Social Media Marketing on YouTube and Instagram

by Quin McGlaughlin, Senior Optimization Analyst, MECLABS Institute

Among many valuable details Stephanie shares in the video above, from her approach and opinion on sensationalized copy and video content strategies to tips and tactics for measuring success, here are some the most important takeaways to think about …

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Building an audience

• Trust is king – Trust is ultimately the most important factor for both the influencer and the brand. Influencers thrive and die not on creating one-hit-wonders that generate millions of views, but on building trust by delivering consistent and congruent value. The trust that an influencer can generate largely influences both their following and their following's response to your offer. To maximize effectiveness, the brand and the influencer must work collaboratively to craft an offer that creates trust rather than diminishes it.
• The micro-steps matter – Failing to prioritize the micro-steps your visitors will take prior to reaching your main content can be a critical and costly mistake. Things like the thumbnail, title and supporting copy are not of moderate importance — they are imperative when the customer is at the unique step of choosing whether this is the video they are going to click versus another. For Stephanie and some viewers, the thumbnail is sometimes more important than the video since it often determines whether the video is seen. First, capture attention, then convert it to interest.
• Listen to your audience – One of social media marketing's most powerful features is the ability to ask your audience directly what they care about, think and want. The more you listen and interact with them, the more engaged they become and the more valuable the conversation can be.

Partnering with influencers

• Be relevant – When searching for an influencer to partner with, don't aim for those who merely have a large following or some similarity with your space; aim to be as relevant as possible to the influencer and their audience to maximize your conversion rate.
• Be personal – Influencers with a strong following receive many offers for promotions; some offers are better than others. Serious influencers care deeply about their brand and their connection to their audience, so they look for partners who understand their value proposition, share similarities and have some real value to offer their audience. Long-term partnerships with multiple “integrations” (offers) are often preferred and produce a much higher response since influencers can learn the product more deeply, share it repeatedly and increase their association with the product.
• Be collaborative – Influencers are creative, and while you can ask for something structured and specific, allowing some creative control and respecting their content policies can make for a more attractive offer — and a much higher response rate from their audience.

You might also like ...

Social Media Marketing: Is it just your brand’s performance, or has something changed in social media?

Social Doubt: Beware the downside of social proof in social media marketing

Lead your team to breakthrough results with A Model of your Customer's Mind: These 21 charts and tools have helped capture more than $500 million in (carefully measured) test wins.