twitter has an in-built poll feature, as does Instagram. Besides that, Instagram also has a question-and-answer feature for their Stories. Get your audience responding and boost your brand awareness with such features!
This is the formula for getting viral — which, as mentioned, is not always bad. Want to score more shares? Find out what are the hot topics and capitalise on that. Better yet, use a popular meme to capture your audience’s attention. Not only does this personalise and humanise your brand, but your audience is also more likely to want to share it around. When you project your brand to be more than just a business-oriented figure, your consumers would be able to relate with you more.
4. Craft engaging captions
Captions are another essential part of what gets your post noticed. Without a good caption, you would probably lose half your audience. Depending on the platform, you need to adjust your captions accordingly — for example, people go onto Instagram for the pictures, and hence they are more unlikely to want to read a lengthy caption. However, those scrolling on Facebook and LinkedIn would be more open to reading and taking in an enormous amount of text and information.
Whether your caption is long or short, make sure that it includes the keywords that you want to highlight about the post. Furthermore, always remember to put a call-to-action (CTA) at the end of every post to make it more engaging. Whether it is to ask your audience to follow your brand, purchase something, or click a link, we cannot stress enough the importance of having a CTA. Just remember not to overdo it and stick to only one CTA instead of having multiple — that will confuse your audience and result in them not wanting to take any action at all.
5. Come up with a strong hashtag strategy
Captions aren’t the only things that can help boost your post. Hashtags are just as important when it comes to building up your social media strategy. Using the right hashtags would bring your brand not just more exposure, but the right kind of exposure. An excellent first step is to use your own branded hashtag so that new followers can find your content easily.
Since Instagram only allows a maximum of 30 hashtags, All Hashtag will give you up to 30 relevant hashtags based on one single keyword. The site also has an analytical tool to help you get useful information about your hashtags for your marketing strategy. And if you’re not sure where to start, they can offer you insights into the top trending hashtags on Instagram. So start exploring and experimenting with some of the incredible free tools out there!
6. Make your posts mobile-friendly
Let’s face it — most consumers nowadays are scrolling through social media on their phones. More than 80% of shares from social media visits come from mobile devices. To reach them properly, it is exceptionally vital to make sure your social media posts are crafted not just for the desktop version but also for mobile versions.
Take into consideration each platform’s image previews so that the main point comes across in a single glance. Check those graphics are legible (even on a small screen) and zoomable so that your message is readable by your audience — otherwise your words will be for nought.
7. Find out when the best times to post are
Although this sounds like common sense, you may be surprised to find out how many marketers don’t consider this when planning their marketing strategy. Knowing which days and times your audience are the most active on social media is a crucial step to getting your post noticed.
Do also keep in mind that Covid-19 has changed the way consumers use social media and how they engage with brands. For your marketing strategy to work effectively, it is best to adjust your brand behaviour to adapt to such changes. Why not check in with MIU to find out how you can further optimise your marketing strategy? We offer free consultation services for anyone who’s looking to up their marketing game!
If you’ve scoured through many marketing articles, you have no doubt picked up on the fact that digital marketing is the new form of marketing. As internet penetration soars at a record high – and is still rising, the number of users on the internet is expected to increase.
Digital marketing provides brands with a way of reaching out to an audience that they might not traditionally have access to. As social media becomes a highly popular platform for everyone to connect on, businesses are able to use this opportunity to grow their audience and brand.
While digital marketing can span plenty of aspects, from SEO to PPC to email marketing, this article will discuss the details of social media marketing in particular. Read more if you want to find out how to use social media to your advantage!
Digital marketing on social media
Social media as a marketing strategy is all the rage right now. It has been proven that social media is often the driving factor (and one of the most influential) behind word-of-mouth and evangelist marketing.
In the information age, consumers often turn to the internet to seek answers to their problems and pain points. While this may be the best chance for your brand to put itself in the spotlight, it can also be a double-edged sword if your brand does not have much of an online presence — or worse, a negative one.
