When I saw the news that Apple would be releasing 217 new emojis into the world, I did what I always do: I asked my undergraduates what it meant to them. “We barely use them anymore,” they scoffed. To them, many emojis are like overenthusiastic dance moves at weddings: reserved for awkward millennials. “And they use them all wrong anyway,” my cohort from generation Z added earnestly. My work focuses on how people use technology, and I’ve been following the rise of emoji for a decade. With 3,353 characters available and 5 billion sent each day, emojis are now a significant language…
Looking for Instagram statistics to guide your strategy in 2021?
Good!
Because the platform is perhaps the most rapidly-evolving across all of social media. And trust us: plenty changed in 2020 that’ll ultimately influence how you approach the ‘gram moving forward.
Below we’ve broken down an up-to-date list of Instagram stats to help you make the most of the network in 2021.
Let’s start with a basic question: how many people use Instagram?
Fun fact: Instagram surpassed the 1 billion global user mark as 2020 came to a close. A massive milestone that was seemingly only reserved for the likes of Facebook, this stat is a testament to Instagram’s staying power. In fact, Instagram’s user growth has been consistent and doesn’t show any signs of slowing down.
So, how many downloads does Instagram have versus other social apps? According to data from Sensor Tower, Instagram was among the top five most-downloaded apps in both the App Store and via Google Play last year. The app scored ~13 million downloads in Q2 2020 alone. As of January 2021, the app is second only to TikTok in the App Store in terms of downloads (occasionally sparring with Facebook).
Now, let’s take at some Instagram statistics that shed some light on who’s using the platform. Recent social media demographics continue to point to a predominantly female (34.3%) user base that’s under the age of 34.
Although there are still older users present, the platform is largely still dominated by Gen Z and Millennials. This is further driven home by some recent Instagram stats compiled by Statista.
Beyond appealing to the younger crowd, Instagram is known for its rabid user base. Case in point, 63% of Americans say they check Instagram daily. Couple this data with research conducted in Australia which notes the average Instagram user spends at least 7 hours per week on the platform.
Key takeaways
Instagram’s user growth has been steady and consistent, especially among the younger crowd.
Building on the point above, Instagram’s users are among the most dedicated in terms of how frequently they log in.
The sheer number of app downloads signals the importance of mobile optimization for your Instagram marketing strategy.
Instagram content statistics
The Instagram algorithm has tripped up marketers in the past and that trend looks to continue in 2021.
Recent Instagram statistics tell us that organic engagement has fallen from 2020, which was at 1.60%. For reference, research from RivalIQ puts the average engagement rate at 1.22%. Long story short? Organic engagement isn’t what it used to be.
So, which types of content should brands prioritize to fight the phenomenon of lower reach? Research from Bannersnack highlights that Carousel posts score the highest engagement rate (1.94%) followed by images (1.74%) and video posts (1.45%).
This might come as a bit of surprise given that Carousels aren’t talked about as much compared to, say, Reels or Stories.
That said, video content is still booming. Interest in binge-watching content grew significantly in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic with 70% of marketers looking to up their investment in video. This comes hot on the heels of Instagram Reels and looming competition from TikTok.
Speaking of which, TikTok (29%) just barely edges out Instagram (25%) as teens’ preferred social platform of choice. In terms of content, expect Instagram to continue to push Reels. With Reels ads seemingly on the horizon, brands should consider double-dipping their short-form video across both Instagram and TikTok rather than choosing between them.
But the big story when it comes to our Instagram stats surrounding content is, well, Stories.
According to Instagram themselves, 500+ million people use Stories daily and one-third of the most-viewed stories come from brands. Stories should remain a staple of your content strategy, especially as they allow brands to “skip the line” in followers’ feeds and aren’t restricted by the Instagram algorithm.
Wrapping our Instagram content statistics, we’ve found that the best time to postisWednesday at 11 a.m. and Friday from 10–11 a.m. Posting at the times when your audience is most likely engaged should be common practice. Scheduling tools like Sprout Social can help with that.
Key takeaways
Stories, Carousels and short-form video should remain central to your content strategy.
With fierce competition and so much content floating around, even the smallest aspects of optimization (think: timing, captions, bio) count.
As engagement rates dip, brands should consider supplementing their content with Instagram ads.
Instagram advertising statistics
Piggybacking on the Instagram stats above, social ads are becoming more and more popular.
According to research by Smartly.io, a staggering 50% of marketing teams spend half of their marketing budgets on social ads. Specifically, 29% of marketers spend the majority of their ad dollars on Instagram.
Data from Merkle highlights how Instagram Stories ads have been performing especially well for brands lately. Their research noted that Stories ads generated 35% of impressions and 29% of total Instagram ad spend for brands in Q3 2020. Also notable is the fact that Stories ads boast a lower-than-average CPM despite their recent growth.
Another fascinating Instagram statistic from the Merkle report highlights how many companies are running side-by-side ads on Facebook and Instagram In fact, Instagram accounted for 33% of Facebook ad spend and 36% of impressions for brands rolling out campaigns on both platforms.
Meanwhile, a recent Socialbakers report highlights how much cost per click (CPC) has dropped for Instagram Feed (~20% YoY) and Stories ads (~15% YoY).
We can’t talk about Instagram statistics without talking about influencers, though.
While there’s been some skepticism about whether or not influencers would stand the test of time, the numbers don’t lie. According to Instagram, 87% of people say that an influencer has driven them to make a purchase. They also note that 70% of “shopping enthusiasts” turn to Instagram for product discovery.
