Social Media Strategy Archives | Sprout Social Sprout Social offers a suite of <a href="/features/" class="fw-bold">social media solutions</a> that supports organizations and agencies in extending their reach, amplifying their brands and creating real connections with their audiences. Thu, 16 Mar 2023 17:07:43 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://media.sproutsocial.com/uploads/2020/06/cropped-Sprout-Leaf-32x32.png Social Media Strategy Archives | Sprout Social 32 32 Hashtags: What they are and how to use them effectively https://sproutsocial.com/insights/what-is-hashtagging/ Thu, 16 Mar 2023 16:48:29 +0000 https://sproutsocial.com/insights/?p=162315/ To hashtag or not to hashtag? That’s the question frustrating social media marketers today. The short answer: Yes, definitely use hashtags. Hashtags are an Read more...

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To hashtag or not to hashtag? That’s the question frustrating social media marketers today.

The short answer: Yes, definitely use hashtags. Hashtags are an essential asset in your digital marketing toolbox.

Hashtags impact the overall performance of social media content. Forward-thinking brands use them with specific goals and intentional strategies in mind—whether they’re making their product go viral or leveraging hashtag analytics.

Unfortunately, the confusion surrounding hashtags prevents some marketers from using them to their full potential. This is further complicated by experts who negate the benefits of hashtags or dismiss them as irrelevant.

A screenshot of a Sprout Social LinkedIn poll. The poll reads, "In your opinion, do #hashtags make an impact on content reach? Why/Why not?" The possible answers are Yes and No. 1,277 votes were cast.

In this article, we break down everything you need to know to hashtag with confidence. We explore what hashtags are, how to use them and examples of ways brands are successfully ushering in the new era of hashtags.

What is a hashtag?

Hashtags are words and numbers following the # symbol that categorize and track content on social media. You can add hashtags to social posts, bios and comments on most major platforms, including Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube and Pinterest.

Sprout Social Twitter Hashtag

What is the history of the hashtag?

So, where did the hashtag come from? The first hashtag debuted on Twitter in 2007 from a product designer named Chris Messina.

“I designed the hashtag to thwart any one social network from becoming the dominant gatekeeper. Think about it: The hashtag is one of the few superstructures that spans across all social media platforms.

Only hashtags allow similarly-interested folks to find each other—whether they’re on Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, TikTok, Reddit or elsewhere. It provides a glimpse into what an interoperable, decentralized social web could be like.” — Chris Messina, Inventor of the hashtag

What is the hashtag symbol?

Many social media users and marketers immediately recognize the # symbol as a hashtag, but its official name is an octothorpe. The term was first used in 1971 when telecommunications companies introduced the # symbol to the touch-tone dialing keypad.

However, depending on how you use it, the symbol is called many different names. Before its use on social media, it was most widely known as a pound or number sign (example: #2 pencil). Musicians also use the symbol to distinguish a sharp note (example: F#), while copy editors use it to denote adding a space.

In the early days of the internet, chatroom users referred to the symbol as a “hash,” a word borrowed from programmer culture. That’s where Messina was inspired to repurpose it on Twitter. Since then, the term hashtag has dominated modern popular lexicon.

What is the purpose of a hashtag?

Given the sophistication of today’s social media algorithms, it might be difficult to remember the chaotic social feeds of the early 2000s. Users had limited control over what content they saw and were frustrated by too many uninteresting or irrelevant posts.

Hashtags were invented to help bring order to the social media user experience. Hashtags group together similar conversations to help people find content that matters to them. Once a hashtag is published, it becomes a clickable, searchable link.

A screenshot of the Tiktok page highlighting videos with the hashtag #summervibes. 5 video thumbnails are shown with images ranging from watermelon to pool parties to mountains. The hashtag has 13.4 billion views.

For example, when you click on #SummerVibes on TikTok, you can see all videos published on the platform using that hashtag. You can also see the top videos and overall popularity of the hashtag.

What is a hashtag used for?

While organizing feeds was the original purpose of hashtags, their use case has evolved. Now, they empower users to amplify their message. Hashtags have become so powerful they can be the spark that ignites social movements (example: #MeToo, #BlackLivesMatter).

Hashtags aren’t always a force of social change—some viral hashtags are just plain fun. Like #Gentleminions, a TikTok challenge turned cultural phenomenon that led to record-breaking box office numbers for the Minions franchise.

For brands, hashtags can help social marketers reach niche audiences and build community.

According to Messina, “Many more people are interested in finding their community—or growing the one they already run. Hashtags provide a tried and true method across nearly every social media platform.”

Hashtags also help social marketers create viral campaigns, increase brand awareness and reach their business goals.

Why you should use hashtags

Hashtags are powerful tools for growing your online presence. Regardless of which social platform you use them on, here are three ways hashtags can benefit your business:

Increases engagement

You can use hashtags to participate in larger conversations or trending topics, which can increase the reach of your posts, spark conversations and attract even more attention.

For instance, let’s say you’re a sports brand that wants to join in on the conversation around the FIFA World Cup. You can use relevant hashtags such as #WorldCup and #FIFAWorldCup to participate in the larger conversation around the event.

This will help your posts appear in searches and feeds related to the World Cup, increasing your visibility and potential for engagement.

You can also monitor these hashtags and engage with users who are using them. Like and comment on relevant posts, share user-generated content or even run a contest or giveaway using the hashtags to encourage engagement.

But be careful — including spammy, irrelevant, generic and too many hashtags can do more harm than good. Choose your hashtags wisely to reach like-minded audiences, and make sure your content is worth engaging with.

Makes your brand easier to find

Hashtags are a great way to increase brand awareness. They let you categorize your content so anyone interested in that particular topic can easily find it.

For example, let’s say you run a skincare brand and you create a post about your new moisturizer product. By including relevant hashtags such as #skincare, #beauty and #moisturizer in your post, you’re essentially tagging your content with those keywords.

Users who are interested in skincare products or searching for those keywords can find your post (and brand) by searching for those hashtags.

You can also include branded hashtags to help people who are already aware of your brand to easily find specific posts and pages.

Adds additional context to your posts

Hashtags connect your posts to specific topics or themes, making it easier for your audience to find, understand, relate to and engage with your content.

For example, if you’re sharing a new recipe you’ve tried, including hashtags like #recipe can help make your post searchable and differentiate it from other non-recipe food posts.

Similarly, if you’re attending a conference or event, using the event’s official hashtag can help your post get seen by other attendees and people following the event online.

Hashtags are also useful if you’re sharing creative visual content, and want to add the right context without writing long paragraphs of text.

How to find which hashtags to use

Just because a hashtag is popular doesn’t mean it’s the right fit for your brand. Before using a new hashtag, determine your goal (example: increased engagement).

After you have an endgame in mind, start digging into hashtag research. Here are a few ways to find the right hashtags for your brand.

Use a social media listening tool

Tools like RiteTag and Sprout Social’s Listening can help you identify relevant conversations by tracking keywords associated with your brand.

A screenshot of Sprout Social's Listening tool. In the screenshot, there are words in a word cloud like #coffee, morning and drinking. At the bottom of the page, related keywords and hashtags are listed and analyzed.

By monitoring these conversations, you can find out what hashtags are being used by your target audience and what topics they’re interested in.

Sprout also lets you track the performance of the hashtags you’re already using by analyzing the number of mentions, engagement and audience sentiment. This is helpful for knowing whether you’re using the right hashtags or need a change of strategy.

Research trending hashtags

Take advantage of trending hashtags to attract more attention to your posts.

Using popular hashtags is also a great way to come up with creative ideas for new content. Plus, it helps your brand become part of a larger community and join the conversation.

So, how do you find trending hashtags in your niche?

Begin by natively researching existing popular and relevant hashtags across apps. Use these hashtag types for inspiration:

  • Product or service (example: #Pretzels)
  • Industry or community-specific (example: #BookTok)
  • Timely or seasonal (example: #NYE)
  • Location (example: #Dublin)
  • Acronyms (example: #SMMs)

Turn to your social media platform’s trend-specific page to find these.

On Instagram, for example, you can browse the Explore page to see which posts are rising in popularity. Take note of the hashtags they’re using and consider hopping on the bandwagon if they align with your brand.

Other ways to find trending hashtags include using hashtag research tools and keeping track of events, holidays and special occasions.

Review your competition

Studying your competitors’ online strategy is a clever way to find relevant and effective hashtags for your brand.

Start by identifying brands that are similar to yours in terms of offerings, target audience and overall brand image. Then, analyze the hashtags they’re using in their posts, as well as the ones in their bio or profile description.

Look for common themes or topics that are relevant to your brand. Evaluate the engagement level on their posts and shortlist hashtags you might want to “share the space” with.

Don’t forget to track the performance of any competitor hashtags you use in your own posts. Hashtags working for your competition may not work for your brand.

In that case, it’s best to understand your own brand voice, audience and niche, and use more targeted hashtags that resonate with your customers.

Tips for using hashtags

Despite the benefits of hashtags, some marketers are unsure how to use them strategically.

For example, if your goal is to reach a specific audience, adding popular hashtags (example: #ForYouPage) to your posts might cast too wide of a net and fail to connect you with the right people.

To perfect the art of hashtagging, you should conduct research, use hashtags thoughtfully and analyze your results.

Here are some tips for using hashtags to their max potential.

1. Create branded hashtags

You might find creating your own branded hashtag is the best way to reach your goals. Branded hashtags increase visibility, clicks, mentions and overall reach.

Make sure to use your branded hashtag consistently across all of your social media channels. And encourage your followers to use it when they share content related to your brand.

For example, Rare Beauty — Selena Gomez’s makeup brand — started the hashtag #rareroutine to encourage customers to share their beauty routines using Rare Beauty products.

Instagram posts using the hashtag rareroutine

You can also consider running a social media campaign or contest using the hashtag to further promote your brand.

For most brands, using the right mix of popular, niche and brand-specific hashtags is the sweet spot for exposure and engagement.

Above all, it’s most important to identify hashtags that will help your brand stand out from your competitors and contribute toward your unique goals.

2. Use relevant hashtags in your social content

Once you identify which hashtags you’re going to use, it’s time to start adding them to your content. With hashtags, the general rule of thumb is less is more. Avoid stuffing your posts full of hashtags. Not only could this deter people from reading your message, it could also lead the social platform to categorize your posts as spam.

In general, stick to a few hashtags that are relevant to or describe your post. To determine exactly how many hashtags you should use, follow the best practices of each social platform. Keep reading to learn more about platform-specific best practices in the next section of this article.

When you write your copy, customize your hashtag placement according to each platform’s guidelines. Keep in mind that hashtags are hyperlinks. Adding them to the bottom of your captions, descriptions or posts works best to prevent people from clicking away.

3. Analyze and report on your hashtags’ progress

Tracking your hashtags is the most critical thing you can do to make sure they’re impacting your social performance. Monitor key metrics on a regular basis, including:

  • Popularity: How many people are using the hashtag?
  • Reach: How many people see the hashtag you’re using?
  • Interactions: How many people engage (like, share or comment) with posts that include the hashtag?
  • Users: Who is seeing the hashtag?

You can find some of this data in the native apps. If you want to automatically generate and visualize it in one place, use a tool like Sprout Social.

In Sprout, there are multiple ways to track the performance of your hashtags. For example, you can use social listening to find out how frequently people are talking about your topic, what related terms they’re using and the sentiment around the topic.

A screenshot of Sprout's Listening feature. In the image, related hashtags and keywords are analyzed for volume and sentiment.

Use data to determine which hashtags work well and which ones don’t. Continue to experiment and test new tags to avoid using the same hashtags on every post—this could register as spam. Instead, keep your best performing hashtags on rotation and try out new ones often.

Using hashtags on different social networks

When using hashtags across your social presence, don’t take a one-size-fits-all approach. Tailor hashtags to suit each platform. Here are up-to-date hashtag best practices you can follow to supercharge your content and grow your reach.