This is where marketing can step in to help. Managing your brand’s online presence is no easy feat, but it is possible to do it — and do it well. Of course, it helps if you understand what each social media platform is meant to do and how it aligns with your brand. Here are some tips to help you get started.
Facebook
Facebook is one of the most versatile social media platforms as it is widely used not only for personal use but for professional matters as well.
Businesses can use Facebook to connect to their followers by sharing photos, updates and general news on their page. Fans of your brand may visit your Facebook page to explore events, check updates and more.
As of April 2019, Facebook was reported to have 2.38 billion monthly active users worldwide. It is an absolutely useful place to start building a fanbase for your brand. Remember to engage with your audience bty posting status updates, photos and more! Start by publicising your page and linking it everywhere, including your website.
Share your products, offers and services to keep your followers informed about your brand. Better yet, if you can invite them to engage in your posts by including things that nudge them to like, comment or share your content, it would do wonders for your brand.
Although you might be running a business page, it’s important to remember that plenty of your followers also use Facebook as a personal network to connect with their friends and family. Make sure your brand fits into this atmosphere rather than constantly hard-selling your products and services. This way, people will be more interested and engaged in your brand.
With Facebook Ads, you can check details like social graphs and activities to better understand your buyer persona. Knowing the preferences of your page visitors will go a long way in helping you market your brand, be it on social media or otherwise. Use this information to tailor your content to your main audience and turn them into leads!
Instagram
While it may have started as a personal social media platform, Instagram is quickly turning that around. Since it has been bought over by Facebook, plenty of business-oriented functions have been introduced to the app to help brands connect better with their audience.
With 1 billion monthly active users, Instagram is a fantastic place to market your brand and improve your online presence. In Singapore itself, there are 1.9 million total active users — a huge audience that you can potentially market to!
Since being bought over by Facebook, Instagram has introduced many tools that can help businesses market themselves more efficiently in a non-salesy manner. From polls to FAQS, such tools supported by the platform itself can simplify the customer service process so much more — so take advantage of it!
When consumers are satisfied with their customer experience, they will naturally have a better impression of the brand and are more likely to patronise them again.
Twitter
Twitter’s 310 million users may pale in comparison to Facebook’s and Instagram’s user statistics, but make no mistake. The social media platform is a concise way to connect with your audience by serving them bite-sized information that they can consume on the go. In fact, 175 million tweets are generated in a day, making up for what Twitter lacks in the quantity of its platform users.
With 280 characters or less in each tweet, Twitter is a sea of content waiting to be read, followed, and re-tweeted. By allowing you to share quick bites of information and photos, the social media platform is a perfect vehicle to drive people back to your landing pages.
Since each tweet is often short and sweet, people tend to scroll through them quickly in an effort to consume as much as they can. When marketing on Twitter, make sure your content is enticing enough to capture your audience’s attention and make them pause on your tweet.
Try incorporating quotes, photos, GIFs or even polls related to the link you’re tweeting to get people wanting to read more. Remember to build relationships with followers — while people may follow you because they enjoy what you have to say, it is important to engage them in conversation as well.
Like you would on Facebook, ask and respond to questions, respond to mentions and direct messages. This not only personalises the brand but is a good way to show your customer service as well.
An important marketing function that you can adopt is to use hashtags on Twitter. They allow you to reach a wider (and more targeted) audience, as people who are searching for specific information often turn towards hashtags to find what they are looking for. Conduct some research to see what your buyer persona is hashtagging to make sure your posts will be found by the right people.
YouTube
Since it was bought over by Google in 2006, YouTube has become the leading video-sharing platform in the world. As one of the world’s most used search engines, Google has since incorporated its advanced technology and algorithm into YouTube as well. YouTube is now but another platform that the search gives priority to in its search results.
