If you’re tired of seeing “virtual and augmented reality will be huge” in the latest “Here Are 5 Trends to Try This Year” article, you’ve come to the right place. Now I’m not saying these aren’t tools to leverage, but it’s not what I’d consider a meaningful way to interact with customers in 2022. Which leads me to my point – what is a meaningful way to interact with customers on social media in 2022? And how does organic social media help?
Keep reading to learn more about what organic social media is, how it differs from paid social media, and why it’s important in 2022 to build your audience organically on platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and more.
What is Organic Social Media?
Organic social media is content posted “for free” or without paid promotion on social media platforms like Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook. It’s the same as posting anything you want to your personal profile; except it’s coming from your business account! Just because it’s free doesn’t mean it requires no effort. To see success in organic social media growth, you need a strategy to take you from where you’re at to where you want to be.
Think of organic social media like the free bread basket you get at a high-end Italian restaurant. It’s just waiting to be eaten, you don’t have to pay for it, and for some people, the bread basket is what keeps them coming back! Looking at you, Texas Roadhouse. Just like that bread basket, organic social media can pair nicely with its cousin, paid social (or in this case, your entrée).
What is Paid Social Media?
Paid social refers to any social media content you pay to show to a targeted audience that most likely doesn’t follow your account. Depending on your industry, it can be a very valuable investment. Just like organic social, paid social needs a well-thought-out strategy for success. Think of paid social as the market price fish entrée. It’s always a crapshoot as to whether you’re going to spend $20 or $54.99 on the halibut, because there’s so many factors that go into the ad spend needed to accomplish your goals, but you get a similar experience regardless.
One of the biggest benefits of paid social is the ability to directly target users you think will be interested in your product or brand. Because social media collects so much data around user interests and demographics, you have so many options to reach your brand’s ideal target audience. If all goes well, a paid social campaign can show direct results like website visits, app downloads, and purchases.
So, Do We Need Both?
The short answer is yes. If you have a great product or service, you’ll likely benefit from a combination of both organic and paid social. Paid social can often result in customers’ first interactions with you, whether a download, form submission, purchase, or something else. And one of the best ways to grow brand loyalty is through organic interactions. The best way to ensure success on social media is by combining both types of social content to create a well-rounded environment to engage and grow your follower and loyal customer base.
If you’re looking for a way to stand out in 2022, you’ll want to take a good hard look at your brand presence on social media and make a plan to fill the gaps. If you’re looking to grow brand presence organically, you’ll need to participate in organic trends on platforms where organic content thrives, like TikTok. If you’re looking to grow sales or reach an audience you don’t normally captivate, you’ll want to explore paid opportunities on platforms like Facebook and Instagram or influencer sponsorships on platforms like TikTok and Instagram.
Here's some ideas to get you started:
Organic Trends to Look Out For in 2022
1. TikTok Trending Sounds
On platforms like TikTok, one of the best ways to go viral is by using trending sounds and video concepts that apply to your brand. The more users that interact with sounds or hashtags, the more people and brands using those sounds and hashtags make it onto users’ feeds. For example, check out this example from the brand taking over TikTok, Duo Lingo.
2. UGC
UGC, better known as user-generated content, is one of the best ways as a direct-to-consumer brand to grow a following or community online. UGC is, in most cases, free and comes from a genuine enjoyment of your brand or product. This type of content is primarily created when a customer of your brand purchases your product themselves and loves it so much, they create a video or post about it. Consider ways to encourage more UGC, such as including a note with the product when its shipped or in an email confirming delivery with your social handles and hashtags.
3. Short and Informal Videos
Short videos are a great way to captivate your audience and boost engagement. With a shorter watch time, it’s more likely that users will continue to watch as your video loops, especially if the message or point of the video is fast. The more views you garner, the more engagement you receive, which helps show your video to more users online. These types of videos could be anything from a super quick product unboxing, 3 tips for using your product, or even participating in a short trend on a platform like TikTok!
4. Demonstration and Review Videos
Demonstration videos are a huge opportunity across all channels as more users turn to videos to help “show” vs. articles to “tell.” If you think about installing your newest product, or researching one you’re looking to buy, you might not think of long-form videos on platforms like YouTube anymore. The short-form videos that live on platforms like TikTok are easy to search for and quick to watch. If your product or personal brand is able to review or demonstrate the way a product works, you can grow your engagement and following through providing short and helpful content like this.
5. Repurpose on Reels
Repurposing your TikTok content on Instagram Reels is like spreading your favorite Italian restaurant leftovers over multiple meals. You put all this effort into crafting the perfect content for one platform, why not extend the life of it and test your content on another platform? The insights you gain can also help inform your future content strategy!
Get Started
If you’re new to TikTok or another social channel, one of the best ways to test your ability to grow a following is by creating a plan with 4 content types. Post those types of content multiple times a week and track performance to see what users like the most. Then continue to tweak your least performing content until you find your style and niche. Once you do, consistency is the only thing in your way.
Need help determining what channels and content is best for your brand? Hit us up.