But for retail companies, there’s just one question: When you’re in the business of selling physical goods, how might one leverage digital experiences to add value to both customers’ lives and their bottom line? Marketing ROI is hard enough to track as-is—is turning content for ‘Tok really worth it when driving sales?

Let’s find out.

TikTok and shopping: the stats

Here’s the rub: In today’s inescapably digital landscape, even traditionally brick-and-mortar companies are inherently hybrid.

Back in 2017, Harvard Business School reported that 73% of customer journeys sprawl over multiple channels on the road to make a purchase. Moreover, these omnichannel customers stand to gain brands even more conversion opportunities—their study found that people who used four or more channels for a company spent 9% on in-brand purchases.²

So, why should TikTok be one of the forerunning platforms for retail brands? Even a cursory glance at the stats speaks volumes:

• In Gen Z alone, 97% of consumers report using social media to dictate purchases.³
• TikTok reports that 91% of its users act after seeing a video posted on the platform.⁴
• A full ¼ of TikTok users research a product or service after seeing an ad for it on the app.⁴

Whether retail companies want to reach more potential customers, bring their brand to a new audience segment, or bolster their brass-tacks goal of generating revenue, embracing TikTok isn’t just any retail strategy.

It could be one of the most decisive.

5 tips for leveraging TikTok as a brick-and-mortar brand

Some companies could feel shy about entering the TikTok platform. In the wake of such a voluminous and rapid user base growth, they may suspect that the space is already saturated and their marketing dollars may be better spent elsewhere.

But compared with its social media predecessors, TikTok is not a popularity contest. While brands with high follower tallies may rule the roost on apps like Instagram, TikTok feeds are mainly sculpted by user interests and trending topics.⁵

Put simply? If they master the technical side of TikTok and tailor content toward what their target audience genuinely wants to see, even the smallest up-and-comers can get discovered (and followed) alongside the biggest league brand names out there.

#1 Flesh out the target user

Creating user or customer personas is a tool that was developed in the UX design world. Organizations use these to imagine who their target consumer is, what they value and what motivates their behavior (online and IRL).⁶

To appease a user intent-driven algorithm like TikTok’s, getting a feel for the nuances of an audience demographic is crucial. Retailers can kick off the process by determining user traits like:⁷

• Age group.
• Socioeconomic bracket.
• Pop cultural interests.
• Key problems or challenges.
• Key goals and values.
• What they come to use TikTok for.

Once they’ve established who their prototype customers are, it also behooves retailers to sketch out their buyer’s journey. By mapping users’ in-store, in-app and on-web browser experience, they can create a retail marketing strategy that delivers value to users at the most critical touchpoints in their journeys.

#2 Tap into TikTok’s built-in resources

TikTok boasts a robust suite of services designed to make businesses of all stripes drive visibility, engagement and sales. These are designed to make the user experience feel more organic, all while championing retailers’ unique KPIs.

Some resources to explore include:

• Shopping Ads – A tri-part solution for e-commerce businesses, shopping ads were created to help retailers cater to their target audience no matter where they are in their buying journey. There are three types of Shopping Ads:⁸
  • Live Shopping Ads, which let viewers make spur-of-the-moment purchases while watching relevant content.
  • Video Shopping Ads, which spotlight relevant branded content in the For You page and can seamlessly take viewers to a transaction.
  • Catalog Listing Ads, which users visit expressly to shop; here, products live alongside other competing brands’ products (like a digital storefront).
• The Creative Center – In this hub, retailers can see the hottest and most current hashtags, songs and other content trends in the app. They’ll also get to peruse retail TikTok’s generated trend reports, which predict what kinds of content online audiences will be craving next.
• Spark Ads – TikTok’s Spark Ads save retailers the work of creating totally new content. This is a huge boon for smaller retailers, who might not have a big enough budget to accommodate the frequent, consistent output that is encouraged by TikTok creators.

Instead, Spark Ads uses existing organic content and re-presents them to users who may be interested in the form of paid ads.

Finally, no retail brand should go without taking the viral #tiktokmademebuyit hashtag for a spin. This hashtag is so high-performing that its netted views are constantly climbing—the most recent data shows the tag has nearly 8.5 billion views.⁹

#3 Appeal to key TikTok audiences with flexible payment plans

In addition to leveraging TikTok’s seamless shopping capabilities, you may likewise consider lifting other possible barriers to conversion—namely, financial ones.

According to new data, BNPL (buy now, pay later) payment options are a favored payment method for TikTok’s two most robust demographics: gen Z and millennials.¹⁰ These segments tend to view payment by installment as more manageable than one sizable purchase.¹⁰

For newer retailers that are just beginning to build credibility for their products or services and overall brand, flexible payment options serve to stand by the value of their product while ensuring it’s attainable for shoppers of multiple earning brackets.

#4 Experiment by cross-categorizing content

In the earlier days of TikTok, grittier, less curated content reigned supreme. Users prized the app for its rough-around-the-edges feel—a stark contrast from the ultra-filtered, framed and finessed photos patent to Instagram.³

But in just three years, TikTok has spawned a nuanced array of content categories to meet a wide (and sometimes bizarre) range of user interests. As of this writing, some of the most popular content categories include:¹¹

• Entertainment.
• Dance.
• Pranks and hijinks.
• Sports and fitness.
• DIY and home renovation.
• Skincare, beauty and makeup.
• Fashion and style.
• Food, recipes, cooking and baking.
• Life hacks.
• Animals and pets.
• Outdoor adventures.

For retailers, the most obvious approach might be to gear their content and complementary hashtags towards trends squarely in their product category.

However, in other cases, it may be advantageous to resist cookie-cutter conventions altogether and try ingressing into content categories that aren’t as obviously relevant to the product at hand—but still provide ample entertainment value to viewers. After all, if there’s any social media app where content categorization is encouraged, it’s TikTok.

By way of example, take the imaginary outdoor gear retailer OnBelay. Rather than outfitting their content strictly for the outdoor adventure category, they might experiment with a campaign that falls into the pranks and humor wheelhouse.

Remember, individual consumers possess a variety of interests. On TikTok, retailers have the opportunity to cater to multiple audiences.

#5 Take advantage of niche partnerships

On the social media platforms of yore, brands that lacked a household name or enormous following behind them often fell out of customers’ horizon of awareness. But on TikTok, nano and micro influencers have user engagement rates that surpass their “macro” peers sevenfold.¹²

What’s more, 87% of consumers report buying a product because they saw it featured in a favorite influencer’s content.¹²

Ultimately, this is the key for retail companies looking to devise a buzz-worthy TikTok strategy no matter their size or product: authenticity. Whether that genuineness is built through retail partnerships with trustworthy ambassadors or by creating ultra-relatable content, TikTok offers an unprecedented pathway for nurturing real relationships with consumers beyond the IRL.

Drive revenue, relationships and relatability on TikTok with PDM

Despite trending towards business-friendliness, TikTok admittedly comes with its fair share of bells and whistles that can make it an intimidating tool for retailers to use. When you partner with a TikTok agency like Power Digital, you’ll save yourself the work that keeps businesses from reaping the major benefits to be gained from the app.

From optimizing TikTok’s shoppable capabilities to locating the perfect brand ambassadors that’ll get your brand message out to audiences, our digital marketing agency’s experience and advanced data analytics can help you ensure your initiatives surpass your goals for marketing ROI.

For more on what we offer retail businesses like yours, reach out for a consultation today.

Sources:

1. Investopedia. Social Commerce: Definition, Tactics, and Examples.https://www.investopedia.com/terms/s/social-commerce.asp
2. Harvard Business Review. A Study of 46,000 Shoppers Shows That Omnichannel Retailing Works. https://hbr.org/2017/01/a-study-of-46000-shoppers-shows-that-omnichannel-retailing-works
3. Forbes. Gen Z And The Rise Of Social Commerce. https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesagencycouncil/2021/05/17/gen-z-and-the-rise-of-social-commerce/?sh=2f159aa3251
4. TikTok. The Marketer’s Guide to TikTok. https://indd.adobe.com/view/acbc776f-341e-4501-9b15-bdfc15d7c6df
5. Forbes. Gaining ROI With Influencers On TikTok. https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesagencycouncil/2021/05/28/gaining-roi-with-influencers-on-tiktok/?sh=1f68f6ee7a22
6. Adobe. Putting Personas to Work in UX Design: What They Are and Why They’re Important. https://xd.adobe.com/ideas/process/user-research/putting-personas-to-work-in-ux-design/
7. Usability.gov. Personas. https://www.usability.gov/how-to-and-tools/methods/personas.html
8. TikTok for Business. Presenting the Future of Commerce on TikTok. https://www.tiktok.com/business/en/blog/ecommerce-ad-formats-convert-viewers-shoppers/
9. Psychology Today. Why TikTok Made Us Buy It.https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/the-savvy-consumer/202201/why-tiktok-made-us-buy-it
10. CNBC. Why millennials and gen-Zs are jumping on the buy now, pay later trend. https://www.cnbc.com/2021/08/07/why-millennials-and-gen-zs-are-jumping-on-the-buy-now-pay-later-trend.html
11. Influencer Marketing Hub. Top 64 TikTok Stats You Need to Know in 2023. https://influencermarketinghub.com/tiktok-stats/
12. Business 2 Community. Influencer Marketing: 2020 Trends & Stats. https://www.business2community.com/marketing/influencer-marketing-2020-trends-stats-02279198

The post Retail and TikTok: How to lift sales with a robust TikTok strategy appeared first on Power Digital Marketing.

There are active users in every age group on TikTok

TikTok is commonly associated with Gen Z users – the demographic born between 1997 and 2012. But don’t be fooled, TikTok users span all generations and age groups. According to a report by Statista, around 40 percent of the social media app’s users are between the ages of 18 and 24.¹ However, even though Gen Z makes up the majority of TikTok users, there are plenty of people from older generations who actively use the app.

In fact, TikTok seems to be gaining popularity among older age groups faster than it is with younger age groups. It’s clear that the app appeals to people of all ages, and is not just a playground for the young.

This is great news for businesses looking to tap into the world of TikTok. Despite its reputation as a platform primarily used by teenagers, businesses of all sizes and industries can still find their target audience on the platform. With its ever-growing user base, businesses have the opportunity to reach more people across different generations and increase their customer base. While TikTok is the most popular app for Gen Z (over 100 million monthly active users worldwide), one in five TikTok users are 40 – 49 years of age, and the much-coveted millennial consumers sit at around 66 million.² Translation: your customer base is there, so you need to get on their ‘For You Page’ ASAP.

TikTok is the fastest-growing social media platform

TikTok has seen exponential growth over the past few years, becoming one of the most popular social media networks in the world. According to Statista, TikTok holds the spot for the most downloaded non-gaming mobile app with over 3.5 billion downloads.³

This rapid growth is due to the unique features that set it apart from other social media platforms, such as the 15-second video limit, the ability to easily create and share funny, short videos, and the convenient hashtag and music search functions. On top of that, its algorithm is designed to surface content tailored to users’ interests and preferences. This user-friendly platform makes it easy for even novice users to get started on creating content, building an audience, and engaging with other users quickly.

Businesses of all sizes can take advantage of TikTok’s tremendous growth, as more users are joining every day. Companies can use TikTok to reach a younger audience and tap into new customer segments. It’s a great platform for businesses to share their stories, showcase their products, and create connections with their target audiences. To reach the widest possible audience, businesses should also explore TikTok’s hashtag challenges, ads, and influencer collaborations.

From individual influencers to global brands, there’s something for everyone on TikTok. With its powerful features and massive user base, businesses of all sizes can benefit from this rapidly growing platform.

TikTok has something for everyone

Whether you’re into cooking, makeup tutorials, health and fitness tips, gaming, or even just the occasional meme – there is something for every TikTok user.

The range of content on the platform is huge. From fashion trends and influencers to artists and musicians, there is something for all interests. If you’re looking to broaden your reach, TikTok can be a great way to engage with potential customers who may not have previously been aware of your business.

TikTok also allows you to target specific age groups or genders, making it easier for you to find an audience that is interested in your product or service. You can create engaging short videos that are tailored towards different age groups or genders, allowing you to reach a more targeted audience.

In addition to its wide range of content, TikTok also offers plenty of opportunities for businesses to build relationships with their customers. Businesses can create engaging content such as polls and quizzes to generate conversations with their customers and get to know them better. With the use of hashtags and creative video content, businesses can create a unique presence on the platform that resonates with their target audience.

Businesses of all sizes are using TikTok

Small businesses, mid-size companies, and large corporations alike are taking advantage of the unique opportunities that TikTok has to offer. From personal brands to product-based companies, TikTok is a powerful tool for any business looking to increase their reach and engagement. Creating a strategy around TikTok for business can be a beneficial asset in also increasing brand awareness. Many brands are also leveraging influencer marketing to reach their audience.

Many of these businesses are taking full advantage of TikTok’s creative tools to create entertaining and eye-catching content. Whether they’re using lip-syncing, special effects, or comedy sketches, businesses have been able to use TikTok to capture the attention of their target audiences. Some businesses are also taking advantage of TikTok ads to reach a larger audience. By using the right tools and strategies, businesses can create content that resonates with users and stands out from the crowd.

When it comes to brand promotion and advertising, TikTok presents an extraordinary opportunity. Utilizing strategic campaigns, companies can boost their product and service visibility to potential customers. Through the use of targeted ads, companies can present their message to the appropriate viewers, and generate sales. Regardless of the size of a business, this social media giant has many options available for companies to use for success.

You can reach your target audience on TikTok

TikTok is one of the most popular social media platforms out there and it’s growing quickly. While it’s true that the majority of TikTok users are Gen Z, you can reach any age group on this platform. With an estimated 800 million users worldwide, it’s no wonder businesses are starting to use TikTok as a powerful marketing tool.

If you’re looking to target a specific audience, TikTok has many tools to help you do just that. You can narrow down who you want to reach by age, gender, interests, location, and more. To ensure that your content reaches the right people, you can use hashtags and keywords that are relevant to your content and the target audience you’re trying to reach.

You can also reach your target audience through TikTok influencers. Influencers have a large following and can help you promote your products or services in an organic way. Many influencers are willing to collaborate with brands and share sponsored posts, helping to increase engagement and reach with their followers.

Additionally, you can create custom audiences with your own customer data in the form of email addresses, phone numbers, and other contact information. This allows you to target ads specifically to those individuals, ensuring that your content gets in front of the right people.

Ultimately, TikTok is an incredibly powerful platform for businesses. With its extensive targeting capabilities and a rapidly growing user base, it’s an effective tool for reaching your audience and boosting engagement.

Reach Your Desired TikTok audience with Power Digital

Are you looking to leverage TikTok for your business? Look no further than Power Digital. Our team of experts can help you craft the perfect TikTok strategy to maximize your visibility and ensure your content reaches its desired audience. We have the knowledge and resources to help you get the most out of your TikTok campaigns and tap into new audiences.

From identifying which type of videos best suits your brand’s goals, to creating an engaging and comprehensive content strategy, to leveraging influencers and data-driven insights, our team can help you develop a successful TikTok agency marketing campaign.

Don’t let managing a presence on TikTok intimidate you any longer. With Power Digital, you can capture your ideal TikTok audience and drive growth for your brand. Reach out to us today to learn more about our TikTok marketing services.

Sources:

1. Published by L. Ceci, and Feb 6. “Global Tiktok User Age and Gender Distribution 2023.” Statista, 6 Feb. 2023, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1299771/tiktok-global-user-age-distribution/
2. Ibid.
3. “Q1 2022: Store Intelligence Data Digest.” SensorTower. https://go.sensortower.com/rs/351-RWH-315/images/Sensor-Tower-Q1-2022-Data-Digest.pdf

The post Mythbusting: TikTok Is Not Just a Gen–Z Play appeared first on Power Digital Marketing.

What’s more, there is less competition here compared to other platforms, which means lower costs and increased engagement and returns. Still on the fence about whether or not you should hop onto the Tok-train? Here’s the scoop on creating a TikTok for Business strategy.

TikTok attracts audiences unlike any other platform

TikTok has quickly become one of the most popular websites and apps in the world, with over a billion active users and 80 million in the US alone. Even more impressive is that the TikTok app held the top spot for most downloads worldwide, surpassing Instagram with over 3.5 billion downloads.¹As for the app’s audience, while it may seem as if Gen Z TikTok users have taken over the platform, the average user has aged up, with around 61% of them being 25 and older.² This means that Gen–Zs are no longer the only ones being influenced by the app.

It’s clear that TikTok has unique audiences that any business would benefit from tapping into. And with an algorithm based on interests and high engagement rates, brands have the potential to reach a broad spectrum of individuals with their content.

TikTok’s algorithms are tailored to individual interests

When it comes to social media platforms, one of the most important things to understand is that each platform has its own algorithms, and TikTok is no different. The algorithm on TikTok works by giving users specific video content that they are likely to engage with. It takes into account a variety of factors like age, location, interests, and more. This means that the content you see when scrolling through the app is tailored specifically to you.

The TikTok algorithm ensures that users get the most out of the social media platform, as they’re more likely to stay engaged with content that interests them. This increases the engagement rate of the platform significantly, which is why so many brands have taken advantage of it for their own benefit. This algorithm also means that brands can create content that appeals to a wide variety of users, ensuring that they get the best possible reach and engagement from their posts.

TikTok boasts an impressive level of user engagement

The TikTok demographics are not the only thing setting it apart from other social media platforms. TikTok is also well-known for its high engagement rate, with users spending an average of 52 minutes per day on the app. That’s nearly double the amount of time spent on Instagram. This high engagement rate makes TikTok an ideal platform for brands looking to reach out to potential customers and build an engaged community.

According to TikTok, more than 50 percent of TikTok users have interacted with a brand on the app and over 70 percent said they had shared content created by a brand.³ This shows that users are actively engaging with brands on the social media platform, and this presents a great opportunity for brands to connect with their audiences.

Moreover, the amount of engagement a post gets has been found to increase exponentially when it is used with appropriate hashtags. This means that users are actively searching for and engaging with content related to the hashtag, and therefore brands should use relevant hashtags to reach the right audience. User-generated content (UGC) is another way to tap into TikTok advertising. It’s one thing to create TikTok content as a business account, but sharing user-generated content can also boost engagement.

