social media marketing Archives

Instagram Advertising: A Basic Guide

Since its inception, Instagram has evolved into a dominant force in brand advertising, boasting a user base of over 2 billion active users and high levels of engagement. It is essential to stay up-to-date with the most effective methods for optimising your Instagram presence. If you are currently reading this, it may be time to refresh your understanding of Instagram advertising.

Here are all the things you need to know about advertising on Instagram from its features, pros and cons, and what are the best practices to maximise it.

Instagram Advertising: What is it?

Advertising on Instagram refers to the practice of promoting products, services, or brands through sponsored posts, stories, or ads on the Instagram platform.

These ads can be in the form of photos, videos, carousels, and more. They can be targeted to specific audiences through demographic, location, and behaviour-based targeting options.

Advertising on Instagram is definitely an effective way for you to reach and engage with your target audience, increase brand awareness, and drive sales and conversions.

Important Features

In Instagram advertising or Instagram ads, you can leverage visually appealing content to reach a large and engaged audience through a robust platform. With a wide range of ad formats and targeting options, you have the flexibility to create campaigns that align with your objectives and resonate with your target audience.

Two key features of Instagram advertising are boosting posts and creating campaigns:

Boosting Posts

Boosting allows you to promote your existing posts to a larger audience, beyond just their followers.

This is a simple way to increase visibility and reach for specific posts, without the need for a full advertising campaign. By selecting the post to boost, you can choose the target audience, budget, and duration of the promotion. You can learn more about how to boost your Instagram posts here.

Campaigns

Campaigns offer a more comprehensive approach to advertising on Instagram. This feature allows brands to create and run multiple ads as part of a larger campaign, with the option to target different audiences and test different ad formats and creatives.

Additionally, you can track the performance of the ads and make adjustments to optimise your campaigns. With campaigns, you can achieve greater scale and impact with creative advertising practices on Instagram.

Pros & Cons

Pros of Instagram Advertising

Large Audience

With over 1 billion monthly active users, Instagram offers a vast audience for advertisers to target.

Visual Platform

Instagram is a visually-driven platform, which makes it perfect for showcasing products and services in an attractive and appealing way.

Targeted Advertising

It offers various targeting options based on interests, behaviours, and demographics, allowing advertisers to reach their desired audience.

High Engagement Rate

It also has a high engagement rate, meaning that people are more likely to interact with content on the platform compared to other social media platforms.

Cons of Instagram Advertising:

Costly

The cost of advertising on Instagram can be higher compared to other platforms, especially for popular keywords and target audiences.

Algorithm Changes

Instagram’s algorithm is constantly changing, making it difficult for advertisers to reach their target audience organically.

Competition

With more businesses advertising on the platform, it can be challenging to stand out from the crowd and get noticed by potential customers.

Limited Action Options

Instagram advertising options are limited to clicks to websites, profile visits, and direct messages, which may not be suitable for all businesses.

How To Get Started

If you’re considering using Instagram advertising for your brand, 2Stallions can help you with that!

Here are six simple steps to get you started:

Creating an Ad Account

The first step in advertising on Instagram is to create an ad account. This can be done through Meta Business Suite, which allows you to manage your Instagram advertising alongside your Facebook advertising.

Defining Your Target Audience

Once you have an ad account set up, the next step is to define your target audience. Instagram offers various targeting options based on interests, behaviours, and demographics, allowing you to reach your desired audience effectively.

Choosing Your Ad Format

Instagram offers several ad formats, including photo, video, carousel, and story ads. You can choose the format that best fits your business goals and target audience.

Creating Your Ad

After selecting your ad format, you can create your ad by uploading images or videos and adding text and a call-to-action. You can also choose to target specific locations and select your preferred budget and bidding options.

Launching Your Ad

Once your ad is created, it’s time to launch it. Instagram’s advertising platform will review your ad and make sure it meets its advertising policies. After it’s approved, your ad will be live and start reaching your target audience.

Measuring Results

Finally, you can measure the success of your advertising campaign through the analytics available in your Instagram ad account. You can track metrics such as impressions, reach, engagement, and conversions to see how your ad is performing and make any necessary changes.

