Using Social Media to Drive Sales During COVID-19

During a crisis, 55% of Americans turn to social media for information, as well as a way to connect and come together during a time of worry. Social media plays a huge role when it comes to having a crisis communication plan, as brands need to strategize their next steps during this time. COVID-19 has created a time of uncertainty for everyone, but by driving people into their homes, social media marketing has been on the rise. Brands typically tend to struggle during tough times like these, as they don’t know which approach to take in producing appropriate content. Managing a variety of social media accounts during a time of uncertainty can be extremely overwhelming, but Bright Age is here to help you!

Using social media to market your brand during a time of crisis is beneficial since in this case, the public is constantly refreshing their social media accounts looking for posts to engage with, as that is one of the few interactions they can receive. Since there is a large demand for online content, this gives brands an opportunity to utilize their social media strategies to steer customers towards purchasing their product.

Let’s look at a few ways to use social media to drive sales during this time!

Demand for Content

With the public in self-quarantine, there has been a significant increase in social media use. This provides a chance for brands to create a large amount of content, showing that the brand is supportive, yet continuing on in a positive demeanor to sell their product/services. Producing content that followers can engage with is an important strategy as it will steer the follower to be intrigued and eventually continue on to the website or account to find out more about the brand and its products. Keeping your social media presence known during a time of crisis and producing more content is important for followers to keep your brand top of mind.

 

Social Media Listening & Monitoring

Due to the increased number of users active on social media during a crisis, having an updated social media monitoring and listening strategy is a beneficial resource to have in your back pocket. Monitoring audience on different social media platforms is important in order to understand what your target audience is looking for and to create a post referring to your customers’ needs. By doing so, your customers will acknowledge that your brand is attentive and actively listening to their requests. Social media monitoring is important to engage with your following and to increase the maximum amount of potential customers reached.

 

Support your Community

By supporting your local community, it allows the locals to see your response to the situation. Having a positive, influential message shown through your social media platforms, aimed to support your local community and the people in it, creates a relationship between the community and the brand. Locals will want to support a brand who is showing their efforts to assist the community, as well as its employees. One of our clients, Galaxy Theatres created a promotional campaign, where customers are able to purchase a giant $25 bag of popcorn and receive a complimentary $25 gift card, being featured at 12 out of their 15 locations. This campaign allows Galaxy Theatres to maximize their efforts in receiving a profit, while also being able to support their local community.

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During a crisis like this, it is unpredictable as to how long it is going to last. This unprecedented crisis has created a need for social media marketing, as now it is important to keep producing content to post on different social media platforms to get followers to engage with. Social media has become the only available solution to interacting with potential customers. Contact Bright Age today, as we can assist you in keeping your social media presence prominent within this time of uncertainty!

The Importance of A/B Testing a Social Media Campaign

No matter what type of brand you are, your audience should always be at the top of your list, revolving around everything. If something isn’t resonating with a large portion of your audience, you may not be going in the right direction. A/B testing is essentially the process of evaluating the cost per result of each social media advertisement, so you can make the decision on which ads to keep. This is a great way to make sure your content is resonating with your target audience. The ability to take logical test results and apply them to marketing strategies is the key to projecting content for a specific target audience. As a social media marketing agency, this is what Bright Age does. This article highlights reasoning behind the importance of A/B testing a social media campaign.

Transparency

Being transparent within marketing and creative teams is essential for maintaining a strong brand. Increasing awareness, which is measured by likes, impressions, link clicks, engagement, and content views is considered organic. Anything that zeros in on acquisition through direct response is considered paid. As a social media marketing agency, which is a B2B company, we primarily focus on our clients’ goals relating to their social media channels. Being transparent allows all aspects of their goals to been seen from different aspects, and through the eyes of each of our marketing specialist. A/B testing requires transparency between all parts of our creative team.

Start with one main goal

The first thing you should do when A/B testing is gather information to form a hypothesis, which acts as the starting point for your test. This hypothesis should be clear, being able to show proof, and back up detailed assumptions. The key is to start broad and then focus more on specifics. For example, if you are testing a social media campaign, a social media marketing agency would first get a cost goal for an advertisement, and then zero in and see the more expensive ones. Then you can develop a plan on which campaign to present, based on the cost per result for each ad image. Once you focus in on specific metrics that identify what is successful and what is not, you can get more specific on what it is you’re testing.