By engaging with users in creative ways and leveraging the power of hashtags, brands can take advantage of this powerful platform to gain maximum exposure and reach their desired goals.

TikTok growth projections are huge

The potential of TikTok is undeniable. According to recent reports, it is expected to reach more than 1 billion global users by the end of 2022, with revenue projections of $12 billion by the end of that year.^4,5 This would make it bigger than both Snap and Twitter combined!

Currently, TikTok is available in 150+ different countries and supports over 70 languages. With an average user spending 40 minutes per day on the app, TikTok’s engagement rate is skyrocketing. ⁶

The potential of the platform is clear, and brands should take note. In 2019, TikTok was the most downloaded app worldwide, and its popularity doesn’t seem to be waning anytime soon. According to TikTok, users are 48% more likely to discover new brands or products on the app than on any other platform.⁷

With such impressive growth projections, there is no better time than now for brands to get on board with TikTok. The combination of its engaged audience and effective algorithms provides a great opportunity for businesses to reach new customers, increase brand awareness, and build relationships with their audience.

Not only will brands benefit from the exposure that comes from having an effective TikTok for business strategy, but they can also access invaluable data about their target audience and demographic. By understanding how their target audience uses the TikTok app and what content resonates best with them, businesses can tailor their messaging accordingly.

There’s no doubt that TikTok has an incredibly bright future ahead of it, and brands should take advantage of this opportunity to reach new audiences and foster lasting relationships with their customers. If your business hasn’t yet created a TikTok strategy, now is the time to do so.

Build an Effective TikTok Strategy With Power Digital

Power Digital can help you craft the perfect TikTok strategy to maximize your visibility and make sure your content reaches its desired audience. Our team of experts will help you identify which type of videos best suits your brand’s goals, create an engaging and comprehensive content strategy, and use data-driven insights to target and track the progress of your campaign.

We know that developing a successful TikTok marketing campaign is about more than just creating video content; it’s also about understanding your audience, identifying trends in the algorithm, and knowing how to leverage influencers. We have the knowledge and resources to help you get the most out of your TikTok campaigns and ensure your content reaches its desired audience.

We understand that managing a TikTok presence can be intimidating, but with the right team and strategy, you can capitalize on this powerful platform and tap into new audiences. Let us help you create a TikTok strategy that drives growth for your brand. Reach out to us today to learn more about our TikTok agency marketing services.

Sources:

1. Admin. “Tiktok Statistics – Everything You Need to Know [Feb 2023 Update].” Wallaroo Media, 16 Feb. 2023, https://wallaroomedia.com/blog/social-media/tiktok-statistics/

1. Published by L. Ceci, and Feb 6. “Global Tiktok User Age and Gender Distribution 2023.” Statista, 6 Feb. 2023, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1299771/tiktok-global-user-age-distribution/

1. TikTok For Business. “The New Word-of-Mouth Marketplace: How Tiktok Drives Action and Satisfaction throughout the Purchase Journey: Tiktok for Business Blog.” TikTok For Business, TikTok For Business, 1 Mar. 2023, https://www.tiktok.com/business/en-US/blog/new-word-of-mouth-marketplace

1. Wallaroom Media. “TikTok Statistics.” https://wallaroomedia.com/blog/social-media/tiktok-statistics/

1. Stambor, Zak. “Can Tiktok Triple Its Ad Revenue This Year?” Insider Intelligence, Insider Intelligence, 15 Jan. 2022, https://www.insiderintelligence.com/content/tiktok-triple-its-ad-revenue-this-year

1. Cyca, Michelle. “23 Important TikTok Stats Marketers Need to Know in 2023.” Social Media Marketing & Management Dashboard, 2 Dec. 2022, https://blog.hootsuite.com/tiktok-stats/#TikTok_usage_statistics

1. TikTok For Business. “What’s next: The Unstoppable Power of #Tiktokmademebuyit: Tiktok for Business Blog.” TikTok For Business, TikTok For Business, 1 Mar. 2023, https://www.tiktok.com/business/en-US/blog/whats-next-2022-community-commerce?redirected=1

The post TikTok for Businesses: Why Brands Need a TikTok Strategy appeared first on Power Digital Marketing.

Whatever the query, millennials and older generations have long relied on search engines like Google and Bing for information on practically everything. (Yes, people really do still use Bing.) 

These days, however, Gen Zs are bucking that trend by relying on social media platforms like TikTok to answer their most pressing questions. A recent study commissioned by Google determined that almost 40% of people aged 18–24 prefer TikTok or Instagram over online search engines.¹ 

In other words, brands that want to reach younger audiences need to learn how to advertise on TikTok.

The good news is that getting started is actually pretty easy, especially with the help of a TikTok agency. Check out our quick and simple steps for mastering TikTok search engine optimization.

Why do young people use TikTok for search?

When young folks today want to find out about the best restaurants in New York City or learn what their favorite pop star is up to, they don’t look to fact-checked news sources or established databases for information. Instead, they want to hear from real people like themselves. 

Platforms like TikTok and Instagram provide just that—word-of-mouth recommendations on a global scale.

TikTok hasn’t shied away from its enhanced status as the go-to source for celeb gossip or hidden gem restaurants in trendy locales. According to the New York Times, the app is leaning into search by testing new features around keywords and SEO.²

Right now, TikTok SEO is fairly new. Brands looking to “hack” the social platform can do so with relative ease. But as the app matures and more brands and retailers crowd the space, it’ll become more difficult to rank on TikTok. 

This means that content creators who are serious about showing up need to do so now.

Top-tier ranking tips for TikTok searches

So, younger people are increasingly interested in visual representations of information from sources that feel authentic. But what’s the best way for a company to reach those people? There’s more to it than uploading random video content to TikTok in hopes of attaining virality. 

Here are four steps to grabbing—and keeping—your target audience’s attention.

Step 1: Determine the audience

What’s the golden rule of marketing? Know your audience. 

Okay, that’s far from the only golden rule—but for brands taking to TikTok marketing, it’s a good place to start. Before going through the steps of shooting and editing video content —brands need to determine their target audience and what those TikTok users might be searching.

For example, a company that sells hair care products might determine that a majority of its customers are adult women interested in fashion and beauty and hair stylists looking for tips. The company might use this information to create content on the best flat irons under $100 or tutorials on how to style long hair. Or they may look into TikTok affiliate marketing and find an influencer who resonates with this type of customer.

When it comes to understanding a brand’s audience, more information means better content creation. Understanding the target user and their pain points allows a brand to create content that provides solutions to a user’s most pressing queries, or their search intent.

Think of search intent as what the user is typing into the TikTok search bar. This is as straightforward as it sounds:

• Users typing in “best vegan skincare” are interested in content about what kinds of cruelty-free moisturizers and serums to buy. 
• Users searching “easy Instapot recipes” are looking for quick meals made with their favorite kitchen accessory.

Analyzing data-informed insights about the audience’s search intent is the first step a brand must take to reach its customers.

Step 2: Choose the best keywords

Any content strategist who has agonized over how to cram a challenging keyword into a blog post knows how valuable that process is when it comes to ranking in search engine results. They’re also likely familiar with the three components of selecting a keyword, which are:

• Search volume – The number of people searching the keyword.
• Relevance – How pertinent that keyword is to the content a brand is trying to promote.
• Keyword difficulty – How difficult it is to rank in searches for that keyword.

When it comes to choosing keywords, there’s both method and magic involved: 

• Generally speaking, it’s a good idea to choose keywords with high search volume. For example, “best road bikes” has a relatively high search volume compared to “aerodynamic carbon fiber racing bikes,” since significantly more people are searching for the former than the latter.
• It’s also a smart move to include keywords with high relevance. A company trying to push content about the best snow boots shouldn’t include keywords like “tallest high heels” and “best stilettos.” That’s because the video won’t give users searching those topics any of the information they’re looking for.
• When it comes to keyword difficulty, finding a balance is key. It’s probably difficult to rank for a keyword like “best fitness app,” since there are many companies using this for all kinds of queries—from weight loss to bodybuilding to general health. On the other hand, it will be easier to rank for “app for tracking calories burned.” The trick here is that fewer people will be searching this term, limiting the number of people the company will reach.

Step 3: Deploy the keywords

TikTok SEO uses keywords in various places, and it’s important to consider each carefully. Here’s how a content creator can optimally include a keyword on the social media platform:

• Say it – Yes, TikTok is listening. A content creator using the keyword “best ramen recipe” can rank higher in searches by using that phrase organically in the audio of their content. This is generally easy to do: “I’m going to show you the best ramen recipe I’ve come across in all my late-night microwaving adventures” would suffice.
• Use it in closed captions – TikTok uses AI to log what a creator is saying and then mirror it in subtitles. Ensuring that these subtitles are automatically added to the video will help with the video’s ranking.
• Include it in the title – Creating a title at the top of a TikTok video isn’t required, but it does encourage users to click. In addition to using the keyword, titles should be easy to read. In terms of TikTok SEO, “My favorite coffee shops in Boston” is better than “An assortment of establishments in which I enjoyed imbibing cold-pressed java beverages.” 
• Add it to captions – Similar to the title, the caption provides added context and information. But a scramble of different keywords won’t do—a caption must read like real text to make sense to the user. “Best pan best pots to cook in inexpensive cooking hacks foodies” might include all of a brand’s keywords, but its nonsensical words are likely to turn viewers off.
• Use it as a hashtag – Most marketing professionals probably learned this from a decade of experience trying to reach consumers on Twitter and the like. However: Don’t go overboard. Seriously, chill with the ###s. Junking up a caption with a bunch of random hashtags signals amateur hour and degrades a brand’s authority. Instead, select the most relevant hashtags and stick to them.

Step 4: Make the content stand out

If the content creation is good and marketers heed steps 1 through 3, their video should start to rank. However, for content to hold its spot or even rise, it also needs to perform. 

This happens when the video receives likes, comments and shares. It also happens when people choose that video over all the other videos they see when they search.

The best way for content creators to make their videos stand out from all the others is to choose an engaging thumbnail that TikTok users can’t resist. In general, a good thumbnail is easy to look at, contains a digestible title and most importantly utilizes an appealing and relevant snapshot from the video.

In other words, a creator looking to make a video about the best omakase in Japan rank will want to use the most jaw-droppingly tantalizing pic of sushi they can find in the video. If all goes as planned, this will attract a crowd of authentic sushi lovers—leading to more clicks, likes and comments. 

Knowing when to post on TikTok is also very important. Once your content is created make sure you are posting when your followers are most active.

Fast-track your TikTok ranking with Power Digital

TikTok didn’t set out to replace Google as the go-to search engine, but that hasn’t stopped millions of people from looking for information on the world’s favorite video-sharing app. And since the TikTok algorithm helps people look for content, it’s a high-performing channel for brands looking to reach new customers in authentic ways.

The basics of TikTok SEO may seem old hat to digital marketers, but there’s plenty of nuance to artful advertising on Gen Z’s favorite app. That’s where Power Digital comes in.

Whether you’re new to TikTok or looking to level up, our digital marketing agency can help you create content that stands out. And if you can’t decide between TikTok vs. Instagram for your marketing endeavors, we have the answers for you. Want to get started? Get in touch today.

Sources: 

1. USA Today. Is TikTok the new Google? Why TikTok is Gen Z’s favorite search engine. https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2022/09/18/google-search-tiktok-gen-z/10361233002/?gnt-cfr=1 
2. New York Times. For Gen Z, TikTok Is the New Search Engine. https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/16/technology/gen-z-tiktok-search-engine.html 

The post TikTok SEO: How to appear in TikTok searches appeared first on Power Digital Marketing.

However, the brands capitalizing on TikTok’s growth aren’t just self-promoting from company accounts: TikTok affiliate marketing is making waves as the way for businesses to resonate with (and expand) their audience, cultivate trust, strengthen credibility and increase profits.¹ The same goes for affiliates.

The endeavor isn’t as complex as one might think. Read on to learn more about the power of TikTok affiliate marketing and our expert tips on crafting a strategy that’ll make competitors green with envy.

Back to basics: What is affiliate marketing?

Affiliate marketing brings momentum to lead generation and sales that most business owners have been dreaming of since they first had the seed of an idea for their companies.

Affiliate marketers are influencers that weave a company’s products and services into authentic conversations that are already happening online.² An influencer will make money when a business makes money—and it’s this incentive that keeps them pumped about promoting affiliate links and products.

Nearly everyone who scrolls through social media, reads a blog post or goes online—period—encounters some breed of affiliate marketing. Whether it’s a beauty blogger touting a new body balm or a parent on IG raving about a children’s book their child adores, affiliate marketing is seen as an organic, persuasive way to:

• Attract user interest
• Compel sales
• (Most importantly) humanize brands

How to build a TikTok affiliate marketing strategy

Powerful TikTok marketing can be an incredibly profitable and cost-effective way to generate leads, keep pace with competitors and improve affiliate sales. Businesses making their first foray into the TikTok app can start by taking the steps below.

#1 Outline the partnership

Before even setting foot on this social media platform, every company needs a blueprint that outlines what they want to get out of their partnership.

Any agreement brands make with their affiliates should set forth the following parameters:

• Compensation and payment terms
• A description of how the brand wants to be represented
• Every affiliate product and/or service that will be promoted
• Any liabilities, warranties and/or confidentiality agreements

A friendly (virtual) handshake is one thing; a binding contract is another. Ideally, brands will work with a seasoned TikTok agency that can help them ensure both parties are protected.

#2 Zero in on the right affiliate(s)

Going with an influencer simply because they have an impressive TikTok account isn’t enough to justify a relationship. Whatever the industry, businesses need to seek out affiliates who:

• Are dialed into the business’s target audience demographic
• Demonstrate a high level of engagement with their followers
• Harmonize with the brand’s identity, voice, and mission

In many cases, a brand’s budget and influencer marketing spend affect how they precisely locate the best affiliates. Generally, partners are found directly or through an affiliate program.

Alternatively, businesses can work with a digital marketing agency that pairs them with the candidates that will best help meet their TikTok marketing goals.

#3 Harness analytics to monitor the campaign’s progress

They say what is not measured can’t be managed, and this certainly holds true for TikTok affiliate marketing.

Examining data to determine if the partnership is quantifiably helping brands gain ground is the only way to know if it’s working. It’ll also help a business figure out whether to extend the relationship or try a different influencer marketing strategy altogether.

Tips for TikTok affiliates

Affiliates stand the chance of earning a healthy commission, and TikTok affiliate marketing could very well serve as a sweet side hustle.

#1 Upgrade to a TikTok business account

Now is the time to set up a TikTok business account for affiliates who don’t yet have one. This will allow affiliates to include a link in their TikTok bio that sends users to one of the following:

• The merchant
• A custom landing page
• Personal websites

There are many similarities between Instagram vs. TikTok. For example, like Instagram, TikTok doesn’t permit affiliate links in videos or captions; give #linkinbio a try to ensure users proceed to the next step in the process. And affiliates who promote multiple products from multiple merchants should also set up Linktree, which will take TikTok app users to a landing page neatly displaying all the relevant links.

#2 Select products and services judiciously

An affiliate’s followers should dictate the types of products and services promoted. If their TikTok audience is female and between a senior in high school and a sophomore in college, marketing a high-end, pricey cream for fine lines and wrinkles or age-defying facials will likely garner an eye roll and potentially an unfollow.

To this end, affiliates need to examine their TikTok audience and what makes them tick (and Tok). This should include an assessment of their:

• Age
• Gender
• Location
• Education
• Purchasing power
• Habits and passions
• Pain points

Uncertain? Explore who they follow and engage with the most on TikTok to gain insights into the type of products and services that will snag their attention.

#3 Weave in products and products seamlessly

Ideally, an affiliate will choose to promote a product or service they would purchase or use themselves; this will enhance the reliability of the recommendation and increase trust. If the merchant has offered coupon codes for followers, be sure to mention them in related affiliate video content.

#4 Concentrate on the video’s opening

Research from Meta indicates that the first 10 seconds of a video are the most impactful.³ While an entire TikTok video should be captivating—this is a no-brainer—paying close attention to the first few seconds could be the difference between a user choosing to keep scrolling or watching it in its entirety (and earning affiliates their commission). Along with an intriguing opening, it is also important to be aware of when to post on TikTok as the timing could also help you reach a wider audience.

Why use TikTok for affiliate marketing?

Instagram and Facebook have dominated the affiliate marketing scene since the marketing strategy entered the digital age — but TikTok is quickly becoming the hottest place for businesses to invest in third-party advertising.

Short-form video content—TikTok’s specialty—can be incredibly effective for businesses to drive impressions and brand awareness among active users.³ In turn, affiliates can earn a commission.

Here’s why TikTok is so promising:

• Tremendous reach – TikTok has grown exponentially since its launch in 2016. To date, the electrifying app sees one billion monthly active users around the globe.⁴ This might not compare to other social media titans—Facebook has 2.9 billion monthly active users; IG has 1.47 billion—but TikTok is also the youngest species in the social media ecosystem. For a business owner and affiliate, this translates to the potential to reach an enormous number of prospective consumers.
• Terrific engagement – TikTok may have fewer users than its older siblings, but TikTokers are substantially more committed (so to speak) and engaged: TikTok app users spend roughly 46 minutes on TikTok per day.⁴ By comparison, people spend an average of approximately 30 minutes on Facebook, Snapchat and Instagram. Naturally, the more time a potential consumer spends on a site, the greater an affiliate’s chance of catching their attention and inviting engagement.
• High potential for profit – Ever heard of #TikTokMadeMeBuyIt? This hashtag alone has drawn upwards of 4.6 billion views.⁵ According to the New York Times, TikTok has a ferocious capacity for moving products ranging from cosmetics and appliances to clothing and tech accessories.

Sure, TikTok is still governed by youngsters, with 25% of its users between the ages of 10 and 19, and 22.4% ranging from 20 to 29. But Millennials and Gen X (some with deeper pockets than younger generations) are increasingly getting in on the game:⁶

• 21.7% of TikTok users fall between 30 and 39 years old
• 20.3% are 40 to 49, and 11% are 50+

And a tremendous part of TikTok’s appeal is that many marketing strategies align with the app’s overall feel: It’s fun. It’s casual. And it is—or at least it feels—genuine.