How to use hashtags on Instagram

There are a number of benefits to using hashtags on Instagram. According to Instagram’s Creator Community, IG users should “think of hashtags as a tool that provides context about your post and supports delivering content to people who are interested in a particular topic.”

The Creator Community also lays out these guidelines:

  • Only use 3-5 hashtags at a time
  • Use hashtags in your posts, comments and Stories
  • Only use hashtags relevant to your community and brand

 

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A post shared by Sprout Social (@sproutsocial)

How to use hashtags on Facebook

Facebook has steered away from giving explicit best practice advice since introducing hashtags in 2016. This has led some brands to shy away from using them, while others include them in every post.

Based on our research, follow these steps to make hashtags on Facebook work for your brand:

  • Only use 1-2 hashtags
  • Use hashtags in your posts, comments and Stories
  • Use timely hashtags since many users turn to Facebook for news and events
A screenshot of Black Wolf Nation's Facebook post for 4th of July. The image shows a Black Wolf Nation shampoo bottle photoshopped into an artistic depiction of the American Revolution.

How to use hashtags on TikTok

Some cite TikTok as the ultimate hashtag success story. And there’s no denying the impact hashtags have on growing your reach in the app.

To help your TikTok grow to its fullest potential, use these hashtag best practices:

  • Only use 3-5 hashtags
  • Use hashtags in your videos and Stories
  • Stay on top of emerging, trending hashtags and use them thoughtfully
  • Avoid using #ForYou, #FYP and #ForYouPage. If you do use them, proceed with caution.

How to use hashtags on Twitter

Hashtags are baked into Twitter’s DNA. Twitter users turn to the platform to catch up on what’s happening and hashtags make finding the latest content easy. Twitter makes it even easier by displaying trending hashtags and keywords on the homepage.

A screenshot of a portion of Twitter's homepage. The header reads "What's happening" with the days top trending stories listed underneath.

Use these hashtags tips to help your content perform well on Twitter:

  • Only use 1-2 hashtags
  • Use hashtags in your Tweets, Retweets and Replies
  • Use community-focused hashtags (example: events, conferences, holidays)
  • Join current conversations by using popular hashtags and jumping on trends (if it’s a good fit for your brand)

How to use hashtags on LinkedIn

LinkedIn users follow and interact with hashtags that are relevant to their job or industry. Tap into your audience’s go-to hashtags when creating your social content.

A screenshot of the #workingparents hashtags on LinkedIn. The hashtag has 1,196 followers.

LinkedIn is also a great place to roll out your branded hashtags, and encourage your team members to use them too.

When using hashtags on LinkedIn, consider these best practices:

  • Only use 2-3 hashtags
  • Use hashtags in your posts and on your company page. Note: Hashtags in comments or articles don’t show up in people’s feed.
  • Mix well-known and niche, branded hashtags

How to use hashtags on YouTube

Use hashtags on YouTube to help people find your videos. Hashtags boost your searchability and organize your channel, which encourages viewers to stick around.

To encourage more video views, optimize your hashtag usage with these guidelines:

  • Only use 3-5 hashtags per video
  • Use 1-2 hashtags in your title and the rest in your description

How to use hashtags on Pinterest

Pinterest helps create a personalized experience by sorting all Pins into categories. People look for “pin-spiration” for everything from holiday decor to muscle cars, so adding niche hashtags to your posts make it easier to reach the right audience.

A screenshot of "Today's Inspiration" on Pinterest. The page includes six images with text overlayed. "Get a taste of these clever wraps" over an image of a veggie wrap, "Astrology nails for every zodiac" over an image of color nail art designs inspired by astrology, "Your phone's full screen potential is here" over an image of lock-screen options, "Celebrating Bastille Day" over an image of people eating a charcuterie board with a lot of french bread, "These luxe pet styles have purr-sonality" over whimsical images of cats and dogs dressed in human outfits and "Queue up your summer playlist" over an image of a person tuning an old-fashioned radio.

Use these hashtag tips to help your Pins be seen by your intended audience:

  • There isn’t official Pinterest data to support the number of hashtags you should use. Use your own discretion and, remember, less is more.
  • Use timely hashtags since users are often on Pinterest to gain seasonal ideas
  • Make sure your hashtags are relevant to your Pin

Hashtag examples to spark your next big idea

Now that you know how to use hashtags across platforms, here’s our round up of the best ways brands and creators use them.

1. Reference an internet trend

When Casper heard about #GoblinMode—the latest internet trend that celebrates lazing around—they quickly got in on the fun. As a brand known for selling state of the art mattresses, rest and relaxation is part of their ethos.

Casper Twitter Example

If you see a new trend that aligns with your brand, use it to inspire your next Tweet. Don’t forget to use the trending hashtag.

2. Use a hashtag for your Q&A

Orgain hosted a live Q&A event and posted their responses to Twitter using #OrganicSummer. The hashtag made it easier for their audience to follow along and engage with their content. It was general enough that it reached a lot of people, but specific enough to attract the right audience.

A screenshot of multiple tweets by Orgain. The tweets contain tricks for healthy eating. The attached images are bright and colorful images of Orgain products.

Are you hosting or participating in an event soon? Be sure to use that event’s hashtag in your promotional content. If there isn’t a hashtag yet, create one.

3. Combine branded and general hashtags

Jenna Kutcher, host of the Goal Digger podcast, is known for her online marketing savvy. In her LinkedIn posts, she uses hashtags that are specific to her brand (example: #GoalDiggerPodcast) and general hashtags her audience might use (example: #Entrepreneurship).

A screenshot of Jenna Kutcher's LinkedIn post. In the post, she shares information about the latest episode of the Goal Digger podcast.

If you’re looking for inspiration for your branded hashtag, consider using the name of an existing campaign, tagline or content series your brand currently uses. The keywords are already associated with your brand, so they’ll be a natural fit.

4. Tag your location

Myles Apparel knows their customers are just as nature-obsessed as they are. Which is why tagging their Instagram images with #Donner makes sense. Donner Summit, California, is a highly-Instagrammable location made for outdoor enthusiasts.

A screenshot of an Instagram caption by Myles Apparel. The image uses the hashtag #donner.

If you’re at a location that’s significant to your audience, add it to your post or Story as a hashtag.

Start using hashtags in your content strategy

The hashtag isn’t dead. In fact, it’s more vital to the success of your content’s performance than ever. By delivering content with the right hashtags, you can forge relationships with your community, build brand awareness and reach your goals on social—and beyond.

Need help determining which hashtags are right for your brand? Use our worksheet to uncover the hashtags that have the greatest impact on your content.

The post Hashtags: What they are and how to use them effectively appeared first on Sprout Social.

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Customer service chatbots: How to create and use them for social media https://sproutsocial.com/insights/customer-service-chatbots/ https://sproutsocial.com/insights/customer-service-chatbots/#respond Wed, 15 Mar 2023 14:50:49 +0000 https://sproutsocial.com/insights/?p=148489/ Exceeding customer expectations isn’t as easy as it used to be. High inbound message volumes and rising customer care standards have left support teams Read more...

The post Customer service chatbots: How to create and use them for social media appeared first on Sprout Social.

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Exceeding customer expectations isn’t as easy as it used to be. High inbound message volumes and rising customer care standards have left support teams hustling to keep resolution times low. It’s officially time to call in the bots. Customer service chatbots, that is.

Don’t panic—no robot can replace a diligent customer service professional. They can, however, quickly handle the frequently asked questions that eat at your team’s bandwidth and leave less time for more pressing support needs.

The consequences of long wait times for high-touch issues can quickly reach your business’s bottom line. According to The Sprout Social Index™ 2022, 36% of consumers say they’ll share a negative support experience with friends and family. A comparable 31% won’t complete their purchase, while 30% will buy from a competitor instead.

Humans and bots can work together to keep customers happy, even as expectations climb. In this article, we’ll cover everything you need to know about customer service chatbots, including tips on implementing a bot strategy that sounds anything but artificial.

What are customer service chatbots?

A text-based graphic that says, "What are customer service chatbots? A customer service chatbot is a conversational commerce tool that provides customer assistance via text chat, voice command or both. Brands implement these chatbots on their websites and social messaging platforms like Facebook and Twitter DMs."

A customer service chatbot is a conversational commerce tool that provides customer assistance via text chat, voice command or both. Brands implement these chatbots on their websites and social messaging platforms like Facebook and Twitter DMs.

Self-service options like chatbots empower customers to problem solve on-demand so that reps can focus on more complex support needs.

There are two different types of customer service chatbots:

  • Machine-learning AI chatbots
  • Rules-based chatbots

What are AI chatbots?

Machine-learning AI chatbots are programmed to self-learn as they’re introduced to new words, questions, sources of information and dialogue. These bots learn over time—the accuracy of their service improves as the volume of messages they engage with increases.

Amazon Alexa is one of the most famous examples of this bot type. If you have one in your home and think it’s becoming more attuned to your habits and preferences, it’s because she is.

These kinds of bots drive the dialogue and use context clues, embedded skills and conversation history to improve user experiences over time.

What are rule-based chatbots?

Then, there are rule-based chatbots, which follow a series of rules like a flowchart to drive a conversation. Rule-based customer service chatbots are often used for straightforward tasks such as providing basic information, answering frequently asked questions or performing simple transactions.

Rule-based bots give you more control over how your chatbots operate at every stage of the interaction.

Using chatbots for customer service: The pros and cons

The benefits of chatbots in customer service are enormous, but that doesn’t mean they are without limitations. Here are the pros and cons you need to know.

Con: Bots can only deal with limited scenarios

Rule-based chatbots can’t address questions or concerns outside of their defined rules. That’s why they’re best suited for straightforward support needs.

If customers need help outside of the chatbot’s scope, how your team responds and picks up where the bot left off becomes critical. There’s nothing more frustrating—and churn-inducing—than getting passed from bot to bot before receiving a higher tier of support.

Pro: Bots deliver instant responses

Customer service chatbots can increase overall customer satisfaction by boosting your team’s speed and efficiency.

According to the 2022 Salesforce State of the Connected Customer Report, 83% of consumers expect to interact with someone immediately when they contact a company. Once they hit send, you’re on the clock.

Self-service support options like chatbots help your business reach the new gold standard of care. These tools solve common support requests before they make it to your team’s ticket queue, satisfying customers and streamlining your work.

Con: Bots can make customer service experiences repetitive and circular

Earlier, I mentioned rule-based chatbots operate similarly to a flowchart. Have you ever seen a flow chart with way too many options? The path to your final result probably felt endless.

An over-complicated bot strategy can evoke this same feeling for your customers. When self-service support stops being intuitive and starts feeling like a job, customer satisfaction is sure to take a hit. Prevent this by routinely auditing your scripts and rules so the experience stays fresh and up-to-date.

Pro: Bots can provide service outside of business hours

Unlike chatbots, people have lives that need to be lived! If you’re one of the many social media managers or customer service reps who loses sleep over missed messages, chatbots can help you rest easy.

Our team isn’t necessarily monitoring social media 24/7. If people need to reach out to us overnight, chatbots allow us to provide customers with an immediate response.
Carollyn Montales
Online Community Management Senior Specialist at Southern California Edison

Read the Case Study

If your business prefers to have mostly human-to-human interactions with your audience, using chatbots for customer service can help you fill the gaps during off hours. A simple, automated message letting customers know when they can expect a response is often enough to make them feel seen and heard until someone’s back on the clock.

Con: Bots can only offer the basics

In a bot’s eyes, we’re all equal. That sounds nice, but it can be an affront to loyal or influential customers seeking a more human interaction.

At the end of the day, your reps are best-suited for providing tailored care experiences that exceeds expectations. Timely chatbot responses keep customers satisfied. Authentic customer care experiences drive loyalty and word-of-mouth praise.

Pro: Bots help scale your customer care team operations

Phone, email, app, chat, text, DM—there is a never-ending list of ways that customers can reach out to your team. If you’re going to work successfully across multiple channels and technologies while offering quality experiences, you need to embrace automation.