Creating videos for YouTube therefore matters a lot. You want to make sure that there’s a purpose and value to the video you are uploading, so as to provide high quality content for your audience. Keep in mind your production value as well. Both the video and audio of what you upload should be crisp, clear, and easy to understand. No shaky cameras!
YouTube gives you a gateway to be an educator in your industry. Upload webinars or videos speaking on important topics that further the education of your audience. When you position yourself as the source of important industry news, people will naturally flock to you for trusted updates and information. In return, your brand will gain a reputable name for itself.
Hashtags on YouTube are also another important aspect that you can take note of when posting your video. Though they are not often talked about, hashtags can actually help your video go a long way in finding the exposure that it needs. Read more about our guide to YouTube hashtags here.
All in all, no matter what social media platform you choose to engage with, the best tip is to use whatever is available to you at hand while keeping a customer-centric view. Your brand will go much further this way and your consumers will thank you in the long run.
Hashtags have taken over our lives as soon as social media became an existing platform for businesses and individuals to promote themselves.
On almost every post on Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn and sometimes even Facebook, you would be able to glimpse a handful of hashtags thrown in here or there. After all, hashtags not only tell the audience what the post is about but also enable others to find relevant information that they might be looking for.
However, when it comes to YouTube, the hashtag phenomena is still fairly unknown. Tricks on how to use hashtags effectively, where to place them, what kind of hashtags to use aren’t common knowledge in the YouTube space. Since hashtags aren’t prominent on YouTube, it’s easy to assume that they do not help much with discovery. However, that is not the case.
In fact, YouTube hashtags work tirelessly behind-the-scenes to push your content out there to your intended audience for better exposure. Using hashtags on YouTube can also allow you to categorise your videos without having to add them into playlists.
Furthermore, hashtags help YouTube understand what your video is about. So not only do they benefit your audience, but they also help the algorithm! Think of your hashtags as useful keywords — this can help your video show up in potential search results, attracting a wider audience and turning them into subscribers. In other words, more leads!
Guide to using hashtags on YouTube
There are a few different ways you can incorporate hashtags into your YouTube video. One such method is by adding them right into the title of the video itself. This would help viewers be able to look for relevant videos from your channel much more easily.
One other benefit of adding hashtags into your video title is that they would be clickable from your video page.
You can also opt to add hashtags into your video description if hashtags in a title are not your thing. This is the best place to put hashtags that are relevant to your video content, but may seem out of place in a title as they do not contain the relevant keywords.
The first three hashtags that are added to your description will appear above your title line, so be sure to choose the most relevant ones to put first! Viewers can also click on these hashtags to find other videos with the same hashtags.
So now that you have an idea of how hashtags can be incorporated with your uploads, how should you go about using hashtags on your YouTube video? Here are a few tips we compiled to help you get started!
1. Use a maximum of 15 hashtags for your video
Although hashtags are helpful in getting your video some exposure, there should be a limit on how many hashtags you should use. 3 to 5 is generally the most optimal number to use on a video, but it is possible to throw in a few more.
However, Google has stated that it will ignore all hashtags on a video if the number goes higher than 15, so do keep that in mind!
2. Make sure the hashtags you use provide quality search results
Another tip is to search your hashtags before using them to see what kind of results you get. You don’t want your videos to be mixed in with other irrelevant videos – viewers might end up skipping yours altogether. Make sure you’re using a hashtag that contributes quality search results!
One way to determine what sort of hashtags might be helpful is to search specific hashtags on YouTube. By typing # in the search bar, you will be able to get a glimpse of trending topics at the moment. Add in your keyword to see what sort of relevant hashtags pop up, which you can then use for your video.
3. Use branded hashtags
Using branded hashtags is a great tip, not only for YouTube videos, but all social media platforms alike. This is as generic hashtags, while helpful in leading users to your content, would also be the same reason such users will eventually click away. Keep your viewers engaged in your own content by creating your own branding hashtags, which will then lead viewers to only your own video content.