Partner with Power Digital for potent TikTok affiliate marketing

Affiliate marketing has fundamentally changed how consumers learn about brands, buy products and services and become loyal to a business. And as consumers steadily turn away from traditional advertising after decades of being deluged with a “have not” sensibility, they use social media platforms like TikTok and the people they follow and admire to make purchasing decisions.⁷

Power Digital offers affiliate marketing and TikTok advertising that helps businesses enlarge their audience, boost their TikTok SEO rankings and scale revenue and traffic.

We’ll find the influencers that will perfectly align with your brand’s image and purpose, create a growth strategy and manage the program so that you can kick back and watch your business reach its potential. For affiliates, our digital marketing agency will help strengthen your online presence and keep building your business.

Reach out to us today to start the conversation.

Sources:

1. Business of Apps. Most popular apps (2022). https://www.businessofapps.com/data/most-popular-apps/
2. Investopedia. Affiliate marketer: definition, examples and how to get started. https://www.investopedia.com/terms/a/affiliate-marketing.asp#:~:text
3. Meta for Business. The value of video for brands. https://www.facebook.com/business/news/value-of-video
4. Oberlo. 10 TikTok statistics. https://www.oberlo.com/blog/tiktok-statistics
5. The New York Times. TikTok shopping and the rise of ‘social commerce.’ https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/02/style/tiktok-shopping-viral-products.html
6. Statista. U.S. TikTok users by age 2021. U.S. TikTok users by age 2021 | Statista
7. Forbes. 4 ways social media influences millennials’ purchasing decisions. https://www.forbes.com/sites/andrewarnold/2017/12/22/4-ways-social-media-influences-millennials-purchasing-decisions/?sh=706f902d539f

The post How to create a stellar TikTok affiliate marketing strategy appeared first on Power Digital Marketing.

In many cases, it may be advantageous to leverage both with the help of an IG or TikTok agency. When that’s not possible, it’s vital to determine where a company should focus the majority of its creativity and ad spend to make the biggest gains in lead generation, brand awareness, audience engagement and revenue.

Let’s unpack the TikTok vs. Instagram debate so that brands can use their resources wisely.

Consideration #1: Target demographic

TikTok may be the most downloaded social media app worldwide, but Instagram has substantially more active monthly users—that’s 1.47 billion to TikTok’s 1 billion, to be precise.¹

In other words, even if a brand’s target audience spends the lion’s share of their time on TikTok, it’s also likely they swerve over to IG in between sessions. Nevertheless, there are some crucial distinctions to be made when it comes to the unique user demographics each social media platform primarily attracts.

TikTok usership

TikTok has garnered a reputation as the “It” place to be for Gen Z and Gen Alpha, who devour the endlessly scrollable, dopamine-laden short-form video content. And while TikTok undeniably got its start with younger users, more “mature” generations are starting to develop fluency in the platform.

Of those 1 billion active monthly users on TikTok, here’s how those age demos break down:²

• 25% – 10 to 19 years old

• 22.4% – 20 to 29 years old

• 21.7% – 30 to 39 years old

• 20.3% – 40 to 49 years old
• 11% – 50+

With respect to sex, female and female-identifying users tend to be more active on this social media app. As of 2022, 57% of TikTok users are self-identified women, and 40% are self-identified men.³

It’s important to note here that even though TikTok has younger users, attracting a young, hip audience is seldom bad for business. It’s actually quite the opposite—Gen Z is driving social commerce. Consider that 97% of users self-report using social media to decide where to put their dollars, whereas just 65% say they use social media as a place to find entertainment.⁴

The Instagram crowd

Instagram may not be the new kid on the block, but it still has a broad appeal that straddles generations of users. The platform draws a slightly older cluster of users, but only slightly; indeed, TikTok and Instagram have incredibly similar user demographics:⁵

• 7% – 13 to 17 years old

• 30% – 18 to 24 years old

• 33% – 25 to 34 years old

• 16% – 35 to 44 years old

• 8% – 45 to 54 years old

• 4% – 55 to 64 years old
• 2% – 65+

As for gender? IG’s usership is split almost exactly down the middle between men and women.

While the difference between each platform’s demographics is marginal, brands whose products or services target consumers under the age of 30 may be better off developing a TikTok SEO strategy. If a business calls to later generations, Instagram may be the winning choice.

Consideration #2: User engagement

Instagram may have considerably more monthly active users, but the amount of time consumers spend on a platform is crucial.

In this sense, TikTok is the unequivocal winner. Users spend an average of 46 minutes on the platform per day.^6> On Instagram? That average boils down to roughly 30 minutes. And the more time a person scrolls through their feed, the greater a business’s chances of captivating user attention. With that being said, if you don’t know when to post on TikTok or Instagram properly, then user engagement can lessen.

Cosideration #3: Brand value

TikTok and Instagram are both visually-centered platforms, which is a boon for businesses that have products and services that are aesthetically pleasing.

That said, there are critical differences between the two platforms that ought to be considered before a business confirms where they should put their advertising dollars:

• TikTok – TikTok content is restricted to short-form videos. Today, content can last 10 minutes at maximum—a huge leap from their original length capped at 15 seconds⁷

For some brands, this format can feel restrictive. However, there are dozens of ways to get creative under these constraints. Whether it’s a sped-up skincare tutorial or a glimpse into how a jeweler sets a diamond from start to finish, there are infinite approaches brands can take to tailor their video content to the platform’s conventions.

• Instagram – Instagram offers long-form content, and arguably has broader, more diverse marketing applications for businesses. Still photos, IG stories, reels, carousels, and even uploaded webinars can all be leveraged to convey a brand’s image, mission and products

Whether a business is introducing a new product or promoting an upcoming sale, there are more opportunities to use different content formats—and with them, a greater variety of opportunities to test out marketing strategies.

Often, partnering with a digital marketing agency equipped to test out marketing strategies on both platforms is the best way to figure out which one resonates most with users. There are countless ways brands can deliver the value they pledge to give their customers, but it takes data, analytics and long-term testing to ascertain which routes are the most profitable.

Consideration #4: The competition

Knowing which peer businesses and competitors are crushing it online can further help businesses determine which platform is most beneficial for their goals.

A few brands making impressive use of TikTok include:⁸

• Crocs
• Planet Money
• Fenty Beauty
• Milkbar
• Dunkin’ (yes, as in Donuts)
• Chipotle

On Instagram, some of the leading brands are:⁹

• Recess
• Teva
• Madewell
• Tiffany & Co
• Glossier
• Chambard
• GoPro

A cursory comparison of the two lists indicates a distinction in brand sensibilities. Companies excelling on Instagram are a touch more sophisticated; some have products with higher price tags than those who are flourishing on TikTok.

Which brings us to our next point…

Consideration #5: Brand identity

Brand image is the key to conveying who the business is and what consumers can expect from their products. Given the centrality of polished photography on Instagram, it’s safe to say the platform has a more refined feel than its rough-around-the-edges counterpart TikTok.

Indeed, TikTok’s enormous appeal is because it’s off-the-cuff, authentic, fun, quirky and eminently relatable.

But not every brand fits this mold. More serious brands (like those in the finance or health sector) may be at odds with TikTok’s casual atmosphere—unless they can find even-keeled content creator-affiliates who users rely on to provide credible, trustworthy insights.

Put simply, consistency in a brand’s image and presentation is paramount, and adjusting to a platform’s conventions may confuse existing and prospective customers.¹⁰

Consideration #6: Potential for virality

Businesses may stand a higher chance of their content going viral on TikTok than Instagram, simply by the nature of the platforms:

• With Instagram’s algorithm, users are “fed” content by the people and businesses they follow

• TikTok provides users with curated content based on their interests and gives them the option to follow individual creators¹¹

The takeaway? Brands have a higher chance of being seen by a wider audience and going viral on TikTok, independent of how many followers they have

But does “going viral” translate to more leads and conversions? Possibly. TikTok has helped launch countless small businesses into the stratosphere. But impressions or drawing enormous view numbers on any platform doesn’t always result in a follower, conversion or sales hike.¹²

Above all, no matter how clever a business’s viral post or ad may be, it must have relevance to the brand.

Consideration #7: Influencer marketing strategy

Influencer marketing has exploded as a marketing strategy to the tune of 800% since 2016.¹³ And while influencers are huge on Instagram, TikTok affiliate marketing is on the rise, especially with micro-influencers, which help businesses connect with super-specific consumer niches.

According to Forbes, TikTok is also:¹³

• Expanding in-app shoppability – The feature enables consumers to make purchases without leaving the app.
• Constructing fulfillment centers – While limited to the US, could these be a bonafide competitor of Amazon’s? Only time will tell (tick tock).

But will a growing crop of micro-influencers take root on Instagram? This remains to be seen. As of now, though, TikTok’s algorithm and the more relatable feel of the app bode well for niche businesses.

Leave your marketing strategy to the experts with Power Digital

Both IG and TikTok offer companies the opportunity to connect with their target audience profitably—but choosing which channel bodes best for your company’s unique marketing goals demands more than a coin flip.

Power Digital offers an analytics-first approach with nova, our platform for pooling, interpreting and applying the data brands need to thrive and prosper. In business, growth isn’t just about choosing “which” social media platform is best suited—it’s about identifying and forecasting trends so that you can make the most of any platform where you operate.

To find out what a full-service marketing strategy will look like for your brand, schedule a consultation with our digital marketing agency and start writing your company’s success story.

Sources:

1. SEM Rush. 28 top social media platforms worldwide. https://www.semrush.com/blog/most-popular-social-media-platforms/
2. Statista. U.S. Tiktok users by age 2021. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1095186/tiktok-us-users-age/
3. Business of Apps. TikTok revenue and usage statistics (2022). https://www.businessofapps.com/data/tik-tok-statistics/
4. Forbes. Gen Z and the rise of social commerce. https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesagencycouncil/2021/05/17/gen-z-and-the-rise-of-social-commerce/?sh=198b458f251d
5. Business of Apps. Instagram revenue and usage statistics (2022) https://www.businessofapps.com/data/instagram-statistics/
6. Oberlo. 10 TikTok statistics. https://www.oberlo.com/blog/tiktok-statistics
7. TechCrunch. TikTok expands max video length to 10 minutes, up from 3 minutes.https://techcrunch.com/2022/02/28/tiktok-expands-max-video-length-to-10-minutes-up-from-3-minutes/
8. HubSpot. TikTok brands that are winning at marketing in 2022. https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/brands-on-tiktok#why-brands-should-leverage-tiktok
9. Social Media Strategies Summit Blog. Top 15 brands killing it on Instagram. https://blog.socialmediastrategiessummit.com/top-10-brands-killing-it-on-instagram/
10. Forbes. Why consistency is the key to successful branding. https://www.forbes.com/sites/williamarruda/2016/12/13/why-consistency-is-the-key-to-successful-branding/?sh=27c718df7bbd
11. Business Insider. TikTok has created viral dances and instant but it’s also helping small businesses cash in. https://www.businessinsider.com/going-viral-tiktok-help-small-businesses-launch-success-2021-6
12. CNBC. How a business increased sales 14,000%: viral ads. https://www.cnbc.com/2014/05/02/how-a-business-increased-sales-14000-viral-ads.html
13. Forbes. Influencer marketing: 2023 predictions. https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesagencycouncil/2022/12/12/influencer-marketing-2023-predictions/?sh=391fc944b541
14. CNET. TikTok is the most downloaded app worldwide in 2022 so far, analysts say. https://www.cnet.com/news/social-media/tiktok-is-the-most-downloaded-app-worldwide-in-2022-so-far-analyst-says/

The post TikTok vs Instagram marketing: which is better for your business? appeared first on Power Digital Marketing.

For them, this is the main “matter of timing” to be concerned about. But for brands looking to leverage the engagement rate potential this social media platform offers, the issue isn’t “where did the time go”—it’s when to time posts so that they make a measurable impact with an audience.

How to time TikTok posts can be a devil of a detail for brands, given the high in-app competition and an often ruthless algorithm. But for brands building TikTok into their marketing strategy, being detail-oriented could mean the difference between a lackluster page and TikTok virality.

Below, we discuss how timing affects TikTok post performance and how brands, when paired with a TikTok agency, can create a content marketing schedule that hits the beat.

TikTok 101: How the “when” affects whether content gets seen

First of all, with so much of marketing revolving around what to post, why should brands care about when to post? There are several differences between Instagram vs. TikTok. For example, unlike Instagram, TikTok content isn’t chronological. So it shouldn’t matter what time a business posts, right?

The answer is a bit more complicated.

For brands and marketers who haven’t used or explored the TikTok app yet, its centerfold feed is known as the For You page. This is a personalized stream of video content tailored to every individual on the platform. Users can toggle between it or the “Following” page (which limits their content feed to the Creators they follow).

Unsurprisingly, the TikTok algorithm is partially shrouded in mystery; most of the information about the social media platform’s nuts and bolts has come from the app’s designers themselves. But in a news bulletin released in mid-2022, to improve your TikTok SEO strategy and appear on the For You page, you must rely on three crucial factors:¹

• User interactions – This content hinges on data indicating a user’s preferences. TikTok interprets a user’s likes, shares, comments and the creators or accounts they follow as a barometer for the type of content they want to see.
• Video meta content – This includes songs, sounds, captions, hashtags and the like.²
• Device and account settings – This includes things like the user’s language and country settings. In short, if a user lives in the US., they’ll mostly get content from the US. If they live in Argentina, they’ll probably see more TikTok video content originating there.

In general, the For You page includes videos posted recently—typically, videos that were posted anywhere from a few minutes ago to a few days earlier. This means there’s a relatively slim window when videos can achieve virality. And, more practically, if a target audience is asleep when the content goes live — that creates an even smaller chance of the content performing well.

Intuitively, businesses should know they’ll have more success posting when their target audience is already scrolling. This means there’s just one key to pinpointing the best time to post: 

Data.

How to figure out when to post on TikTok

A marketer’s ground rules for determining the best time to post depends on communication channels: Email marketing metronomes may be a world apart from TikTok’s, especially when a company has a global audience.

So while TikTok’s rhythms are new (and, yes, they can be fickle) — there are some steps brands can take to find the optimal posting time.

Step 1: Find the core audience

The first question any business should ask themselves when trying to find the right time to post is:

• Who is my audience?
• Where are they located?
• When are they spending the most time in-app?

There are a few ways to answer this question, one of which is using common sense. For example, the person running the social media accounts for the New York Giants is probably safe in assuming that their audience is primarily located on the East Coast.

That social media manager can drill down into the answer further by using the analytics features that come with a Pro TikTok account. These features include information on the brand’s following, such as:

• The followers’ gender split.
• User comments.
• Average view time for content.
• Where the followers are located geographically.³

TikTok also boasts built-in analytics that brands can use to collect at least cursory data for these vitals. Here’s how:

1. Tap into the privacy and settings section of the app.
2. Navigate to the “Accounts” section.
3. Tap “Analytics” and then hit the “Followers” tab.

This is where brands can find “Top Territories”—where in the world the followers are located.

Step 2: Identify when the audience is active

Once a marketer has established where their followers are, they need to determine when they’re active. This typically comes down to several factors:

• Awake vs. asleep – A good starting point to determine the time frames of follower activity is by checking their time zones. So, if a brand is based in the midwest but most of its followers are in Los Angeles, it’s not a great idea to publish content when the majority of the audience is still asleep. 
• User habits – As addictive (and profitable) as the TikTok app may be, one would hope users aren’t devoting all their waking hours to doom-scrolling. Individual users may plug into TikTok at relatively consistent times per day. WFH lunch breaks or finding an in-app reprieve at the end of a long work day could be the peak time for many TikTok users.

Additionally, sharp marketers know that many users get to TikToking at “witching hour” times. These can be deduced by leveraging data and analytics to predict user behavior and testing hypotheses over the long haul. 

For example, the tail end of the weekend might not seem like a peak scrolling time, but the data may prove that users rely on apps like TikTok to stave off the Sunday Scaries.

Step 3: Dial in posting times

If a brand is just getting started on TikTok — its first priority might be just getting content up there or engaging with followers. Early on, figuring out the right time to post each day of the week may feel less important—but it’s critical.

Two strategies may be used to identify the optimal posting times:

• Looking at engagement history – Brands looking to optimize their content posting strategy should audit their past marketing efforts. Historical engagement rates, follower top-ups and views can all help identify patterns in successful timing strategies.
• Prioritizing analytics – Businesses can learn untold information about their audience by routinely examining, mapping and interpreting TikTok analytics. These metrics provide a detailed overview of a brand’s existing content, including likes, comments and shares. 

Moreover, experimenting with post times while tracking these metrics is crucial. Testing out new strategies can help identify the timeframes, days of the week and occasions (like the holiday season) that drive high-performing posts.

One metric that offers a helpful place to start? TikTok’s Video Views. These show which times of the day and the days of the week yield the highest traffic for a brand’s TikTok content.

Of course, the more content, the more data. Posting frequently and consistently means brands collect more data—and the more data, the more information an analytics team will have to work with.

A final word on posting times

By nature, ideal posting times are affected by numerous factors, from audience segments to seasons, to the TikTok algorithm itself. Ultimately, becoming a trusted and authentic presence on TikTok plays the most important role in netting views and attracting followers well beyond whether a post goes up at 10 in the morning or 10 at night.

In our view, two other factors trounce timing when it comes to bullseye TikTok posts

• Content quality (how much content resonates with desired users)
• Content quantity (posting consistently)

Mastering the basics by creating a solid content calendar, producing creative, eye-catching content and establishing a regular posting schedule are paramount. So timing might be important—but (contrary to the old adage) for brands looking to level up on TikTok, it’s not everything.

Optimize your TikTok page with Power Digital

TikTok is an electric new space for brands to connect with their customers in fresh ways, such as TikTok affiliate marketing. However, minting a whip-smart social media strategy that aligns with the app’s nuts and bolts is far from simple.

A tech-enabled digital marketing agency at the intersection of marketing, consulting and data intelligence, Power Digital couples years of experience with the most current analytics tech to guide brands’ strategies in the right direction. If you’re looking for a full-service marketing partner, we want to help you leverage untapped opportunities to build and build with your audience.