Even if people aren’t buying from influencers directly, there’s no denying their impact on cementing Instagram a shopping hub. For those that do purchase from influencers, standard image posts (78%) and Stories (73%) are regarded as the most effective types of influencer content according to MediaKix.
Key takeaways
Although not quite at the level of Facebook’s popularity, Instagram’s ad platform is definitely growing.
With new ad types rolling out every year, brands have more freedom than ever when it comes to their campaigns (signaling both challenges and opportunities).
Influencers still have staying power despite rumblings from critics both prior to and during the pandemic.
Instagram statistics for brands
To wrap things up, let’s look at some general Instagram stats for brands to keep in mind for 2021.
An oft-cited stat that has ticked upward year-over-year, 90% of people now follow a business on Instagram. Look no further than the consistent roll-out of new business features and shopping options for ecommerce merchants as evidence of how the platform is becoming more brand-friendly.
However, remember that Instagram isn’t just a B2C network anymore as 46% of B2B content marketers used organic Instagram within the past 12 months. Not quite as much as LinkedIn (95%) or Twitter (86%), it’s still telling that Instagram is growing in popularity for B2B. For example, business influencers and SaaS marketers are slowly but surely staking their claim on the platform.
Key takeaways
Organic Instagram is valuable for both B2C and B2B brands for the sake of building brand awareness.
More people are following brands on Instagram than ever before, signaling how the platform could rival Facebook in terms of shopping and ads in the long-term.
Even if Instagram isn’t resulting in direct sales, the network remains a key component of any social marketing funnel for educating and nurturing customers.
Which Instagram statistics stand out to you?
Listen: Instagram is a fast-growing and ever-evolving network.
Making the most of the platform means knowing how to adapt. Hopefully, the Instagram stats above can help you master the platform this year.
And if you’re still in need of advice or inspiration on how to make the most of 2021, make sure to check out our most recent guide on how to build your social media marketing strategy.
Anyone who’s worked in social media has been called a social media guru or wizard at some point in their career. And while on the surface those terms sound complimentary, the reality is they can be more harmful than helpful. .
Think of it this way. If your director of sales closes a deal, you would never chalk it up to the sales guy being a ninja. Even if a salesperson was called a wizard in passing, there is no mystery as to what someone in sales actually does or how they do their job.
But a social marketer might be referred to as a guru or their work attributed to magic, particularly when the person giving the compliment isn’t sure why a social campaign performed so well. Not only is this discouraging for social marketers to hear, it can also reveal a marketing leader’s knowledge (or lack thereof) about social marketing. What you might mean as a compliment can come across as a sign that you’re not entirely confident what a social marketer’s job entails or the skills that they employ day to day.
When a company lists that they are seeking a "Social Media Guru" you immediately know they don't know shit about social media.
When marketing leaders remove social media guru and wizard from their vernacular, they can get to work strengthening their relationship with the social team, filling in knowledge gaps and ultimately getting better results for their business.
Not sure what professional social media management looks like? Consider starting with some initial research! Read up on the difference between social managers and community managers, or hit up #MarketingTwitter to hear from social marketers directly. You’d be surprised at the answers you’ll find when you search up questions like “what does a social media manager do?”
If you find you still have questions around the ins and outs of social marketing, then reach out to a social media manager. When you meet with your social media team, come with a list of specific questions you have, like what skills are most valuable for their role or what challenges they frequently encounter. Learning about the specifics of what your social media manager does and help you replace phrases like ‘social media wizard’ with creator, analyst, strategist and more.
Whew! When Social Media Coordinator/Manager/Specialist really means:
Community Manager
Copywriter
Data Analyst
Graphic Designer
Researcher
Removing words like “magic” from your vocabulary also creates space for productive conversations around how social media can support your broader marketing efforts. “Magic,” for example, doesn’t indicate how much money is needed for paid campaigns or how many creative assets are needed for a month’s worth of content. And it doesn’t tell you if there’s a staffing issue that’s creating bandwidth concerns for the social team. Knowing the time and resources needed for certain tasks can help managers overseeing social teams better plan and manage workloads to protect social marketers from burnout.
When leaders and social teams are on the same page, it can lead to greater collaboration and even stronger performance results. Marketing leaders, for example, are better equipped to ask for the metrics and recommendations that will move the needle on business goals. And social teams can ask for the resources and support they need without feeling like they have to re-educate their leaders on what it is they actually do.
Demystifying the social marketer’s role starts when leaders are able to answer the question “what does a social media manager do?” without using words like magic, wizard or guru. By eliminating those phrases from your vernacular, you stand to empower your social team and create opportunities for bigger and better collaborations.
Looking for more inspiration on how to empower and grow your social team? Check out our article on what to look for when hiring a new social manager and how to successfully onboard them onto your team.
YouTube video covers and titles might be what grab your attention but descriptions are where the search engine shines. YouTube SEO is quite similar in concept to how you would write for a blog post or website page: titles are important but so are the details. The more you understand video SEO, the more likely your video will show up in the search results. That being said, writing great YouTube descriptions does not negate poor video content. Descriptions will get your viewer to your video but your video still needs to hold up its end of the quality bargain.
The two different YouTube descriptions
Two types of YouTube descriptions exist: one for the channel and one for the video itself. Most of the tips listed here apply to the video description but some, like using the right keywords, are applicable to the channel description, too.
Channel descriptions summarize what you should expect from the channel. Much like how a company boilerplate is written, a channel name is repeated a few times, along with a few keywords that should be associated with the channel.
