The 2016 Social Marketing Survival Guide

presented by

THE 2016

Social MarketingSurvival Guide

Ready or not, 2016 is here.

Bringing on a whole new set of challenges for marketers.

(And you thought 2015 was rough…)

Is your content...

More attention-grabbing than Caitlin Jenner?

More real-time than Katy Perry’s

#LeftShark dancer?

More engaging than the blue and black, er, white and gold dress?

...and when you’re not competing with instantaneous memes during the Super Bowl, you’re facing more constant threats.

Just to name a few.

MINDLESS SCROLLING

DATA, DATA, EVERYWHERE

KEEPING IT REAL (TIME)

MOBILE MIGRATIONCLICK-BAIT

SHOW ME THE MONEY

$

The thought is daunting enough to

make even the most

sophisticated social marketer

Instagram a white flag and

throw in the towel.

Hold up!

Take a deep breath.

Put down the smartphone.

We’re here to help.

We’ve taken a fresh look at these pitfalls, and created a new map to help you navigate them.

Peel back the layers a bit, and these six obstacles actually present some pretty great opportunities.

Want to see how?

...Let’s get started.

Obstacle #1:

Click-Bait

Try to click on any of them?(It won’t work; they’re just pictures.)

But if we can lure you in here, just think what this content can do to users on social.

Can you compete?

Your posts will always be shown in-line with other engaging content - but that’s a good thing.

Those other posts keep users active.

That being said, you can’t let this other content drown out your message.

Click Bait Survival Strategy

• Forget about whether a post is “paid” or “organic”, and just focus on making content people want to see.

• Emphasize quality over quantity. It’s better to create and promote 5 good posts rather than flood your page with 20 mediocre ones.

• Make sure your posts have something to offer. Do they provide at least

one of our 4 Es of Content Value? Emotional: Give ‘em the warm fuzzies Educational: School your audience Entertainment: Put on a show Economic: Money talks, so talk money ...with promotions, discounts, etc.

• If all else fails, don’t be afraid to have some fun. T-Swift’s latest jam may not have much to do with your product, but that doesn’t mean you can’t work it into your messaging.

Obstacle #2: Data, Data, Everywhere...

Every platform has become a firehose of user information.

Facebook alone handles more than 300 petabytes of data daily.

What even is a petabyte?

?

Noooo, not Peeta byte…

1 peta byte = 1015 bytes(that’s 625k iPhones full of data)

All this information presents some major advertising opportunities:

• Advanced interest and behavior targeting• Hyper-accurate Lookalike Audience modeling• Automated retargeting with Dynamic Product Ads

But trying to pull insights from this data can feel like looking for a needle in 1,000,000,000,000,000 haystacks.

Data Overload Survival Strategy

• Predetermine the metrics that matter for your campaign• CPC, CPA, CPM, CTR... Before you spend a single penny, establish which KPIs

you plan to focus on.

• Create a reporting cycle that incorporates data at every stage of the game• Use targeting tools to generate audiences based on users who are

statistically more likely to engage with your content.• Analyze spend daily or even hourly, re-allocating funds toward your most

successful ads. Adjust the creative on those that are not performing as well.• Wrap up campaigns with full-scope reporting that looks back on ad

performance, user sentiment, on-site conversions, and/or in-store lift.

• Incorporate internal AND external data • The best tools are often the ones you have in your own back pocket. Create

audiences from internal CRM systems, then trigger ads that reach users in key moments using data like weather events, sporting events, television events, or even inventory levels.

Obstacle #3: Mobile Migration

Think all users see your ads in the same way?

Think again.

One screen size does not fit all.

In fact, users are more likely to see your ads and content on mobile than on desktop.

31%Desktop

8%Other

61%Mobile

Time Spent Online Per Day US Adults Age 18-34

Source: ComScore July, 2015

IT’S TIME TO GO MOBILE

These itty-bitty screens might not seem like a big threat.

But every time a user logs on with their smartphone, advertisers face:

Smaller screens. Slower load times. Shorter online sessions. And, yes, now ad blockers, too!

Face it. These latte-sipping, channel-flipping, ad-blocking multi-taskers are tuning you out.

You’ve got one chance to catch their eye, keep them engaged, AND get them to click.

Want to know how?

Mobile Migration Survival Strategy

• Shorten copy, simplify images, and include a clear CTA to get your message across no matter how fast someone is scrolling or how distracted they might be.

• For videos, remember that sound is a luxury. Not all users have sound turned on, so create videos that make sense “on mute.”

• Avoid wasting dollars and frustrating users with slow load times. Target “media heavy” (app installs, videos, large images, etc.) ads by cell signal or web connection.

• For app ads, customize screen shots to reflect your target device and operating system.

Want to see all 6 obstacles?

Download your free copy of the 2016 Social Marketing Survival Guide below:

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