For a vision of what that powerful marketing strategy could look like, reach out to us today.

Sources: 

1. TikTok Newsroom. How TikTok recommends videos #ForYou. https://newsroom.tiktok.com/en-us/how-tiktok-recommends-videos-for-you
2. TikTok. How TikTok recommends videos #ForYou. https://newsroom.tiktok.com/en-us/how-tiktok-recommends-videos-for-you 
3. TikTok. Understanding your analytics. https://www.tiktok.com/creators/creator-portal/en-us/tiktok-content-strategy/understanding-your-analytics/ 
4. TechCrunch. TikTok was the top app by worldwide downloads in Q1 2022. https://techcrunch.com/2022/04/26/tiktok-was-the-top-app-by-worldwide-downloads-in-q1-2022/ 

The post TikTok for businesses: when to post on TikTok appeared first on Power Digital Marketing.

When it comes to paid social, a down-market typically has some advertisers dial down on budgets. Advertisers that stay the course will reap the rewards as advertising typically becomes cheaper and more effective during an economic slowdown.

Paid social aside, brand marketing organizations should look to organic activities for revenue growth. Yes, we said that. The digital customer journey is sprawling and doesn’t begin or end in a direct response ad served neatly from the product catalog. Many of your competitors will pull back during a down-market. If you keep building your social activities thoughtfully, you’ll not only maintain or win over market share and audiences but prop your brand up for success post-recession. Here’s how:

TikTok as a Revenue Engine

Last call for brands to go vertical – the time is now to adapt to an all-Reels and all-TikTok strategy. Why? Analyzing Black Friday/Cyber Monday data derived from Power Digital’s proprietary platform, nova, TikTok’s CPMs stood at -53% lower than the Meta CPM, while brands increased spend by +170% YoY. For some industries, like fashion and beauty, sales conversions on TikTok are up to six times higher compared to other industries.

Others are noticing the selling power of a TikTok feed, too. So expect more mobile e-comm platforms to mimic the TikTok scroll format. For example, Amazon’s testing a TikTok-style feed called Inspire. Start thinking about how to incorporate the endless video scroll into your social (and sales) strategy.

How to get started with TikTok? Consistency drives followers and ultimately, sales. Build a content calendar and stick to a regular cadence. Work with quality creators that align with your brand and the lifestyle of your audience. You don’t need to shell out big bucks for TikTok stars, either. Sometimes the best ROI comes from thoughtful partnerships with smaller creators that live and breathe your brand.

Inspire Community Building

Think building community on social media is just about replying to DMs and liking comments? That’s important, but it’s time to look beyond interactions to take a more strategic approach. Creator partnerships are a part of this too as it fuels valuable exchange between your followers. A well-rounded community activation strategy is proactive and based on a value-exchange: think Facebook Groups, Close Friends activations for your most loyal followers, leveraging (and rewarding) user-generated content, to name a few.

Optimize Social E-Commerce Journeys

Continue to optimize social e-commerce journeys, especially when attracting and retaining younger audiences. Gen Z is the savviest demographic on social media. They know how to find the products they want and how to buy them at the best price. Especially with buy now/pay later options like Afterpay or Klarna, Gen Z are quick to impulse-buy products after seeing them on TikTok. A question to ask yourself: what are you doing to make social shopping frictionless? Here are a few strategies to consider: 

• If you offer buy now/pay later options, make sure to communicate about them prominently both on organic and paid content, as well as on your site.
• Amazon Prime has set the expectation for speedy shipping and free returns. Upgrade your shipping policies to match Amazon’s as closely as possible.
• Consider making your products available to buy directly on social platforms like Instagram and Tik tok. Both are investing in end-to-end commerce to match the growing need for seamless transactions.

Finally, if you’re looking for support with your organic or paid social marketing, send us a note. With hundreds of brands on our roster (and serving 60+ brands on all things TikTok), we know a thing or two about driving brand recognition and revenue growth on social.

The post How to Drive Growth on Social Media in 2023 appeared first on Power Digital Marketing.

The app isn’t just expected to balloon to 955.3 million active users by 2025.¹ At the time of this writing, more than 65% of TikTok users are between the ages of 18 and 34—a much larger demographic than the app’s much-discussed 13 to 17 segment.² 

For brands, that’s a lot of potential to reel in audiences with real buying power with TikTok ads. Another significant reason to create a TikTok marketing strategy and take advantage of its advertising power for brand awareness and conversions. 

But how exactly can brands run paid ads so they cause a ripple effect?

This journey inside the social media app can help brands find out how to use TikTok and create ads that drive visibility, traffic and conversions.

Step 1: Create a business account

Before doing anything else, businesses will want to set up a TikTok business account. These are different from personal portals because they enable brands to:³

• Get to know their audience
• Track data points on ad engagement and performance
• Include direct links to products and storefronts
• Research what TikTok trends are active in their area (and how to jump in on them)

A business account also gives brands access to TikTok’s support services to troubleshoot issues with ads. For reliable technical support, analytics prowess and creative guidance, it’s beneficial to partner with a digital marketing agency that knows its way around TikTok.

Step 2: Choose a campaign objective

Once they’ve set up a business account on the social media platform, any ad a business runs on TikTok will start with these 3 steps:

1. Logging into TikTok Ads Manager
2. Clicking the Campaign button
3. Clicking Create

That’s the practical order of operations. The more complicated task is choosing the TikTok ad campaign’s objective—that core goal that’ll align a business’ goals with any ad it creates. 

Choosing an objective

TikTok identifies three objectives that brands can choose for every ad they create, and each of them affects how an ad will circulate on the platform. These are:⁴

• Awareness – This objective shows your ad to the maximum amount of people—making it optimal for brands looking to increase brand awareness using the TikTok platform. Businesses should choose this objective when they want their ads to introduce more people to their product or brand and attain the most leads.
• Conversion – For leads that are further along in their customer journey, brands may want to consider choosing conversion as their objective. Conversion asks people to take a specific action, like adding items to their carts, signing up for a newsletter or making a purchase.
• Consideration – This objective aims to entice prospective customers by giving them fresh information about a business. TikTok organizes consideration into four sub-goals:
  • Drive traffic
  • Increase app installs
  • Improve video views
  • Create lead generation

Each of these options could be advantageous for an ad, depending on which KPIs or 

broader marketing goals a business is looking to drive with their TikTok campaign.

In other words: If a business is looking to garner more interest, there’s an objective for that. And if they’re trying to double down on their conversion rate, with the right objective, TikTok ads make it possible.

Step 3: Name the campaign and set a budget

Once a brand has chosen their objective, it’s time to name the ad campaign. Two things to note here:

• The campaign encompasses all of the ad groups and advertisements within this campaign.
• The name won’t appear on each ad from the user side. Rather, it will help the brand’s team keep track of how each campaign progresses.

Next, businesses can determine how much money they want to allocate for this campaign. Selecting Campaign budget optimization gives TikTok permission to use funds towards the ads it believes have a higher chance of making a conversion. 

Many brands find they get more bang for their buck using this feature, since it typically lowers the cost per lead while achieving measurable results.

Step 4: Create an ad group

An ad group is a section of the overall campaign that contains similar characteristics.⁵ For example, a brand can group their ads by:

• Theme
• Product lines
• Service types
• Target audience

After naming the first ad group, brands can target this collection of ads by taking the following 5 sub-steps.

#1 Selecting ad placements

Creating an ad group starts with ad placement. Ad placements determine where ads will be seen by users. This means a brand must decide if they’d rather have their ads viewed on the TikTok app or on some of TikTok’s other extensions like BuzzVideo, TopBuzz or Babe.

Businesses who aren’t sure where their target audience hangs out can always select Automatic placement. With this option, the TikTok algorithm does the guesswork on the brand’s behalf, showing their ads to relevant users on various platforms.

However: If a business knows exactly where to find their target audience, they can choose Select placement instead. This allows brands to handpick the specific placements for their ad group.

#2 Choosing creative types

When choosing a creative type, brands will have the option to select Automated Creative Optimization. 

This option lets TikTok automatically combine some of a brand’s current creatives to include multiple ads in a campaign.⁶ The app will then show users content that’s currently performing the best so that the brand receives more high-quality traffic.

For businesses just starting out with TikTok ads, this can be immensely helpful—particularly for those coming up with a TikTok content marketing strategy from scratch. Once a business begins tracking its progress and monitoring engagement, it can begin tailoring advertisements without TikTok’s creative input (if it so chooses).

#3 Picking a target audience

An important aspect of any TikTok marketing strategy is understanding who the business’ target audience and potential followers are. If a brand’s target audience is 35 and up, there’s no point sending their ads out to 16-year-olds busy chasing the latest skincare ice bath craze.

Instead, businesses have the chance to narrow down their scope, target their brand’s audience and learn even more about what makes them Tik. Businesses can choose their TikTok demographics based on markers like:

• Age
• Gender
• Location
• Interests
• Income level

#4 Deciding on a budget and schedule

TikTok allows brands to choose between two different budget types for their ads:

• Daily budget – This is the total amount the business is willing to spend on this ad group each day. The minimum requirement for a daily budget is $20.
• Lifetime budget – This refers to the maximum the business will spend on the ad group throughout the campaign. As of now, there’s still a $20 per day minimum.

It’s important to note that budgets a brand approves will be the maximum amount it will spend. That’s not to say each day will completely max out at the upper limit—some days will use more money than others.

#5 Finalizing bidding and optimization

Bidding on TikTok is like putting in an offer at an auction: the goal is to have a bid that’s higher than competitors’ bids. The person with the highest bid has the best chance of having their ads seen by their target audience.

There are multiple types of bidding brands can partake in depending on their marketing objectives:⁸

• Cost Per 1000 Impressions (CPM) – The amount the business is willing to pay every time their ad is seen by 1000 users.
• Optimized Cost Per 1000 Impressions (oCPM) – oCPM is similar to CPM, but it’s even more laser-focused on the target audience. oCPM involves displaying an ad 1000 times for users who are more likely to complete a conversion.
• Cost Per 1000 Views (CPV) – The total a business will pay for 1000 people to watch at least 6 seconds of their ads.
• Cost per click (CPC) – How much the brand will spend every time someone clicks on their ad.

Step 5: Create an ad

The time has come: The last step is for brands to publish their creative and launch their TikTok ad.

After reaching the ad window in the app, here’s how businesses can go live:⁹

1. Name the ad – This helps brands tell their ads apart within the ad group.
2. Select a format – TikTok only accepts video format, whereas Buzzvideo allows videos and picture ads.
3. Insert the media – Media can be added from a computer, from previous ads or from a new video.
4. Enter the remaining elements – Next, brands should include the ad’s display name, an explanation of what they’re promoting, a call to action, a profile image and a URL of the website where they’d like to drive traffic.

Once complete, brands can give their ad a Preview to assess their handiwork. If they give it a gold standard approval, our fingers are crossed TikTokers will, too.

Take your TikTok strategy up a notch with Power Digital

TikTok is known for being one of the smartest apps in the tech sphere today—but to master it, you’ll need a marketing strategy, and a TikTok agency, that’s even sharper.

Power Digital is a growth marketing firm that’s been helping change-making clients make their mark through each new generation of media. We make gains for our clients on their terms, with a knife-edge analytics platform that identifies opportunities for brand expansion across the media ecosystem.

And when we see an opportunity, we seize it. To see what your custom marketing strategy could look like on fresh and established channels, reach out to Power Digital today.

Sources:

1. Statista. Number of TikTok users worldwide from 2020 to 2025. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1327116/number-of-global-tiktok-users/
2. Oberlo. TIKTOK AGE DEMOGRAPHICS. https://www.oberlo.com/statistics/tiktok-age-demographics
3. TikTok. TikTok Business Account. https://www.tiktok.com/business/en-US/solutions/business-account
4. TikTok. Setting Up Your First Tik Tok Campaign. https://www.tiktok.com/business/en/blog/setting-up-your-first-tiktok-campaign
5. Google. Ad Group: Definition. https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/6298?hl=en
6. TikTok. Automated Creative Optimization. https://ads.tiktok.com/help/article?aid=6670043695674294277
7. TikTok. About Budget. https://ads.tiktok.com/help/article?aid=6712393859751477254
8. Ecomdy Media. How to Find the Right TikTok Ad Bidding.  https://blog.ecomdymedia.com/how-to-find-the-right-tiktok-ad-bidding-7e37a2b7614f
9. TikTok. Set Up an Ad. https://ads.tiktok.com/help/article?aid=9525

The post How to run TikTok ads in 2023: A 5-step guide appeared first on Power Digital Marketing.

Since its unveiling, TikTok’s popularity has expanded to countries around the world, and it’s taking all demographics by storm. Initially, the platform seemed to cater to a younger audience, with Gen-Z teenagers participating in the now-infamous dance trends. Yet with 43% of users in the 20- to 39-year-old age bracket,¹ there are now hundreds of millions of users with serious purchasing power. This is where it becomes increasingly important to consider a TikTok marketing strategy, for businesses large and small. When it comes to differences between TikTok and YouTube as video-sharing platforms, TikTok has proven to be a worthy opponent to the long-running YouTube. 

This helpful guide will serve as an introduction on how to use TikTok specifically for business—both for those who already dabble on the app and occasionally tune into the latest dance fads (no judgments) and those who are brand new to the world of TikTok.

Step 1: Create a business account

The first (unsurprising) step in using TikTok for business involves creating a business account. Setting it up is as easy as one, two, three… seven:

1. Open the TikTok app.
2. Create a personal account with an email address.
3. In the lower right-hand corner, click Me and then Edit Profile.
4. Click the three dots in the top-right corner and then Manage Account.
5. Choose Switch To Pro Account. Then, choose a Business account.
6. After that, select which category best represents the brand and click Next.
7. Add a business website and email address to the profile.

Bada bing bada boom—setup complete.

Step 2: Profile optimization

The social media platform is beyond just using TikTok sounds and hopping on trends. Businesses want to catch the interest of users at every point, starting with their TikTok profiles. A brand’s profile is its first impression, its digital storefront—and those running this storefront won’t want users to simply scroll past like they’re window shopping. Businesses using the platform need to pique users’ interest so that they come inside the store and peruse the displays. In other words, they want users to interact with their content.

With a blank canvas (à la that shiny new business profile), it’s time to showcase the brand:²

• Choose a fitting photo – This is the perfect place for a company logo. It associates the TikTok account with other areas of the brand, like its website, other social media platforms, and more, and increases brand awareness.
• Write an award-winning bio – A bio is like a short, but delicious menu—it lists the brand’s juicy details and leaves users wanting to order all of the food on the menu (or at least, click on its links to learn more). With only 80 characters, think brief but impactful. Include what the brand does, a call to action, and a sprinkle of emojis because, hey, if pictures are worth a thousand words, emojis are worth at least half that.
• Include a link – Once the user is drawn in with a CTA, a link to the brand’s website or other social media accounts at the end of the bio will give them something to sink their teeth into.

Once the brand’s profile is up and running, they’ll want to compare it to competitor accounts. If it feels similar, brands can zhuzh up their business’ bio with elements that are unique to the brand. 

Step 3: Get a lay of the land

Many businesses may already be wise to the wizarding world of traditional Social Media platforms, but TikTok is a completely different kind of magic. 

To take full advantage, it’s important to carve out time to learn TikTok and its unique medium. After all, the medium is the message (or so says Marshall McCluhan),³ meaning if businesses aren’t aware of the nuances of the platform, their messaging can fall flat unintentionally.

Is this the greatest excuse to scroll TikTok? Yes. 

Businesses engaging with a platform can make the most of their time by focusing on these elements:

• The working mechanics of the platform – Videos on the “For You” page can help brands find TikTok content similar to theirs and test out the editing features to see what’s possible. While scrolling, brands can map which types of messaging or narrative structures might draw in users.
• Scope out the competitors – Businesses can discover what types of content the competition is making for their target audience. Taking note of what resonates with the brand—and what doesn’t—can help with creative development when it’s time to join the ranks for real. 
• Pinpoint a target audience – If a brand isn’t already aware of who they should be catering their content to, this is their chance to find out. Competitor accounts will likely engage with the same audience they’re targeting, so they’ll want to keep an eye out for who they’re interacting with and identify the content that draws out the conversation—this is key for the next step.

Step 4: Produce enjoyable content

The stage is set, the audience is in their seats (or on the subway or in the elevator)—now it’s showtime. Taking into account the audience’s pain points and needs, as well as the discovery the brand has performed, the business will now need to start generating TikTok content. As it does, it should keep these factors at the forefront:

• Focus on quality – Brands will be hard-pressed to find users interested in watching content with muffled sound and a shaky video—unless, of course, that’s the brand’s vibe. But even if found footage fits a business’ modus operandi, that doesn’t mean quality takes a backseat. To create high-caliber content, it’s important to have favorable lighting, proper equipment, and advanced editing. Brands that don’t have these in-house should consider partnering with an agency that has a proven track record.
• Take advantage of hashtags – #Hashtags might seem so 2007,⁴ but in fact they’re still #alive-and-well. Hashtags are an extremely useful tool to help your target audience discover a brand’s content. Businesses can use hashtags on their posts to drive traffic to their TikTok profile and increase views, likes and shares. They can use them to interact with their audiences or even create or even join a hashtag challenge to get their audience involved. 
• Include instructional videos – Some brands’ audiences may have particular problems the brand can solve for them via video. By becoming the go-to source of information, the business can demonstrate commitment to solving their audience’s pain points. This style of thought leadership translates to authority in the industry and, eventually, brand recognition. 

Businesses can also include a mix of short-form video and long content to keep followers hooked. 

Step 5: Engage with your audience

As content reaches the eyes and fingertips of the populace, slowly but surely, a business’ follower base will grow. And while that first uptick will certainly have brands buzzing, to ensure users and followers remain engaged with their content, brands will want to form a dialogue.

Businesses often become stuck in a one-way street of communication. But by replying to users’ questions and comments as they arise, brands can stroke a conversation, one that invites more users to participate.

On TikTok, there are a few different tactics to engage with audiences:

• Start an interactive live stream with followers
• Seek feedback with polls and questions
• Explore other TikTok accounts and engage with their content

Step 6: Understand TikTok’s mystical algorithm

All TikTok business accounts have one priority in common—appearing in those coveted “For You” feeds.