Who Should Use Instagram Advertising

Instagram advertising is a perfect tool for a variety of businesses, especially those in e-commerce, business-to-consumer (B2C), direct-to-consumer (D2C), industries that rely on visuals, service-based businesses, local businesses, and non-profit organisations.

How Much Does Instagram Advertising Cost?

The cost of Instagram advertising can vary widely depending on several factors, such as the ad format, targeting options, industry, competition, and budget.

Instagram uses a bidding system, which means that the cost is determined by how much advertisers are willing to pay for their ads to be shown to their target audience. The cost can be based on cost-per-click (CPC), cost-per-impression (CPM), or cost-per-action (CPA) models.

It is best to use Instagram’s advertising platform to set a budget and determine the actual cost of advertising for your specific campaign. Alternatively, you can learn more about setting the right budget through Meta’s Ad Guide.

Best Practises For Instagram Advertising to Achieve Marketing Goals

Define Your Target Audience

Knowing your target audience is essential for any advertising campaign. Instagram’s advertising platform allows you to target users based on factors such as age, location, interests, and more. By targeting the right audience, you can increase the chances of your advertisements being seen by users who are most likely to engage with your brand.

Use Visually Appealing Content

Instagram is a visual platform, and users are more likely to engage with visually appealing content. Use high-quality images or videos that showcase your products or services in an attractive way. Utilise Instagram’s various ad formats, such as carousels, stories, and reels, to create a more dynamic and engaging experience for users.

Utilise Instagram’s Call-To-Action (CTA) Features

Use Instagram’s built-in CTA features, such as “Shop Now” or “Learn More,” to drive users to take specific actions, such as visiting your website or making a purchase. By making it easy for users to take the next step, you can increase the chances of converting them into customers.

Track And Analyse Performance

Instagram provides detailed insights and analytics that allow businesses to track the performance of their advertisements. Use this information to make informed decisions about future campaigns, such as adjusting your target audience, changing your ad format, or modifying your CTA.

Use Influencer Marketing

Partner with influencers who have a large following in your target audience. By having influencers promote your products or services, you can reach a new, engaged audience and increase brand awareness.

Wrapping Up

Instagram advertising is a powerful tool that can help businesses and individuals connect with a vast and engaged audience, leading to higher brand awareness, engagement, and conversions.

By leveraging the various ad formats and targeting options available on Instagram, you can create compelling campaigns that resonate with your target audience and drive real results for your business.

If you are looking to maximise the potential of Instagram advertising and build your brand presence, look no further than 2Stallions. We’re passionate about helping businesses of all sizes succeed, and we’re here to support you every step of the way.

Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you create an effective Instagram advertising strategy that drives real results for your business!

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Get to know our Junior Content Specialist, Nursyasya

Meet Nursyasya Irdina, our Junior Content Specialist who uses challenges to fuel her career success.

One of the things that set Nursyasya apart is her bubbly personality. She brings a contagiously positive energy to the team that helps to lift everyone’s spirits. She is also a firm believer in the power of collaboration and teamwork.

In the 2Stallions Content & Social team, Nursyasya finds comfort in sharing and helping her team members, which has led to growth and less stress for everyone involved.

In this interview, she shares insights and experiences on how she navigated challenges and leveraged them to achieve her career goals.

Tell us about yourself and how did you become a content specialist!

Hi, I’m Syasya!

I studied science at school and during my pre-university years but realised it wasn’t for me. That’s when I decided to pursue language and completed a Bachelor’s Degree in Linguistics, hoping to find a job related to language and writing.

After applying to numerous writing and communication jobs, I landed my first job as a copywriter in a digital marketing agency. It was in this role that I became interested in digital marketing and discovered how language could be used in marketing.

Eventually, I found my way to 2Stallions as a Junior Content Specialist.

What attracted you to 2Stallions?

As mentioned, I previously worked at a digital marketing agency where I gained some experience in the industry. However, we mainly dealt with local clients in Malaysia, specifically in the cosmetics and clothing industries.

I was drawn to 2Stallions because of its diverse client portfolio. From local food businesses to global universities, their clients span a wide range of industries. This has allowed me to learn how to create, plan, and write content for various types of businesses and this made me the content specialist I am today.

