It’s clear that traditional advertising methods are no longer the best way to reach customers. In fact, only 56% of Americans report that they watch cable television this year – down 20% since 2015. In its place, social media is a powerful tool to get your brand in front of the largest pool of customers.
Social media platforms gather large amounts of data on their users, all of whom are viewing content in real time. This empowers businesses to use this behavioural information to place highly targeted ads in qualified user’s feeds.
Social media is addictive by design, meaning that these platforms and the large amount of time users spend on them are prime grounds for advertising. Social media algorithms – the rules and codes by which certain content appears or does not appear on certain feeds – are shrouded in secrecy to protect the organic content so integral to these sites.
YouTube, for example, deploys a personalized algorithm that keeps users on the site by constantly suggesting new videos to them based on their previous activity. This algorithm alone is responsible for more than 70% of the time spent on the site.
In this article, we will delve into the awesome power of social media marketing and how companies can “hack” into Youtube, TikTok, and Instagram algorithms to tell consumers what products or services to buy.
Social media algorithms as marketing tools
By mastering social media algorithms, your company can spoon-feed customers products and services that interest them in an organic, subtle way. The treasure trove of data available allows companies to reach social media users by blending their ads naturally into their main feed. Ads can be hyper-tailored to audiences, thus enhancing the likelihood that once a post is viewed, it will generate a sale.
Companies can cater to algorithms that capitalize on recent trends. They can do this by creating curated, engaging content that falls in line with the product or service they are selling. Using the power of AI, social media posts can be expertly targeted to specific demographics, which can then guide consumer decisions.
In fact, many consumer decisions being made are heavily guided by the content, trends, and conversations started on social media. By hacking these addictive algorithms that keep users scrolling, you can superpower your marketing messages and encourage users to subconsciously think of your products or services.
How to hack the algorithms
Let’s take a look at how to understand and utilize the algorithms of some of the most popular social media platforms.
YouTube: The rabbit hole effect
Youtube has a way of drawing people in like internet quicksand. By suggesting related videos to people who are already on the platform, 2 minutes spent watching an instructional video on home improvement can quickly turn to 45 minutes on the history of haunted houses. During this time, users are peppered with relevant marketing ads that tie in to the interesting content they are watching.
To hack YouTube, companies should become highly involved in a specific niche or subgenre of videos. Aim to create content in line with the already established viewership base. This genre-specific content should be as creative, varied, and engaging as possible, with your product or service constantly being subtly plugged into the overall message.
If your company is struggling to create unique and fascinating content, you can always engage with a social media influencer through sponsorships. Or, you can opt to hire a reputable company that can help create a visual content strategy for your brand.
For companies who need help on a specific marketing campaign but are not willing to hire a full-time team, finding a freelance expert to help can be pivotal in boosting your sales. For example, you can expect to pay between $40 to $60 an hour for an experienced freelance developer who can optimize the visuals of your website and help you craft a landing page. There are many freelance workers who can assist your company in creating high-quality blog and social media posts, and these workers often base their pay on the project, not by the hour.
Instagram: A visual paradise for showcasing your product or service
Instagram relies heavily on visuals and still photography, making it a dream platform for retailers selling physical goods, especially beauty and fashion products. Marketers have discovered that Instagram is a go-to app for those that want to feel inspired and be visually engaged.
Products and services are often portrayed as life-changing, or part of an important life hack that will make you as successful as the social media influencers you see on your feed. In fact, one-third of the top stories on Instagram are generated by marketing campaigns rather than real users.
Furthermore, Instagram has excellent e-commerce tools that are compatible with Apple Pay and Android Pay, allowing users to buy products with one click. In addition to investing in your company website, you can use Instagram to allow your customers to easily purchase from your site without ever leaving the app. Facebook, the owner of Instagram, empowers companies with effective and easy-to-use resources that enable them to successfully launch and monitor ad campaigns on their platform.
TikTok: The Gen Z birthplace for new trends
We’ve all heard of Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube. However, the recently developed social media platform TikTok is already making waves in the marketing sector. TikTok is a Beijing-based subsidiary of the Chinese tech company ByteDance, and it’s proven to be massively popular among younger viewers.
New trends are increasingly breaking grounds on TikTok, meaning this platform is a must for marketers to engage in. Companies can learn about current trends or create content around new topics in order to boost their sales. By staying attuned to new ideas and behaviors among consumers, marketing departments can craft ads that are culturally intelligent, relevant, and more likely to resonate with viewers.
For example, Beats by Dr Dre launched a successful interactive social media marketing campaign on the platform, generating more than 7.1 billion views and 460 related posts. The #BeatsDaisyChallenge involved teaming up with rapper Ashnikko and creating a series of challenges that invited the TikTok community to engage with their brand on an organic level.
TikTok influencers aren’t paid out by the platform, and TikTok is known to tightly control which trends gain traction on the platform. However, marketing companies have bypassed this by sponsoring influencers who already have proven popularity. You can learn more about TikTok marketing by visiting their TikTok for Business support page, which provides users with expert level advice on how to maximize ad campaigns.
Conclusion
Users love social media because it constantly provides them with highly tailored content based on what interests them. Social media is a constant source of breaking news, exciting information, inspiration, and entertainment. By finding ways to naturally and subtly embrace the fun and engaging aspects of social media in your marketing campaigns, you can expect to see solid results for your company and brand perception.
This post was written by Nahla Davies, a software developer and tech writer. Before devoting her work full time to technical writing, she managed—among other intriguing things—to serve as a lead programmer at an Inc. 5,000 experiential branding organization whose clients include Samsung, Time Warner, Netflix, and Sony.