Chatbots quickly answer FAQs and repetitive messages, so your team can shift their focus toward more pressing, complex challenges. The results of that teamwork are quicker issue resolution and happier humans on both sides of the conversation.

3 Examples of companies using customer service chatbots

Chatbot support adoption spread quickly. It’s easy to forget that just a few decades ago, the practice would have sounded like something straight out of a science fiction novel. Now, leading brands are supplementing their care approach to scale their operations, providing customers with high quality support faster.

Let’s see what those bots look like in action. Here’s how businesses are getting the most out of customer service chatbots on their website, as well as on Facebook and Twitter.

1. Domino’s

Domino’s has been a customer experience innovator since the launch of Domino’s Pizza Tracker® back in 2008. Their dedication to proactively addressing customer concerns—even simple ones like “I wonder when my pizza will get here?”—keeps their approach a cut above the rest.

A GIF of the Domino's chatbot, found on their website. In the GIF, a customer is provides their street address and places an order.

The brand’s approach to bot support further enriches their approach by supporting the end-to-end customer experience. It helps visitors place and track their orders without requiring app downloads or sign-ups, creating a frictionless experience that makes it easy to order again and again.

2. Caesars Sportsbook

A screenshot of Caesars Sportsbook's Twitter chatbot experience. The bot message says, "Thank you for your message, Emperor. Please share the following along with your question and a member of our team will get back to you shortly. 1) Email Address, 2) Phone Number, 3) State, 4) Question or concern"

Who says a chatbot can’t make you feel like royalty? If you don’t believe it, check out Caesars Sportsbook’s Twitter customer service strategy. Their DM bot builds transparency between their support teams and their customers, all while offering the emperor treatment.

When you message Caesars Sportsbook, the bot immediately prompts you to provide all the relevant details needed for quality support. The instructions request just enough information to prevent time-consuming back-and-forth between customers and support agents without putting too much work on either party.

3. Corelle

A screenshot of Corelle's Facebook Messenger chat bot. In the screenshot, the user sent an initial "Get started" prompt. The bot responds with, "Hi there! Thank you for reaching out, you are messaging with our chatbot. If you ever want to restart, please type "menu". What can we help you with today? Please select one of the options below so you can be directed to the correct team:"

Corelle dishware is known for being as beautiful as it is strong. You could say the same thing about their Facebook customer service chatbot.

The bot creates transparency by clearly identifying itself as a bot while setting expectations on when and how one can reach human support. If customers proceed with the chatbot, they can choose from four other unique prompts to push the conversation along. Those prompts include “order support”, “product support”, “shopping help” and “feedback”.

These conversation paths drive quick, convenient solutions for simple problems 24/7, so agents can focus their working hours on the complex issues only they can solve.

How to set up customer service chatbots in Sprout

Sprout Social users can use our Bot Builder to create, preview and deploy chatbots on Twitter and Facebook in a matter of minutes.

In the Bot Builder, you can create a chatbot from scratch or use a template to help you get started.

A screenshot of the Sprout Social Bot Builder. The Bot Builder home page includes a directory of active bots, and a list of available bot templates.

Whether you’re starting with a blank canvas or using a template, the first steps are the same. Select which profile you want your chatbot to monitor. Then, give your bot a name, an avatar and a description.

Once you click save, you’ll be brought to the screen where you’ll configure the chatbot. If you select a template, a decision tree with predetermined rules and script options will automatically populate in the configuration stage. You can run with it as is or add additional rules and completely customize the copy so the bot sounds and feels more on-brand. If you’re starting from scratch, you’ll need to build out your own script and decision tree based on “Bot Says” this and “User Clicks” that logic.

A screenshot of Sprout Social's Bot Builder workflow. The rule-based chatbot set up resembles a flowchart, offering different paths for users to take depending on their needs.

Each chatbot interaction starts with a welcome message that greets users when they send a direct message to your brand. In addition to text, you can add photos, GIFs and up to three call-to-action buttons in your welcome message.

From there, you can edit or add quick replies and menu options that users click to prompt an auto-response and reach the next step in the bot-driven conversation. Once you’ve added all the necessary layers and considerations, click the eye icon along the right rail to preview and interact with your chatbot before activating it.

A screenshot of the Sprout Social Bot Builder workflow with the preview window open.

For more guidance on how to set up chatbots and streamline customer care in Sprout, check out this learning portal lesson available to all Sprout customers and users in trial.

Customer-to-chatbot interactions will stream directly into the Smart Inbox, supporting seamless handoff between bot and human support. If you’re using Sprout’s integration with Salesforce, you can gain a 360-degree understanding of specific customer experiences in just a few clicks. Combined, these two tools pave a clear path for high-quality customer engagement.

A screenshot of a Sprout Twitter Bot Report, which shows a chart of interaction volumes by day, as well as a table of performance metrics.

Turn to the Chatbot Report for more real-time bot strategy enhancements. This report features key metrics like Interaction Volume, Most Used Quick Replies and Bot Messages Sent. Combined, they help you get a more accurate picture of how people are actually interacting with your bot and where there are opportunities for improvement.

3 Tips on customer service chatbot copywriting

Chatbots can’t provide that human touch, but that doesn’t mean they have to sound entirely mechanical either. Your scripts can turn a bot interaction into a memorable, on-brand experience. It’s not about pretending bots are human, but writing their scripts so customers have a positive experience interacting with them.

1. Introduce your chatbot

Some people still have their reservations about chatbot support. Their skepticism is valid—a poor chatbot experience can quickly go from “helpful” to “hassle”.

Getting your customers to embrace bot support starts with transparency. Use an introductory message to set expectations on what your chatbot can help with from the get-go. That way, customers can opt-out of the chatbot experience and wait for a human source if they want to.

A screenshot of Sprout Social's Twitter chatbot. The automated message says, "Hi, there! Your friendly Sprout neighborhood chatbot here to provide any help while you’re in town. Please choose one of the topics below so I can point you in the right direction. If you want to chat with humans, they're also around – just send a DM! To resurface the menu, type the word ‘refresh’."

2. Give your chatbot  a personality

A lot of brands worry that chatbots sound, well, too robotic. But with tools like Sprout’s Bot Builder, you can dictate what your bot sounds like, so why not give it a personality?

Remember SmarterChild, the snarky yet informative AOL instant messenger chatbot? By today’s standards, it’s a rudimentary chatbot, but it had a sarcastic personality that at its peak entertained 250,000 people per day.

A screenshot of the SmarterChild chatbot responding to a message from AIM user @candiemonkie.

Personality is more than just how your chatbot ‘speaks.’ Sometimes brands will humanize their chatbot by giving it a name so the conversation feels more personable.

3. Keep your chatbot simple

Remember chatbots aren’t meant to replace humans, but to complement them. Even if you inject personality into your chatbot, keep your copy simple.

The ultimate goal is for chatbots to be helpful and provide solutions. Overly flowery language, metaphors and $10 words will just complicate things for your customers. As you’re writing chatbot copy, lean into instinct and talk like a human would.

Get started with customer service chatbots

Using chatbots for customer service creates a win-win-win situation. Customers get speedy, efficient support for their most common issues, agents get to focus on the complex work only they can handle and businesses reap the benefits of increased satisfaction on both ends.

With help from Sprout’s Bot Builder, you can smash previous reply rate records on critical social customer service channels like Facebook and Twitter. Find out how it can complement your customer care strategy by starting a free, 30-day trial today.

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Masterclass: How to Prepare Your Brand for a New Era in Social https://sproutsocial.com/insights/webinars/expert-masterclass-how-to-prepare-your-brand-for-a-new-era-in-social/ Wed, 15 Mar 2023 13:57:12 +0000 https://sproutsocial.com/insights/?post_type=webinars&p=170481/ A lot has changed in social media since the early 2000s. Social has become influence–it is now the channel on which trends are born, Read more...

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A lot has changed in social media since the early 2000s. Social has become influence–it is now the channel on which trends are born, important conversations take place and sentiments are revealed. We’re in a new era of social media. Is your brand prepared to meet the ever-evolving expectations of your audience?  

Rachel Karten, Social Media Consultant and creator of the Link in Bio Newsletter, has been in the industry for over a decade and knows quite a bit about the evolution of consumer-brand relations in the social world. She worked for brands like Bon Appétit and Plated and recently worked on the famous campaign at CAVA with Youtube star, Emma Chamberlain

Join us on Thursday, March 30th at 1 pm CT for a masterclass with Rachel Karten to learn how to best prepare for this next phase of social. 

You’ll leave this masterclass uncovering:

  • Why your old social strategy will no longer work in the new era of social media
  • How your brand can optimize social content for engagement
  • 3 campaign examples from brands Rachel helped succeed and tactics you can implement now

Your Speakers:

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Social Media Management Buyer’s Guide https://sproutsocial.com/insights/guides/how-to-choose-a-social-media-management-platform/ Mon, 13 Mar 2023 13:27:51 +0000 https://sproutsocial.com/insights/?post_type=guides&p=170692/ If you aren’t investing in social media, you’re falling behind. Social is the key to future-proofing your business and propelling it forward. With customer Read more...

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If you aren’t investing in social media, you’re falling behind. Social is the key to future-proofing your business and propelling it forward. With customer insights about your brand performance, audience and industry at your fingertips, harnessing social can transform the way you do business—even in the face of tight budgets and looming uncertainty.

To drive the long-term health of your business, you need the foundational tech stack to set you up for success. The right social media management platform and its actionable intelligence will help you drive more revenue, boost team efficiency, enable strategic focus and outperform your competition.

In this guide, you’ll learn:

  • What a sophisticated social media management platform does for your business
  • Exactly where social can make an impact in your organization—from marketing and customer care to sales and product development
  • What you need to know before investing, including a checklist and essential questions to guide your evaluation
  • How Sprout Social can be your partner in unlocking the full value of social

Download this guide to receive expert guidance on how to conduct a social media management platform evaluation that prioritizes ROI, efficiency and the needs that matter most to your business.

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Set Clear Standards With an Employee Social Media Policy Template https://sproutsocial.com/insights/templates/social-media-policy-template/ Thu, 09 Mar 2023 20:04:12 +0000 https://sproutsocial.com/insights/?post_type=templates&p=170688/ We all know that a poorly timed or worded social media post can snowball into a brand crisis within minutes. Using a social media Read more...

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We all know that a poorly timed or worded social media post can snowball into a brand crisis within minutes. Using a social media policy will help avoid a public relations avalanche.

A well-crafted social media policy can do much more than protect your brand’s reputation—it protects your company’s security, privacy and legal interests. The internet never forgets, so it’s better to be safe than sorry.

An effective social media policy also supports your employee advocacy content strategy. When employees post about a company on social media, it can improve brand awareness, drive qualified leads and establish thought leadership.

We’ve created a customizable social media policy template to help you build rules and protocols for representing your brand online including:

  • Personal account do’s and don’ts
  • Security and privacy guidelines
  • Company association rules

Our social media policy template is a starting point for creating standards that will protect and grow your business. Empower your employees with the right guidance so they have the space to advocate for themselves while staying true to the brand and its values online.

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9 popular types of social media content to grow your brand https://sproutsocial.com/insights/types-of-social-media-content/ Tue, 07 Mar 2023 15:27:30 +0000 https://sproutsocial.com/insights/?p=152144/ Content is at the heart of every social strategy. It’s how brands make their first and long-lasting impressions on social media. And it’s with Read more...

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Content is at the heart of every social strategy. It’s how brands make their first and long-lasting impressions on social media. And it’s with content that brands communicate and connect with new and loyal customers alike.

That’s why it’s important to know what to post on each social media platform. So in this article, we’ll share the nine most valuable types of social media content according to marketers and how brands are using these formats to strike a chord with audiences.

The most engaging types of social media content in 2023

Keeping up with the latest in social media is a difficult task with all the different platforms, features and algorithms. That’s why we created The 2023 Content Benchmarks Report to help you identify the most valuable types of social media content.

In this report, we collected data from 729,000 public social profiles in 2022. Then, we analyzed trends to derive what types of social media content will inspire your audience and make them more likely to engage with your brand. Let’s take a look at which formats are most engaging.