What is it like working at 2Stallions?

I enjoy the variety of clients at 2Stallions – while it can be challenging at first, it has allowed me to learn about various industries and businesses.

It took me some time to fully understand each business, but once I did, creating content for their customer base became enjoyable.

I also appreciate working with an all-women team at 2Stallions – somehow, it makes communication easier and enjoyable. 🙂

What is your proudest achievement?

In 2023, my biggest accomplishment was conquering Gunung Datuk in Rembau, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia. The hike took a total of 5 hours, and it boosted my confidence – I knew I could handle reading and research for 2Stallions clients from home.

Aside from that, my proudest moments at 2Stallions are when clients appreciate and approve of our work, especially when they like the concepts we introduce.

What have you learned about yourself in recent years?

When I first started working, I didn’t realise how beneficial it could be to share a problem with a colleague. I used to think it was better to stress alone and not bother my colleagues with trivial worries.

I guess I thought it was better to stress over a task alone and not disturb my colleagues with silly worries. But, working with my wonderful team in 2Stallions made me realise that even if the problem isn’t solved immediately, sharing my concerns made me feel relieved and helped me assemble my thoughts, which makes it easier to solve the problem.

I also tend to take tasks too personally, which can cause additional stress. Learning that I don’t have to handle everything alone has been a great relief.

What’s your favourite part or task about being a Content Specialist?

At present, writing articles is something that I truly enjoy. The entire process of outlining, sending drafts for peer reviews, reading feedback from colleagues on how to improve the article, and receiving approval from clients is something I find gratifying. Writing articles brings me joy!

I love it even more when I visit the client’s website and discover that they have published our articles on their blog.

2Stallions has been working remotely since 2020. What are the advantages and disadvantages of this arrangement?

After 3 months of working remotely, I just discovered that one of my colleagues is left-handed, while others have tattoos and piercings. It feels strange to learn such details so late, as they are typically evident when meeting someone for the first time.

Despite this, I wouldn’t say that remote working poses many challenges. It adds an intriguing aspect when we eventually meet in person and notice these missed details.

I have benefited greatly from remote working, particularly in terms of saving time and money on commuting and car expenses. We are all aware of the financial advantages that come with working remotely.

What is the most challenging/fulfilling part of being a Content Specialist?

I think the most challenging AND fulfilling part of my job is when I’m developing social media content for clients. It takes a lot of brain juice to come up with ideas and to plan the whole thing for weeks, but when it’s done and approved, the feeling I get is great!

If you could give two pieces of advice to your younger self, what would they be?

Do more things! It’s fine to be tired when trying new things but it’s better to feel regret after trying something new, rather than regretting never trying at all.

Favourite ice cream flavour?

Very basic, but strawberry vanilla cream makes me drool.

Wrapping Up

We are proud to have Nursyasya as part of our team and excited to share her story with others. If you’re interested in connecting with Nursyasya and learning more about her journey, you can find her on LinkedIn.

Nursyasya is always eager to connect with other professionals in her field and share her experiences, insights, and advice. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to learn from a talented and driven content specialist!

Get to know our #2Stallionsfamily with the #2Steamstories tag. Discover the work done by our diverse team of digital marketing professionals who will bring your ideas to life with impactful designs. Browse and download our case studies now!

And if you’re interested in learning more about the services that 2Stallions provides, please follow us on our social media channels. We’re always happy to connect with new clients, partners, and colleagues. Stay tuned for more exciting interviews and stories from our team!

If you’re looking for a Content Marketing expert, don’t hesitate to contact us.

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Content Marketing

6 Techniques That’ll Help Increase Organic Traffic to Your Website

Search engine optimisation (SEO), content marketing (CM), and social media marketing (SMM) might be different tactics but they share a common goal—to increase organic traffic to your website.

SEO works better when paired with the two. Your content pieces will attract more eyes when optimised for search engines and shared on social media. And, you’re likely to improve your social media reach using the right content and set of keywords.

In short, integrating these three techniques enables a digital marketing flywheel that lets you enjoy the best of both worlds and increases your chances of doubling your search traffic.