Video descriptions tell you far more details on what to expect from the video, can include related links and will also use repeating keywords. You have a lot more room to be descriptive for videos and those first few lines are important to viewers.
Why are YouTube descriptions important?
When you use a search engine or YouTube’s native search, many factors play into how your video shows up in the results. YouTube descriptions are one of those factors. If your video description contains popular search terms or their associated keywords, it is more likely to show up in results and in the sidebar for related videos. If you’re familiar with how website SEO works, think of this as the meta description.
However, it doesn’t mean you should keyword stuff your description. People still read YouTube descriptions and click through important links. Here are a few tips on how to write some great YouTube descriptions.
Make your video description match your video title
The video title has about 75 characters where you can instantly grab a viewer’s attention. Whatever you use for keywords should be present in your title and used a few more times throughout the description itself.
In the example above, Star Trek aims at keywords “Star Trek” and “video effects” in both the title and the description. The description does go on further than the screenshot but you can tell in just the first few paragraphs how it would be very difficult for a search engine to miss that this video is about Star Trek video effects.
1. Make those first 200 characters count
Yes, the full description is important but what’s even more important are those first 200 characters. You get 5000 characters to be wordy but those first 200 are the ones that show up in search results and “above the fold.” In YouTube’s case, it’s approximately the first line or what displays above the “show more” expansion.
The first line should include the most important keywords that you want to be associated with the video and written in a way that grabs a viewer’s attention. Much like how one would write a Tweet, headline and copywriting tips apply here, too.
2. Repeat video keywords
As hinted at before, keywords are important in both SEO and in YouTube video descriptions. Whether you’re writing for an existing video or researching which ones are best for your channel, Google’s Keyword planner tool comes in handy for keyword research.
A few keywords are all you need and once those are identified for your video, make sure they’re sprinkled throughout your description.
3. Add complementary keywords
Think you’re done with keywords? Think again. You still need to consider the complementary ones, which are additional keywords that are similar to the first targeted set. For example, you might search for “eco-friendly products” but additional keywords could include “green,” “earth” and “zero waste.” These are synonymous and adding these will help YouTube understand how your video could be associated with “green products,” too.
4. Add call-to-action words & links
It’s wise — and best practice — to link your social media handles in your YouTube descriptions. And separate from sharing those links are the ones associated with the video. These links can be calls-to-action to read a blog post, purchase a product or general additional information. If you mention several products in your video and your viewers often ask about them, it’s a good idea to put those links in the descriptions.
In the above example, Red Bull links not just their On Demand apps but also the two people who are involved in the video itself. To go further, their own link and additional social media ones further down, are shortened and branded for easy analytic tracking.
5. Add default video upload settings
Are you tired of copying and pasting the same 10 lines that you include with every video? Add a default setting to your description that can show up without your manual addition. Most often, these include your company’s description, calls to subscribe and social media follow links.
6. Write like a human not a robot
Who wants to read a description stuffed to the brim with repeating keywords? That’s frustrating to both read and write. Use the first 200 characters to hook the viewer in and the rest of the space to be more informative. Web copywriting tips like keeping sentences short, sweet and understandable are useful here.
In the above description, Living Big In A Tiny House writes the main paragraphs as a narrative of tiny living and provides basic details about the tiny home shown in the video. They could’ve easily not included these words but having them adds to the video appeal.
7. Add a few hashtags
Like keywords, hashtags are there to help other viewers find your video. These hashtags appear above the video title and can be added anywhere within the video description. It’s recommended to keep hashtags to just a few important ones so someone reading the description doesn’t get turned off by a mass of them.
In the example above, Sephora wrote the major three hashtags to include their brand name, the product’s brand name and the product category. Additional hashtags are also searchable terms associated with the hashtag. You’ll note that the words used in the hashtags also show up in the video’s title and elsewhere in the description. Keep in mind when using hashtags with multiple words or phrases to write them in title case so screen readers can recognize each word.
8. Match your social voice
Remember when we talked about writing like a human? Your brand’s social media voice should also be taken into account. Bland descriptions don’t do anything for your brand. You want to add your brand’s personality, vocabulary and writing style to the description.
For similar video types, it might make more sense for you to write some YouTube description templates. For example, how-to video descriptions would be written in a similar fashion: two sentences for a summary, some call-to-action links, links to products and then your social media links. Creating description templates make it easier on you and keep you on-brand.
9. Make video descriptions easy to read
This isn’t so much about the actual written content but how you format it. No one likes reading giant blocks of text but neither do people enjoy reading 10 one-liners in a row. Break up your description into sections with header titles that stand out, either with emojis, symbols, capitals or line breaks. When checking on the format, skim read your description and see what catches your eye and what you completely skip.
10. Preview your video description
Current YouTube stats say that 70% of the total watch time with viewers is on mobile. You might write your descriptions on desktop but make sure they also make sense on a phone and tablet. In addition to a mobile preview, check how the description shows up in search results and watch pages.
11. Check your analytics
As with any social media network, YouTube analytics are helpful in seeing which videos are performing well.
With analytics, you’ll be able to see if certain keywords are working over others, which videos might increase in popularity with a keyword change and the general type of video that’s resonating with your viewers.
Conclusion
YouTube descriptions should not be put on the back burner of your YouTube marketing strategy. Video descriptions are important in not just the usual ranking in SEO keyword search results but also serve as a place where you can get your viewer to stay on the video for longer. With the right initial copy that pushes the viewer to read more, use the 5000 character limit to incorporate your brand voice and important links. And now that you have the descriptions down pat, it’s time to think about how to promote your YouTube channel.