A list of the most valuable types of social media content in 2023. The most popular types in order of popularity include short-from video, images, live video, GIFs/memes, text-based posts, user-generated content, long-form video, audio and URL links to other content.

1. Short-form video

Short-form videos are the most captivating type of social media content thanks to their capacity to break down and present information in less than one minute. Plus, the length makes it more shareable and ideal for social media.

You’re facing an audience that’s busier than ever. People are looking for immediate gratification with fast and entertaining content they can consume on the way. So a 15-minute video seems impractical when a one-minute video can do the job just as well.

Why short-form video works on social

About 66% of consumers find short-form videos the most engaging out of any other social media post types. And before you say it’s because bigger brands have the resources to produce high-end videos, the truth is successful videos don’t require unlimited time, resources or heavy editing.

According to our research, consumers find short-form videos 2.5x more engaging than long-form videos. So humor and relatability are enough to draw people to your brand. In fact, a survey shows that 34% of consumers like to see authentic, less-produced videos.

Additionally, short-form videos are perfect for different types of social media post ideas. From highlighting how to use your product or service to influencer collaborations and behind-the-scenes content.

Best social media platforms for short-form video

The popularity of TikTok videos, Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts is evidence of their effectiveness when it comes to short-form video.

Both TikTok and Instagram have a variety of tools that help create short-form videos for free. You can record a few shots, add a soundtrack, use a filter and follow popular social media trends. Additionally, you can promote your content with native ad campaigns.

Even though YouTube Shorts are a recent feature from YouTube, they have become increasingly popular with 15 billion global daily views.

4 use cases of short-form video from Last Crumb

Last Crumb is a small business born in LA that bakes luxury handmade cookies. This brand stands out for using sassy language and an almost seductive tone to reach its audience.

Last Crumb uses short-form videos on TikTok and Instagram to encourage their audience to crave their cookies with:

  1. Content relating their cookies to popular holiday celebrations. Last Crumb uses their holiday-themed videos to hop on relevant trends and conversations, prompting their audience to share their content with friends and allowing the brand to reach a wider audience.
    @lastcrumb

    There’s no better way to “I love you” than with a box of decadent cookies. @Sugar Pusher ® #LastCrumb #LastCrumbTikTok #LastCrumbCookies #cookietok #cookie #foodie #lastcrumbvalentines

    ♬ It’s A Wrap – Sped Up – Mariah Carey

  2. Influencer collaborations to taste-test their cookies. In these videos, influencers unbox the luxury package and eat the cookies. This tactic leverages influencers’ loyal followings to generate interest within an untapped audience with “reviews” people trust.
  3. Last Crumb’s destruction collection, in which the brand destroys their extravagant cookies, merge “demos” with entertaining content to show the delicious texture of the cookies to keep people watching and drive engagement.
  4. Last Crumb’s sandwich collection shows how you can make different luxury ice cream sandwiches with their cookies. This helps them stay connected with their customers by sharing recipes they might want to try the next time they order cookies.
    @lastcrumb

    A simple solution for when you can’t decide which cookie you want. #LastCrumb #LastCrumbTikTok #LastCrumbCookies #cookietok #cookie #foodie

    ♬ f urself in vegas – SHIMA

2. Images

Images are the second most valuable type of content out of the nine popular social media content categories. They’re also one of the types of social media most frequently posted across social networks.

Static images are absorbed and appreciated in an instant. The colors, composition, text (or lack of it) and other details give social users an immediate impression of your brand.

Why images work on social

Amongst the types of social media content, 61% of consumers find images the most engaging type of in-feed social content. I don’t know about you, but I’d rather look at a picture than read a thousand words.

Since mobile devices are equipped with high-definition cameras, and there are many free editing tools, anyone can embrace their inner photographer and graphic designer. This means social media marketers can create images for their content strategy without enlisting a ton of resources.

Best social media platforms for images

Instagram and Pinterest are platforms that naturally lend themselves to images. These social media platforms have unique advantages to leverage your visuals like filters, effects and editing.

Instagram started as an image-sharing platform and even though it has evolved to be much more, its content is still made of 87% images.

When consumers go to Pinterest, they’re looking for inspiration and creativity. In fact, 97% of all searches on the platform are unbranded, creating the perfect environment for audiences to discover your brand and spark their interest in a future purchase.

As a bonus, both platforms have social commerce features that allow you to tag products, transforming images into “shoppable” content.

3 use cases for image posts from Williams Sonoma

Williams Sonoma is known for its kitchenware, home furnishing and gourmet foods. It maintains a strong following, clear reputable brand identity and “shoppable” feeds across social platforms. They achieve that with sumptuous, vibrant images in the following ways:

  1. Williams Sonoma uses top Pinterest trends to create Pins and carousels with colorful dishes and recipes. These images catch the eye of their target audience, enticing clicks to learn more about how to make the dish, which drives engagement and traffic to their website.
  2. They support the full shopping experience on Instagram using eye-candy imagery and product tags. Thanks to these, consumers can get the product they like with a few taps, reducing friction to the final purchase.
  3. Across platforms, they leverage their organic presence by using captions to enhance their image content and CTAs to their blog or online store to continue the buying journey.

3. Live video

The ongoing digital transformation has left businesses thinking differently about how they can engage with customers in real time. In 2020, Live video came out as a winner during the pandemic with live video viewers reaching 152.5 million (20.4% more than in 2019).

Why live video works on social

37% of consumers find live video the most engaging type of social media content. It enables businesses and creators to broadcast conversations, webinars, Q&As or other virtual events. And unlike text or image posts, where you wait for an interaction, live videos give audiences a chance to react in real time.

Live and simultaneous viewing also gives people a sense of community and togetherness. What’s even better is you can repurpose your livestream video to get more value from the content. For example, you could create multiple shorts or text snippets from your livestream for posts on other networks.

Best social media platforms for live video

Many platforms have livestream capabilities, but the best ones are Facebook Live, Instagram Live, YouTube Live and LinkedIn Live.

YouTube, Facebook and LinkedIn Live experienced a boom during the pandemic. YouTube and Facebook Live acted as entertainment for people. While LinkedIn Live allowed brands to reach and communicate with a professional network. On average, LinkedIn live videos get 7x more reactions than native videos.

According to Statista, 43% of US social media users aged 18-34 watched Instagram Live in 2021. That’s in part because the platform is designed to better your chances of followers joining you. When you go live on Instagram, your Live content appears at the beginning of Instagram stories.

How BuzzFeed uses live video to spark interest

BuzzFeed is a news and entertainment company that talks about viral topics. One of its branches, BuzzFeed Video, produces original video content about their articles.

From trying viral TikTok products to, home decor andor easy meal preps, BuzzFeed Video attracts a wide audience around pop culture. They use Facebook Live to bring their blog content to life and be part of the conversation on social. Jumping on viral trends or speaking directly to their audience’s interests enables them to stay relevant in real time and be an entertaining source of information that makes you want to come back for more.

Buzzfeed past live videos on facebook

4. GIFs/memes

GIFS and memes are a particular type of social media content favored by younger generations. When words can’t describe the mix of gestures and feelings we all relate to at some point, memes can add meaning to these situations.

These types of social media content assure your audience gets the message and helps your brand relate to your audience through comedic takes on daily life.

Why GIFs and memes work on social

Besides the fact that they’re shareable and enjoyable, their relatability makes it almost personalized content. Something that 71% of consumers expect companies to deliver.

When people see personalized content, their immediate response may be to interact with it and share it with friends. That’s how memes become viral if they’re used with the right audience.

GIFs can have the same effect but are more dynamic due to their animated feature. This makes them an excellent way to start conversations with more than words and still leave an impression.

Best social media platforms for GIFs and memes

Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter are ideal to post memes. But for GIFs, we recommend Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. If you post a GIF on Instagram, it will be added as a short video.

Memes drive engagement, that’s why Instagram users share over one million memes daily. They also drive traffic, as proved by a study from Social Media Today. They posted memes on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn for a month, which increased their website traffic by 12%.

In the case of GIFs, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn have special features for sharing this type of content. Twitter and LinkedIn make it as easy as tapping on the “GIF” icon and selecting the GIF you want to share. And Facebook’s boomerang feature allows you to capture moments in a loop so you can create your own GIFs.

How ProWritingAid uses GIFs/memes to connect with their audience

ProWritingAid is an AI writing assistant software that corrects your grammar and style with automated suggestions. If you go to their Instagram profile, you’ll notice that their most engaging posts are memes from writers for writers.

They use memes to convey their audience’s common tasks, like finishing a book outline, the struggles that come with it and wholesome messages. This relatable content builds relationships with their audience by speaking to their pain points, while still providing comedic relief.

5. Text-based posts

It’s important for businesses to prioritize visual content, but they shouldn’t lose sight of the power of words. What’s more, 32% of consumers say text-based posts are still one of the most engaging types of social media content.

Written content needs the same attention, consistency and creative elements that you give other content formats. But developing a distinctive brand tone and voice that aligns with your visual identity will help your written content stand out from the crowded social chatter.

Why text-based posts work on social

According to our index, 34% of consumers follow their favorite brands on social to see the brand’s personality. And the most direct way to give that to your customers is with text posts.

Short-form video is reigning and an image is worth a thousand words. But that doesn’t mean text-based content is redundant. And that’s especially true for social media, where text-based content can be valuable for starting conversations that help you get to know your customers better.

Best social media platforms for text-based posts

Reddit, Twitter and LinkedIn are top-of-mind for text-based posts in the social media content categories.

Reddit is a great platform to engage in Q&As and get conversational with your fans. While LinkedIn is perfect to share thought leadership, articles and engage with your professional network.

Still, Twitter is by far the most popular platform for text-based posts. It’s perfect to share digestible bits of information, ideas and news. That’s why it’s always buzzing with conversations. And engaging in conversations that interest your audience can help you widen your reach and build a community.

4 use cases of text-based content from McDonald’s

McDonald’s is one of the most successful fast-food chains with millions of customers served each day. On Twitter, the brand uses text posts to communicate with fans in a relatable, casual and humorous voice that brings the brand down to earth. Specifically, they use these types of text posts to define their brand values and start conversations:

  1. Asking their fans questions and encouraging them to engage in fun trends.

  2. Using Tweets to collect and act on the feedback shared directly from their community.

  3. They don’t just post, wait for engagement and leave it at that. The brand addresses nearly every response they get.
  4. McDonald’s cross-promotes their text tweets and repurposes them on other social platforms using graphic elements.

    if u can do this u can have my job

    Posted by McDonald's on Thursday, February 25, 2021

These examples show how McDonald’s uses text-based content as a way of building a community and engaging with them. Plus, this makes customers perceive the brand as approachable which builds trust.

6. User-generated content

User-generated content (UGC) is content created by fans, consumers or users that brands repurpose for their feed. When consumers create content showcasing your products, they’re essentially giving you social proof and testimonials.

UGC has opened the doors for brands to reach a wider audience as people enjoy being part of a community. Also, UGC shows real-life uses of your products or services, which makes your followers more willing to try them.

Why user-generated content works on social

Of all the types of social media content, UGC is the most trustworthy. Consumers want to see real customers showing their experiences with your brand.

According to our 2023 content benchmark report, around 39% of consumers like to see testimonials or customer demos from the brands they follow on social because that’s the type of content they consider authentic. This creates trust, which ultimately affects the decision of 58% of consumers to pick a brand over a competitor, according to our Index data.

Also, you can take advantage of UGC to maximize your budget while reaching more consumers. When a user tries your product and posts about it, their followers may want to try it and post about it as well. This creates a chain reaction in which you reach the followers of your followers. Yet, over 93% of marketers aren’t using the full power of UGC, so there’s a lot of opportunity with this type of content.

Best social media platforms for user-generated content

Instagram and TikTok are the go-to social media platforms to find user-generated content. This is because both are highly effective for visual content, especially short-form videos. And since video content is best for showcasing a product over text or static images, 79% of marketers are willing to invest more in video leveraging authentic content (UGC) in 2023 according to the SOUGC report.