Understanding the Three Techniques—SEO, CM, & SMM

Search engine optimisation (SEO) focuses on boosting your website presence. It’s all about optimising your site to improve its visibility and rank higher in the search results pages.

Content marketing is the process of creating and sharing content (i.e., videos, blogs, infographics, social media posts, etc.). This discipline relies on SEO to increase brand awareness and consequently—generate visits and drive website traffic.

Social media marketing refers to the use of social media platforms for promoting a business, product or service. Sharing engaging and SEO-optimised content helps increase your brand exposure and boost social media traffic.

Read on to find out how you can increase organic traffic to your website using these three techniques.

Tips for Boosting Organic Website Traffic

1. Optimise for the Search Engines (and Readers)

Ranking on search engines like Google is the primary purpose of search engine optimisation. Broadly speaking, there are three core pillars of SEO: technical SEO, on-page optimisation and off-page optimisation.

Here’s how these optimisation techniques differ:

Technical SEO

Technical SEO refers to the process of meeting the technical elements of modern search engines. It involves strategies, including crawling, JavaScript indexing, rendering, linking, and more.

On-page SEO

On-page SEO is the practice of optimising elements such meta descriptions, headlines, title tags, and content on your website to earn more relevant traffic from search engines. All these on-site elements should include targeted keywords to help your website rank higher.

Off-page SEO

Off-page SEO on the other hand refers to optimisation techniques done outside your website. Inbound links, social shares, domain age, citations, and reviews are a few of the off-site ranking factors that help improve your search rankings.

While SEO is about befriending the search engines, it’s also crucial that you optimise your website for your readers. So how do you do it? Simple—develop a keyword strategy. You may use long-tail keywords that will identify your website as a destination for a particular topic.

This blog post, for example, is intended for those who want to get more traffic to their website. Using the keywords to increase organic traffic would be effective because there’s less competition for the term and people search for it.

2. Create Content Pieces for Your Buyer Personas

Optimising for search engines is useless if you’re not driving profitable customer or client actions. This is where content marketing comes into action; it connects with your readers and influences them in making purchasing decisions.

To ensure you entice them until the decision stage, create content pieces that fit your buyer personas—fictional yet realistic representations of your target customers. If you haven’t created your audience personas, here are a few tips that may help you in designing them:

Check your existing customers and social audience. Gather information, such as age, location, language, spending power and patterns, interests, challenges, and more.
Learn why they love your products or services. Tapping on social media listening is one way to find out about customer experiences.
Identify customer goals. Are they only researching, looking for reviews, or are they ready to buy?

Once you have buyer personas in place, you can deliver content that will be most relevant and valuable to your audience. The easiest way to use your audience personas is to cater your content to them.

Here are the three stages of the buyer’s journey along with their ideal content types:

Awareness stage: where personas are experiencing that need to be fixed. Blog posts, social media posts, and explainer videos are ideal pieces of content targeting this stage.
Consideration stage: where personas are considering solutions to their pain points. The best content pieces to offer for this stage are product comparison guides, case studies, and free samples.
Decision stage: where personas have decided on their solution or turned into buyers. Examples of ideal content formats for the decision stage are product descriptions, free trials and demos, reviews and customer testimonials.

These stages names sometimes vary. For example, they might be called the ‘Education’, ‘Consideration’, ‘Purchase’ stages instead. The concepts, however, are generally always the same and are tied directly to the market funnel.

3. Promote & Optimise Your Social Media Profiles

Did you know that an optimised social media profile has a high chance of driving organic website traffic? Social media optimisation follows the concept of SEO, where relevant keywords are included in bio sections to make the profiles searchable.

When writing a social media description, be sure to make it keyword-rich. Add relevant keywords naturally, so your target audience can find you in the search. Doing this not only increases your discoverability but also helps increase organic traffic to your website.

Aside from creating keyword-rich descriptions, you can also boost your organic social media reach by doing the following:

Upload a high-quality picture. Your profile picture puts a face to your name, so it must reflect your brand. It should also be recognisable; avoid using an image that has nothing to do with your business.
Add links to your website. Take advantage of social media’s ability to build brand awareness. Include links in your bio section to lead target customers directly to your website.
Use hashtags sparingly. Hashtags are like keywords that categorise the content. Consider adding relevant hashtags to promote your business and boost your visibility.