To ensure your YouTube marketing strategy is working, keep an eye on your YouTube statistics and engage with professional agencies such as MIU to help you come up with not only the best hashtags to use for your video, but the best content to provide.
Advertising. Such a key component in marketing. Did you know that in 2018, the most watched ads on YouTube, by Singaporeans, were made in Singapore?
That’s right. According to the YouTube Ads Leaderboard itself, six of the top 10 ads in the first half of the year came from Singapore. In fact, the top 4 places were dominated by ads with a compelling and emotional story. What these ads do well in is portray a heartfelt story driven by a goal to connect, rather than to sell. And that’s the key to truly engage your consumers.
Evolve your advertising strategy with the times
In 1984, a psychologist by the name of Walter Fisher developed a communication theory that we can put to use when we talk about ads. Known as the narrative paradigm, it posits that humans, at our core, are storytellers, and thus we thrive on narrative communication.
This is perhaps one of the reasons why emotional content performed so well in the YouTube Ads Leaderboard. Since storytelling is one of the oldest modes of communication, humans today still make decisions and act within this narrative framework, approaching the social world in such a mindset.
With this knowledge, we can confidently construct effective ads that will capture the heart and minds of Singaporeans alone. Today, there are so many advertisements floating around in the digital space that it can be hard to stand out amidst the clutter sometimes. Here’s some lessons on how to better stand out that we can learn from the top ads themselves.
The Briefcase is an advertisement that balances the fine line between heartwarming and bittersweet. Inspired by the experiences of many travellers, The Briefcase captures this universal feeling of homesickness to bring us on a journey — even when we’re not flying.
Powerful yet emotive, this ad pulls on the heartstrings of its viewers and leaves them with a bittersweet feeling. By inspiring viewers to think about their families during the festive season, The Briefcase successfully manages to connect with its audience on a topic that all of us can relate to — family — driving home the tagline, You’re never far from those you love.
Produced by TBWA Singapore, the ad by the Paris-based agency taps into their core philosophy, “disruption”. Taking notes from Todorov’s narrative structure theory, TBWA Singapore seeks to “disrupt the peace” with the unconventional. Using this system, they identify recent changes or action in culture to develop their advertising strategy.
Todorov’s theory states that there are five stages of narration and that all stories begin in a state of equilibrium. Disruption – the second stage in the narrative cycle – refers to an event that disrupts the peaceful state of equilibrium. By using this theory to their advantage, TBWA manages to stand out amongst competitors and implement their own unique flavour in each of their ads.
In a way that live-action videos might be unable to, animation videos bring concepts to life and simplify them for viewers to easily digest. Just look at TED-Ed. Knowing how helpful animations can be in engaging their audience, they have begun incorporating it as part of their content.
Not only that, animation suits just about any marketing need imaginable. Be it explainer videos or other forms of content, marketers recognise this great trend and are all adopting it as part of their strategy. This might explain why more than 60% of the best explainer videos collected by Hubspot, Video Brewery and Switch Video are animated.
You could be potentially losing 50% of your consumers just because your content is not reaching them. To rectify this, you need to make sure your video is able to portray whatever message you want to bring across. In this scenario, a live-action video might present some restraints where an animated video does not.
The ad by Invisible Artists does just that — it explains the brand perfectly while remaining concise and engaging. The adorable animation is what draws the audience in at first, where the topic of finance is then presented. Everyone needs money — so this is a perfect point to focus on since viewers can relate to it.
Invisible Artists is an award-winning company that has worked with famous brands like Coca-Cola, Facebook, and The Body Shop. In 2014, they were titled the Investment Into The UK Award, just three years after their establishment. This advertising agency has definitely proven its potential, to say the least.
3. Gamification
If you want to go above and beyond, the best way to capture your audience’s attention is to involve them in an activity. Sticking a video in front of their noses might work, but do you know what’s even better? Games!
