4 Amazing Tips from Social Media Marketing: The Movie

How should businesses set up a social media strategy that delivers?

How much is organic reach dropping on social media and how fast are social ads exploding?

What does a social content strategy look like? How often should brands post content on social media?

Those are some of the questions I set out to answer with Social Media Marketing: The Movie.

To answer those questions, I interviewed some of the best and brightest in the industry, including Jay Baer, Michael Stelzner, Brenda Ster, Joel Comm, Mari Smith, Sue Zimmerman, Leslie Samuel, Sunny Lenarduzzi, Viveka von Rosen and Amy Landino.

They gave me some insights I hadn’t thought about before. Let me share some of their ideas here.

1. Connect With an Experience

Leslie Samuel is a content marketing expert and runs a business teaching people how to blog.

When I spoke with him about social media marketing, he told me that individuals can beat big brands by telling personal stories.

He also said that he uses blogging to connect with an experience.

That’s right. He’s not necessarily trying to connect with people. He’s trying to connect with an experience.

According to Samuel, you should approach online marketing by asking this question: “How can I create an experience for my community that develops around my brand or my service?”

Then, develop a content strategy in line with the answer to that question.

Check the Starbucks Twitter feed for an example of a brand that’s mastered the art of creating an experience. Think about what you know of the Starbucks target market as you browse through the feed.

Likewise, Playstation does a fabulous job of generating a gaming experience on Twitter.

Sit down with your team and brainstorm up a way to create a social media experience that boosts your brand.

2. Consider the Possibility That You Might Not Need a Podcast

Podcasting and webinars seem to be two of the most popular marketing strategies these days. That doesn’t mean they’re appropriate for your brand, though.

Pat Flynn runs a top podcast. He’s also a popular keynote speaker and marketing expert.

He told me that not everybody needs a podcast.

For starters, he said not to start a podcast just because “everybody else is doing it.” You could just end up wasting time and money.

Flynn said that podcasting requires a commitment. It’s something that has to be done consistently or it won’t work.

Too many brands launch a podcast and then experience “podfading.” That’s when they stop podcasting with no explanation.

Obviously, you won’t do your brand any good if you follow that example.

If you decide not to run with a podcast, Flynn told me that it’s a great idea to look for an opportunity to be a guest on somebody else’s podcast. That will give you a great chance to promote your company without launching your own production.

Finally, Flynn said that one of the biggest advantages of podcasts is that they’re evergreen. He pointed out that people are still listening to some of his podcasts from years ago.

3. Repurpose Old Content on LinkedIn

Looking for content to post on LinkedIn? Chances are you already have some.

When I spoke with LinkedIn expert Viveka von Rosen, she told me that it’s a great idea to use the platform to repurpose old content.

Go through your old blog posts. Find some articles that are still relevant (or evergreen), and re-publish them on LinkedIn. That’s an especially great idea if you’re in the B2B space, where LinkedIn is your bread and butter.

One of the best reasons to use LinkedIn for content marketing is that it will help position you as an expert in your field. You’re showing off your knowledge with the articles that you post on the platform.

Also, von Rosen said to post videos on LinkedIn.

Why? Because not everybody else is doing it. That means you’ll stand out if you post video content.

4. Match Your Bio to Your Feed

Sue Zimmerman is an Instagram strategist who’s been teaching about online marketing for 9 years. She gave me an important piece of advice about Instagram.

She said that you should be sure that your profile matches your feed.

That might seem like a small thing, but it really isn’t. If people see a bunch of fashion shots in your feed and your bio says something like: “Nature lover, digital marketer, and toy train hobbyist,” you’re creating confusion.

Is that what you want to do with Instagram marketing?

Of course not. That’s why your bio should reinforce the marketing message that you’re trying to convey with your feed.

Zimmerman also told me that the following niches work best on Instagram:

• Fashion
• Food
• Fitness

Even if you’re not in any of those niches, though, you can still use Instagram to promote your brand.

Think about the images that you want to convey to people in your target market. Then, post those kinds of pics on Instagram.

Zimmerman also told me that it’s important to use professional-grade photos in Instagram marketing.

Wrapping It Up

I’ve shared just some of the things that the experts taught me when I made Social Media Marketing: The Movie. They all had a lot of other great tips.

If you’d like to learn more, be sure to watch the movie below.