“For You” feeds include content that’s curated specifically for each user’s tastes and preferences. For example, a beauty brand would rather have their content on the feeds of people who live and breathe fashion, lifestyle and cosmetics, rather than, say, golfers.

But how does TikTok create a “For You” feed tailored for 1 billion individuals?⁵

The answer is simple—the TikTok algorithm.

According to TikTok, the recommendations a user receives are based on the following factors:⁶

• User interactions – One important aspect involves learning what content the person is watching, commenting and liking (or not liking) when they use the app. 
• Video information – The second factor that plays a part in the algorithm is identifying the extra tidbits of information included in videos they’re viewing, such as hashtags, captions and trending topics.
• Device and account settings – Although this final factor doesn’t have as much impact on the TikTok algorithm, it still uses basic information from a user’s account settings, such as their location, language preference, and type of device they’re using to craft recommendations on their feed.

The TikTok algorithm isn’t the easiest to comprehend. Brands that consistently find TikTok challenging to understand and adapt to can employ the help of a TikTok agency.

Step 7: Utilize TikTok Analytics

Another great part of using TikTok for business beyond running TikTok ads and posting content is tracking progress. After crafting a painstakingly perfect bio, adding top-notch content for users to enjoy and becoming acquainted with all things TikTok-related, businesses should take a moment to see if their hard work has paid off.

Enter: TikTok Analytics.

With this built-in tool, brands can determine essential data within a certain time frame, like:⁷

• Follower growth
• Video views
• Profile views
• Likes
• Comments
• Shares

If interested in conducting a deep dive into all content-creating efforts, brands can find comprehensive data for each TikTok video they’ve posted, including:⁷

• Total views, shares, and likes on each video
• Average watch time
• The percentage of viewers who watched the entire video
• Where viewers found their video
• Where their audiences are located geographically

By analyzing this information monthly, businesses can watch their progress over time and iterate on top-performing content.

Boost Your Social Media Presence and Your Growth Plan with Power Digital

Establishing a social media marketing strategy for your company is a great way to discover new leads, interact with potential consumers and win over customers. Getting started with that strategy? Easier said than done. 

That’s where we can help. Power Digital is a growth digital marketing agency that goes beyond pointing you in the right direction. We work with your team on the ground level, ensuring you achieve success from start to finish. With multi-channel social media marketing experience and a collaborative approach, we can help you create a strong online presence that’ll make your audience want to engage with your business.

If you’re looking for a team that’ll support you every step of the way (and then some), reach out to Power Digital to start your social media marketing journey today.

Sources:

1. Exploding Topics. TikTok User Age, Gender, & Demographics (2022). https://explodingtopics.com/blog/tiktok-demographics#tiktok-demographic-data
2. Linkedin. How to Optimize Your Linkedin Profile. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-optimize-your-tiktok-profile-jasmyne-o-neal
3. Marshall McCluhan. The Medium is the Message. https://web.mit.edu/allanmc/www/mcluhan.mediummessage.pdf 
4. CNBC. Meet the Man Who Invented the #hashtag. https://www.cnbc.com/2018/04/30/chris-messina-hashtag-inventor.html
5. Demand Sage. TikTok User Statistics (2022): How many TikTok Users Are There? https://www.demandsage.com/tiktok-user-statistics/
6. TikTok. How TikTok recommends videos #ForYou. https://newsroom.tiktok.com/en-us/how-tiktok-recommends-videos-for-you 
7. TikTok. Understanding Your Analytics. https://www.tiktok.com/creators/creator-portal/en-us/tiktok-content-strategy/understanding-your-analytics/

The post How to use TikTok for businesses appeared first on Power Digital Marketing.

YouTube is the second largest social media platform and search engine in the world, as deeply entrenched in our digital psyches as Google and Facebook.¹ But it’s impossible to overlook the buzz around TikTok—the volume of which has reached near-deafening decibels in recent years. 

Ultimately, some brands might decide to use both. But it’s important for businesses to understand each platform before choosing where to invest their video marketing efforts and dollars. 

This guide on the TikTok vs YouTube debate can help brands find the insights they need to make an informed decision.

Consider the target audience’s demographics

Despite TikTok’s electric appeal, YouTube still dominates in terms of popularity. According to the latest numbers, the video platform has 2.2 billion monthly average users across the globe—more than twice TikTok’s (no-less-shabby) 1 billion.²

To phrase it differently, chances are high that a target audience turns to YouTube at least part of the time. Still, deciding which video-sharing platform should receive a lion’s share of a business’ time and resources comes down to the unique audiences each platform enjoys.

The YouTube audience

Forget the myth that YouTube exclusively attracts Boomers and Gen Xers while all the cool kids go crazy over on TikTok. YouTube’s enormous audience spans generations. On a daily basis, this is who makes up YouTube’s users:³

• 81% – 18 to 25 years
• 71% – 26-35 years
• 67% – 36-45 years
• 66% – 46-55 years
• 58% – 56+ years

In addition, visitors are also nearly split down the middle when it comes to gender: Men make up 53% of YouTube’s base, while women account for 46%.

The TikTok crowd

Ask a teen what they’re up to on their phone, and nine times out of 10 they’ll reply TikTok without raising an eye from their device. The cliché exists for a reason: The most downloaded app in the world commands the attention of roughly half of Gen Z consumers.⁴ Specifically:

• 62% of TikTok users are between the ages of 10 and 29 years old
• 22% of TikTok’s base is under the age of 18
• 57% of TikTok users are female, while 43% are male

Why does TikTok demand youth attention? One word: Uniqueness. 

TikTok operates as a virtual canvas for creators. Within this setting, its raw, unrefined short videos produced by a huge range of people play into our increased desire for inclusion and authenticity. 

It’s also super diverse. Visitors can receive a recipe and tutorial just as easily as they can savor a zany dance number. Lastly, 18 to 24-year-olds make up the largest component of contributors. And we all know that youngsters look to their peers for everything from new slang to makeup trends.

Does this mean that the social media giant is totally governed by younger generations? 

Hardly. 

While the video-sharing platform hasn’t been around as long as YouTube, it can still attract audiences beyond the younger demographic. People between the ages of 40 and 49 make up 20.3% of TikTok’s base—and this audience may only grow as time passes. After all, YouTube, which was first launched in 2005, has 12 years on TikTok.

Given that YouTube reaches a broader range of users on a daily and monthly basis, it might seem like a no-brainer for a brand’s marketing needs in the TikTok vs YouTube dilemma unless their target audience falls under the age of 40. YouTube vs TikTok demographics aren’t the only factor to consider, however.

Weigh engagement

When deciding on which social media platform to use, brands can compare one of the most important aspects of TikTok video vs YouTube video content. YouTube might boast more than double TikTok’s number of users, but engagement has a hand in the ways businesses can influence consumers via video.

According to Broadband Search, YouTubers spend an average of 19 minutes on the site daily as opposed to the 32 minutes users spend on TikTok per day.⁵ This may be one of the many reasons 37% of marketers reported they would amplify their TikTok advertising.⁶ True, there are fewer TikTok users overall—but they linger on the site longer, which opens up a greater chance to make an impression with them.

Assess creative content

When it comes to long-format videos, YouTube reigns. 

From 75-minute vinyasa classes to two-hour-long dissections of a topic, YouTube genuinely does have it all. Not to mention the recently introduced YouTube shorts. And if part of a brand’s marketing strategy is to feature long-format videos, this is the way to go. Video content can range from:

• An “About Us” video that tells the brand’s story
• An introduction to a key new member of the team
• How-tos and tutorials
• Q & As
• A behind-the-scenes look at company culture

• Live podcasts

• Classes and courses
• The introduction of a new product or service

But what if a business can express their message in a short span of time and their content will be brief, fun and punchy? As the ruler of short-form videos, TikTok may be a wiser option. And while videos on this platform used to be exceedingly short—TikTok had a 15-second time limit upon its release in 2017—they’ve since extended the limit to three minutes. 

These bite-sized videos are booming—and are considered the wave of the future, even prompting YouTube to introduce YouTube Shorts. TikTok’s extension to three minutes also gives marketers more creative liberty than it has in the past.

Evaluate ad types

TikTok and YouTube aren’t just vehicles for influencer marketing and showcasing videos of a company’s culture, products and services. They’re also—obviously—a natural space for ads. So for brands thinking of launching a video ad, here’s how the two compare:

TikTok for Business

TikTok for Business launched in 2021 to help brands build awareness. Marketers have several different ways to utilize TikTok ads: 

• TopView ads

• InFeed ads

• Brand takeovers 

• Branded hashtags
• Branded effects

TikTok follows a cost per mile (CPM) metric—or cost per every 1,000 views. Since TikTok ads start at $10 CPM, this can be a cost-effective measure and may be especially appealing to small businesses that are just getting their feet wet. (To better assess where they should start with TikTok for Business, brands always have the option of working with a top TikTok agency.)

For those wanting to learn how to use TikTok for business, it can be fairly simple to follow and extremely beneficial to their marketing strategy. 

YouTube for Business

Advertising on YouTube is standard for marketers, partly because YouTube offers businesses a fair amount of flexibility. For example, they can opt for a swift, 6-second ad at the start of a video or a longer ad in the middle of one. The different types of ads YouTube offers include:

• Overlay ads

• Bumper ads

• Skippable ads
• Non-skippable ads
• TrueView ads

Unlike TikTok, YouTube uses the pay-per-click model, with amounts ranging from $0.10 to $0.30. To stay within budget, advertisers can set a daily cap with Google—which powers YouTube ads—to prevent sticker shock.

TikTok vs YouTube: The bottom line

YouTube’s massive number of viewers can be a goldmine for marketers. The long-form format it allows gives brands a ton of leeway to reach their audiences. It’s especially well-suited to marketers who want to display their expertise, and targeted searches help put their content in front of relevant audiences. It’s also used by nearly all demographics.

This doesn’t mean it’s without drawbacks, though:

• Unlike the raw videos that made TikTok famous, YouTube calls for higher quality videos—and the price tag that arrives with them.
• YouTube is inundated with 720,000 hours of video uploaded to the site every day.⁷ Standing out from the crowd and building an audience can be challenging for businesses that are fresh to the site.

TikTok is a terrific choice for a B2C company whose target audience includes millennials and Gen Z, and it may be easier to develop a following than on YouTube. TikTok has a much more casual ethos, and generating videos for the site typically requires fewer production costs. 

It too, however, has some facets that might give pause:

• The brevity of TikTok videos might not be suited to a business’ video marketing goals, and its laid-back, “homemade” feel may be at odds with the brand’s image.
• If a brand’s target audience is 40 and older, they might have a lower chance of reaching them than they would on YouTube.

Get the guidance you need from the pros at Power Digital

The TikTok vs YouTube debate will likely continue to heat up as TikTok continues to attract an immense base of users—and YouTube makes strides to ensure they’re not outpaced by their younger sibling. Which one a business should ultimately choose hinges on their brand, their marketing aims and their audience.

Confirm you’re making the right choice by collaborating with the experts at Power Digital. As a tech-enabled growth firm and digital marketing agency, one of our first orders of business when working with a new client is assessing where your company stands, your target audience and the growth solutions that will bring you the results you desire. 

Let us weigh in on your marketing questions and decisions—and equip you with the services you need to help your company fly high. 

Sources: 

1. Search Engine Journal. The top 10 social media sites & platforms 2022. https://www.searchenginejournal.com/social-media/biggest-social-media-sites/#close
2. Oberlo. 10 TikTok statistics you need to know in 2022. https://www.oberlo.com/blog/tiktok-statistics
3. Global Media Insight. YouTube statistics 2022 (users by country + demographics) https://www.globalmediainsight.com/blog/youtube-users-statistics/#demographics
4. Business of Apps. TikTok revenue and usage statistics (2022). https://www.businessofapps.com/data/tik-tok-statistics/
5. Broadband Search. Average daily time spent on social media (latest 2022 data). https://www.broadbandsearch.net/blog/average-daily-time-on-social-media
6. Statista. Future use of social media among marketers worldwide by platform 2022. https://www.statista.com/statistics/258974/future-use-of-social-media-among-marketers-worldwide-by-platform/
7. Oberlo. 10 YouTube Statistics. https://www.oberlo.com/blog/youtube-statistics
8. Meta for Business. The value of video for brands. https://www.facebook.com/business/news/value-of-video

The post TikTok vs YouTube: Which is Better for Your Business? appeared first on Power Digital Marketing.

Social media video ads are responsible for the highest metrics in audience engagement, customer clicks, clickthrough rate, and conversions across any platform.¹ Those metrics set the scene for incredible marketing success. 

Wise marketing strategists know that understanding how to create successful Facebook video ads  and increasing impressions can lead to some serious customer engagement. But how do you increase impressions and start funneling users onto the path to conversion? We’ve put together this guide to Facebook  impressions and how to boost them. 

Facebook Video Impressions: A Quick Primer

In order to know how to increase Facebook video impressions, it can help to know exactly what that Facebook metric, well, measures. 

Facebook video impressions measure how many times your ads reached your target audience.²But not every potential customer who glimpses your ad counts as a video impression.

For Facebook video ad metrics  to count an ad view as an impression, certain criteria must be met:

• Each time your ad appears on screen for the first time, it’s an impression
• If an ad appears twice in one day for the same person, it counts as two impressions
• Videos don’t need to start playing to count as an impression
• Impressions are not counted if they come from detectable non-human traffic

Essentially, if your video appears in someone’s feed, it counts as an impression, even if they don’t hit play on the video.

“So wait,” you might be asking. “Are impressions the same as views or reach?

Facebook differentiates between these three metrics. 

• Impressions depict the number of times your video shows up on a Facebook feed.
  
• Views calculate the number of times someone visits your profile page.
  
• Reach describes the number of unique users who see your content. Reach differs from impressions because the same user can see your Facebook ad multiple times and each view would count as an impression.

Impressions help marketers understand how successful a video is at being seen. 

This is determined by how Facebook’s algorithm, which ranks posts and ads based on its highly classified scoring system, puts  more “valuable” posts front and center of individual feeds. While the specifics of Facebook’s algorithm are  a closely guarded secret, we do know its goal: 

“[Help users] discover new content and connect with the stories they care the most about [while] keep[ing] spam and misleading content at bay.”³

The most vital factors that go into that evaluation are:

• Source (a.k.a. who posted it) – Users are more likely to see posts from users they interact with such as businesses they follow or friends in their network. This can also extend to posts by friends of friends or even businesses friends follow.
  
• Content type – The algorithm wants to give users more of what they want, including content medium. So if a user tends to interact with images more often through views, shares, comments, or likes, they’ll see more images on their feed. If they interact with videos more, they’ll see more videos.
  
• Engagement – The social media engagement metric works kind of like looking back at old school yearbooks. If one person’s yearbook has a handful of “HAGS” and teacher signatures, chances are that kid wasn’t exactly the most popular. But if a yearbook is stuffed with inside jokes, detailed messages, and doodles, that yearbook belongs to someone the high school hierarchy would deem royalty. So, when a post gets plenty of likes, comments, shares, and views, that tells the algorithm that this content is something that people want to see. 

So to recap:

• Impressions measure the ability of a video to reach audiences/be seen
  
• Impressions are controlled by Facebook’s algorithm
  
• Facebook’s algorithm wants to show users content that is similar to other content they enjoy, posted by users in their network or peripheral to their network, achieves high engagement, 

In sum: crack the algorithm, crack brand new personal milestones  for impressions. Here’s how. 

Top 6 Tips to Boost Your Facebook Video Impressions

Now that you understand the basics of video impressions, let’s talk about how to boost those numbers. Just a few key tweaks to your video ads can have a huge impact on your video’s effectiveness and your bottom line. 

#1 Check Out Your Competitors

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery…but it’s also a strategic move to improve your Facebook video impressions. 

Keep in mind, we aren’t telling you to copy from someone else’s work—it’s just helpful to know what others competing for the same audience are doing to capture their attention. Take the time to research:

• Who does your competition target with their ads?
• What content do their ads include?
• How long do their videos run?
• How frequently do they have new ads?
• Which aspects of their business or service do they highlight?

You might have ideas on how to improve on what your competition is doing. Or, perhaps, you notice a gap in their marketing plan that you can address with your own marketing strategy to capitalize on their mistake.

#2. Craft Your Content for Facebook

Most marketers will agree that an ad crafted for a 30-year-old will differ immensely from an ad curated for a teenager. The same goes for the sexes—just take a look at the differences between a women’s shampoo advertisement and a man’s. 

That’s because when you speak to an audience in a general way, you’re not speaking to the individual consumer who’s going to make the purchase you need. 

So, who are you speaking to on Facebook?

Social media statistics show the following data about Facebook users:⁴

• Males between 25 to 34 account for 18.4% of the users
• Across all age groups, men use Facebook more than women
• Women aged 25 to 34 account for 12.6% of users and are the biggest female group
• Only 11.7% of Facebook users are women under 25, 16.5% of male users are under 25

Your video ads should take these demographics into account if you want to maximize their power and potential. 

#3. Create Value

When are you most likely to click on a video ad and purchase a product or service? If you’re like most consumers, it’s probably when the video has effectively demonstrated that there is value in what the company is selling. But how do you create value in your video ads?

• Start with something powerful to capture the viewer’s attention
• Tell your audience why your product or service is important
• Use a call to action to encourage further interaction

It’s quite similar to writing a mini-persuasive essay.

Furthermore, Facebook actually uses customer loyalty when determining which ads get shown to whom.⁵ If you create value that encourages your audience to interact with your ad, Facebook is more likely to continue to show users ads from your business.

#4. Choose the Right Aesthetic for Your Brand

Your videos don’t exist in a vacuum. They should communicate information about your brand by using the right aesthetic. Your brand’s aesthetic is every bit as much a part of your message as the products or services you sell. It can tell your audience a lot about you, including:

• The overall company style
• Your brand’s personality and voice
• What they should expect from working with you

Creating an overall aesthetic for your brand is also a way to increase brand loyalty. When every component of your business is cohesively designed with a specific purpose in mind, your audience will learn to associate certain characteristics with your company.