How L’Oreal Paris USA leverages UGC content with TikTok

L’Oreal Paris is a cosmetic brand that empowers women through beauty. They launched a TikTok contest to win $25,000 in which TikTokers had to upload a 15-second video showcasing their new telescopic lift mascara.

@lorealparisusa

ENTRIES OPEN THIS SATURDAY, 1/28 @ 12am EST!!! Calling all TikTokers! This is your chance to become 1 of the 5 Game Show Contestants of the @LOREALPARISUSA #TelescopicLift #ReadySetLift Game Show. The 5 Contestants will battle it out for a chance to win $25,000. HERE’S HOW TO AUDITION: 1. Follow @LOREALPARISUSA on TikTok 2. Post a video showing your lash before & after transformation using #TelescopicLift 3. Must include Custom Song below 4. Must be 15 seconds max in length 5. Include #ReadySetLift #Contest as a text overlay to your video and in your caption Entries Open 1/28 @ 12am EST. Entries Close 1/30 @ 11:59pm EST. SHOP NOW! T&Cs apply visit: www.lorealparisusa.com/telescopic-lift-tiktok-terms-and-conditions A PURCHASE OF L’OREAL PARIS TELESCOPIC LIFT MASCARA (MSRP: $14.99) IS NECESSARY TO ENTER, U.S only (excl. IA, LA, MD, TN) 18+

♬ original sound – loréal paris

This tactic generated tons of UGC videos that fueled their brand awareness. Also, their mascara went viral on TikTok, promoting more sales. And they got lots of product demos for future campaigns.

7. Long-form video

Long-form video is the type of social media content you look for when you want educational and informative videos. Even though short-form videos are the most popular type of content, they lack the depth you crave when you’re genuinely interested in a topic. While videos that last longer are packed with information that builds authority.

Why long-form video works on social

Long-form videos are great for developing relationships with your audience. What’s more, 24% of consumers report long-form video content as the most engaging type of social media content.

Also, long-form videos are one of the best types of social media content to share educational topics. In fact, 93% of viewers use YouTube for educational purposes, and as of March 2021, users spent an average of 29 minutes and 36 seconds per visit.

Best social media platforms for long-form video

YouTube and Facebook are the most popular platforms for long-form content.

When you think about long videos, your mind naturally drifts to the giant online video-sharing platform we know as YouTube. And with good reason, as YouTube is designed to share videos of all lengths and keep people watching.

It’s also important to note that 71% and 51% of consumers expect to use Facebook and YouTube (respectively) more in 2023, according to our Index data.

How TED uses long-form video to connect with its audience

TED Talks discuss specific topics that move the world. Speakers present “Ideas Worth Spreading” from innovative research in their fields hoping to ignite imagination and give space to possibility.

TED’s long-form video content has become a worldwide phenomenon because the ideas click with people, giving them a feeling of belonging and community. But how does TED keep people interested in a 10+ minute video?

Because of storytelling!

The script of every TED Talk is packed with knowledge and information, but also strategic rhetorical questions, pauses and a bit of humor. The talks are meant to be stories that draw the listener in. So it’s all about how you present this information. YouTube creates the perfect space for this as it enables TED Talks to appeal to their audience through education and entertainment.

8. Audio

Social audio is about using your voice rather than comments, emojis or reactions to communicate. You record yourself talking about hot topics or experiences you think will interest your audience.

And the single best format for this type of social media content is podcasts.

Why audio content works on social

Around 32% of people in the US put their headphones on and listened to podcasts while in the car in 2022. A smart way of learning something new and passing the time when you need your eyes on the road. And sometimes people want information without the commitment of being in front of a screen for an hour.

Even though podcasts have at least a basic outline to plan their episode, most of the talking, expressions or personalities are genuine. This allows listeners to connect with the host, but the quality of the content is also important to prompt your audience to hear the next episode.

Best social media platforms for audio

Podcasts are best found in libraries like Spotify and Apple Podcasts. But that doesn’t mean they can’t be repurposed to fit your social media networks.

TikTok and YouTube are great platforms for podcasts as they can play long audio recordings, just like they do with video. You just need to add an image or film the recording of your podcast.

2 use cases of audio content from HerFirst100k

HerFirst100k strives to give women financial education and create a supportive community that thrives. Their podcast, The Financial Feminist, aligns with their financial freedom and community goals. Here’s how they repurposed their podcast on their social to achieve more visibility:

  1. TikTok teaser videos that increase their reach and promote their podcast to get more subscribers.
    @herfirst100k

    Whatever she’s doing is working because @nadyaokamoto has redirected the attention to important issues like period poverty. #financialfeminist

    ♬ original sound – Tori Dunlap — Money Expert 💸

  2. YouTube gives HerFirst100k a chance to address questions important to their audience on a platform they frequent. Also, it expands its reach beyond podcasting platforms by increasing their visibility on one of the popular search engines.

9. URL/links to other content

Using links helps you bring more followers to your website or other content. As the links are in your social media posts, it gives your audience easy access to content of interest and extends their experience with your brand.

URLs allow your brand to share more details, or go beyond the limits of character count within a social media platform with a single click.

Why URL/links to other content work on social

If you put a link in your social media posts to respective content on your website, you’re creating more opportunity to drive traffic to your site.

What’s more, when you promote a new product or service on social media, a link to the checkout or pricing page can help drive sales. It also reduces friction to purchase by making it easy to go from one platform to the next.

Best social media platforms for URL/link to other content

The best social media platforms for URL/links to other content are LinkedIn, Pinterest, Twitter and Facebook. On these platforms, linking to other content is as easy as including the link in the character field and posting it.

Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter emphasize your links by showing a thumbnail image in your posts. For Pinterest, the process is similar, but you can customize the thumbnail image by uploading an image, titling your pin and adding a description.

3 use cases of URL content from Sprout Social

Sprout Social uses specific platforms to expand the reach of their website content. They meet people where they’re at in the format they want to consume it. Here are three types of URL content Sprout Social uses:

  1. Updates of newly added functionalities and integrations to get the attention of potential customers in the decisions stage. This can lead to sales but also drive engagement among current customers that enjoy the new features.
    LinkedIn post featuring the new integration of Sprout Social with Tableau
  2. Social media articles in Sprout Social’s Insights blog which drives traffic to their website and more visibility when it comes to industry topics.
    LinkedIn post featuring a blog article from Sprout Social about social media best practices.

Find the types of social media content that work for your audience

Thanks to all these types of social media content, there are multiple ways for you to express your brand voice and make meaningful connections. And while best practices are a good starting point, your audience and brand are unique, so you need to find what works best for both.

Discover what type of content your brand should use on social media by taking our social media content mix quiz to find the ideal fit.

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How to get more views on YouTube: 17 ways to promote your channel https://sproutsocial.com/insights/how-to-promote-your-youtube-channel/ https://sproutsocial.com/insights/how-to-promote-your-youtube-channel/#comments Tue, 07 Mar 2023 14:00:34 +0000 http://sproutsocial.com/insights/?p=96276/ There’s no better time than now to figure out how to promote your YouTube channel. Why “now,” though? For starters, YouTube is the second Read more...

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There’s no better time than now to figure out how to promote your YouTube channel.

Why “now,” though?

For starters, YouTube is the second most-visited site on the web, and when we’re spending up to six hours per day consuming video, the writing is on the wall. If you want to stand out on YouTube, you need to take advantage of as many promotional tactics as possible.

We’ll go into detail on each of these tactics for how to grow your YouTube channel and maximize your viewership. Whether you’re just getting started or want to see your numbers tick further upward, these tips are all fair game.

What counts as a view on YouTube?

Views refer to the total number of times your video or channel has been watched. Each time a viewer plays a video and watches it for at least 30 seconds, YouTube counts it as a view. If someone watches your video several times, each time is counted as a new view. This applies across all devices whether a person watches via smartphone or desktop. This also applies to embeds and videos shared on social media like Facebook.

When someone visits your channel page, you receive a view. If you use YouTube Analytics, you can go to the Overview tab to see how many views your YouTube channel received over the last 28 days.

Why are views important on YouTube?

Views are important because they influence the YouTube algorithm. If you get more views, the algorithm will push your video out to more people. Views are also part of how you can make money on YouTube, which we all want to see a return on investment and increased revenue.

Views are also vital on YouTube because it’s a way to boost awareness and build brand affinity. It may take some time to achieve your target viewership, but you’ll need to connect with top-of-funnel prospects to help reach your goals in the long run.

How to get more views on YouTube: 17 tips and tricks

1. Write engaging, must-see titles

YouTube marketing is all about presentation.

Titles are make-or-break when it comes to your video’s performance. Ask yourself: are you presenting your content as “must-see” or “meh?”

The key to crafting killer titles is grabbing your audience’s attention without resorting to clickbait headlines. People crave content that’s entertaining, and they likewise want to know what your video is about from the word “go.”

For example, you can take a page out of the playbooks of YouTube giants like BuzzFeed and WhatCulture. Such videos often rely on listicles, question-based titles or hyperbole (“insane,” “…of all time”) to rack up the views.

Four Buzzfeed YouTube thumbnails featuring attention grabbing titles. The titles are as follows: We Tasted the Worst Reviewed Pizza in New York City, Gamer Girls Play Never Have I Ever, Ranking the Internet's Best Hot Cheetos Combo and We Only Ate Meals From India For a Week.

Athlean X’s fitness-based videos are another good example. The channel’s content manages to sneak in relevant keywords in its titles while also coming across as conversational.

Five Athlean X YouTube thumbnails with keyword-driven titles. The titles read as follows: The Perfect Home Workout (Sets and Reps Included), Eight Worst Bodyweight Exercises Ever (STOP DOING THESE!), Never Do Pull-Ups Like This: 10 Most Common Mistakes, Do This Every Day: No More Low Back Pain! (30 SECS), and The Perfect Push-Up Workout (3 LEVELS)

“Best-of” lists and “how-to” titles are always a safe bet, too. Food channel Tasty uses click-worthy titles like this:

Tasty YouTube thumbnail with a salted brownie. The title reads, "The Best Brownies You'll Ever Eat."

The takeaway here is that you should definitely spend time mulling over engaging titles rather than sticking with the first idea that pops into your head.

In terms of specifics, many have observed that the optimal YouTube video title length should be around 70 characters. Meanwhile, tools such as CoSchedule’s headline analyzer recommends 55 characters for an engaging headline. CoSchedule’s tool isn’t specifically meant for video titles but is awesome for brainstorming YouTube-friendly titles to help promote your YouTube channel.

Publish on YouTube with Sprout Social

The opportunities are virtually endless on YouTube, and you can now publish to YouTube directly from Sprout.

Host long-form video on your channel, extend reach through YouTube’s extensive search capabilities, and track how your performance stacks up to other social networks.

Start a free trial to give our YouTube publishing features a try.

2. Optimize your videos for visibility

Here’s some food for thought: YouTube videos show up in 70% of the top 100 Google search results.

Heck, see for yourself. Any given product or “how-to” query on Google will return something from YouTube.

Google search results page for GoPro Hero featuring videos from gopro.com

In fact, YouTube results sometimes even pop up before traditional blog posts or websites. Listen: YouTube is the second-largest search engine in the world in and of itself. Just like people search for products and need problems solved via Google, the same rings true on YouTube.

Think of your YouTube videos like any other piece of content that needs to be optimized in terms of keywords, tags and so on.

In order to increase your chances of showing up, you’ll want to follow some of the best practices for YouTube SEO:

  • Titles and description: Include target keywords in your titles and descriptions. You can use a tool like Keywordtool.io to help you find keyword ideas.
  • Mention keywords in your video: According to Brian Dean of Backlinko, saying your target keywords in your video can help YouTube better understand what your video is about.
  • Engagement: YouTube uses engagement (likes, comments, views) to help determine where videos rank in its search results.
  • Categories: Use categories to help YouTube get a better understanding of who to show your videos to.
  • Tags: In addition to categories, you can also add tags to your videos to give YouTube more context about your content. You can use quite a few tags, so add as many as you can think of.