If you’re not creating video — and promoting video in your email marketing — you’re missing out on some serious audience engagement and revenue growth.
People love watching marketing videos. Here’s the proof:
Creating a video may seem like a daunting task. But don’t worry! The important thing is to take that first step and make that first video. It won’t be perfect, but you’ll be on the road to bigger and better videos in no time.
Here’s everything you need to know about getting started with video email marketing.
But first, what is video email marketing?
Video email marketing is simply incorporating videos into your emails. Video marketing is a powerful way to connect with people on a deeper level. And, as we’ve already mentioned, people love watching videos to learn about a brand or topic.
Typically, videos are displayed in emails like the one below from Niice:
Image courtesy of Really Good Emails
While videos won’t play within the inbox due to Internet Service Provider restrictions, displaying a thumbnail like the one above tells a viewer instantly that it is a video.
In order to watch, viewers will need to click the thumbnail image and watch the video from the hosting platform.
8 Steps to Effective Video Email Marketing
1. Brainstorm video ideas
Brainstorming is like sketching out the initial concepts of a house that you want to build. Can you build one without that step? Sure. But it won’t be easy.
Brainstorming for a video email marketing comes down to answering three quick questions:
Question 1 – What will people get out of this video?
Question2 — What do you want someone to do/feel?
Question3 – What is my video going to look like?
Jot down the answers to these questions, but remember, you’re not married to anything during the brainstorming phase. You’re just putting your brilliant ideas on paper and coming up with creative video ideas.
If the goal of your video is to sell something, then the thing you want people to get out of the video is the information necessary to convince them to make a purchase.
2. Determine the goal of your video
How do you do that? A common way is to present a problem, then demonstrate how your product or service is the solution to that problem.
Take the following problem/solution scenario:
Problem: Putting video in emails is a pain – you have to take a screenshot, create a play button, layer the button on the screenshot, add the screenshot to your email, then link the screenshot to your video.
Setting up this kind of problem/solution structure is a great way to start the foundation of your video. From there, it’s just a matter of filling in the “how.”
You might find that your goal is a little different – and that’s OK. Video has a ton of uses for getting crucial info out to your audience. You might make a video with the goal of:
Being shared – funny, quirky videos work well for this
Growing your email list – detailing why someone should sign up, and what they’ll get out of your list
Building a relationship – a behind-the-scenes video helps you connect with your audience
Evoking a feeling — The feeling you leave your audience should connect to your goal. If you want your audience to take action and do something (like add a video into an email), perhaps the feeling you’re going for would be “motivated,” because you’re using your video to hook someone’s interest and motivate them to do something.
Going viral - If you want to have your videos shared a lot, you might want to evoke a feeling of “delight” instead. You might even find that you want to evoke a combination of feelings instead of only one.
3. Figure out the look and feel of your video
Next, figure out the concept and format of your video. Should you be on camera? Or should you do a screen recording?
There are a few types of videos to consider:
Talking-head style video: This video features one or more people talking into the camera. This type is great for conveying any info that doesn’t necessarily need to be shown, such as advice, industry news, updates, etc.
Screen recordings: these are great for demos or tutorials, like this one where we show someone how to set up their AWeber account for the first time. And while these are great for anyone with a SaaS product, they can also work as a great teaching tool when paired with a slideshow.
You can also do a combo of both styles. Coming up with creative video ideas doesn’t have to mean sticking to one style.
4. Create a storyboard and script
Storyboarding will help you to visualize the steps you will take in your video, while a script will help you stay on task while actually recording your video.
How you create the script is up to you. If you like to speak from the heart, and only need a few bulleted talking points, great! If you want to write out a full script, that’s fine too — just make sure it doesn’t look like you’re reading from a script verbatim or it won’t be engaging.
5. Set up your equipment
You don’t need fancy video equipment to incorporate videos into your emails.
If you’re doing a screen recording, all you have to do is open up the recording software of your choice (like QuickTime or Loom) and hit record!
For more information on how to create a screen recording, what equipment to use and advice on editing, watch this video:
For live videos, pay attention to lighting to ensure you capture clear and clean visuals. Now that doesn’t mean you have to purchase expensive lighting equipment to achieve this look. Instead, aim for locations or rooms that are well-lit.
A standard camera that films video is all you need; even your iPhone will work just fine (just don’t use your laptop).
For audio, you can use an iPhone compatible clip-on mic. Also, try to find a location that has as little environmental noises as possible.
For more detailed information on live filming, being on camera and reading scripts, check out this video:
6. Set up a video hosting platform
Hosting your videos online makes it possible for your audience to easily watch them. It also gives you a link to share with others.
Our team’s favorites include Vimeo and YouTube. Wistia is another great hosting platform, but we recommend it as you scale up your video content strategy. Learn more about video hosting below:
If your tool has a drag and drop editor, all you need to do is drag the video element into your message editor, include the hosted video’s link, and voila! All that’s left to do is press send.
8. Keep an eye on engagement
When analyzing the performance of your videos and whether they’ve had an impact on engagement, remember your goals from step #2.
If your goal was to drive sales, then consider the click through rate on your emails. If your goal was to go viral, then check out how many shares your video has had.
Get started with video email marketing
Need some more help getting started? We created a handy checklist for you with the 9 steps to getting started with video email marketing in no time.
If you’re seeking a shining example of what inclusive branding looks like on social, few brands do it better than Universal Standard.