#5. Calculate an Appropriate Budget for Ads 

Facebook makes creating ads and setting a budget fairly easy. The key is knowing how much of your advertising budget you should allocate to Facebook ads. This really depends on your audience—do most of your potential customers fall into the demographics of frequent Facebook users?

If most of your audience is likely to use Facebook, you may want to budget more for ads on the platform. When you create an ad on Facebook, you do so through their Ad Management Tool. From there, you can:⁶

• Set your budget—the maximum you want to spend to run a specific ad
• Choose your ad objective
• Set the schedule for your ad
• Choose your desired audience

These features allow you to target the customers you most want to interact with that specific video ad and can help increase your Facebook video impressions.

#6. Change When Needed

One of the key attributes of a successful marketing campaign is flexibility. Even if you’ve had success with a certain type of video ad in the past, don’t be afraid to change your approach when needed. Sometimes, you need to try something a little different. Some small changes that might improve your video impressions can include:

• Start your ad with a question
• Shorten (or lengthen) your video
• Make the ad visually appealing
• Use humor where appropriate
• Include reputably-sourced statistics

You can do all of these things without straying from your brand’s aesthetic. The goal is just to give your audience something a little different from what normally appears in their feeds.

How Do You Know if Your Ads Are Performing Well?

Facebook makes it quite simple to monitor the performance of your advertisements on the platform through its Ads Manager screen. You can access a significant amount of data about the performance of your ads, including:⁷

• 2 and 3-second continuous plays – What is hook rate? Understanding how to grab the attention of a viewer within the first few seconds will lead to better ad performance. This can be achieved through effective video thumbnails. You can monitor how many viewers watch 2 or 3 seconds of a video ad continuously. There’s also data that estimates the total advertising cost to your business for each continuous play.
• Thru-plays – Thru-plays tell you how often a video ad of up to 15 seconds was played to completion. There is also a metric to give you the advertising cost of each fully watched video.
• Video play by percentage – These metrics give you the number of viewers who watched 25, 50, 75, 95, and 100% of your video. They include videos that were skipped up until that percentage of the video.
• Average play – The average play feature gives you a total average length of time that all viewers spent watching your video.
• Amount spent – You can also check to see approximately how much you’ve spent on a specific ad campaign at any time. The amount spent metric is an approximation as it can take up to 48 hours for all ad data to be calculated.
• Reach – Finally, reach tells you how many people saw your ad at least one time, regardless of how much time they spent watching it. 

You can access all of this information by going to your Ads Manager tab. Click on Columns and then Video Engagement. From there, you can select which data you want to see.

Power Up Your Video Impressions with Power Digital

Facebook video impressions can tell you a lot about your advertising strategy. If customers aren’t spending time watching your ads, you may need to tweak your approach. Luckily, there are simple steps you can take to improve your videos and boost your Facebook impressions.

However, we know running a business is already a handful. If you need assistance with your digital marketing strategy, Power Digital Marketing can help. With our internet marketing service, we know how to target your ads to build meaningful connections with your audience. Our social media management strategies can boost your Facebook video impressions and your business’s earning potential. Contact us today to learn more. 

Sources: 

1. Statista. Social Video Advertising Clickthrough Rate Worldwide. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1048619/social-video-ads-clickthrough-rate-platform-age-worldwide/
2. Facebook. Impressions. https://www.facebook.com/business/help/675615482516035
3. Facebook. Machine Learning.  https://research.facebook.com/research-areas/machine-learning/ 
4. Statista. Facebook-Statistics and Facts. https://www.statista.com/topics/751/facebook/#dossierKeyfigures
5. Facebook. Updates to Video Ranking. https://about.fb.com/news/2019/05/updates-to-video-ranking/
6. Facebook. Buying Ads. https://www.facebook.com/business/ads/pricing
7. Facebook. About Video Ad Metrics. https://www.facebook.com/business/help/1792720544284355?id=603833089963720

The post Complete Guide: How to Boost Facebook Video Impressions appeared first on Power Digital Marketing.

Over the last decade, those tight-knit communities have evolved into the most powerful digital marketing ecosystem in history. If you’re not taking advantage of the reach and features offered by social media use, you’re likely missing an opportunity to reach your intended audience. 

But don’t have to take our word for it—there’s concrete evidence we’re going to bring into the fold. To that end, this guide will walk you through the key social media statistics you should know before developing your digital marketing strategy. 

#1 Social Media Usage

Social media usage is ubiquitous worldwide. To showcase the scale in which active users are involved in social media engagement across these platforms, review the social media usage statistics below:¹

• As of 2020, there were 3.6 billion social media users around the world
• By 2025, the number of active users is projected to increase to 4.4 billion
• People spend an average of 144 minutes per day across their social media accounts
• The majority of social media use is via a mobile device

As internet infrastructure strengthens its foothold globally, digital access is only going to continue to rise (in simpler words: those that would otherwise not be able to have social media accounts will gain the accessibility, further increasing internet user count). 

#2: Facebook (Meta)

Facebook (now a function of Meta), is still one of the most widely used social media platforms, particularly among adults. Furthermore, Facebook is also the most popular social platform for marketing which is why it is important to learn how to create successful Facebook video ads². 

Nearly 93 percent of marketers create  Facebook ads for their promotional needs. Facebook ads can effectively be created through the use of Facebook video ad metrics such as Facebook video impressions. 

The popularity of the site for advertising is the result of its wide use. The approximate number of daily Facebook users is 1.93 billion people, 71 percent of whom reside in the United States.³ These daily Facebook users trend older than users of other social media platforms.

#3: Instagram

In contrast to Facebook’s older user profile, Instagram attracts younger users. The majority of Instagramusers are below the age of 35. The ability to share more interactive digital content is believed to be the main attraction for young people. To put this information into perspective, some Instagram statistics you should know include but are not limited to:⁴

• Instagram crossed the 1 billion user threshold in 2020
• By 2023, that number is expected to increase to nearly 1.2 billion
• Instagram was one of the biggest purchasing decision influences in women under 25
• Young women and men tend to use Instagram equally

While Facebook is an effective avenue for targeting older customers, according to Instagram statistics, it is a far better choice for younger consumers.

#4: TikTok

Competing with Instagram for the younger demographic is TikTok. As of 2020, there were 78.7 TikTok users in the United States.⁵ Of these users, the age ranges break down as follows:

• 25% are between the ages of 10 to 19
• 22.5% are 20 to 29
• 21.7% are between 30 to 39
• 20.3% are 40 to 49
• 11% are 50 and older

This means nearly half of TikTok users in the U.S. are under the age of 30. Once more, if your target demographic is a younger audience, know that TikTok is an emerging marketing hub that could be the perfect social platform for your content. 

#5: Twitter

Twitter use is more wide-ranging than that of Instagram and TikTok. Some important Twitter statistics to be aware of are:

• In the US, 42% of daily Twitter users are between 18 to 29 years old.⁶ 
• 27% of users between 30 to 49 years old. 
• Only 25% of Twitter users are over the age of 50.

Most people use Twitter for News consumption or for Interactive live-tweeting during popular events

That’s not to say that Twitter isn’t a valuable marketing tool, as you can still leverage paid, promotional tweets that can reach a targeted audience.

#6: YouTube

YouTube trails only Facebook as the most used social media platform in the world. It’s the world’s biggest online video platform with a little bit of something for everyone. Need to complete a home repair project? Check YouTube. Want to hear a specific song you haven’t heard in a long time? Queue it up on YouTube.

The wide range of content on YouTube attracts users from everywhere. To gauge the participation and engagement on YouTube, let’s review the YouTube statistics:⁷

• As of 2021, there were about 2.24 billion YouTube users
• About 240 million of these users are in the United States
• In 2021, YouTube generated $28.84 billion U.S. dollars in global advertising revenue
• More than half (53.9%) of YouTube users are men

The price to advertise on YouTube is typically higher than on other platforms. However, the wide variety of content may help you reach a bigger audience.

#7: WhatsApp

WhatsApp is the most popular mobile messaging app in the world.⁸ To that end, there are more than 2 billion global users, most of which live outside of the United States. Over the last five years, the app has been increasing in popularity around the globe. In the United States, there are nearly 75 million users, including:

• 19% ages 15 to 25
• 27% ages 26 to 35
• 20% ages 36 to 45
• 17% ages 46 to 55
• 13% age 56 and older

While not necessarily a bonafide social media platform, In 2018, the company launched WhatsApp for Businesses. This app is designed to be used by a small business and allows them to connect with their customers.

#8: Advertising on Social Media

Now that you’re familiar with some of the demographics related to popular social media outlets (which should help you identify what platforms within the social network  are most relevant to your business), let’s dig into how companies, with the help of an internet marketing service, use these platforms for advertising. 

For starters, what are the benefits of advertising on social media? A few include:

• Businesses have direct access to consumers 
• It’s often a cost-effective channel 
• There are bigger opportunities for customer interaction
• It allows businesses to build brand loyalty

So how do companies market on social media? The numbers below indicate the following trends relevant for both social media management and  social media marketing in the United States:⁹

• Instagram and Facebook ads are the most popular choices for marketing
• 92% of companies use some form of social media marketing
• Over 90% of marketing experts expect to increase the use of Instagram for advertising
• Businesses in the United States spent over 56.7 billion dollars on social media ads in 2021
• The amount of money spent on social media ads is expected to exceed 80 billion by 2025

The greatest takeaway? Marketers recognize the importance of reaching customers on social media and are willing to allocate resources to do so. 

Social Media and Conversion Rates

So, is investing in your social media site  worth it? Let’s look at conversion rates for the answer. In short, conversion rates outline the percentage of people who clicked on an advertisement and performed the intended action (purchased a product, subscribed to a list, etc.). 

As you might imagine, conversion rates vary widely. 

One estimate places the conversion rate for successful social media marketing between 2% and 5%.¹⁰ This means if your marketing campaign is effective, you might land somewhere between 2 to 5 out of every 100 customers you reach to take the desired action.

#9: Following Consumer Behaviors

Although every customer you reach might not purchase your product or service, that doesn’t mean social media neglects to influence their buying behavior. 

In fact, 54% of social media consumers claim that they use social media as a factor in purchasing decisions.¹¹ Consumers often use social networks  to:

• Research product information
• Read reviews
• Seek out recommendations

This demonstrates the importance of knowing which platform(s)your target audience is frequenting. Once you know where to find them, it’s to meet them where they’re at. 

Ramp Up Your Social Strategy with Power Digital

The social media usage statistics above demonstrate that if you know your audience, you know where to reach them. It also highlights that social media both converts and influences purchase motivation. 

Beyond the statistics we’ve outlined above, social media represents an opportunity to have open, honest, and engaging conversations with your customer base. 

Here at Power, we know how effective social media marketing campaigns are when executed with diligence, meticulousness, and creativity. If you’re interested in partnering with a digital marketing agency that speaks every social media language, you’re in the right place. 

We’ll be the social media backbone, your brand will be the microphone. Ready to get started? 

Sources: 

1. Statista. Number of Social Media Users Worldwide from 2017 to 2025. https://www.statista.com/statistics/278414/number-of-worldwide-social-network-users/
2. Statista. Leading Social Media Platforms Used By Marketers. https://www.statista.com/statistics/259379/social-media-platforms-used-by-marketers-worldwide/
3. Statista. Facebook Audience Reach. https://www.statista.com/statistics/346167/facebook-global-dau/
4. Statista. Instagram: Number of Global Users. https://www.statista.com/statistics/183585/instagram-number-of-global-users/
5. Statista. TikTok User Demographics in the United States. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1095186/tiktok-us-users-age/
6. Statista. Share of U.S. Internet Users Who Use Twitter by Age Group. https://www.statista.com/statistics/265647/share-of-us-internet-users-who-use-twitter-by-age-group/
7. Statista. YouTube-Statistics and Facts. https://www.statista.com/topics/2019/youtube/#dossierKeyfigures
8. Statista. WhatsApp-Statistics and Facts. https://www.statista.com/topics/2018/whatsapp/
9. Statistia. Social Media Marketing in the U.S. https://www.statista.com/topics/8791/social-media-marketing-in-the-us/
10. Futurpreneur. What’s a Good Conversion Rate for My Social Media Marketing? https://www.futurpreneur.ca/en/2017/whats-a-good-conversion-rate/
11. Oberlo. Social Media Marketing Statistics. https://www.oberlo.com/blog/social-media-marketing-statistics

The post 9 Most Important Social Media Statistics in 2022 appeared first on Power Digital Marketing.

But the popularity of Facebook can be a bit of a double-edged sword. Although the Facebook audience is there, you have to vie with a host of other distractions like competing ads, user-generated posts, and games to gain the attention of consumers. 

That’s what makes creating an engaging Facebook video ad so important. 

It might seem like a gamble, but there are certain methods you can use to build a successful Facebook ad that will reach your intended audience and inspire them to act. 

Wondering how to create a successful Facebook video ads? Keep reading to find out. 

Is Advertising on Facebook Worth It?

Facebook is the most popular social media platform in the world.² With nearly three billion users every month, it represents a ripe avenue for digital marketing efforts of all kinds. 

But is Facebook video advertising an effective way to reach consumers? 

Although advertising success can be contingent upon a number of factors no matter where an ad appears, in general, Facebook ads tend to yield results.  

That said, it can be difficult to gauge the efficiency of Facebook ads in terms of specific businesses. However, available social media statistics suggest that Facebook is an excellent source for advertisers who want to place their products in front of consumers. 

Studies show that Facebook ads:

• Are influential – Per The Drum,  a Facebook ad factors into the purchasing decisions of over half of consumers.³ This holds true whether consumers are shopping online or in stores.
• Offer receptive audiences – People use social media for many reasons—keeping in touch with friends and family, new updates, even cat memes. But almost 66% of them use it to find information about businesses, products, and services.⁴ 
• Are cost-effective – Because the platform allows for highly specific audience targeting, businesses may experience a reduction in costs associated with attracting new customers. In some cases, businesses can save over 70%.⁴

When you consider Facebook video ad metrics like the sheer number of active users on the platform, their interest in and willingness to be persuaded by Facebook ads, and the relatively cost-effective option it poses, it’s easy to see why so many businesses choose this advertising channel. 

Why Video Ads? 

Video ads aren’t the only way to advertise on Facebook. Static text and image ads are also available and may be easier and less expensive to produce. 

So why bother with video marketing?

The truth is that Facebook video advertising  provides a range of unique benefits other methods can’t compete with, such as:

• They’re popular – Per Sprout Social, Facebook videos are viewed about 8 billion times every day.⁵ Per Single Grain, users aren’t just watching videos, they’re also sharing them at a rate that has grown by almost 360% in recent years.⁶
• They have high engagement rates – Facebook offers the potential for a higher social media engagement rate over other social media platforms, including YouTube and Instagram.⁶
• They let you tell a story – Video advertising provides greater opportunities to build a story around your product or service in much less time. Compared to text or image ads, you have more freedom for branding and customer outreach. 

Tips for Creating Successful Facebook Video Ads

Although Facebook videos can be an effective marketing tool, implementing them into your marketing strategy needs to be approached with care, precision, logic, and of course, creativity. 

There’s certainly magic involved in creating video ads that have starpower, but the formula typically follows a set of parameters that influence its success. Let’s take a look at a few important factors that serve as guideposts for a successful Facebook video ad.  

#1 Your Video Should Be Vertical

98% of Facebook users access the platform almost exclusively through their mobile phones.⁷ That means most of the people who see your Facebook ad campaign are going to see it on a screen that’s arranged vertically, the way most people hold their phones. 

Your video ad needs to be optimized for playability in a square or vertical setting (in other words, your videos should be optimized for mobile). 

Aside from making it easier to see for your viewers, , opting for a square video allows you to take up more of the screen, thus optimizing your advertising efforts.

#2 Content Counts

Compelling, creative content that sparks the consumer’s imagination and convinces them that they can’t live without your product or services is a key ingredient to any successful Facebook ad or ad outside of Facebook.  At the end of the day, your video needs to pull at their heartstrings. 

According to SBBC, when you’re creating your video ad, you should make sure that it:⁸ 

• Tells a story – The best stories feature a character who overcomes great challenges in pursuit of a goal. The same is true of stellar video ads. Use storytelling in your ad to illustrate how your product or service can improve the consumer’s life.

• Starts strong – You only have a few seconds to convince your Facebook  audience to stick with your ad to the end, so make sure you’re capturing their attention right away. The first few seconds are paramount for retaining attention. 

• Extols your brand’s virtues – If there’s ever a place for self-aggrandizement, it’s in advertising. Your video ad is your opportunity to let viewers  know what makes your product or service unique. Don’t be afraid to boast. 
• Includes a call to action – It’s not enough to simply tell a story and give information about your business. If you want your ad campaign to convert consumers into customers, you need to encourage them to take the next step with a call to action, such as Shop Now, Contact Us, Download Here, and so on.

#3 Keep It Short 

Between busy schedules and a culture that has winnowed attention spans to the tiniest lengths, consumers simply aren’t willing to spend too much time with your ad. 

Even if your video thumbnails garner a click, according to Forbes, their focus is likely to wane after 10 or 15 seconds which is why it is important to have a high hook rate.⁹

What is hook rate? Being able to gain the attention of a viewer within the first few seconds will lead to a better performing video ad. Although Facebook will let you post ads up to 10 minutes in length, the most successful Facebook video ad is  short and sweet. In fact, the platform itself recommends 15 seconds as the maximum length for video ads. 

#4 Know Your Options

One of the most appealing things about advertising on Facebook is the options you have for where and how your ad appears. Facebook lets you choose where on the platform you run your Facebook ad campaign. . Your options are:

• In-stream – Advertisements represent only a portion of the total videos people watch on Facebook. In-stream ads play within other videos, making them an excellent way to reach consumers. 

• Feed – If you select your ad to run in the news feed section of the platform, consumers engage with it as it appears while they scroll (as it appears organically “in the flow”). 
• Stories – You can also play your ad in the Stories feature. Stories appear at the top of the page on both mobile and web versions of Facebook, potentially exposing your ad to an audience of over 300 million daily Stories users.¹⁰

Knowing your target audience’s Facebook usage habits can help you determine which ad style is best for your brand. 