Just like with SEO for your website, don’t keyword stuff. Use keywords when it makes sense, not just for the sake of having them.

3. Figure out what your audience wants

With any type of content you produce, you want to make sure it’s aligned with what your audience wants. Whether you’re writing a blog post or creating a video, start by getting to know your audience and what type of content they want to see from you.

If you’re just starting to promote your YouTube channel, take a look at your competitors or other video creators in your industry. Look at which of their videos get the most views and engagement. This will give you an idea of what topics your audience wants to learn about and what style of videos they prefer.

Another solution is to look at your YouTube Analytics if you’ve already uploaded videos. YouTube gives you detailed information on audience demographics, location, engagement and other helpful stats. You can also take your strategy a step further with YouTube reporting in Sprout Social and see how your content stacks up to other social videos you’ve produced.

Sprout Social YouTube Videos dashboard featuring posts with several metrics including video views, estimated minutes watched, average view duration and average view percentage.

Want to better understand your YouTube metrics? Download our video metrics cheat sheet to learn the most important metrics to track and get ideas for video content tailored to your marketing goals.

4. Engage with the YouTube community

Although you might not think of YouTube as a social network per se, the platform does represent a thriving community where users are engaging via content, profiles, “likes” and comments.

Sounds pretty “social” if you ask us.

As noted earlier, any sort of interaction with your viewers is seen as a positive signal to YouTube. If nothing else, engaging with your subscribers can help you foster a stronger connection with your audience. “Liking” comments only takes a few seconds, as does pinning a top comment as a sort of personal note to your subscribers.

For example, music channel Artists Of Morality regularly likes and responds to comments on its recent uploads. The channel’s creator regularly engages with subscribers to show appreciation and answer questions, too. She even posts a call to action or challenges in her pinned comments like in the one below:

Artists of Morality's YouTube comment section featuring several interactions with subscriber comments and a pinned comment. The pinned comment challenges viewers to comment the timestamp of a bride and groom walking in the video for a shout out in the next video.

Just as you’d respond to comments and engage with your followers on any other social network, YouTube is no different.

5. Customize your thumbnails

One of the simplest yet effective tactics to promote your YouTube channel is creating custom thumbnails. Think of your title and thumbnail as a sort of one-two punch to grab a viewer’s attention.

By default, YouTube snags a screenshot from any given video and uses it for the thumbnail. Unfortunately, sometimes the image it grabs will be a blurry shot of you adjusting the camera or a transition.

Not a good look, right?

Creating thumbnails yourself not only makes your videos look more appealing at a glance but also signals a certain sense of professionalism.

Thumbnails don’t have to be rocket science, either. You can even create a template with a particular font and style to make it more consistent and on-brand. This is made especially easy with the help of image creation tools such as Canva. Here’s a good example from Binging with Babish:

Five Binging with Babish templated thumbnails. Each thumbnail features a close-up shot of food and a shortened title in bold font.

If you’re looking for simple social media templates to get started with Creator Studio, check out our free YouTube banners that you can download today!

6. Cross-promote your own videos on YouTube

Chances are you’re covering similar topics on YouTube that overlap with each other. To squeeze more out of your older content, make a point to cross-promote your videos when it makes sense.

For example, you can drop links in the description of a video and encourage viewers to check them out as a sort of call-to-action. Although some might be disappointed by the removal of YouTube’s annotation system, linking in your description encourages viewers to watch your videos all the way through without clicking away.

Sprout's description box for the Best Times to Post on Social Media video. The section includes a description of the video and featured resources with links.

7. Target Google search results

As noted, YouTube is totally killing it when it comes to SEO.

And while you shouldn’t totally create content for search engines versus people, you should promote your YouTube channel with SEO in mind.

Specifically, product reviews, how-to’s and long-form (10+ minutes) videos covering keyword-specific topics tend to rank well in search engine results pages (SERPs). If you’re strapped for content ideas or want to capitalize on a trending buzzword in your industry, consider how you can do so through your YouTube channel marketing.

Google search results page featuring YouTube videos for the keyword, "TikTok Marketing." Several videos populate including Sprout's Six YouTube Marketing Tips You Need Right Now.

8. Run a contest or giveaway

If there’s one thing YouTube users love, it’s a giveaway. Host a YouTube contest or giveaway to encourage people to subscribe to your channel and engage.

To keep your contests simple, have people like your video, leave a comment and subscribe to your channel to enter.

Follow some of our best practices for running any social media contest:

  • Make sure you’re following YouTube’s policies.
  • Give away a gift that’s related to your brand: you want to attract more than just freebie-seekers.
  • Get creative by incorporating user-generated content and other non-traditional entry requirements.

Be careful with hosting frequent YouTube contests, though. You want to make sure you’re getting results from your efforts: otherwise, you’ll end up wasting time, money and resources. After doing one contest, wait a while and look at your subscriber drop-off rate and engagement numbers. If you aren’t bringing in engaged subscribers, you could just be attracting people who want free prizes.

9. Encourage viewers to follow your series

A smart way to promote your YouTube channel is by creating a specific video series that covers a recurring theme or topic. For example, Sprout Social’s YouTube channel has a variety of different series that make up our YouTube presence, like our “Always On” videos.

Sprout's YouTube playlist for the "Always On" series.

Series are a win-win for creators and viewers alike. For creators, you hold yourself accountable for creating fresh YouTube content and don’t have to rack your brain for ideas. For your audience, they have something to look forward to and likewise a reason to keep returning to your channel.

10. Embed your YouTube videos

Some of the best places to promote your YouTube channel are beyond YouTube itself.

Case in point, video content is proven to improve conversion rates and lower bounce rate on-site. If you want visitors to stick around a product page or blog post longer, embed a video (like we did below).

Remember: any opportunity you have to funnel your on site (or social!) traffic to YouTube is a plus.

11. Create playlists to organize your YouTube content

The more videos you create, the more difficult it becomes for people to navigate through your channel.

That’s why playlists are so important. Not only do playlists allow you to group your videos into categories to organize your channel, but also appeal to your viewers’ desire to binge.

For example, Beardbrand’s grooming channel has amassed hundreds of videos covering tons of topics. The channel’s various playlists help guide subscribers to relevant content without having to dig for it.

15 of Beardbrand's YouTube playlists featuring hair grooming content.

12. Increase engagement with calls to action

Sometimes simply asking for engagement is the best way to get your videos noticed, especially when you consider the immediacy and connection that video content can create.

Not everyone who enjoys one of your videos is going to remember to drop a like or become your subscriber, so it’s common to put these reminders in the description or in the video itself.

Especially if you’re an up-and-coming channel, there’s no shame in asking for some love directly. In fact, asking visitors a question to answer in the comments suggestion or to check out another video are perfect ways to keep the engagement rolling. You can likewise link to other videos or drop an external link to your site to serve as a sort of CTA.

13. Give live streaming a try

Live video is one of the biggest social media trends and it isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. With apps like Facebook, Periscope and Instagram making it easier than ever to stream live video, more and more brands are getting on board.

YouTube has been offering live videos for years but has only recently started picking up steam. You can take a look at some popular YouTube Live videos to get a sense of how other brands are using the platform.

The Lofi Girl's YouTube live stream video, comments populate in the Top Chat sidebar on the right.

Some examples of how you can use YouTube Live are:

  • Webinars
  • Live tutorials
  • Q&A sessions
  • Product demonstrations

Don’t worry if your streams don’t go as smoothly as you’d like. Part of the fun (and risk) of live video is you never know what’s going to happen. The unpolished, organic nature of live video is exactly what makes it compelling. For more tips on how to get started with YouTube Live, check out Google’s introduction to live streaming.

14. Collaborate with other creators and brands

A tactic some of the biggest YouTube stars used to grow their following is collaborating with other users. Each collaboration gives you exposure to a new audience. And the best part is those new viewers are more likely to subscribe to your channel since you’re working with a content creator they already know, like and trust.

The key to a successful YouTube collaboration is finding the right partner. You want to collaborate with content creators that share similar passions with your brand so your video comes off as authentic. This now-classic collaboration between BuzzFeed and Purina is a prime example of a thoughtful collaboration that doesn’t feel overly promotional.

15. Run a paid YouTube ad campaign

With marketing in general becoming more pay-to-play, you always have the option to get more visibility through paid YouTube ads. YouTube offers a variety of ad formats to choose from:

  • Display ads: These ads show up on the right-hand sidebar of videos, and are only available on desktop.
  • Overlay ads: These are semi-transparent ads that are displayed on the bottom part of a video. They’re only available on desktop.
  • Skippable and non-skippable video ads: These ads show up before, during or after a video. Skippable ads can be skipped after five seconds, but non-skippable ads have to be watched all the way through before the viewer can watch their video.
  • Bumper ads: These are non-skippable ads that have to be watched before the viewer can watch their video. They can be a maximum of six seconds.
  • Sponsored cards: These are cards that get displayed within relevant videos. You can use them to promote your products or other content.

For your ad creatives, you can either use an existing video or create something new for a specific campaign. The advantage of using an existing video is you can choose a clip you know has been effective in the past. If a video has already gotten a lot of views and engagement organically, running paid ads can amplify your results.

On the flip side, creating a new video for your ads will allow you to create a more targeted piece of content that you have more control over. For instance, you can create an ad with a specific call-to-action at the end to direct viewers to a landing page or another video. You can learn more about YouTube’s video ad formats here.

16. Regularly publish your YouTube content to social media

It’s no secret that video content crushes it on social media in terms of engagement and performance.

As a result, you should regularly promote your YouTube channel to your social followers to encourage them to become subscribers. As soon as a video goes live, make a point to let your followers on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn know about it. You can likewise create snippets or previews for each social platform that also link to your latest production.

With the help of Sprout Social, you can schedule your content and cross-promote it without having to jump from platform to platform. Features such as ViralPost® can also help ensure that your content goes live based on when your social audiences are engaged.

Sprout ViralPost® provides personalized best send times.

17. Incorporate pre-production best practices

Put your producer hat on and incorporate some pre-production best practices. There’s a lot that goes into creating video before the camera records, but using these methods will streamline your content production.

  • Create a contingency plan. What will you do if there’s an issue with your shooting location? What if your talent becomes sick? Proactively plan so you’ll be prepared for the worst.
  • Plan the video concept from start to finish. Use a storyboard to outline each part of the video. Use this outline to mark visual jokes, animations, call to actions, etc.
  • Create a shot list. A shot list will help you consider important details like lighting, location and camera angles. Once your script and storyboard is complete, make a list of every scene and note the action and dialogue required for each. Mark the type of setup you want (e.g. wide angle vs. a close up).

Streamlining your content production means you’ll likely be able to produce more video because your process is a well-oiled machine versus one that is always in need of repair. Having a set process will also help ensure each video is striking the right cord because you’ve taken the time to think through important visual details and logistics that will add value to viewers. Since you’ll be able to create more relevant videos, you’ll get more views over time.

4 resources for growing your YouTube channel

In addition to the 17 tips above, make sure you’re up on all things YouTube. Maximize your efforts with these guides:

And with that, we wrap up our guide to how to get more views on YouTube!

How do you promote your YouTube channel?

Growing a YouTube audience doesn’t happen by accident. And yes, it can certainly feel like a grind if your space is crowded with competition.

That’s exactly why it pays to have a variety of promotional tactics in your back pocket. Although some of the tips above require more effort than others, each one can help you get more eyes on your channel and more subscribers as a result.

If you’re ready to ramp up your YouTube presence and start seeing real business results, Sprout Social’s YouTube integration has features to help you seamlessly schedule and publish content. Plus, with our integration, you can dive even deeper into analytics to improve your video strategy.

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Instagram statistics you need to know for 2023 https://sproutsocial.com/insights/instagram-stats/ https://sproutsocial.com/insights/instagram-stats/#comments Mon, 06 Mar 2023 14:22:27 +0000 https://sproutsocial.com/insights/?p=104346/ Your Instagram analytics provides account-specific performance insights, which then inform your strategy. But looking at your brand’s performance alone isn’t enough to get ahead Read more...