The brand lives up to its name, creating a new clothing standard that embraces more of the world, offering fashion freedom to everyone from a size 00-40, and featuring models of various age ranges, ethnicities, body shapes and identities.
With a radically clear viewpoint and a reputation for leveraging social in innovative ways to garner an audience, Universal Standard is a treasure trove of social insights. The fashion retailer shows us a social strategy that’s less calculated and more human. Their inclusive branding, customer-focused content and broader real-world impact are elements of their social presence that stand out beautifully and are underscored with intention.
Let’s dissect a few ways they show us that intention through social.
They craft a strong, inclusive entity
Inclusivity isn’t a topping they pepper into their content plan. One look at their social grid or feeds shows you that they view their social strategy and brand mission holistically. Every post stands alone as a statement as they continually spotlight the different bodies and minds that embody their products.
ICYMI, last week we launched The State Of US, a weekly a weekly brand diary written by Editorial Director @amandakater. For our first column, we discuss the fallout of COVID-19, the changes we've made, and what all of it means for our future 💫https://t.co/ERLIjlEMCS
Where some brands may shy away from direct, stand-out content, Universal Standard walks confidently through the doors other brands leave open, showing real people and real issues that reflect their brand values. The visual identity and voice come across so clearly that as a result, while you’re scrolling through social, you’ll know when you’ve come across a Universal Standard ad or post before even reading the username.
Takeaway: Every social marketer will tell you that putting together a strong social strategy is a methodical process. But take the initiative to more closely align your social strategy with your business’s overall mission and watch how your content begins to shift. For Universal Standard, it results in a cohesive, powerful entity of inclusion. What could a more closely aligned mission-driven approach look like for your brand?
They let the people speak for themselves
Every brand has its own flavor of brand advocacy. As a brand that prioritizes inclusivity, it’s important that Universal Standard is able to showcase how inclusivity isn’t a surface-level message, but a value that runs through every layer of their business.
They manage this in a variety of ways, including a video series called How Clothing Connects Us, highlighting not only the diversity in the demographic their product serves, but the real ideas and feelings of the customers that make the brand what it is.
This personal level of content strikes a specific balance of illuminating and inspiring. You feel like you’re getting to know more about the brand’s people, the foundation of social connection. But it also leaves you feeling energized for a fresh take in a longstanding industry. On any given Universal Standard social post, you’ll find comments commending the brand for making customers feel loved.
Takeaway: The social marketing landscape has been swirling with conversations of how to centralize humanity in their efforts for years. And that’s manifested in a variety of ways, from promoting social takeovers to highlighting “get to know the team” posts to producing entire video series centered around both team members and customers. If you’re not already utilizing some of these trends, evaluate your content strategy and prioritize space (and production) for content that allows people across social to feel connected to your brand.
They make an impact outside of fashion
If you’ve followed along this far, you’ve got a clear idea that this clothing retailer’s brand message impacts more than just fashion.
Founders Polina Veksler and Alex Waldman say in their mission statement, “How can we bring all women together in a way that no one ever has before? We wanted a size 40 to shop in the same way as a size 00 – using style as her only filter.”
To bring on this change, the Universal Standard team frequently takes opportunities to speak on the intersection of fashion inclusion and universal themes in people’s lives, like mental health, self-worth and equal access to quality products. And they frequently use social to spread their message far and wide.
What better way to not only spread that message, but make it stick than by reaching young minds? The team recently released a children’s book entitled, “What Would Fashion Look Like if it Included Us All”.
We dream of a world where clothing connects instead of divides, everyone has access to clothing that works for them, and we’re all kinder to ourselves, each other and the planet. So, we made a children's book to share that world with future generations💫https://t.co/qtzcUqpOOg
The campaign included a free digital version of the book and printable coloring pages, ensuring their message isn’t hindered by lack of accessibility. They’ve also shared read-alongs with various public figures through Instagram Stories, a Shop The Book edit to purchase items featured in the illustrations and a Meet the Illustrator interview, further emphasizing the brand’s philosophy to expand their stage for everyone creating with them.
Takeaway: Universal Standard isn’t afraid to step out of the spotlight in fashion to speak on the issues their product and their customers intersect with. Even more successful are the methods they leverage on social to do so. If your brand has a strong message, use social to amplify it. Don’t be shy about experimenting with how you want to communicate and have a broader impact.
Conclusion
Not only does this brand push the future toward a more inclusive fashion retail landscape, but it sets a standard for how other brands with similar values can use social in thoughtful, intentional ways to serve that mission and expand the reach of that change.
Creating captivating B2B social media post ideas can be… challenging.
Let’s be honest. If you’re in B2B social, you know it has a bit of a reputation of being kind of dull. One survey even found 48% of B2B customers say the ads they receive are boring and lack the creativity found in B2C marketing.
Don’t let this misconception turn you off of B2B social. In fact, social is an integral component to successful B2B marketing. Seventy-nine percent of B2B marketers say social supports their goals of building thought leadership and strengthening customer relationships. And half of B2B decision makers use networks like LinkedIn to research information and consume information.
As social spaces become increasingly crowded, B2B brands will need to prioritize strong and engaging social content to stay ahead of the competition. For inspiration on how to level up your social strategy and ensure your content stands out from the crowd, we’ve rounded up a list of B2B social media post ideas for you to try.
1. When in doubt, be helpful
One of the biggest pitfalls of B2B social is the bad habit of pushing hard-selling messaging. But that kind of messaging overlooks one important thing: how does your product or service address your buyer’s pain points?
