Breaking through the noise of social media feeds
I’ll admit it, if you don’t entertain me within a few seconds on social media I’ve moved on. Kind of like that dog on the Disney movie ‘Up’ when he sees a squirrel. I am easily distracted by all the other social media noise. Which is interesting when I read 31% of people use social media to connect with those that have similar interests and that connection is through entertainment content such as photos, videos, and animation.
So, to grab hold of me it must be entertaining, create a social connection, or give me thought provoking information. Funny enough, those are the three categories Heinonen mentions as motivation for consumers. They also discuss the actions an audience will participate in from the different social media experiences such as a consumer of the content, a participant with the content, or a creator/co-creator of the content. So, with understanding those motives and how consumers participate how do we find our demographic and plan the interactions with them?
Digital Consumers
Being completely honest, I stumbled across my audience in the early days. I held a user group (a physical community) of a software application, which led to a person telling me to connect on this new social media platform LinkedIn (not so new anymore), and well that is where my professional world started to expand across the globe. Today things are much more sophisticated, and you need to put a lot more research and strategic thought into it as the market is so noisy and difficult to cut through.
Yellow and GWI give you amazing information on the demographics of social media users. They release reports and provide services that give you insights on everything from the types of consumers your market commonly contains and how those consumers are motivated and participate with social media content. It is extremely interesting and worth a Sunday morning read…just don’t get lost in figuring out what demographic you and your family or friends fit into, you’ll lose 3hrs in there easily.
Video: About GWI and why they started.
Communities
In understanding your demographic, you may also find a connection for your brand, product, or service through a digital community. Michael Wu describes the differences between a social network and a community really well in his blog. On a basic level he suggests that a social network is one of social connection, whilst a community is one you don’t have to be socially connected to but can participate within based on social norms. Although in contradiction to his explanation, some communities can be found on social network platforms such as Groups in LinkedIn or in online webinars with Eventbrite. This type of community connection creates a niche following but that following may also have a diverse group of social followers which invites your brand into new or expanded social networks. This approach is particularly good for engineering or construction businesses as the community exposes you to different clients.
Images: Screen captures from Clubhouse a social audio app with online communities.
Influencers
When involved in the online communities you tend to notice influencers that members of the community trust and follow. These influencers can be celebrity level filtered down to industry or community level, and down further into a niche of a community or a staff member of your business. The importance of influencers to your strategy is determined by the type of endorsement you are looking for. Mediakix reported that 71% of marketers say the quality of customers and traffic from influencer marketing is better than other sources. To achieve this, you need to decide on how to effectively plan and use that endorsement. As an example, a community influencer for Smart Communities in Australia is Zoe Eather. Being on her podcast and in her social media articles could help drive your social media traffic.
As you can see, a plan to cut through the noise is important today with so many social media campaigns hitting your demographic. The more you can diversify that demographic and expand the social media network the higher the opportunity is for your brand to expand.
I’d love to know what brand or person you follow that breaks through the noise of your social media feed?
17 thoughts on “Breaking through the noise of social media feeds”
This was a really interesting read Belinda, I found the explanation of the distinction between a social network and a community by Michael Wu very helpful. In addition to Yellow and GWI for demographics reports I’ve found some really useful information on social characteristics from the ABS, such as in this report:
https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/people/people-and-communities/general-social-survey-summary-results-australia/2020
Thanks Josh, I’m glad you found it interesting. I appreciate the link you have shared too and look forward to comparing the data in my company strategy.
Hey Belinda! Absolutely loved the blog, the content was all relevant and it was an overall engaging read. I to think that influencers are a great marketing tool, with saying that, do you ever think about some possible negatives towards influencer marketing? While yes they are effective there can be a possibility of deceptive marketing towards a younger less aware demographic, let me know your thoughts!
Thanks for the feedback Amelia and taking the time to respond. You are so right about the negatives too. Although maybe not just to the younger demographic there are many baby boomers that suffer from the actions of deceptive influencer marketing too. You’ve given me something to think about with my strategy. Thanks again!
Hey Belinda! it was indeed fascinating, and captivating read. I couldn’t agree more with what Joshua mentioned regarding Michael Wu’s definition of a social network vs. a community. It surely was beneficial and informative.
In response to your question, I believe that brands that are aware of and actively engaged in social activities, events, and marketing campaigns will stand out. A brand that sprang to mind and is an excellent example too would be Nike. Here’s an article that explains why Nike is so successful and how it distinguishes itself from other brands.
Looking forward for your future post 😉
Hey Atheer,
Thank you for reading my blog and commenting, I appreciate your input. I didn’t capture your article on Nike so I hope you can resend it, it sounds like it would be interesting. I wonder if sporting apparel were the first to utilise the influencer marketing model. They seem to capture it so well and are very experienced at it. I follow The Rock – Dwayne Johnson and he does a lot of endorsements for Under Armour which I don’t think I’d know about their brand if it wasn’t for him.
Thanks again for the feedback and I’ll watch out for your Nike link.
Forgot the link my bad : P
https://www.bizjournals.com/bizjournals/how-to/growth-strategies/2016/06/3-reasons-nike-is-effective-in-driving-growth.html
Hey, that is a good article! Certainly something for me to consider in my marketing strategy, thanks for that.
Really enjoyed reading this blog Belinda, it was very informative and a great use of hyperlinks and images. The video was also a great addition that provides further elaboration of the topic. I to think that influencers are a great marketing tool and wrote my blog in similar way.
Thanks Julian,
I’m glad you enjoyed the read and found it informative. I think the influencers help cut through the noise of our feeds, if it is one we follow. Mind you I love a pretty picture or video too.
Thanks for reading my blog and leaving a comment!
Really enjoyed reading this blog Belinda, it was very informative and showed a great use of hyperlinks and images. The video was also a great addition that provides further elaboration of the topic. I to think that influencers are a great marketing tool and wrote my blog in a similar way.
Belinda I really enjoyed reading this! It was insightful. You made such a good point with this comment “ The more you can diversify that demographic and expand the social media network the higher the opportunity is for your brand to expand.” definitely tips I’ll be taking on for my own brand.
Thanks Josephine, I’m glad you liked it, and I appreciate your feedback. It’s so fascinating to understand how your digital presence can expand depending on the tactics used. I can’t wait to see your brand out there!
Belinda I really enjoyed reading and seeing how much big data has changed the outlook on the development of social groups on non traditional social media sites. Do you believe that these smaller social sites would be a good platform for influencers and smaller group marketing?
Hey Andy, thanks for reading my blog!
Big Data is certainly interesting in the world of digital marketing, I love the insights they glean from it. You ask a good question about the smaller social sites, I think when looking at your marketing strategy you need to look at it from a percentages perspective and the type of exposure you are looking for. For example if your clients are local government authorities the smaller sites that are more focussed on their industry are perfect. You have also made me think though…how would I find a nano-influencer in such a unique community…hmm.
Thanks for the feedback!
Belinda I really enjoyed reading and seeing how much big data has changed the outlook on the development of social groups on non-traditional social media sites. Do you believe that these smaller social sites would be a good platform for influencers and smaller group marketing?