#5 Account for Muting 

Getting your ad seen isn’t the only hurdle you’ll need to clear when advertising on Facebook. You’ll also need to account for the fact that there’s a pretty good chance your video will play on mute. In fact, that chance is about 85%, according to Digiday. 

Facebook runs most videos in auto-play, which means they begin as soon as they appear on a user’s screen. This is good news for marketers because it means you don’t have to worry as much about getting a consumer to manually play your ad. 

But there’s a downside, and it’s that Facebook also allows users to pre-mute auto-play videos. That means marketers have to work twice as hard to interest consumers enough to turn up the volume. Including “tap for sound” reminders in your video ad helps here, but you can also work around this issue by:

• Using bold titles 
• Incorporating automatic subtitles 
• Incorporating eye-catching graphics

Engaging Facebook Video Ads That Convert, The Power Behind Them

Facebook ads are an exciting and potentially lucrative way for businesses to reach consumers. But producing video content that entices and performs is not a straightforward endeavor. 

That’s where Power Digital Marketing comes in. 

Our digital marketing agency stands on the cutting edge of the digital ad universe, combining our expertise with the most innovative marketing tools to create customized, effective marketing campaigns. 

From Facebook video ad strategies that fit your specific needs to the best technologies for tracking, evaluating, and optimizing your campaign, our internet marketing service will help you grow your consumer base and elevate your identity. 

Looking for a marketing partner that can make your Facebook video ads sing? You already have. 

Sources: 

1. Data Reportal. Facebook Stats and Trends. https://datareportal.com/essential-facebook-stats# 
2. Data Reportal. Digital 2022: The World’s Favourite Social Media Platforms. https://datareportal.com/reports/digital-2022-favourite-social-platforms 
3. The Drum. Facebook Influences Over Half of Shoppers Says DigitasLBi’s Connected Commerce Report. https://www.thedrum.com/news/2015/04/24/facebook-influences-over-half-shoppers-says-digitaslbi-s-connected-commerce-report 
4. Impact Plus. How Effective is Facebook Advertising? https://www.impactplus.com/blog/how-effective-is-facebook-advertising-the-truth-about-facebook-roi 
5. Sprout Social. 20 Must-Know Facebook Stats for Marketers in 2022. https://sproutsocial.com/insights/facebook-stats-for-marketers/ 
6. Single Grain. How to Create a Facebook Video Ad that Gets Attention. https://www.singlegrain.com/video-marketing/how-to-create-a-facebook-video-ad-that-gets-attention/ 
7. Backlinko. Facebook Demographic Statistics: How Many People Use Facebook in 2022? https://backlinko.com/facebook-users
8. Small Business BC. How to Create an Effective Video Ad for Your Small Business. https://smallbusinessbc.ca/article/how-to-create-an-effective-video-ad-for-your-small-business/#
9. Forbes. Video Thumbnails: Leveraging a Powerful, Underappreciated Marketing Vehicle. https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescommunicationscouncil/2021/02/24/video-thumbnails-leveraging-a-powerful-unappreciated-marketing-vehicle/?sh=68ef1afa3746 
10. Find Stack. The Ultimate List of Facebook Statistics in 2022. https://findstack.com/facebook-statistics/#
11. Facebook. What Call-to-Action Buttons Are Available in Ads Manager? https://www.facebook.com/business/help/410873986524407 
12. Facebook. How Video Ads Work On Facebook. ​​​​https://www.facebook.com/business/ads/video-ad-format?content_i
13. Digiday. 85% of Facebook Video is Watched Without Sound. https://digiday.com/media/silent-world-facebook-video/ 

The post How to Create Successful Facebook Video Ads appeared first on Power Digital Marketing.

With the right social media management,  your social media can be a powerful business tool that helps you interact with customers, expand your market reach, establish your brand, and ultimately, drive revenue. However, simply posting periodically isn’t good enough to foster audience engagement.

So then, how do you navigate the murky waters of social media?

Grab a compass and some captions; here’s how you can improve your business’s social media engagement. 

Starting From Scratch—How to Choose the Right Platforms

You’ve probably heard the old adage, “Craftsmen are only as good as their tools.” In any industry, there are objectives that can only be met using the proper accouterments. These creative tools don’t transfer from one industry (or platform) to another.

In other words, if you’re using the same strategy and posts for LinkedIn as you are on TikTok, your overarching marketing strategy will lack efficacy. Thus, rather than post more—reconsider which platforms and social media for business tips are right for your brand.

To identify which social media platforms are most effective, consider the following questions: 

• Do you operate B2B or B2C? 
• What are the goals of your social media strategy? 
• What are your client demographics? 
• Where are they in the sales funnel when they visit your social media platforms? 
• Which social media platform does your target consumer use?
• What do your competitors focus on?   

Your answers will start to shape the foundational pillars of your social strategy. 

For example, a SaaS company that sells to other businesses will derive value from more informational-focused platforms like Linkedin, Twitter, and YouTube. On the other hand, a B2C retail brand will primarily focus on visual-emphasis platforms that have a high degree of virality like Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok. 

You may be tempted to post from every angle, using all the platforms. Beware: this can backfire. 

A proper social media strategy—one where you’re coordinating posts, tracking the engagement rate, and then analyzing the data to make thoughtful pivots—takes time. And if you’re spending that time creating more posts that don’t garner likes, shares, and comments, you’re not digging at the root of the problem. Instead, you should be focusing on how to create successful Facebook video ads or ads meant for fewer platforms. 

Increase Your Visibility—Understand and Track Your Numbers

Engagement is simply the interaction between the brand and its audience. And those interactions are quantifiable. 

So, if you have already established some presence on social media, what are your numbers? You should be keeping track of all social media engagement metrics, such as: 

• Shares
• Retweets
• Comments
• Likes
• Subscriptions
• Signups
• Reactions
• Followers and audience growth
• Click-throughs
• Mentions (either tagged or untagged)
• Using branded hashtags
• On-page purchases

It’s difficult to chart and measure engagement growth if you don’t know where your baseline is. Gathering, categorizing, and analyzing this data empowers your team to identify strengths and weaknesses in your overall strategy, which, in turn, can produce actionable insights. 

Consider a situation in which a company accumulates millions of impressions, but only tens of likes and comments. In this case, it’s critical to analyze the content—there’s likely a reason users aren’t engaging with it. Alternatively, what about a brand that has great engagement metrics from its target audience, but not enough to meet its  KPIs? This is the best-case scenario—now all that’s left to do is increase the quantity of content, while keeping the quality consistent. 

The problem is that most businesses don’t have the bandwidth to track social media engagement metrics. This leaves them with only one strategy: blindly guessing and checking.

Always Lead With Quality—If The Content Doesn’t Provide Value, Toss It

Social media engagement starts (and ends) with quality content. It’s the crux that everything else hinges upon. 

So, what is your audience seeking? What do they need to have or hear at this specific point in their journey down the sales funnel?  

Your content should be catered to meeting their needs. And you can use an array of different content types to target them, including:

• Blogs, articles, guides – Long-form written content is your opportunity to provide the consumer with useful information that allows you to establish your brand, demonstrate your thought-leadership, improve SEO, and drive traffic to your website. The best social media platforms for this content type include Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. 
• Images – Especially for B2C businesses, posting images allows your company to show off the products, people, and other elements of your brand. A branding agency can also help you create this type of content. This type of content is engaging, digestible, and fairly easy to create, making it perfect for posting Instagram and Facebook ads. 
• Videos – One of the most important mediums in your content arsenal is video—as evidenced by the fact that 93% of consumers said that video made a positive factor in their purchasing decisions and was their favorite type of content from brands on social media.¹ As such, video can be leveraged for a range of purposes, including:
• Product videos
• Q&As
• Behind the scenes 
• Live videos
• Stories
• User-generated content
• Reveals
• Giveaways
• How-tos

Currently, the top platforms for video include TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. With that being said though, Facebook can also be a create platform to create videos if you are knowledgeable of Facebook video impressions as well as Facebook video ad metrics. 

Communication is a Two-Way Street—Engage with Your Audience

If all you do is post content and then wait to post the next, your audience may recognize that you’re simply “playing the game.” Alternatively, if you communicate with the individuals that reach out to your business, you can create an ongoing dialogue and foster a relationship. 

Especially early on, to increase your engagement, you need to be social. With the help of Power Digital’s internet marketing service, they can provide strategies for responding to comments, sharing user content, and continuing the conversation.    

Pay to Play—Leverage Paid Social 

Social media ad spending has increased by 400% since 2016, with analysts forecasting a record high of $56.85 billion this year.² This continued increase in marketing investment is demonstrative of the efficacy of paid social. 

With paid social, your business is guaranteed to reach targeted, ready-to-buy consumers. It gives you the control to get granular with a potential customer  you seek to reach.

Practically every platform offers multiple paid ad options. For instance, Facebook offers the following ad placements: 

• Newsfeed
• Instant articles
• In-stream videos
• Marketplace
• Stories
• Carousel
• Feed
• Stories 

Have Fun—Run Contests or Giveaways

One of the simplest ways to increase social media engagement is by running a giveaway. It can help instantly generate buzz around your brand, especially if you apply the following tips: 

• Identify a goal – You should have a specific purpose for running a giveaway in addition to driving engagement. For instance, it could be to increase follower count, boost brand awareness, or promote a new product.
• Provide a prize people want – The prize or free product should provide enough appeal or value in order to incentivize engagement. Ideally, it should be related to your business.   
• Set the parameters – What are the details surrounding the event? You need to know the timeline, rules, participation requirements, and how the winner will be announced. 
• Follow the rules – Practically every platform has site-specific rules regarding promotional activities. For example, you can run a giveaway on Facebook from a group, event, or page, but not from a personal timeline. So, be sure to review and confirm that your activities are aligned before posting.

Consistency is Key—Create a Content Schedule 

To foster continuous engagement, you need to be posting on social media regularly. But you don’t want to clog up users’ feeds with too much content. The goal is to find that happy medium. 

Similarly, you should try to post at peak hours. Here are some of the peak traffic hours according to the American Marketing Association:³

• Facebook – Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m.
• Instagram – Between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Tuesday, and at 11 a.m. on Monday through Friday
• Twitter – 8 a.m. on Mondays and Thursdays
• LinkedIn – 9 a.m. on Tuesdays and Wednesdays

That said, by testing different times of the day and days of the week, you can find your target audience’s sweet spot.

PDM: Proven Results in Social Media Engagement and Beyond

Social media is one of the most powerful tools in a brand’s marketing arsenals. And by applying the strategies above, you can ensure that your social efforts are met with positive responses and not crickets.   

Here at Power Digital Marketing, our digital marketing agency  is here to help you build a social media presence that’s as authentic as it is persuasive. Our process starts with a comprehensive social media audit to gather a deeper understanding of your social media statistics and presence. And even after the content strategy is deployed, the work isn’t over—we also implement creative content testing in order to further optimize your social engagement efforts. 

So, are you ready to develop a social media strategy that betters  audience engagement with your brand? 

Sources:

1. Social Media Today. How Video is Influencing Consumer Decision-Making in 2021. https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/how-video-is-influencing-consumer-decision-making-in-2021-infographic/598171/
2. Statista. Social network advertising spending in the United States from 2016 to 2022. https://www.statista.com/statistics/736971/social-media-ad-spend-usa/#:~:text=Social%20network%20ad%20spend%20in%20the%20U.S.%202016%2D2022&text=Every%20year%20billions%20of%20dollars,and%20applications%20on%20social%20media.
3. American Marketing Association. The Best Times to Post on Social Media in 2022. https://www.ama.org/marketing-news/the-best-times-to-post-on-social-media/
4. Forbes. 13 Top Tips For Choosing The Right Social Media Platform For Your Business. https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescommunicationscouncil/2019/07/31/13-top-tips-for-choosing-the-right-social-media-platform-for-your-business/?sh=c019d9e78eb4
5. Forbes. Is A Paid Social Campaign The Right Marketing Move? 12 Clear Signs. https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesagencycouncil/2021/06/21/is-a-paid-social-campaign-the-right-marketing-move-12-clear-signs/?sh=6cd288ec1e12

The post How to Improve Your Business’ Social Media Engagement appeared first on Power Digital Marketing.

But how do you track the efficacy of your video campaign and content? 

Thankfully, Facebook video ad metrics are relatively straightforward. They’re quantifiable, accessible, and organized. To that end, we’ve built this guide to help you discern whether or not your Facebook video campaign is  hitting its  key performance indicators (KPIs). 

If your campaigns are  falling short, this will also serve as a waypoint for you to identify areas of improvement. Ready to hone in on six Facebook video ad metrics to monitor? 

Facebook Videos 101: What Do People Watch?

Before we dive into the specific metrics you should keep an eye on, let’s look at some details about Facebook video ads and create perspective:¹

• Daily video views are in the billions – Facebook is still the most popular social media platform in the world. People view over 4 billion videos on Facebook every single day. 
• Millions of hours are watched per day – All video content adds up to about 100 million hours of video watched via Facebook per day. This includes everything from short, teaser clips, to longer, narrated stories. 
• Videos drive results for your business – Audiences engage with a Facebook video post  at a higher rate than they do with static posts. When you want your Facebook ads  to have an impact, videos as well as video thumbnails are  far more likely to do so.
• Most viewers watch videos without sound – Think the sound on your video ad is a key feature? That’s not usually the case. In fact, research shows that up to 85% of Facebook video is viewed without sound.² This could be the result of where people watch video on their mobile device (often in a public place). Or, it could be because people don’t like to hear loud advertisements.
• People spend more time looking at videos than static content – When you utilize videos for your ads, people engage more with this medium than its written counterpart. Static content tends to “fade out” in the feed, meaning many potential customers may miss your ad entirely.
• Certain video types garner a better hook rate  – An engaging opening is nearly paramount for a successful video post. What is hook rate? If you can keep a user’s attention for three seconds, the chances they’ll view the entire piece increases. 

So, Facebook video ads are a powerful tool for your business. Furthermore, Facebook makes it fairly easy to assess the performance of your ads using its  own built-in metrics. 

What Can You Learn from Facebook Video Ad Metrics?

Facebook videometrics tell a holistic story of your advertisement’s performance. The flagship metrics to track include but are not limited to: 

• Video impressions
• Reach
• Engagement
• Click-through rate
• Conversion rate
• Costs

When it comes to how to create successful Facebook video ads, these six metrics should come together to form the overall “health” of your video ad, no matter where it is in its maturity. 

Where Can You Find This Data?

To access this information, you need to go to the Ad Manager screen of your business Facebook account.³ From there, select the Columns tab. Choose the Video Engagement button. In this section, you can select the specific metric data you wish to view.

Metric #1: Video Impressions

One of the first Facebook metrics you’ll want to review is Facebook video impressions. This measurement provides you with information regarding how many times your ad reached a target audience member, based on:⁴ 

• The first time it appeared on their screen
• Second and third appearances on separate occasions
• The fact that it appeared on a real person’s screen, not a bot

The video doesn’t need to start playing to count as an impression—it just needs to appear in an individual’s feed.

Video impressions are important because they showcase how many times your ads are appearing on screens, which segues into our next metric—reach. 

Metric #2: Reach

Reach differs from impressions because it doesn’t measure how many times your video ad appears. Instead, it counts the number of unique users who encounter your content on their feed. Thus, it won’t measure repeats like impressions do. .

Reach isn’t just a passive metric. 

You can choose the reach objective when you’re setting up your video ads.⁵ This will instruct Facebook to try to reach as many individuals as possible as it runs your ad campaign. 

Reach is a powerful metric for:

• Growing your brand awareness
• Changing brand perception
• Increasing sales within a certain population

You can structure your ad to prioritize reach and then monitor the metric to ensure that it’s performing to your standards.

Metric #3: Engagement

Once your ad is live and (hopefully) reaching your target user count, it’s time to identify whether or not each viewer is  actually engaging with the content. Facebook uses the ranking of social media engagement to demonstrate:⁶

• How your ad is performing compared to others competing for the same audience
• The likelihood that people will click on, comment on, or react to your ad
• Where your ad ranks from below to above average with other similar ads

Armed with these insights, you can develop expectations about your ad and adjust your target audience or objectives as necessary.

Metric #4: Click-Through Rates (CTR)

Click-through rate is another extremely helpful Facebook ad metric you can use to evaluate how many people clicked on your ad. For example, if 500 people saw your ad and, of those, 50 clicked on it, your click-through rate would be 10%. 

Essentially, this metric showcases whether or not your ad generates enough interest to lead a user past your content and to your brand. If your ad is performing well in other categories but viewers aren’t diving deeper down the funnel, you might need to tweak your call to action or overall incentive. 

Metric #5: Conversion Rate

The next rung on the advertising ladder is conversion rate. This tells you how many people went through all of the above steps:

• Your ad reached their feed
• They watched your video
• Then they clicked on the ad 
• Finally, they performed the desired action

The desired action doesn’t always have to be a purchase. It might include providing contact information, completing a survey, or responding to a question. 

For example, if your ad’s objective was to collect contact information from potential customers and 10 of the 500 people who saw your ad in their feed submitted their email address, then your click-through rate is 2%.

Metric #6: Costs

Lastly, you should always monitor how much your ads cost to determine if your return on ad spend is being maximized. If you’re paying for an underperforming ad, you need to ensure that your budget isn’t compromised as you begin optimizing your campaign. 

In which case, you need to track the following: 

• Costs per click – Cost per click shows you how much it costs for every click your video ad earns. For example, if you pay $20 to run an ad and it reaches 1000 people, 40 of whom click on it, then your cost per click is $0.50.
• Costs per conversion – Cost per conversion shows you how much it costs for every purchase or other desired outcome your ad generates. So, if you pay $15 to run an ad and you end up with 20 total conversions, your cost per is $0.75.

Every company has a different budget for digital marketing and therefore, has a unique qualifier for what constitutes a successful or cost-effective ad. 

How Can You Improve Your Video Ad Metrics?

If your Facebook video ad metrics are returning less than favorable results, know that there are always areas you can optimize. A few improvements you can take include:  

• Study your competition and see how they craft their videos
• Improve the opening of your ads—the first three seconds are crucial
• Keep your ads short to avoid losing the audience’s attention
• Use numbers in the titles of your videos to attract more viewers
• Know your audience—Facebook users skew older than other social media platforms
• Create value by telling your audience why your product or service is important to them

However, if you want your Facebook video ads to yield results across every metric, you can always turn to expert social media management that understands the platform intimately. 

