It’s a new year, and the perfect time to start thinking about new ways to deploy social media in your marketing strategies. But, as platforms mature and social marketing becomes more the norm, how can you continue to get clicks and conversions when there’s more competition than ever for your audience?

There’s no such thing as a silver bullet. But, there are some interesting new options that are arising. Here are some of my favorites:

MERGE DIGITAL PR AND SOCIAL:

There are lots of ways to distribute your press release, but have you thought about social? Sure, you can put a link on your Facebook page, but to get real distribution, you’ll need to buy an ad. The good news is, if you write your ad in a compelling way, and target your audience very carefully, you can up your distribution dramatically. And, if you can tie that release to a conversion, like clicking for a special offer for the new product you’ve announced in your release, so much the better.

SNAG SHOPPERS ON SOCIAL:

Companies like Gilt, Zulilly, Country Outfitter, and more are masters of this technique because it drives sales. Do you have customers that have abandoned their shopping cart? Or, customers who have visited your website and searched for particular products, but not gotten to the cart yet? What about customers who have signed up for your email newsletter or rewards programs? Why aren’t you cross-referencing those customers with social media advertising? Perhaps a social ad, served up with the product they were searching for, carefully placed in their feed will be the way to close the sale. It’s also another great way to remind your self-identified audience of new sales and special offers.

GET THE MOST OUT OF THE CAROUSEL:

A “carousel” on Facebook is a series of sponsored ads that scroll from left to right. What if you bought ads to fill the whole carousel with subject matter from your company, and make one of those ads a clickable video? Customers love to be able to see all sides of a story or a company, and this is one creative way to make sure your message gets noticed.

EXPAND YOUR REACH WITH FACEBOOK MESSENGER’S EXPANSION:

Facebook Messenger now has hundreds of apps that can interact with it, like those that allow you to sign in to their app using a Facebook login, for instance. Facebook is now allowing advertisers to integrate with it to provide more personal service to customers. For instance, you can use Facebook Messenger now to send order confirmations or to allow customers to ask questions to customer service. Its ad tech offerings will allow you to buy not just advertising on Facebook, but many other important publishers online. It’s a brand new day for social media buying.

SPICE UP YOUR ADS AND UPDATES WITH LIVE VIDEO STREAMING:

Creating and uploading a video is about as easy as attaching a photo, thanks to a suite of new features announced by Facebook last December.

So, all in all, it’s an exciting year, and this is just for Facebook! Come join us again on this blog for more future discussions on new techniques for other popular platforms. We’ll keep you informed!

Feeling out-of-date when it comes to social media marketing strategies? Don’t limit yourself to outdated methods and strategies. Let dRAE Media & Marketing help you reinvigorate your social and digital strategy. Doesn’t matter whether you are in Louisville, Lexington, or Timbuktu, we have the tools to take your business to the next level. Contact us today and let us show you what dRAE Media & Marketing can do.