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Your Instagram analytics provides account-specific performance insights, which then inform your strategy. But looking at your brand’s performance alone isn’t enough to get ahead of the competition. You need to keep a close eye on Instagram stats to stay on top of trends shaping the platform’s marketing landscape. This will then give you the insights you need to anticipate changes and fine-tune your strategy.

According to the Sprout Social Index, Instagram is among the “big three” social media platforms. With 49% of consumers and 59% of marketers planning to use it in the next 12 months, you can’t afford to not pay attention to the platform’s key statistics.

So let’s find out some of the vital Instagram statistics that will shape your strategy in 2023.

Table of contents

Instagram stats to pay attention in 2023

  • Instagram currently boasts 2 billion monthly active users. This makes it the fourth most used social media platform. And if you make use of the latest Instagram trends, you have the potential to exponentially grow your reach.
  • It’s now the fifth most visited website worldwide. Although this puts it behind other platforms like Facebook and Twitter, it’s still one of the most popular social media sites.
  • According to Insider Intelligence, Instagram generated $43.2 billion in ad revenue in 2022. This is a slight increase from 2021 when the platform’s ad revenue amounted to $42.1 billion.

Instagram user statistics

Understanding how people perceive and use the platform will help you devise best practices for Instagram to connect with them. These Instagram user statistics can give you a better look:

1. Almost every Instagram user uses it alongside other platforms

According to data from We Are Social, only 0.1% of Instagram users are unique to the platform. A large number of users use it alongside other social media platforms such as Facebook (82.9%), YouTube (75.5%) and TikTok (52.2%). That means having a solid cross-platform marketing strategy is crucial for your brand to succeed.

Chart showing the audience overlap for different social media platforms

2. Only 25% of American users feel that Instagram protects their data and privacy

A study by Insider Intelligence found that trust in social media platforms dropped significantly in 2022. When it comes to Instagram, only 25% of American users feel that the platform protects their data and privacy. This makes it one of the lesser trusted social media platforms. But it’s still ahead of Facebook, Twitter and TikTok.

3. Posting/sharing photos and videos is the top activity

According to DataReportal, 69.7% of users use Instagram to post or share photos and videos. This makes it the top activity on the platform, indicating the desire for users to be creative and express themselves.

4. It’s the second most preferred platform for customer service

As more and more people turn to social media for customer support, Instagram is a popular channel choice. The 2022 Sprout Social Index reports that 35% of U.S. consumers use Instagram for customer service. This makes it the second most popular platform for customer service after Facebook.

Reviewing your brand’s customer service strategy on the platform could help you get ahead of the race and enhance the user experience.

chart showing the social media platforms that consumers and marketers use the most for customer service

Instagram usage statistics

How popular is Instagram in terms of usage? Let’s take a look at these Instagram usage statistics to find out:

5. There are 2 billion monthly active users on Instagram

Latest reports show that Instagram has 2 billion monthly active users. While not at the Facebook level, this is still huge for brands. It means there are billions of people you could potentially reach. With the right strategies to get more Instagram followers, these users could turn into loyal fans of your brand.

6. U.S adults spend 30 minutes per day on the platform

Over the past couple of years, video-based platforms like YouTube and TikTok have become a huge hit among social media users. At the same time, people are still spending a significant amount of time on Instagram. American adults spend about 30.1 minutes a day using the platform.

Instagram audience and demographics statistics

Looking at social media demographics helps you gauge which platforms your target audience is using. Let’s look at these Instagram demographic statistics to get a better idea:

7. Instagram is most popular among younger audiences

The platform sees the highest usage among people aged between 18 and 34. People within these age groups make up over 60% of Instagram’s user base. As such, the platform is ideal if your target audience consists of young adults and Millennials.

chart showing age distribution of Instagram users

8. There are more male than female users

Instagram limits its gender-based reporting to male and female. And based on this data, there are more male users (51.8%) than female users (48.2%). However, the difference isn’t too drastic, meaning the platform isn’t inherently better for reaching a male audience.

9. India and the United States have the greatest number of users

Much like other platforms, India leads the way even when it comes to Instagram. The country has 229.5 million Instagram users. The United States comes next with 149.35 million users.

Instagram advertising and marketing statistics

Are you getting the most out of your Instagram advertising efforts? Is it even worth it to market your brand on Instagram? Here are a few Instagram stats to give you the answers you need.

10. Seeing an ad on Instagram gets people interested in a brand

According to internal Instagram data, 50% of users become more interested in a brand after they see an ad for it on Instagram. This speaks volumes about the power that advertising on Instagram has for your brand.

11. Feed ads have a higher click-through rate (CTR) than Stories ads

Brafton reports that the CTR for feed ads on Instagram range between 0.22% and 0.88%. Meanwhile, Stories ads have a CTR between 0.33% and 0.54%. These numbers suggest that in-feed ads have a higher potential to drive clicks than Stories ads. However, consider experimenting with different ad placements to see which one works best with your audience.

12. Instagram has the highest cost per click (CPC)

Instagram may have a competitive advantage over other social platforms when it comes to engagement. But that comes with a higher cost, especially when it comes to advertising. The average CPC for Instagram ads is a whopping $3.56 while platforms like Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest manage to keep it under $2.

13. Conversion rates range between 0.30% and 2.6% depending on reach

Brands with a higher reach on Instagram tend to see a higher conversion rate. Interestingly, the study found that reach rate is higher for brands with a smaller following size.

In fact, brands with fewer than 10,000 followers saw the highest conversion rate (2.6%). Meanwhile, some of the top-performing brands had an average conversion rate of 1%.

chart comparing how conversion rate on Instagram varies depending on reach

Instagram Stories and Reels statistics

Instagram offers a wide range of content types to choose from, with Stories and Reels being popular options. Check out these Stories and Reels statistics to see how these formats are performing:

14. Story reach rate is on the decline

According to a Rival IQ study, Instagram story reach rate declined between 2021 and 2022. This decline is consistent across all following sizes. However, smaller brands with fewer than 10,000 followers saw the least decline. Their Story reach rate dropped from 5.4% in 2021 to 4.8% in 2022.

Meanwhile, mid-size brands having 50,000-200,000 followers felt the biggest impact as their reach rate dropped to 1.6% from 2.4%.

15. Story retention rate declines as the number of frames increases

The same Rival IQ study found that the number of frames you post to your Instagram Stories determines how well you retain your audience. Story retention rate starts to dip below 75% after the sixth frame.

16. Short narrative-type Stories are the most popular format

When it comes to the types of Stories that people want to see, short narratives were the most popular. Thirty-five percent of consumers prefer these types of Stories with a mix of photos, videos and text. Stories with quizzes and polls were another popular option.

So if you’re running out of Instagram Story ideas, use these stats to brainstorm new ideas that engage your audience.

chart showing how audiences prefer different Instagram Story types

17. Reels have the highest reach rate

Unsurprisingly, Reels see the highest reach rate among all media types on Instagram. The Rival IQ study revealed that Reels boast a 14% reach rate while other media types see a reach rate between 9% and 10%.

In another study from Socialinsider, the average reach rate for Instagram Reels stood at 20.59%. This puts it far above other media types such as carousels, images and videos. In line with the Bazaarvoice report from earlier, accounts with the smallest following size saw the highest reach rates.

graph showing the reach rate for different Instagram media types and how it varies depending on account size

18. Instagram Reels boast an average engagement rate of 1.95%

In addition to an exceptional reach rate, Reels also see significant engagement. Based on the Socialinsider study, Instagram Reels have an average engagement rate of 1.95%. This puts it well ahead of other media types. So your brand could benefit from creating more Reels to attract and engage your target audience.

Instagram for business stats

So far, the benefits of Instagram for marketing your business are clear. Let’s further dive into these Instagram for business stats to really understand its value:

19. 70% of shoppers look to Instagram for their next purchase

Internal Instagram data reveals that 70% of shoppers look to the platform for their next purchase. Meaning this is where people go to find purchase inspiration and discover new products.

20. Following and researching brands is the second most popular activity

The DataReportal study from earlier found that many users follow and research brands and products on Instagram. It’s the second most popular activity on the platform with 62.3% of users engaging in it. So there’s a good opportunity to attract followers who want to hear what your brand has to say.

21. 90% of users follow a business

To further drive home the above point, 90% of users on the platform follow a business. This indicates that people aren’t hesitating to keep up with brands on Instagram.

Making the most of these Instagram stats

Based on these vital Instagram statistics, you can see where the platform currently stands and how people are using it. It’s clear that there’s no dearth of users who use the platform to follow and engage with brands. Plus, many consumers are also using Instagram to inspire their purchases and inform their buying decisions.

In short, there’s huge potential to tap into with the right strategy. Need help with this? Check out our guide on developing a powerful Instagram marketing strategy.

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Co-creation: Why creators should be part of your product development team https://sproutsocial.com/insights/co-creation-marketing/ Wed, 01 Mar 2023 17:35:46 +0000 https://sproutsocial.com/insights/?p=170393/ Everyone—from marketers to social media users—loves creators. According to a Q1 2023 Sprout pulse survey, over two-thirds (79%) of marketers plan to spend up Read more...

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Everyone—from marketers to social media users—loves creators. According to a Q1 2023 Sprout pulse survey, over two-thirds (79%) of marketers plan to spend up to 50% of their total social budget on content creators. Another 39% of marketers work with creators on a monthly basis. Digital content creators are reshaping brand strategy for the better.

But as social media’s influence moves from marketing departments to other business functions, it might be time to think about creators in the same light. Obviously, creators won’t ever man your customer care lines, but their in-depth knowledge of their communities (a.k.a. your potential customers) can come in handy. Creators already have their hands in sales with affiliate marketing. It might be time to think about integrating them into another key function of your business: product development.

What brands can accomplish with co-creation

Creators have platforms because they understand their audience. They know what their audience wants to see, what problems they’re facing and what stories are relevant to them. That foundational knowledge is the basis of product design and research.

Tapping into that knowledge source can be invaluable for brands. After all, an unfiltered comment section on a creator video will give you far better insight into your consumer than any formal survey or focus group ever could. In a world where businesses increasingly rely on social data, creators can provide qualitative insights to complement the quantitative results you get from social listening.

If you don’t take advantage of creator insights, they might do it themselves. Today’s marketing collaborator could easily become tomorrow’s competition. We’ve seen dozens of creators parlay their consumer insights, and existing customer base, into successful independent brands.

For example, creator Emma Chamberlain launched her own coffee company in 2020, garnering a $7 million Series A round in the process. Partnering with creators before they decide to go it alone can knock out potential competition before it emerges.

Case studies in successful co-creation

The idea of bringing creators to the product development table is new, but it’s not untested. We’ve seen successful collaborations across industries that bring value to both the company and the creator.

The Shutterfly Collective

Shutterfly, an online retailer specializing in personalized products, launched The Shutterfly Collective, a limited collection designed by influencers in July 2022. They paired popular creators like Brittany Broski, Chris Olsen, Serena Kerrigan and Elsa Majimbo with designers to create over 4,000 new designs for their customers. Shutterfly capitalized on these creators’ personal sense of style and knowledge of the customer to create captivating designs for their customizable products.

Tabitha Brown for Target

Tabitha Brown rose to prominence as a creator in 2020 as the perfect package of personality and style. She started out sharing vegan recipes on social media and quickly garnered a following through her warmth and authenticity. Recognizing Tabitha’s range, Target reached out for an unprecedented co-creation partnership that reached almost every aisle in the store.

Tabitha Brown for Target features apparel, home goods, office supplies, food, pet items and kitchenware. Each piece is inspired by her outgoing personality, commitment to health and overall charisma. It’s the result of a two-year partnership and fans absolutely love it.