Boost Your Video Ad Performance with Power Digital Marketing

Video advertising on Facebook can be an incredibly powerful marketing tool. However, the creativity that champions your content needs to parallel the meticulousness you apply to your tracking metrics. 

Here at Power Digital, our digital marketing agency helps businesses reach their full potential with our marketing and technology solutions. When it comes to Facebook video ads, we create content that sings, monitor every metric, and optimize when results are falling short. 

If you’re in need of a Facebook ad partner, our internet marketing service can help craft a memorable campaign that converts. If you’re ready to get started, so are we. 

Sources: 

1. Statista. Facebook-Statistics and Facts. https://www.statista.com/topics/751/facebook/
2. Nieman Lab. Publishers Say 85 Percent of Facebook Video is Watched Without Sound. https://www.niemanlab.org/reading/publishers-say-85-percent-of-facebook-video-is-watched-without-sound/
3. Facebook. About Video Ad Metrics. https://www.facebook.com/business/help/1792720544284355?id=603833089963720
4. Facebook. Impressions. https://www.facebook.com/business/help/675615482516035
5. Facebook. About the Reach Objective. https://www.facebook.com/business/help/218841515201583?id=816009278750214
6. Facebook. About Engagement Rate Ranking. https://www.facebook.com/business/help/2351270371824148?helpref=search&sr=1&query=ad%20engagement

The post Facebook Video Ad Metrics to Watch in 2022 appeared first on Power Digital Marketing.

While this technique may boost your probability of reaching the most users possible, casting a wide net over online provinces—from Facebook to TikTok—is most effective when you have a social media strategy behind it. 

Enter the social media audit. 

Social media audits investigate your brand’s messaging to glean measurable, key pieces of data about your marketing performance—where you’re succeeding and where you could tighten the bolts. These audits can be enormously complex, but their logic is simple: if you know what’s resonating with your target audience, your creative team can replicate it. 

Let’s dive into what a social media audit entails. 

What Do Social Media Audits Accomplish?

Whether you’re popping champagne because your last video went viral or wondering why your artfully crafted posts aren’t garnering likes, every company has something to gain from tactfully conducted social media auditing.

The list of data points social media audits can index is long and nuanced. However, some of the most telling information includes:

• Which demographics are engaging with your content
• How users engage with your content
• When users engage with your content
• The reach of your post
• What makes users stop
• What keeps them scrolling
• The rate at which your following is growing
• Where the traffic to your profiles is coming from

Aside from offering immensely valuable information, they also work on another layer: helping you identify your brand’s core goals and values. The clearer you are on your core tenets, the better you’ll understand where your identity and your target audience’s  align (bullseye!).

Why Perform A Social Media Audit?

Maintenance and analysis are  paramount for any successful social media marketing campaign, no matter what authority it holds. Given the complexity and variables that come with the social channel, running a social media audit can benefit your brand in several ways:

• It’s a money-saver – If the forecasts are right, digital marketing spending will pass $200 billion within the next 3 years in the US alone.¹ No matter how much you’ve allocated to your marketing budget, social media audits can teach you which initiatives are working—and why—so that you can maximize your social media ROI.
• It bolsters content quality – Many companies ask themselves whether it’s better to have a lukewarm social media presence or to stay out of the fray altogether.² While how you position yourself online depends on your brand identity, a well-run social media audit should yield results that mean you won’t have to choose. 
• It’s a relationship-builder – Think of social media audits as a two-way mirror: not only do they provide information on your creative output, but they can also offer key information about who your customers are and what resonates with them. Remember, marketing is a two-way street. The better you know your consumer, the easier it will be to foster long-term relationships with them.
• It improves your company culture – Social media auditing isn’t just for optimizing your relationship with the public. When executed with care and tenacity, they can also enhance the relationships between your stakeholders—particularly those on your creative team. Having a data-backed social media marketing strategy is critical for working smarter and refining your output. As a result, you’ll extract the most out of your marketing budget and the creative engine behind your enterprise.

Running the numbers on your social media content can benefit nearly every element of your business, earning you significant returns in the long term. 

But here’s the kicker: no two marketing companies will conduct a social media audit the same way.

Truly effective social media audits deliver and then interpret data. Whether you opt to conduct your own or partner with a company with an internet marketing service versed in the science (and art) of social media audits, the most important result is actionable suggestions that can improve your: 

• Campaign performance
• Brand identity
• Customer relationships 
• Creative team’s visibility 

How To Conduct A Results-Driven Social Media Audit, Step By Step

Comprehensive social media audits are typically drafted by talented marketing agencies with technological and creative resources to foster and then articulate data. However, if you’re not ready to find a partner just yet, there are some best practices to keep in mind when generating an audit internally. 

Typically, social media audits start at the foundation. It’s a bottom-up approach. 

Before you begin, you need to know:

• What you’re testing (e.g. Instagram posts, TikTok videos, or TikTok videos reposted to Instagram)
• Why you’re testing it (e.g. Why did this image rake in 4k likes, while another only inspired a few hundred?)
• What do you hope to learn from conducting our audit (e.g. What copy makes YouTube viewers more inclined to subscribe?)

Every brand is different, and every marketing company takes a singular approach to its creative testing methodology. 

Nevertheless, the underlying logic is ubiquitous—each successful piece of social media content drives conversions for an explicit reason. 

Through social media audits, you uncover the driving force behind these successes. 

Step 1: Identify Your Content Type

From blog posts to podcasts, each content creation can be broken down into a series of elements, and each social media platform can offer valuable information about which “element” finds its footing and which slips away. 

Let’s say a supplement brand in the wellness sector wants to examine its short-form video content. Typically, every video can be divided into four parts:

• The hook – What is hook rate success? Video thumbnails or hooks are what make a user stop scrolling and start watching. The hook generally lasts about 3 seconds~.
• The callout – The callout or “meat” constitutes the video’s main purpose. The meat of a video may inform, persuade, or entertain a user so they stay engaged.
• Social proof – Social proof tempts users to follow you further after the video elapses. Ideally, proof makes people want to learn more about you, your product, or your service, but not every video requires social proof to get your message across.
• The CTA – CTAs, “end cards,” or LPs are the final moments of a video that encourage a conversation. Whether that’s making a purchase or clicking subscribe, every video should make your viewer’s next step crystal clear.

Facebook, for instance, offers companies a tremendous amount of data about video ads such as Facebook video ad metrics and Facebook video impressions through their platform. Using Facebook’s data, the supplement brand can learn information such as:

• Average viewing time for a single or multiple videos
• Which element of a video saw engagement lapse
• What percentage of viewers stuck around until the end
• Which elements made them click through to the next link

Remember, content marketing spans multiple media formats, and each format has its own unique grammar. Social media audits should identify your top 3 KPIs (key performance indicators) for each individual medium to learn which creative approaches complement each type of asset. 

Step 2: Keep Your Data Organized

If you’re conducting your company’s social media audit on your own, be sure to track down an organizational tool that can help you segment and qualify your findings. 

A social media audit tool that is organizational is critical for keeping track of a prodigious amount of information. They’ll also serve you well in future audits so that you can compare your performance over time. 

To start creating your information trove, your best bet is to recruit a visual organizing tool that can help you map the data you’re working with. 

To that end, embrace the template craze. 

If this is your first time performing an audit, there are myriad free or low-cost online organizers you can use to collect your data, many of which make it easy to collaborate with your colleagues. Keeping all of your information shareable and easy to retrieve will make it that much easier when it’s time to use the data for optimization. 

Step 3: Get To Know The Competition

The social media ecosystem can be competitive, but you can learn as much from your peers as you can from your social media audit. While you won’t be able to sneak a peek at your competitor’s data, you can gauge their performance from social media engagement. 

It may be worth your while to review:

• User comments, especially ones that express specific grievances or acclaim for a given brand
• User reviews, including questions users still have about products, services, or brand identity
• Brand value props, especially the ones associated with their most successful posts or content

If the infinite scroll teaches us anything, it’s that there’s more than enough room online for brands to thrive. 

Know thyself, know thy competition, and the easier it will be to build your unique identity and reach the consumers that are desperately waiting to meet you.

Make the Most Of Your Social Audit with Power Digital

Social media audits are your brand’s map, your compass, and your guide: they establish where you are, which direction you’re headed, and the kind of path you can pave to expedite your journey to success.

From dissecting content composition to helping craft a magnetic rebranding initiative, Power Digital’s digital marketing agency has the resources to fine-tune each dimension of your online presence.

For a social media audit that goes beyond data compilation and brand analysis, choose social media management that can weld insights into creative solutions. To start your brand’s holistic social media audit, reach out to us today. 

Sources: 

1. Statista. Digital advertising in North America – statistics & facts. https://www.statista.com/topics/5995/digital-advertising-in-north-america/#topicHeader__wrapper
2. The Guardian. Is a bad social media presence better than none at all? https://www.theguardian.com/voluntary-sector-network/2012/jul/24/bad-social-media-better-than-none

The post Social Media Audit: What Are They and Why Does Your Business Need One? appeared first on Power Digital Marketing.

The hook is the element of your video advertisement that snatches the consumer’s attention from the heady distractions of the Internet and directs it at your brand or business. It announces as quickly as possible that your product or service is just the thing the consumer has been looking for all along—even if they didn’t know it.

That description may make a good hook sound like magic, but the truth is, there are practical ways to determine just how effective your ad is to lure in consumers and hold  their focus. The methodology for measuring those qualities is what’s known as the hook rate.

But what is hook rate success more specifically and how do you measure hook rates on video ads? And what are the benefits of knowing it? We’ll go over all of that and more below, including simple steps  on how you can gain a faster  hook rate and elevate your video ad campaign. 

Hook Rate Explained 

A hook rate measures how quickly your video ad manages to lure  consumers. To determine a video’s hook rate, you divide a certain number of video seconds by the number of impressions, or viewers of the video, gained during that time.¹

The amount of time you use in your calculation depends on the platform where your ad appears. 

As an example, here’s how you would measure the hook rates of video ads appearing on two popular social media platforms: 

Facebook – To measure the hook rates of Facebook ads, divide three seconds of video by the number of impressions gained. 

TikTok – For TikTok ads, the hook rate is measured by dividing the number of impressions by two seconds of video. 

The hook rate is also known as a thumb stop rate because so many consumers scroll through the Internet on mobile devices using their thumbs. The goal of any successful video ad is to stop thumbs mid-scroll.

Hook rates or thumb stop rates are handy ways of figuring out which video ads are successfully attracting consumers and which are getting lost in the scroll. They can also be useful in estimating an ad’s long-term success.¹

Why Are Hook Rates Important? 

Aside from helping you figure out how well your ad is performing, hook rates can be valuable tools for optimizing your video advertisement strategy. This is because the success of online video advertisements sinks or swims on the strength of their ability to immediately grab the attention of consumers.

Video ads are an increasingly popular form of digital marketing, (just ask Forbes²). More and more, brands and businesses are recognizing the importance of reaching consumers on the platforms they use most in the mediums that most appeal to them. In fact, according to recent reports, 92% of marketers who incorporate video into their digital strategies consider it vitally important.³ 

But the popularity of video ads means that the demand for consumer attention is higher than ever. Seizing that attention long enough to sell a consumer on your product means crafting video ads that dazzle right away. And because hook rates essentially measure how well a video ad does that, determining yours can help you:

• Craft more enticing and effective ads
• Determine how your ads fare across different platforms 
• Determine your social media engagement 

5 Tips for Creating Video Content That Hooks Consumers

When you go fishing, there are a few tools you need if you plan on catching anything, like a fishing rod, a hook, and bait. But even with the best fishing rod and the tastiest bait, you won’t catch a fish if your hook isn’t up to snuff. 

When it comes to video content marketing, the rules aren’t too different. 

A video with a faster hook rate that makes a sharp impression on viewers within a few seconds, will make a splash and keep your marketing campaigns swimming along beautifully. 

How do you create a video ad that manages to snare consumers right away? Here are five tips for building ads that hook consumers, stop thumbs, and convert impressions into sales.

#1 Make Every Second Count

As we mentioned, the first few seconds of your video are among the most crucial for retaining the attention of your audience. When you spark the imagination right away, consumers will be spellbound, eager to hear what you have to say next. That means you need to milk those first few seconds for everything their worth.

That’s where your hook comes into play. If you want thumbs to do a double-take (so to speak) when your content appears, you can bolster the first few seconds of your video by: 

• Presenting a solution to a relatable problem – Advertising is all about anticipating why consumers would need a given product and tapping into the ways it can improve their life. The best ad hooks present a relatable problem to consumers and position the product or service as the most effective solution. 

• Introducing a narrative – Use the beginning of your ad to begin building the story around which your ad is structured. Introduce the stakes right away so that consumers become interested in sticking around for the resolution.
• Being creative – Creativity is key to any successful ad, video or otherwise. For your ad to stand out, it needs to be new and original. Offering consumers a new perspective or inciting them with an unexpected take on a familiar situation should be among your top goals. 

#2 Get Personal 

In an age where virtually everything we encounter on the Internet has been parsed and picked by the algorithm to appeal to us individually, consumers expect advertisements to feel like everything else about being online: that it’s about them first. 

When it comes to video ads that work, don’t be afraid to get personal.

Many brands and businesses are already using personalized video ads in their digital marketing strategies.⁴ Some of the ways they’re doing this are  by addressing the consumer by name or tailoring ad information to reflect the consumer’s:

• Profession
• Demographic details like age and gender identity 
• Geographic location
• Lifestyle

#3 Keep It Short 

Brevity is the name of the game when it comes to online video ads that work. That’s part of why packing the beginning of your ad with the material that will attract consumers most and increase your hook rate is so important. 

These days, audiences lack both the time and the interest for long, meandering video ads. According to a survey by Invesp, nearly half of consumers interviewed said that online video ads should be 15 seconds or shorter, echoing the suggestions of major sellers of video ad space like Facebook. Therefore, when you are learning about how to create successful Facebook video ads and video ads on other platforms, they must be quick and to the point⁵ 

When you focus on telling the fullest story in as succinct a manner as possible, you’ll have an easier time figuring out which elements of your ad will create the most effective hook. 

#4 Craft a Quality Thumbnail

In many cases, users are likely to encounter a thumbnail of your video ad before the ad itself. The thumbnail is like a preview for your ad that can be a static image, gif, or video snippet. It encourages consumers to view your ad. 

But video thumbnails can also affect your hook rate. This is because the quality of the video thumbnail has been linked to the level of attention consumers pay to your full ad, according to a study conducted by the Columbia Business School.⁶ Selecting the right ad frame for your video thumbnail can help increase the attention consumers pay to your ad by:

• Up to 14% overall 
• Up to 16% at the most important part of your ad, known as the attention-peak

When you combine a fantastic thumbnail with a compelling hook, you increase your ad’s chances of succeeding. 

#5 Advertise Your Strengths

No matter if you run a huge, multinational conglomerate or a locally owned small business, you know that when it comes to promoting your brand, you are your own best advocate. And when it comes to videos that jump off screens and into consumer consciousness, you should also be the biggest. This is why it is important to find a branding agency that is wanting to fully support your creative ideas.

Your video ad is your chance to shine, so don’t shy away from letting consumers know why you rank above the competition. Audiences will be more likely to sit through the first few seconds of your ad if you can: 

• Get them interested in your brand’s story
• Make them curious about your brand’s unique qualities and benefits
• Relate your product or service to their lives 

Maximize Your Hook Rate with Power Digital Marketing 

Hook rates or thumb stop rates are just one metric for tracking and evaluating the performance of individual online video ads. But measuring the success of an entire digital marketing campaign isn’t as simple as making a few calculations. 

Working with a digital marketing agency is a surefire way to build, launch, and track the performance of online ad campaigns. And when you entrust your digital marketing to Power Digital, you gain access to our internet marketing service which uses the most innovative marketing tools to build custom campaigns that work for you. Then, we’re constantly monitoring your campaign with our social media management so that it’s always optimized to achieve the best results. 

Power Digital Marketing has the tools to elevate your brand and grow your business. Get your proposal today. 

Sources: 

1. Thesis. Benchmarking Facebook Video Ads Hook Rates. https://www.thesistesting.com/insights/benchmarking-tiktok-video-hook-rates 
2. Forbes. How Video Will Impact the Online Marketplace in the New Year. https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescommunicationscouncil/2022/02/14/how-video-will-impact-the-online-marketplace-in-the-new-year/?sh=370f96c6690d
3. Wyzowl. Video Marketing Statistics | New Data for 2022. https://www.wyzowl.com/video-marketing-statistics/ 
4. Brid. Personalized Video—How and Why Brands Should Use It. https://www.brid.tv/personalized-video-ads/#0-what-is-personalized-video 
5. Invesp. Online Video Advertising—Statistics and Trends. https://www.invespcro.com/blog/online-video-advertising/ 
6. Real Eyes. Radically Boost Video Attention by Using a Happy-Peak Frame Thumbnail. https://blog.realeyesit.com/boost-video-attention-by-using-a-happy-frame-thumbnail
7. Thesis. Benchmarking TikTok Video Hook Rates. https://www.thesistesting.com/insights/benchmarking-tiktok-video-hook-rates 
8. Facebook. How Video Ads Work on Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/business/ads/video-ad-format?content_id=YtrGusNiDrnTETV&ref=sem_smb&utm_source=GOOGLE&utm_medium=fbsmbsem&utm_campaign=PFX_SEM_G_BusinessAds_US_EN_Brand_BMM_Desktop_Top&utm_content=Ads-Video_Evaluating&kenid=_k_CjwKCAjwo8-SBhAlEiwAopc9W3xCR6W_YtxuaYIX00vsFAV0HVgGDyxK0HdlXgt7DuEfvH2VVl8myRoCraYQAvD_BwE_k_&utm_term=%2Bfacebook%20%2Bvideo%20%2Badvertising&utm_ct=EVG&gclid=CjwKCAjwo8-SBhAlEiwAopc9W3xCR6W_YtxuaYIX00vsFAV0HVgGDyxK0HdlXgt7DuEfvH2VVl8myRoCraYQAvD_BwE

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