The amount of information absorbed by a viewer cannot be calculated or determined even if they have watched your video — but you can be sure that your brand is going to leave an impression in their mind when you present them with an activity to engage in.
This is what Hashmeta does well. They understand how pivotal a game can be in propelling an advertising strategy to success, and capitalise on it to generate leads and engagement for their clients. Even a simple quiz can be quite entertaining, as you can see for yourself!
The advertisement for NTUC LearningHub in fact reached more than 8000 players. Better yet, the average number of times a user played was 2.09. That means that players were actually hooked onto the quiz itself that they decided to replay it once more! Talk about engagement. Certainly, games might be the future of online advertising, so why not jump into it now?
4. Use the environment to your advantage
What can we say? These creative environmental ads just blow our mind. By taking an ordinary space into something funny.
Billboarders are here to help — by going against the norm. Despite the soar in the popularity of digital marketing, they recognise the potential in physical space. Instead of going with the flow, they decided to think out-of-the-box and offer a multimedia solution instead.
By creating the idea of human billboards, Billboarders give business a chance to build interpersonal relationships with their consumers while at the same time seeming witty. Comprising professionals who interact with audiences, they are able to deliver advantages that no other medium can match.
Such an innovative way of advertising not only grabs immediate attention, but is also interactive and fun. Not to mention, these human billboards can go anywhere and anytime, based on your preferences!
If you have been searching for a clever and extremely unique concept for your next advertising campaign, consider Billboarders’ direct media solution of limitless opportunities and remarkable results.
5. Let others do it for you
Ahh, yes. Social media advertising is yet another at the height of the marketing industry. With 3.5 billion social media users worldwide, it is no wonder businesses are turning to such platforms to drive their advertising campaigns. Of these users, 1 billion of them are active monthly on Instagram.
We’ve talked about how sponsored videos get thrice more comments than sponsored photos. But we have not yet talked about the potential of Instagram Stories, and how you can tap into it to bring about the best benefits for your brand. So let us.
Just based on statistics alone, there are 500 million daily active stories users, of which one-third of the most viewed Instagram Stories stem from businesses. In fact, Socialbakers found that brands can generate over four times more interactions on Instagram compared to Facebook!
What does this mean? Well, perhaps it’s time to look beyond Instagram Ads and Instagram posts for marketing — and dive deep into the world of Instagram Stories. Your consumers are already using it, why shouldn’t you?
In fact, Stories stickers can increase video viewership 83% of the time. This means that there is a huge potential in grabbing consumers’ attention via Instagram stories, by creating your own branded stickers and filters.
Introducing the Spark AR Studio, Facebook now lets anyone create their own augmented reality filters, which means that businesses can use this tool to further their marketing needs. Filters can even be used while streaming on Instagram Live, which gives you even more reason to use it!
Here’s a little fun fact: the heart love sticker is the most popular Giphy sticker in Instagram Stories, and the most used face filter is the one with the heart eyes. With this interesting tidbit, perhaps you now have an idea of what sort of stickers and filters you want to create for your brand?
The Secret Little Agency partnered up with Circles Life to address one issue brought about by the pandemic. Targeting working adults who are now working from home, they adeptly created an Instagram filter for those who are too lazy to put on proper clothes when answering a work-related video call.
Comprising a few different “outfits”, these filters are not only available on Instagram but also on Snapchat, Zoom, and Google Hangouts. Talk about being handy! Indeed, this tongue-in-cheek advertising stunt brought about many laughs for consumers who had an amusing time playing around with the filters.
Is your brand in need of a clever advertising and marketing strategy?
If you thought the list above ended at the fifth point, you’re in for a treat. There are so many ways to creatively express yourself through different marketing stunts, the possibilities are endless. Why not let MIU think of one for you?
So if you’re looking for a professional company to kickstart your digital marketing campaigns, consider contacting us today. Get ready to go on the wildest journey with our crazy ideas and innovative experiences — for both you and your consumers.