Write with your prospects top of mind and focus on their needs first. Social copy should demonstrate how the product or service can help make the prospect’s life easier. According to one report, 88% of the top B2B content marketers prioritize their audience’s needs over sales or promotional messages.
Being helpful also helps reinforce purchasing confidence, too. B2B marketers can boost buyer confidence by providing useful content and consistent messaging on all channels, including company websites.
It’s bad manners to talk about yourself all the time. B2B social media best practices include sharing owned content as well as third-party, industry-focused articles to establish trust and credibility.
Consider how 65% of B2B buyers consciously focus more on credible content from industry influencers. Sharing content from third-party sites like Gartner and Forbes can further build trust with your audience because you’re promoting a trusted source prospects likely already know and respect. And finally, curating third-party content reduces the burden on your creative teams to always create new content.
3. Embrace the hashtag
Regardless of how you feel about hashtags, they do make an impact on your social content. If you’re not using a few hashtags per post, you’re missing opportunities to amplify the post beyond your existing followers.
For B2B, it’s important to lean into niche hashtags that your audience is likely already using. Choosing something more niche allows you to tap into specific conversations with industry thought leaders, executives and employees. For example, if you work in the cybersecurity space, you may want to use targeted hashtags like #Cybersecurity, #CloudSecurity, #DataPrivacy or #DataSecurity over the more ambiguous #Cloud, #Data or #Security.
While branded hashtags are great, remember, you’re only talking to your current followers and they don’t support efforts to generate awareness among new customers. If you have to choose between a branded hashtag and a public hashtag for your awareness campaign, go public. Always.
4. Don’t skimp on your creative assets
Seventy-one percent of B2B marketers currently use video as part of their strategy and, thanks to tools like Canva and Adobe Spark, it no longer takes hours on end to produce a polished video. Even a video with simple animated text is more exciting and informative than a single static image or a long block of text in the caption.
As we put a cap on a crazy year, we look forward to 2021. This week on #TheWeeklyTake we recap our recent forum on the economic outlook, and how it will affect occupancy strategies for companies in the banking & financial services sector. https://t.co/SKDlhRYNeqpic.twitter.com/zgXaLLn6qF
What works for one campaign may not work for another, so it’s important to test how your audience reacts to specific content and adjust as needed. Consider A/B testing to determine which assets resonate with your audience the most, like testing photos against video content.
5. Be cohesive with your voice and tone
No matter what you post, your brand’s social feeds all need to have a cohesive look and feel. This makes it easier for your followers to recognize your content in-feed and a well-styled post attracts attention. Here are a few simple tricks we use at Idea Grove when crafting social content for our B2B clients:
Use color overlays with reduced opacity to give all images a uniform element
Create a family of consistent shapes and designs to use in your images and videos
Edit all your photos with one filter treatment
Develop an aesthetic to inform your visual content assets
GE, for example, uses the same visual treatment to indicate when certain videos belong to a specific series on LinkedIn.
6. Take people behind the scenes
Break up your social feed and differentiate yourself from the competition by showcasing the people who work behind the scenes of your brand. Regardless if you’re selling a product or a service, at the end of the day you’re selling to other people. And when customers feel like they can relate to your brand, they’re more likely to want to do business with you.
Humanizing your brand is also a great way to give potential employees an unfiltered look into your company. Does your team value diversity? Are you a suit-and-tie type of business or does your company culture embrace a hoodie-and-sweatpants kind of vibe? Salesforce, for example, posts regular videos showcasing their company’s employee resource groups all over the world.
7. Amplify your media wins—both big and small
Still searching for more B2B social media post ideas? If you work with a public relations team, sharing any media placements featuring your brand is a great way to build trust with your audience. Sharing media placements both lends credibility to your brand and gives you an opportunity to piggyback off of the name recognition that comes with a news outlet. Additionally, tools like social monitoring and listening can help you pick up on brand mentions that may have slipped your notice the first time around.
8. Highlight your success stories
People trust a customer testimonial more than any salesperson, so why not take that testimonial and share it on your social channels? Record short interviews with your clients or turn a brief quote into a shareable asset on Twitter or Instagram.
Testimonials showcase how your client used your product of service to solve real problems and gives prospects a better understanding of the value your brand brings to the table. While product demos are great, nothing beats a case study that shows how customers use your product or service to address a need. In addition to their product content, Slack creates content that demonstrates how customers like Stripe use Slack’s software to improve their customer support efforts.
9. Invite others into the conversation
Do you tag other B2B brands in your social copy? What about your customers or the authors of third-party content you’ve shared on social? If you’re not tagging, there’s a good chance you’re missing out on additional social impressions and reach. Tagging companies and individual people brings them into the conversation, boosts visibility of the shared content and invites others to engage with your community. For example: to promote their new partnership, SAP made sure to tag Siemens in their post accompanying their press release.
10. Boost visibility with paid social
Lastly, one of the best ways to stand out in B2B social is to take advantage of paid social ads. Research shows that among B2B marketers who used paid distribution channels in the last 12 months, 72% say they used paid social.
A paid social strategy enables you to cut through the social clutter by using carefully defined target audiences and messages to connect with your customer. Retargeting ads help you reach out to people already familiar with your brand (warm leads) and can be used. to drive conversion-focused content like webinars or white papers. And for untapped audiences (cold leads), paid ads are a great way to create brand awareness with informative, helpful and ungated content.