A/B testing is an opportunity for relationship building

At Bright Age, our analytics team gets together often to discuss testing results. This helps us determine new goals, while simultaneously creating an environment in which all of our thoughts and ideas come together in one creative space. Collaboration lets everyone share their opinions about social media campaigns we can test in the future.

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Testing on a tight budget

Whether you are running a paid, or an organic, free of charge ad, if you do not have much of a budget for testing, there is no need to worry, just run a test for the organic ad first. If those organic ads are working, you can either put that toward paid, or create a case for using paid ads in the future, with results from the success of your organic ad. If you have a small budget and want to get started in paid ads, boosting is a great way to do so. For example, if one of your organic ads is doing well, you do not necessarily need to create a new ad. You can just put a small amount of money behind it and see it reach a larger audience.

Determine what works best for you and your team

A/B testing is a versatile way to run things, so what works for one idea, may not work for the others. At Bright Age, we run A/B tests for social ads. Regardless of what you choose to use testing on, reaching statistical significance is a key factor because it quantifies whether a result is random, or if it is due to a factor of interest. For example, if your goal is to get 20,000 link clicks, you will determine the outcome once the post reaches your 20,000 link click goal, or once it reaches statistical significance. With this said, goals vary immensely due to factors of interest, your budget, and the individuals you are working with.

The bottom line

As with everything in life, A/B testing is a learning experience. It does not have to be complex, however it does take time to set goals into place. Being flexible and having patience are crucial because you may need to run tests multiple times for a social media campaign before meeting your targeted goal. Also, if you are to set a lower cost per acquisition and you changed the content type, you may need to figure out a new test. There is no “one size fits all” when dealing with A/B testing, especially in a creative atmosphere. If you don’t reach your intended goal, keep trying. At Bright Age, our creative specialists take testing very seriously to achieve ultimate optimization, while taking each challenge as a learning experience.

Top 5 Useful Tools for Content Creation

Whether you’re a marketing strategist or graphic designer, you know that content creation can be harder than it looks. Sure, it may look like there’s nothing to it, but designers know just the right concoction of ingredients to make a social media spread look personable and engaging. Of course, without social content these days, you’re losing potential consumers. So, putting out fresh designs regularly is important to keep a brand going. Creating content alone can feel daunting, especially if you don’t know where to start or you don’t know what to use. If you are struggling to find the right tools to make your company’s web presence stand out, look no further! We’re here to help. Here are the top 5 tools that can help make your brand stand out on all social media platforms.

 

Content Copy

Google Trends

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It’s important to see what other people are talking about online to make a dent in the market. Google Trends does just that. The popularity of search words across regions, timespans, and languages are analyzed through Google’s algorithms and brought to your fingers. Don’t worry. You don’t need to input much of anything in order to get the results you need. Free to use, this tool is a must-have to strategize your content process. If you’re unsure of what types of content to publish, you can go ahead and check out our previous blog article, Types of Content and How to Implement them Into Your Social Media Strategy.

 

Image Selection

Unsplash

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It’s important to have great photography selections in your content creation. If you aren’t looking to spend money on one photo from Shutterstock or Getty Images, stock photo websites like Unsplash can allow for a stunning design that is free to use. Unsplash has its own license that lets users use their images for free as long as you don’t use them for creating a competing website. (We are huge fans of Unsplash here at Bright Age!)

 

Photo Editing and Graphics Creation

Adobe Creative Suite

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It goes without saying that Adobe Creative Suite is an industry standard for a reason. Their selection of tools has endless possibilities and creating a cohesive look across all social media platforms have never been easier with their Libraries feature. (Uncertain about how to create a cohesive look? Check out our previous blog,  Ways to Create A Seamless Brand Identity Across All Social Media Platforms.) From creating logos, to vector art in Adobe Illustrator, to editing photography in Photoshop, all the way to designing a website in Dreamweaver, Adobe has it all and much more. At a content creation agency, like Bright Age, the Adobe Creative Suite is critical to have at your disposal. It may not be easy to learn when picking it up for the first time. However, you can choose a monthly plan that is right for you and your business. Unsure? There is also a Free Trial promo.