4. Update Old Web Content & Blog Posts

Here’s another link between SEO and content marketing: when you update your old web content or blog posts, you get Google to crawl your site more frequently. It’s like technical SEO, where search engine spiders crawl your website, but without coding—just upgrading.

Having fresh content is critical for your website because Google favours frequently updated content. If you frequently update your website or articles, Google finds it easier to search for your web pages and add them to the index.

Frequent updates can help you have a better chance of ranking on the search engines. While a higher post frequency doesn’t necessarily increase your overall website rankings, it can increase organic traffic to your website.

Here are some of the best practices for content updates:

The key is quality, not more content. If your blogs are only 300 words long, bumping up the wordcount is a good idea. However, adding paragraphs just for the sake of updating can’t guarantee you good results. It’s necessary to keep your content standards high and write around what your readers want.

Incorporate valuable, targeted keywords. Keywords are a vital part of SEO. Optimise your content for a more relevant keyword. Targeting new keywords can expand your search visibility and help you bring more traffic.

Add new or update old links. Like keywords, internal and external links also play important SEO roles. Interlinking your web pages and linking your blog posts to your website can positively affect your SEO. Revisit your website and blog posts, then do the following:

Find and fix 404. If one of your blog posts is linked to a 404 page, update the link and add a significant link.
Spot outdated references. Blogs typically mention references, such as studies, research, and statistics. External links can build your website authority, so check whether they’re working and update them to more recent findings.

5. Create Meaningful & Evergreen Content

Creating evergreen content doesn’t only increase organic traffic to your website, but it also keeps driving regular traffic to your web pages for as long as you want it. The reason behind this is simple—such content doesn’t go out of date.

Not only does evergreen content stay fresh for readers, but it also remains popular in search engines. Google will find your content relevant, allowing you to become more visible and rank higher in search results pages.

To help you strengthen your evergreen content marketing strategy, we listed some actionable tips that will help you do just that.

- Choose evergreen topics. Keyword tools like Ahrefs can help you look for popular, consistently searched topics. Use such tools to see what keywords have positive trends and build your content around these keywords.

When writing blogs around evergreen topics, avoid using terms with a short lifespan, such as this month, last year, yesterday, and more. If you’re thinking about writing for a relevant year, for example, ‘content marketing best practices in 2021’, update the content every year or ensure the content will remain valid over time.

- Update content when necessary. As discussed in the previous point, Google recognises web pages with fresh content. You should refresh your content as often as necessary to ensure it’s evergreen and increase its chances of driving traffic or attracting leads and shares.
- Build high-quality backlinks. The good thing about evergreen content or regularly update content is that it can generate consistent leads, establish a brand reputation, and above all—give higher search engine rankings.

To ensure your business reaps these benefits, build links to your fresh content, encourage sharing on social media, and consider doing guest posting.

6. Get the Most Out of Social Media Targeting

Social media also holds power in your search rankings. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and other social media platforms can help you reach thousands of customers, which means you get more chances of increasing organic social media reach.

However, publishing content on social media isn’t enough to improve your SEO results. You should also consider capitalising on social media’s ability to reach specific audience types. By choosing who sees your content, targeting ideal audiences and engaging with them becomes easier.

Facebook, specifically, allows you to target any of your posts to a certain demographic. These general demographics include gender, age, relationship, educational status, location, interests, and language.

Suppose you own and run a women’s fashion store in Singapore. You could target your posts to female shoppers who live in or near Singapore and are around 20-40 years of age. Here’s how you can start setting up Facebook targeting:

Click Settings at the top of your page.
From General, check off the box next to Audience Optimisation for Posts.

Follow the steps below to limit your post’s audience.

Click the targeting icon before publishing your post.
Tick Restricted Audience at the top, then select the age and locations of the audience you want to see your post.
Click Save.

To target a specific audience in your newsfeed, use News Feed Targeting.