Conclusion
Implementing even a few of these tips will help you improve your B2B marketing efforts and break away from the sea of sameness on social. While B2B may not be the same animal as B2C, there are still opportunities to exercise your creativity and create an effective social strategy that isn’t boring.
Ready to take your B2B social strategy even further? Learn how market research can empower your social team to better understand your target buyer and develop content that will resonate at every stage of the customer journey.
People spend a lot of time worrying about their email open rates, but there’s another email metric that’s just as important — click-through rates.
Click-through rates reveal how many subscribers clicked a link in an email, as well as how many times they clicked it.
What is a good email click-through rate?
This is a tricky question to answer. Email marketing benchmarks vary widely among industries, business size, audiences, and more.
To better understand small business email marketing benchmarks, we conducted research asking survey respondents to self-report their click-through rates. Here’s what we found.
While it’s nice to get an idea of how your metrics stack up against others’, I would encourage you to change the way you view email marketing benchmarks.
Rather than comparing your click-through rates to other businesses’ rates, keep an eye on how your rates improve over time. You’ll learn a lot more about your particular audience by focusing on your own data.
After all, it’s true that ‘comparison is the thief of joy.’
But, you should know that low click-through rates can tank a product launch, hurt your website traffic, and make your email strategy ineffective.
Want to make sure this doesn’t happen? Try these 14 ways to optimize your emails and get more clicks.
How to improve email click through rates
1. Stick to one call to action per email
When you’re creating an email, it may be tempting to include multiple calls to action (CTA) in the hopes that your subscribers will respond to at least one of the offers in an email. After all, the more options you provide, the more likely they’ll engage with one of them, right?
Well, not exactly. In fact, this can hurt your click rates rather than help them.
Too many links can distract and overwhelm your subscribers, decreasing click-through rates in your emails. To get optimal click through rates, include one call to action in your emails to focus your subscribers on taking a single action.
In the email below from EOFire, there is one clear call to action and no question of what the subscriber is supposed to do – join the class.
2. Segment your emails
Different people have different interests. So do your email subscribers.
If you send the wrong people on your list an offer they’re not interested in, your click through rates will most likely plummet.
For higher click-through rates, segment your subscribers and send tailored emails based on their interests. You’ll see better click through rates when you send the right offer to the right person.
3. Create a sense of urgency
The fear of missing out (FOMO) is real, and eliciting this feeling in your subscribers can influence them to click on your calls to action right away.
If you have an offer that ends soon or a limited number of spots at a webinar, for example, you can create a sense of urgency by adding words like “now” or “today” to your emails.
We can tell you first hand that creating a sense of urgency works, because it worked on me.
Indoor plant seller Bloomscape retired some of their more popular plants. I couldn’t miss out on an opportunity to scoop up some favorites.
4. Personalize your emails
Have you ever received an email that didn’t apply to you at all? This kind of email may leave you feeling like a nobody on a huge list of email subscribers. And this feeling of alienation doesn’t encourage you to click.
Instead, when your subscribers receive an email for you, they should feel like you are addressing them alone. Truly personalized emails will feel like something written just for you. That kind of connection leads to higher click through rates.
Here are a few simple ways you can personalize your emails:
Includeyour subscriber’s name in your email. While this technique isn’t fresh, it can be effective. Instead of adding subscribers’ names at the beginning of an email, try adding them in the middle or at the end.
On your email sign up form, ask for information about your subscribers’ interests. Then, send segmented emails based on their responses.
Collect your subscribers’ birth dates on your sign up form and send them a celebratory email on their birthday.
Send a re-engagement email to people who haven’t opened an email from you in a while. Ask for feedback and see if they are still interested in receiving your messages.
Send emails tailored to what you know about your subscribers. What did they buy from you recently? Do you have something similar they may like? Send an email with a suggestion.
And that means if your emails are difficult to read on a phone, there’s probably a huge percentage of your subscribers who aren’t getting the best experience and are most likely not clicking on your emails.
To make sure your emails are easy to read from any device, use email templates that are mobile responsive instead of mobile-friendly.
Mobile responsive emails are easier to read on both desktops and mobile devices, because text, images and buttons automatically adjust to fit the screen size. Additionally, multi-column email layouts adjust to single columns on mobile devices, and content is easy to access with both a mouse and a touchscreen.
Mobile friendly emails, on the other hand, scale down to fit the size of the screen, but don’t adjust layouts or fonts.
See how this mobile-friendly email below is difficult to read because the double-column layout makes the images, fonts and headlines too small?
Compare that to this mobile-responsive email below, where fonts and images are resized for the small screen and double columns turned to single columns:
If you’re not an email designer and have no idea how to make an email responsive, fear not! Many email service providers (like AWeber) provide mobile-responsive email templates for their customers.
6. Include colorful, clickable HTML buttons
One of the simplest ways to improve click-through rates is to ensure your subscribers know where to click. While plain text calls to action work for some people, a big button with a contrasting color immediately draws attention and can significantly improve click-through rates.
If you’re adding a button to your email, there are a few reasons why you’ll want to use an HTML button rather than an image button:
An HTML button can be responsive, which means it’ll resize for people on different devices.
Images in emails may not display for certain subscribers. And if your call to action doesn’t display as a result, click-through rates will tank.
Email load times will be faster with fewer images in your emails.
Complex isn’t always better, and this is often the case with email design. Avoid overwhelming your subscribers with an overabundance of images, icons or different fonts. Not only does this make for a disharmonious email, it’ll also take attention away from the content of your email and your call to action.