 

Social Media Monitoring & Publishing

Sprout Social

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At Bright Age, we’re huge fans of Sprout Social as well! Rather than handling one social media account at a time, we can access and monitor social media engagement across all platforms like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram. Sprout Social is a one-stop location where you can manage everything from content curation, scheduling, publishing, reporting and analytics. As mentioned in our other blog article,  How to Form a Social Media Monitoring Strategy, you can look at all sorts of audience engagement like tagged photos, keywords, hashtags, locations and much more with Sprout Social all at once. Efficiency is the name of the game with this useful application.

 

URL Shorteners

Bitly

content creation agency

Long, messy links have been known to look unappealing on a social media post. They also draw attention away from your message and reduce the likelihood of your audience clicking on content that you’re trying to share. To combat this, Bitly cleans up your inputted link into a digestible bite. You can use it for free or pay to get more exclusive features like adding keywords, campaign trackers, and branding your links.

 

While it’s important to create great design and layout for your content, it is also equally crucial to have great post copy. Post copy ties into your posts to make them more attractive and inviting. Creating copy in tandem with graphics can be a tedious and difficult thing to do on your own, especially if you don’t have the resources and know-how. You’ll want to partner with a content creation agency, like Bright Age, with a background in social media marketing and strategies. We can help you create everything you need to establish a powerful social media presence. Talk to us today to see how we can help your brand reach its full potential!

The Effect of TikTok on Social Media Marketing

Is your company looking for a new way to market to the younger generation? Consider working with a social media agency in Los Angeles to introduce you to TikTok, a new social media app that is trending within Gen Z and averaging over 500 million users daily. TikTok has become the new face of social media, combining qualities found in Instagram and Snapchat into one, giving users the opportunity to further elevate their creative content.

A variety of brands have used TikTok as a tool to market their products to this generation, as a majority of their screen time is spent on the app. A vast amount of millennials are still joining  TikTok, as it is a continuously growing community. 90% of millennials say authenticity is a big factor when it comes to choosing which brands to support, so what better way for brands to show authenticity than by creating a connection through marketing influential products on their favorite app?

social media agency in Los Angeles Image of TikTok on iPhone

Ways Brands Can Market on TikTok

TikTok provides different options for brands to be able to promote their products or services on the app. First, brands are given the opportunity to create their own channel and upload a series of videos focusing on their specific products used in daily life. Within this strategy, brands can show a real-life demonstration on how their product is used, creating a desire for the product, as consumers can see how it could be beneficial within their daily life while showing relatability at the same time. Brands need to show constant relatability through their channel since millennials are turning over to TikTok, rather than other trending social media platforms. Allowing brands to create and manage their own content is beneficial, showing authenticity and relatability to the consumers while being on the app.

Second, brands are able to utilize different influencers to show off their product to a well-targeted audience. On TikTok, there is a vast number of influencers to choose from, who reach millions of views in one day. If consumers see their favorite influencer on TikTok promoting a certain brand or using a new product, it is more likely that a fan will follow in their footsteps and purchase the product as well.

Lastly, brands can pay to advertise by using TikTok’s new campaign options. Brands can choose from a selection of different ad types that include brand takeover, creating a hashtag challenge, Snapchat-style 2D lens filters for photos, and an in-feed ad that pops up within the video queue as users are scrolling through their feed.

Let’s take a look at some recent marketing campaigns that have used TikTok to reach a bigger audience!

Recent Campaigns on TikTok

Recently, there has been a successful social media marketing tactic developed through TikTok that helps brands create an interactive campaign in order to gain more exposure among users. Guess was the first brand to have a TikTok campaign in September 2018, by having a variety of influencers do a before and after transformation. The elevated use of Guess apparel influenced users to do the same, showing off their own Guess apparel, or purchasing some to be able to participate in the hashtag campaign. The #InMyDenim challenge allowed users to show off their latest fashion looks, while advertising Guess Jeans in order to tie the look all together, giving users the opportunity to be creative but also showing off the product as well.