Click the targeting icon before publishing your post.
In the News Feed Targeting section, enter the criteria of the people you’d like to reach in News Feed.
Click Save.

Also, you could specify when to stop showing your post organically in the news feed—this is called post end date.

SEO, Content & Social Media: Stronger Together

Search engine optimisation, content marketing, and social media marketing are equally essential in helping you increase organic traffic to your website.

One doesn’t outsmart the other as all concepts can raise awareness of your brand, build an audience, and ultimately—convert prospects to customers. Instead of treating them as separate, different practices, why not integrate your SEO into your content and social media marketing strategy, or vice versa?

If you’re up for this idea, 2Stallions(a full-service digital marketing agency) would gladly help you get started. Our team of industry experts will draw your target audience to your website through on-page and off-page SEO, engaging content and improving your social media presence.

Learn more about our complete line of digital marketing services here.

Originally published: 13 August, 2021
Updated: 16 December, 2022

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Digital Marketing

3 Powerful Reasons Why Your Business Should be on Social Media

Social media has progressed from a social networking tool to a strong marketing platform over time. Globally, social media has over 4 billion users. A typical social media user spends around 2 hours and 22 minutes each day on social media sites.

In other words, if used properly, those 2 hours and 22 minutes each day offer a tremendous chance for your company to raise brand awareness, increase traffic, increase sales, and improve overall conversion rates.

But what is it about social media that makes all this possible? Let’s find out.

1. Social Media Helps Grow Your Reach

One of the most significant advantages of using social media is that it allows you to reach a larger audience in a short amount of time. Reportedly, 90% of all marketers believe that social media marketing has enhanced their company’s visibility. In addition, 70% of business-to-consumer (B2C) marketers have used Facebook for successful lead generation. This demonstrates how crucial social media can be for your company.

Here’s how it works:

You have to keep your social media approach constant. This involves actions like sticking to a publishing schedule, connecting with your followers through likes, shares, and comments, and utilising relevant hashtags. This will help your brand become more visible. As a result, people will begin to recognise you and when people identify your brand, they begin to trust you as well.

2. Social Media Helps Attract Traffic to Your Website

If you want people to visit your website, you need to let them know about it first.

People won’t visit your website unless something attracts them – i.e. unless they find it organically. The issue is that organically attracting traffic does take time. So, if your company is new, you’ll need to think of alternative strategies to market and promote it. Fortunately, social media can assist you in this endeavour. The best part is that with a single click of a button, you can reach out to thousands of individuals at once. Not only that, it works for different platforms outside of social media such as, you can create amazing material for your website, blogs, video sites and share it with your audience using social media. This will help you in expanding your reach, for example, the more readers you have, the more visitors your blog will receive.

3. Makes Relationships with your Audience Stronger

Another advantage of using social media is that it allows you to form relationships with your target audience. You can use it to connect with your audience on a more personal level and to establish trust with them.

Most of the time, your audience only gets a sense of your brand through the material you provide- they perceive it through the company’s lens. As a result, your audience has no emotional relationship to your business. You can leverage social media to humanise your brand for your audience. Humanizing your brand can help maintain a positive relationship between company and consumer. This will help customers connect with your company.

Most companies, for example, do not provide their behind-the-scenes experiences for their customers. Offering a behind-the-scenes look at your company might help them better understand your brand. You can use this opportunity to introduce your workers to the audience, offer them a tour of your business, or demonstrate how you work. All of this helps your audience get to know the individuals that work in your company and how things work.

Key Takeaways

Social media is no longer just about social networking. It has evolved into a huge marketing platform that can help your business grow and succeed. Marketers now use social media to generate brand exposure and leads.

Social media marketing should be a substantial part of every marketing strategy. What now? Convinced? Then make a social media plan so you can get out there and start posting! Not sure where to get started? Give us a call today.

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Digital Marketing

Social Media and Search Engines: Where to Spend Your Resources

The battle between social media and search engines has been going on for years. Some believe that search beats social, while others think it’s the other way around.

In this blog, we’re not going to weigh them against each other. Instead, we’ll provide a better understanding of social networks and search engines, so you can put your time, effort, and spend your marketing budget on the appropriate medium.