This beautiful, yet simple email from You Need a Budget incorporates a clean font, one image that works with the content of the email and a clear call-to-action button:
Photo courtesy of Really Good Emails
8. Use action-oriented CTA copy
Your email call to action copy should encourage people to take a specific action. Instead of using a generic call to action like “click here,” use verbs that describe the action you want subscribers to take, such as:
Shop
Learn
Get
Grab
Submit
Send
Start
Try
Reserve
Take
View
See
Watch
Read
By doing so, you’ll frame the subscriber experience in a way that influences them to want to take action.
9. Pique their curiosity
“The first and simplest emotion which we discover in the human mind is curiosity.” – Edmund Burke
Everyone has been curious about something at one point in their lives. And when a person is curious about something, they are inclined to resolve their curiosity.
Fortunately, you can also leverage curiosity in your email copy to encourage people to click-through on your emails.
Birchbox, for example, does this in the email below by offering a free mystery prize with a purchase. To find out what they would get, they need to click on the call-to-action button.
Hopefully the prize is a good one, but at least it gets the click!
10. Include social proof
Believe it or not, people like to do what other people do. When they notice multiple people or a famous person doing something, they’re more likely to want to do it themselves.
This is called social proof, which is a phenomenon where people are persuaded to take an action by seeing that other people have taken that action before them—and have seen success as a result of that action.
You can use social proof in your email content to encourage people to click through your calls to action. Bite does just that in the email below. By showing off how customers use their product and sharing their success stories, they tap into the power of social proof.
Photo courtesy of Really Good Emails
11. Write engaging headlines
If you use a headline in your email content, it will be the first thing your subscriber sees when they open your message.
A good headline quickly grabs your subscriber’s attention, engages them and gets them to read the rest of your email. And when subscribers read your email content, they become more likely to take action – which makes headlines pretty darn important.
For the email below, MailCharts used the subject line “Are your subscribers annoyed??” and then followed it up with the headline “You don’t know, do you?”
By linking the headline to the subject line, it guides the subscriber to continue reading through the rest of the content. You’ll also notice MailCharts does a good job of raising curiosity, which gives readers even more of a reason to continue reading and click the call-to-action button.
Bonus tip: You can also try using GIFs in your emails to add motion to your emails and boost click-through rates.
13. Cater to what your audience likes
If one of your emails had an insanely high click through rate, it’s apparent that your subscribers liked what you did in that email. So, do it again.
Your audience should be your main barometer for what is working in your email strategy and influence the content and design elements you include.
Do you see high click through rates when you send short emails or long emails? Does your audience click more when there’s an image or video? Does a certain kind of content lead to higher clicks?
Take a look at your past emails and see which ones got the highest click through rates.
Then, repeat, repeat, repeat.
Have two (or three) ideas for one email? Split test them. See which version of the email wins and do it again.
14. Feature the right images
Images in your emails can be a powerful way to grab the attention of your subscribers and convince them to click. However, you need to use the right images.
Check out the header image in the email below, which serves multiple purposes:
Photo courtesy of Really Good Emails
There are a few things that work well here.
It summarizes the content of the email briefly and immediately, giving the reader everything they need to know in the space of a few seconds.
The image supports the content of the email and provides additional meaning.
Finally, it includes a call-to-action button, which encourages people to click on the email.
For the subscriber who skims or doesn’t read the email content, this image does it all. It catches their attention, tells them about the offer and gives them a place to click.
Bonus: 3 Ways to Increase Click Through Rates That Have Nothing to Do with Email Content
Believe it or not, you can set the stage for high email click-through rates without touching your email content. Here’s how.
1. Set expectations before people subscribe to your email list.
To set a good foundation for your emails (and help your engagement rates start off on the right foot), you’ll want to make sure subscribers know what they’re signing up for before they give you their email address.
Whether it’s a monthly newsletter, weekly do-it-yourself tips or seasonal exclusive offers, being upfront about the kind of emails readers will receive helps attract the right people to your list. Plus, it sets expectations as to what you'll be sending them – as a result, there shouldn't be any unwanted surprises.
As you set expectations in your sign up form, however, do note that it’s just as important that the content in your email lives up to the promise you made. Why? Because your emails are more likely to be marked as spam if you say you’ll send one thing and deliver another.
2. Experiment with the frequency and timing of your emails.
Depending on your target audience and the content they prefer, the frequency and timing of your messages could vary greatly.
For most businesses, a weekly email newsletter is a great place to start. Eventually, you can increase the frequency of your emails to promote your product, share content or break your newsletter into smaller chunks. Or, ask your subscribers what cadence they prefer.
Try experimenting with time frames to figure out when your audience is most likely to read your email. For example, if business people are your target audience, you may get the best results if you email them during work hours. However, some people only have time to check their emails during lunch or when they first wake up.
You can use analytics to determine when people are most likely to open your emails and plan your campaign accordingly.
3. Spend extra time crafting a subject line.
Strong subject lines impact click through rates just as much as open rates. Your email could contain the best content ever, but no one will read it if your subject line is weak.
Most people skim through their inbox, so make sure your subject line is short and punchy.
Adding a special offer, asking a question, or emphasizing a sense of urgency, for example, can all be effective ways to create a compelling subject line.
Of course click through rates are important, but open rates and other forms of email engagement can contribute to your email marketing success. Make sure you track your email engagement metrics to learn what works for your unique audience.
Go get yourself a sick amount of clicks.
Try these tactics with your subscribers and see what increases click-through rates. Tell us what worked in the comments below!