Social media agency in Los Angeles screenshot of Guess TikTok campaign to show example

Consequently, other brands followed in their path and created marketing campaigns as well to  build brand awareness, after seeing the results from the Guess campaign. The Hair Care Brand Marc Anthony True Professional, recognized an extreme growth in sales after being mentioned on TikTok. Within the #StrictlyCurls campaign, users were encouraged to document themselves purchasing the product, showing off the bottle and their hair before using the product, and the results following usage. Within a month, the campaign had over four million video views using the hashtag #StrictlyCurls and saw a 60% increase of sales for that specific product, as well as  “significant increases” on other Strictly Curls products.

TikTok has become a frontrunner in social media marketing, giving brands the opportunity to reach a new demographic in a creative and relatable way! Work with a social media agency in Los Angeles today to get your brand featured on TikTok!

 

 

 

 

Types of Content and How to Implement them Into Your Social Media Strategy

With the increasing trend of social media, visual content marketing is one of the most popular digital marketing strategies. A developed visual brand identity is necessary when creating brand trust and recognition. Let’s look at how you can maximize the potential of these platforms for your marketing campaigns. 

65% of the population describes themselves as visual learners. With vision being our most dominant sense, brands should position their marketing strategy around visual content to create a positive user experience. This will generate more views per post and increase conversion rates. Visual content is easier to digest, which helps get your message to users faster. You should incorporate videos, images, and gifs into your social postings to drive engagement. 

 

Videos

Posting video gives users more insight to who you are as a brand and builds trust. Video content tends to generate more engagement with users because they are forced to stop scrolling and pay an extra second of attention to the post. This allows you more time to grab the user’s attention. Keep your video short and simple, as videos that are under a minute long with subtitles tend to perform better. Partnering with a social media agency that specializes in content creation will help you produce high quality videos that will capture your audience’s attention.Social Media Agency screenshot of tasty instagram story content creation

Tasty, a food network company, uses videos on their social platforms to showcase tutorials of easy food recipes that can be made at home. Their recipes are simple, and their videos are usually under a minute. This model works for Tasty and results in high engagement from people sharing their posts with friends. 

 

Gifs

Gifs can help you explain difficult ideas while adding visual variety to your feed. They are eye-catching and easy to consume because they are short in length. In addition, gifs are effective at communicating a message quickly. You can express your brand’s personality while developing a brand identity if used correctly. Post gifs to tell a story, explain a process or introduce a product. Social Media agency screenshot of glossier gif content creation

Glossier, a skincare and makeup company, uses this strategy when promoting products. Gifs help them answer common questions like what the texture, color and size of the product is, how it should be used, etc. By using gifs, Glossier is able to educate users on their products in a quick way. 

 

Images

Images are a strategic way to capture users’ attention and encourage them to engage. In fact, posts that use images are ten times more likely to get engagement. You should share images that resonate with your target audience. Make sure to change the style of images you use from time to time to avoid boredom and repetition. By posting the same image on multiple platforms, you build a consistent brand identity.Social media agency screenshot of Merkrete instagram post content creation

Merkrete is a company that offers tile and stone installation. Their social media uses mostly photos and picture collages. They use this format to show before and after pictures of their projects and the work that they do. This allows potential customers to browse their past work to decide if they want to hire the company.

Because creating content can be difficult and tedious to do on your own, you may want to partner with a social media agency. Bright Age Digital Creative Agency has a background in content creation and social media marketing. Our services can help you save time and increase your audience engagement.

Taking Advantage of the Skip-Ad/Click-Through Generation

Skip ad in 5, 4, 3, 2… click. Reaching your target audience is already a challenging task as it is, but now brands are faced with the challenge of creating lasting impressions on platforms that allow their users to skip or swipe-through advertised content. Today, many platforms have adopted these skip-ad abilities in order to create a more suitable advertising experience for their users. Most notable of these platforms is YouTube, where 65 percent of viewers skip advertisements. In the same way, Instagram Stories allows its users to swipe through advertisements that are inserted between stories. Though it may seem a daunting concept, as an advertising agency we find that these ads entail many benefits when properly taken advantage of. For users, it’s control. And for your brand, it’s better insight to your audience.

No Hard Feelings: User-Control

In an increasingly portable world, it’s important for your brand to evolve with the changing habits of consumers. More than ever, people are interacting closely with

brands on digital platforms, and they seek to do so in a way that is convenient and quick—through social media advertising. As users cling to their ability to curate their feeds, it’s becoming more necessary for your brand to reach your target audience in an unobtrusive and organic manner. Overall, it’s better to have someone skip or swipe through your advertisement than to be frustrated with your brand. As an advertising agency, Bright Age believes advertisements should add value to your brand, not intrude on your audience.

