Social Media ROI
Not every social channel is great for marketing.
- In fact, we know Facebook Pages have died and Groups is making a huge comeback.
- Instagram reach is tumbling down and won’t work anymore (not as well) for many small businesses.
- YouTube videos are no longer hot unless you have a ton of subscribers or coverage.
The social marketing ecosystem keeps changing. What used to work till last quarter stops working this quarter and something new comes up.
Check out our Tiktok Marketing Tips and Instagram Marketing Tips.
You can learn a lot from two things:
- What features do these social networks focus on? (for instance, Twitter cards)
- Emerging trends (example, Facebook Live)
Now, based on those two, we’ve been able to zero in on 9 platforms within some popular social networks where you can really get the best social media ROI for all your marketing efforts.
Some of the trends you should note:
- “Pay to play” is true. There’s more ad-spend happening on almost all channels.
- Influencer marketing is still on the rise across multiple platforms.
- Groups and communities are still one of the best zones but they require a very careful approach.
- The new network advantage: when there’s a new platform, it’s easier to get a lot of ROI initially (and in some cases like Instagram, for a long time).
These are the channels you should really focus on if you’re doing social media marketing.
1. Facebook Ads
Ad-spend is on the rise and so is reported ROI from most marketers.
New changes in the way ads are shown (and targeted) make it one of the best channels to promote your products on.
2. Facebook Groups
Facebook groups are becoming a hot property – for both brand-building and promotional activity.
One key factor that’s causing Facebook groups to win is ‘reach’.
3. Instagram Influencers
Instagram is reigning supreme in Influencer Marketing. It’s still not saturated and new influencers are coming up very fast.
It’s easier to get in touch and collaborate with influencers big and small depending on your niche and budget.
And many services are centered around finding you influencers.
4. Instagram Ads
The “pay to play” at work here. With Instagram reach set on a downward path, many marketers will look towards ads. It’s good news too because Instagram will focus on making its ad platform more robust. (it is doing it already)
5. Promoted Pins
Pinterest has an unusually high ROI for eCommerce merchants. Promoted pins only take this to a new level.
A great thing about Pinterest is that the audience has a very high “buying” intent than on other social platforms.
6. Pinterest Group Boards
The right kind of group boards have a bunch of pinners (contributors) and 100k+ followers all waiting to see (and buy) what you offer.
On Pinterest, there’s a direct correlation between the number of followers, their reach, and ROI. Group boards maximize this whole thing.
7. Twitter Ads
Twitter seems to be dwindling into oblivion but it’s still one of the best channels to build your brand and get a truck load of relevant followers organically.
Twitter ads are great for things like flash sales, discount sales, giveaways and email captures.
8. Snapchat
Snapchat came out as one of the most popular social platforms in a Piper Jaffray poll. If your target audience is teens, Snapchat is where you want to be.
Snapchat is notoriously for bad ROI numbers because marketers think Snapchat works like Instagram. It doesn’t.
Snapchat > Instagram or other platforms because there’s still great reach. But it’s a long-term game – you have to build a brand following before you can start getting good ROIs from it.
9. YouTube Popular Producers
Gone are the days when you could put a video and it converted way better than your sales page. YouTube and other video channels are now super-saturated.
Even YouTube ads have a bad rap when it comes to ROIs.
But one part of YouTube is silently helping businesses – sponsors to popular, indie video bloggers.
Find popular channels in your niche and “shoulder niches”. Connect and collaborate.
Conclusion
Marketing your business is really about optimizing and focusing on things that get you the results.
Now that you’re equipped with the information on the best channels that can maximize your R.O.I.s, pick a 1-3 channels that best suit your target audience and focus on them.