First, let’s explore the key differences between these two predominant platforms side by side.

Citation Policy: Please feel free to use this infographic anywhere. However, we require a reference back to 2Stallions Blog.

A Closer Look at Social Media & Search Engines

Social media marketing helps companies establish meaningful connections and improve brand loyalty. Search engine optimisation, on the other hand, makes brands more discoverable.

While social media and search engines are conceptually different, they are critical components of a digital marketing strategy. Each medium offers companies unique business opportunities that can contribute to their overall growth and success.

The two, in fact, share common business goals—to attract new customers and expand market reach.

For these reasons, asking the question “Which medium works better?” is more appropriate than “Which medium is better?” Neither social networks nor search engines outdo the other. Each medium serves a specific purpose and is used differently based on the needs of individuals and businesses.

Let’s take a closer look at each medium and how you can best utilise them.

When to Use Social Media

Social media target audiences are based on demographics like age, gender, job title, and education. These factors help you know who your social fans or followers are and what type of content may pull their emotional strings.

Since social media helps you discover your target demographic more easily, you can use this medium to build an engaged audience. Use the demographics as a guide to fine-tune your marketing strategy and reach the right people.

Suppose Facebook is your network of choice. You could analyse metrics, such as comments, reactions, and shares to understand what your audience engages with most. If your video posts gain the most attention, make sure to keep creating more video content that will entice them exactly the same.

It also doesn’t hurt to explore other types of content like blogs, live videos, and images. Blog posts that discuss current trends and news gain better traction, while photos (i.e., memes, quote images, GIFs, snapshots, etc.) grab people’s attention more than text-based content.

Live videos, on the other hand, are becoming increasingly popular on social media platforms because of the high engagement rate. Live streaming creates a direct connection to each viewer—everyone can access a live video, comment on it and even share it with other people.

Social media also binds the link between engagement and brand reputation. With social networks, your reputation is in your hands. You can handle negative feedback and criticisms, address concerns, answer questions, and stay connected with your audience easier.

When to Use the Search Engine

While social media and search engines are both trackable, the latter focuses more on analysing the audience’s intent. Search engines go beyond knowing who your followers are and dig deeper into what they’re thinking.

This explains why search allows for targeted marketing. Website analytics tools like Google Analytics let you measure the total visibility and traffic. You could see what pages or content get the most traffic, how long people stay on your website, and what actions they take on the pages they visit.

Unlike social networks, search engines direct your target audience to you. The keywords or key phrases they type in the search bar lead the customers to your website or social media profiles.

If your primary aim is to drive more traffic to your website, befriending search engines is the key. Search is the first stop on the Internet for most people, so you should optimise your site and its contents for search.

Search engine optimisation (SEO) encompasses three strategies: technical SEO, on-page SEO, and off-page SEO. Here’s a quick comparison of these SEO techniques.

Technical SEO focuses on code and performance improvements on your website.

On-page SEO involves techniques implemented on your website to optimise its overall structure and make it search-engine friendly.

Off-page SEO refers to the optimisation techniques done outside your website to improve its trust factor.

Below are a few optimisation efforts that can double your search traffic:

Improve page load speed
Adopt a responsive website design
Insert keywords into your content (i.e., meta description, title tag, article title, article body)
Create informative and timely content pieces
Share content on your social media accounts
Optimise for voice search
Generate backlinks through business listings, social media marketing, guest posting, and more

Parting Tip – Use Social Media and Search Engines Together

Understand what your needs are and your main priority to know where to spend your marketing resources.

But if you’re determined to get better results from your marketing efforts, we suggest capitalising on social media and search engines.

While social media focuses on audience engagement and search engine tackles on website traffic, both are all about reaching audiences and helping companies grow their business.

This connection between the two implies that they work better when together. Use social media marketing to drive engagement, gain new followers, get more shares and generate traffic to your web content. And invest in SEO to boost your discoverability and increase your customer base.

Do you need someone to do all the work for you? 2Stallions has you covered! Our team brings expertise in all areas of digital performance marketing to the table. We will help you be on the first page of search engines, grow your brand’s social media presence, and more.

Learn more about our host of digital marketing services here.

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