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Measurability: Precision Targeting

59% of millennials opt for skipping out on advertisements, so how can this possibly ever benefit your brand’s marketing? It’s simple: A low inclination to skip means a higher inclination to buy. When running a social media campaign for your brand on platforms such as YouTube or Instagram, those who skip through your advertisements are not interested, while the options to skip or click through offer a user-friendly experience. Instagram Insights, for instance, gives specific metrics including reach, impressions, and video metrics that will ensure your next advertisement budget is better spent on those who are engaging with your brand.

Reaching Your Audience: Preventing Swipe-Throughs

With skip and click-through options, traditional marketing methods will not always cut it. Therefore, brands are facing the unique challenge of creating content that will quickly and effectively engage “skippers.”

Get Your Message Out Quickly

60% of Instagram stories are viewed with the sound on, so users swiping through are likely to hear your advertisement. On platforms with skip and click-through abilities, it is important for your brand to maximize the first few seconds of your advertisement. Successful social media campaigns, like Spotify’s and Airbnb’s, will include attention-grabbing components, such as music, large font, and reputable branding and design.

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Utilize an Advertising Agency

As consumer buying habits on social media platforms grow quickly, advertisers are increasing their budgets for social media campaigns on digital channels, such as YouTube and Instagram. To truly take advantage of the precision targeting that skippable advertisements make possible, utilize an advertising agency that will identify, target, and create social media campaigns ahead of the pace of current user habits. As an advertising agency, we know one thing is for sure– skip and click-through ads are not going anywhere soon, so let us help you navigate them.

Advantages of Using a Social Media Agency vs. Creating an In-House Team

Are you debating hiring a social media agency or creating your own in-house team? Do you have a marketing goal but are confused about which strategy is the best option for you and your company? Let’s take a look at the benefits and differences between working with a social media agency vs. creating an in-house team.

 

The Team

In-house social media agencies can be structured like traditional agencies but only have one client – themselves. To create an in-house agency, you have to build a knowledgeable and passionate team. The team may consist of current employees, but employers often have to take the time to find the perfect individuals to come aboard. By hiring an agency, you are hiring experienced individuals who are skilled in all of the necessary components that enable a successful social marketing campaign.

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Communication is Key

Having an in-house team may provide you with faster communication because you are usually working in the same space, but hiring a social media agency doesn’t mean that you won’t be a part of the process. If you are worried that partnering with an agency will result in you losing your voice, remember that it’s the agency’s job to know their client. Agencies will consult with you throughout the process and get your input from start to finish. They have an outside perspective and can oftentimes see things more clearly than you, allowing for more innovative content that will capture your audience. 

 

Money Money Money 

Building an in-house team is an investment because of the necessity to bring new employees on board. By hiring an agency, you save from paying higher payroll taxes, healthcare costs and more employee salaries. You are also getting an experienced, well rounded team with people dedicated to specific roles. A social media agency is worth the cost and will help optimize your campaigns with constant monitoring. Inexperience may lead you to pay for clicks that you don’t want. Since marketing and advertising have the potential to offer a large return on investment, you should consider outsourcing to an experienced agency. social media agency

 

Saves You Time

Using a social media agency can save you valuable time. Running a business means you probably don’t have enough time or people to give an ad the commitment and energy it needs. Creating an in-house team can also take months of preparation and training. By hiring an agency, you are getting an established team that is trained and knows how to work efficiently. An agency’s structure will help get things done on time and on budget. 

 

End Goal

You should consider using a social media agency if you want to expand your brand recognition. Agencies specialize in market research and can help identify your target market through key demographic and interactions. They can also help create different ads for multiple media platforms and publish daily content to grow your online presence.

 

Choose Us

Since online digital marketing is a very multifaceted industry, it’s in your best interest to work with an experienced team that has a track record of success. Bright Age Digital Creative Agency offers a full range of services depending on your needs: digital marketing, social media management, content creation, SEO and more. Our team can create and execute a marketing strategy that aligns with your unique goals while keeping you involved in the entire process.