Tabasco x Tinx

Your customer might be using your product in ways you’re not thinking about. For instance, Tabasco has been making hot sauce since 1869. In that time, they’ve made different varieties of their sauce, but they’ve firmly stayed in that lane.

Enter creator Christina Najarr, better known as Tinx on social media. When she posted a video about “drowning” her guacamole in green Tabasco as a DIY dressing for her Chipotle bowl, it caught the legacy brand’s attention. The result of their co-creation effort was an entirely new product for the company, an avocado green hot sauce dressing.

@tinx

Reply to @shesamaniac @chipotle NOTICE ME #chipotle #GamingLife

♬ original sound – Tinx

How to bring creators into your product development process

If you’ve been inspired to bring creators into your product development process, here are some tips to get you started.

Start with data

As they say, it’s not what you know, but who you know. You likely have a roster of creators you’ve worked with in the past. Scrutinize the data on those collaborations and look for patterns. Which campaigns were most successful? Which creators have a pulse on the demographics you’re trying to reach? What trends are you seeing across the board with your creators? All of that information is incredibly valuable when you’re figuring out which creator is best suited for the co-creation process.

Forge a new kind of focus group

Creators’ communities are living focus groups. Creators themselves are steeped in the opinions of their audience, which can help you eliminate some of the cost and time-intensive aspects of your product development process. If you bring in the right creators early on, you can cut down on the number of iterations and get to a viable product that much faster. If a creator says something will work, trust them. Obviously, you’ll still need to test and ideate, but creators should be a main source of information—and inspiration.

Make it make sense

Don’t embark on co-creation just for the sake of trying it. Make sure you’re working with someone who makes sense for your business, audience and the rest of your product roadmap. It took two years for Target to expand Tabitha Brown’s line to their entire store. Take your time and make sure you’re creating products your audience actually wants.

And remember: Bigger isn’t always better. When you’re co-creating, it’s better to have a creator partner with a deep understanding of their audience and a strong point of view than a creator with a larger follower count. The best co-creation benefits come from creators with a clearly defined niche.

Be on equal footing

You’re an expert in your product. But that doesn’t mean you’ll be running the show. Creators have a unique window into your audience, making them the experts on what they want. They’ll be putting their name—and reputation—on this product in the same way you will, so approach them as equal partners in the process.

Co-creation is just good business

Creators are one of the most valuable resources your company has access to if you can collaborate with them effectively. However you’re looking to leverage creators, our creator economy data report has insights you need to get started.

The post Co-creation: Why creators should be part of your product development team appeared first on Sprout Social.

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The complete guide to TikTok analytics https://sproutsocial.com/insights/tiktok-analytics/ https://sproutsocial.com/insights/tiktok-analytics/#respond Tue, 28 Feb 2023 14:00:26 +0000 https://sproutsocial.com/insights/?p=143616/ There’s no doubt that TikTok is one of the world’s most popular social media apps. And with over 1 billion users, TikTok offers plenty Read more...

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There’s no doubt that TikTok is one of the world’s most popular social media apps. And with over 1 billion users, TikTok offers plenty of value for brands and businesses.

With TikTok analytics, you will see how users are engaging with your content, where your followers are located, their age demographics, when they’re most active and other metrics. These insights will help you craft content that connects with your target audiences and expands your reach. It can also give you a clear answer into whether your efforts are paying off.

In this guide, we break down how to access and understand your TikTok analytics.

Navigate the article:

What is TikTok analytics?

TikTok analytics refers to the data collected from content to help content creators and brands track the performance of videos. It includes video metrics, such as views, likes, comments and shares, as well as information about your profile and followers. Along with your creativity, leveraging analytics is key to creating your TikTok marketing strategy.

Why are TikTok analytics important for your business?

You’re probably familiar with the experience of balancing social media trends while growing your brand’s following and engagement. Managing social’s fast-paced nature can be tough, especially if you have limited resources. Using TikTok for business analytics is a must because it helps you keep up with trends, but it also requires you to dive deeper to differentiate your audience and identify their specific behaviors and preferences.

Here’s some of our other top reasons using TikTok analytics for business is so important:

1: Create a data-driven content strategy

TikTok analytics will help you create a data-driven TikTok marketing strategy by pinpointing your most engaging videos and uncovering information about your audience, like when they are the most active and their location.

The insights you receive can inform your content topics, best posting times, potential content creators and influencers to collaborate with, relevant trends and more.

2: Connect with your target audience

The community-oriented nature of TikTok allows brands to cater to their niche and target audience. TikTok analytics gives you the insights needed to create content that resonates and engages your target audience. And, if done correctly, you can optimize your strategy for conversion as well.

For example, you can view hashtags to determine relevant trends or to inspire TikTok challenges and campaigns.

3. Prove return on investment

TikTok analytics can provide the evidence you need to prove your return on investment. And if you’re able to create a compelling data story, it’ll be easier to justify a need for more resources for your campaigns.

How to access native TikTok analytics

Like other social media apps, TikTok offers native analytics. Here’s how to access TikTok analytics via mobile and desktop.

How to access TikTok analytics from mobile

  1. Tap the profile icon in the bottom right-hand corner.
  2. Tap the three vertical lines in the top right corner and click Creator Tools.An image showing how to access creator tools from the TikTok profile page.
  3. Tap Analytics.
TikTok's creator tools, which features these sections: Analytics, Creator Portal, Promote and Q&A. The Analytic sections is highlighted with a red box.

How to access TikTok analytics from desktop

  1. Log into your account by going to TikTok.com. (You can also go to tiktok.com/analytics if you are already logged in).
  2. Hover over your profile icon, then select View Analytics.
  3. On the TikTok homepage, hover over your profile icon and select Business Suite.
Image of TikTok homepage with the Business Suite dropdown highlighted with a red box.

4. This will take you directly to the Analytics section of your account.

Overview section within TikTok analytics. Engagement is shown for the last seven days. The analytics section along the sidebar is highlighted with a red box.

TikTok insights and metrics to monitor

Here’s a breakdown of what’s available in native TikTok analytics:

TikTok Account overview

TikTok has four primary analytics sections: overview, content, followers and LIVE. Within each of those categories are sub-categories of analytics.

TikTok's four primary analytics sections: overview, content, followers and LIVE. The sub-categories are highlighted at the top with a red box. Red arrows point to the followers, content and LIVE sub-categories for emphasis as well.

Video views

This area shows you a bar graph of how many views your videos have received in the last seven days. You can also view video engagement for the last 28 days, 60 days or set a custom date range to get a better understanding of your growth, and any fluctuations or trends.

TikTok analytics "Select date range" feature. Users can select the last seven, 28 or 60 days. There's also a custom date range option.

Profile views

This section reveals the number of profile views over your desired date range (last seven, last 28, last 60 days or a custom date range), which can help you identify the type of content that’s driving people to your profile.

The overview tab also shows you:

  • The number of likes, comments and shares for each video
  • The number of comments you’ve received
  • The number of videos you’ve shared

TikTok follower analytics

The third tab in your TikTok analytics is all about your follower stats. Seeing exact followers on TikTok and in-depth information about audience demographics is always helpful to ensure your content is resonating with your target audience and supporting follower growth.

Followers

This area tells you the total number of accounts that follow you along with your net followers. Net followers show the number of new followers minus the number of unfollows in the last 7 days.

TikTok followers section showing total and net followers over the last 60 days.

Growth rate

This tells you the number of followers you gained or dropped against the previous date range.

Gender

A basic pie chart with the percentage of your followers by gender.

TikTok analytics follower insights for gender.

Age demographics

This section breaks down your followers by age group.

TikTok analytics follower insights for age. Data for ages 18-55+ is shown.

Top countries and cities

This section highlights the top five countries and cities your followers are located.

TikTok follower insights showing top five countries and regions. The United States, Nigeria, Russia, the United Kingdom and Saudi Arabia are shown as the top five countries.
TikTok analytics follower insights showing top cities. Atlanta, Dallas, Abeokuta, Los Angeles and Federal Way are shown as the top five cities.

Most active times

This part of TikTok analytics shows the average times your followers are active. You can view these times by hours and days. Ideally, you’ll want to post your content before daily user activity peaks.

TikTok analytics bar chart showing the most active times by hour from 12 am until 11 pm. 8 am is the most active time.

Using this information strategically will help you determine the best times to post on TikTok to reach the most followers. Pay attention to the tallest bars in the graph to see when most of your followers are online, then base your TikTok posting schedule around that.

TikTok content analytics

The next tab in your TikTok analytics is the content tab. This section shows more specific information about the actual TikTok content you’re publishing, including your most viewed video. All content metrics are available for the previous seven days only.

The content tab also shows you some of the same information you can see in the overview—total likes, comments and shares.

Video posts

Here you’ll see views at a glance for the last nine videos that you posted in the last seven days. You’ll also get a glimpse into whether you stayed on par with your post frequency from the previous period, or if you posted more or less content.

TikTok Analytics content section showing video posts and trending videos over the last seven days.

Trending videos

This section shows the top nine videos with the fastest growth in view numbers over the past seven days.

Video views by section

In this section, you’re able to see how people found your video, whether it was from your profile or if it appeared on their For You feed.

Video views by region

This section gives you insight into the region your video reached and where viewers are from so that you can see exactly where your content performs best.

Average watch time

This is the average length of time people watched your videos—a good indicator of whether your videos are engaging to audiences. You will also see how often users stayed until the end to watch your entire video.

Total play time

This is the cumulative watch time for all users who viewed your video, a helpful metric for comparing the performance of your videos.

TikTok LIVE analytics

If you click on the TikTok LIVE tab, you will be taken to the LIVE Center. If you’ve hosted live videos in the past 28 days or week, in LIVE Center you’ll be able to see insights such as:

  • Total views: The number of viewers for your live videos within your selected date range.
  • Total time: The time you’ve spent hosting live videos within your selected date range.
  • New followers: TikTok users who began following you while you were hosting a live video within your selected date range.
  • Top viewer count: The highest number of live video viewers at one specific time within your selected date range.
  • Unique viewers: Viewers who watched your live video at least once (even if a viewer replays your video, they are counted only once).
  • Diamonds: Virtual gifts that users may send you—you can exchange these for money through TikTok.
  • Viewer ranking: The viewers with the highest gift count and watch time.
TikTok's LIVE Center homepage with tabs for updates, LIVE analytics, viewer ranking, suggested hosts to follow and the LIVE Academy.

Also, consider checking out the LIVE Academy to learn tips and tricks for livestreaming on TikTok.

Viewing TikTok analytics with Sprout Social

Leveraging TikTok native analytics can improve your content strategy, but you will uncover even more insights by analyzing data in a tool like Sprout Social.

Sprout’s automated, presentation-ready reports take the manual work out of reporting, and make it easier to compare your performance on TikTok to your other networks. Sprout’s TikTok integration helps you:

  • Compare your results over time: While TikTok’s native reporting shows you metrics over the past 60 days, we’ll keep all of your historical TikTok data once it’s connected to Sprout. This enables you to view month-over-month or year-over-year comparisons to track how your videos perform over time.
  • Measure everything in one view: Evaluate all of your TikTok-specific metrics in one view with a dedicated TikTok Profiles Report.
  • See how TikTok compares across social networks: Want to see how TikTok performs against similar content (e.g. Instagram)? Look at your post performance across networks in the same report automatically.
A screenshot of Sprout's TikTok Performance Report that demonstrates the number of published posts, views and engagements from one TikTok account. A line graph shows the number of video views over two weeks.

Use TikTok analytics to grow your business

Now that you know how to navigate TikTok’s analytics dashboard, you’ll need to make sure you’re keeping an eye on the rest of your social media as well. It can be challenging and time-consuming to combine data from multiple native analytics reports across every social platform. Add in the task of keeping up with trends on top of making creative content and you’ve add a lot more responsibility to your plate.

That’s where Sprout Social comes in—our social media management tool can help you keep track not just of TikTok, but other networks too like Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube. Our platform’s deep analytics and automation will save you time, so you can have more space to be creative and experiment.

Keep up with what consumers most want out of short-form video with our TikTok integration.

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