Social media (along with the entire digital environment) is constantly changing. Internet users are becoming increasingly fickle and the battle for their attention is becoming fiercer by the minute. Keep up or get out. How can you make social media work for your business? By building a strong online presence and offering your clients what they want, even before they realize they want it.
You are probably wondering how you can stand out in a digital world that’s drowning in content. The answer is simple: observe companies that are successful on social media and learn from them. Netflix, the Internet subscription video-streaming giant is one of the few companies that have managed to win social media. Here are some useful tips, inspired from Netflix’s campaigns, that you can use in your social media strategy.
Great Social Media Tips From Netflix
1. Understand Your Target Market
Netflix is doing a great job at tracking its users. They know what movies you like, why you like them, and how much time you spend on each. What can we learn from this? Know your audience. There are two main ways to do this: before and after implementing a strategy or launching a website.
Before starting a marketing campaign, you should define your buyer persona. This is an avatar of your ideal client. When doing this, avoid putting yourself in your customer’s shoes. Many marketers make mistakes while crafting their buyer persona. There are 3 major aspects you need to cover: demographics data, pain-points & interests, and the benefits of your product or service (how can you help the clients while keeping them satisfied).
The second method you should apply is tracking what both your existing and potential clients are doing on your website, social media accounts, and so on. Use Google! More precisely, you should use Google Analytics and other web metrics to find out everything you need to know about the online behavior of your customers. Don’t let anything slip your mind. Pay attention to things that might help your business develop.
2. Less Is More
Netflix posts once/day on Instagram, and less than once/month on Facebook, but it only posts content that is extremely relevant to its audience. What the company is showing us is that it’s better to only post on social media when you have something valuable to share. Sharing content that isn’t relevant to your audience will result in lower engagement levels. So instead of overwhelming your audience with posts, why not spend more time actually listening & talking to them? Constant contact is key in maintaining strong relationships with your users.
There is no standard recipe for how often you should upload new content or how often you should respond to comments. Depending on the type of business you have, it can be daily, weekly, or even monthly. The point is to keep your brand fresh in their minds, without being too aggressive.
Netflix posts more often on Twitter (every three hours), but the Twitter feed, by nature, is much faster at consuming content than other social channels. The trick is that the company posts highly relevant & diverse content. Where Twitter is concerned, Netflix has taken the good friend’s stand, mixing words of wisdom with hilarious confessions, TV series updates, and innovation-related topics. Users keep coming back for more.
The concept of “less is more” gains a new meaning in the case of Twitter: Netflix doesn’t over promote. It lets influences promote in its place. In the meantime, Netflix acts as everybody’s favorite buddy -both in relation to celebrities and regular users. Everyone receives the same attention, therefore, everyone is special.
3. Visuals Are Crucial
When it comes to social media marketing, visual content is the new “black”. Netflix got the idea. This is how things work now. People are fed up with heaps of never-ending texts. As a matter of fact, many share articles without having read them.
On the other hand, the eye is attracted by colors, images, and videos. People are more willing to engage in conversations when images are involved. As someone once said, a picture is worth a thousand words.
We get it. You vape. pic.twitter.com/3f2wUbfJzg
— Netflix US (@netflix) July 26, 2016
Visuals have plenty of benefits. For starters, the viewers’ attention is captured easier with an image than with a block of text and using the right visuals can help you increase your reach. In fact, pictures and videos are more likely to be shared online.
Note: Don’t overflow your post with visual elements if they don’t make sense for your campaign. Choose wisely. You should only publish images & videos that make complement your campaign.
4. Make A Buzz
Are you preparing to launch a new product or to disclose a series of new services? Don’t just throw it out on your social media networks. Boost the users’ curiosity by creating a teaser campaign. Why not take it a step further and develop an entire series of posts, offering your clients tiny chuncks of information?! This will excite them and spark their curiosity.
A good example of a teaser was the pre-launch of the Netflix’s House of Cards series. Everybody loves Kevin Spacey. So, the series was destined to be a success. The teaser campaign only emphasized the interesting aspects of what was going to come next and the viewers loved it.
Note: If your teaser is well supported by visuals, you will have higher chances of going viral.
Keep your followers posted about what is coming next, but never show them the full picture. A good idea is to split your social media content into chapters or topics. Create a storyline. Step by step, share your brand’s story with your audience. A successful brand image is fueled by originality.
This means you should use unique photos as well as creative messages. A good storyline is backed up by visual thinking. You can encourage this type of thinking in your users when you deliver images in coherent chapters.
5. Be Genuine
Bottom line, you have build a unique brand. To do this you have to find your own voice. This voice will help you shape your presence on social media, as well as your brand’s unique appeal. Originality along with clearness and coherence will help you differentiate yourself from your competitors, and ultimately stand out from the crowd.
As you can see, there is a domino effect the process. Building relevant and coherent content will help you develop your brand’s identity. The next thing you know, a positive association will be made in your clients’ minds. When your customers/users have a positive experience with your brand, your business will take one step closer to its goals.
Guess who’s back? Season 3 of @BoJackHorseman is now streaming. pic.twitter.com/U9OUQ5t1sj
— Netflix US (@netflix) July 22, 2016
Netflix is such a success due to its relevant and extremely relatable content. The video-streaming company’s unique approach is also part of the reason why its customers watch over 1,348 hours of content every second.
Don’t treat all the clients the same. Offer them only what is truly relevant for their needs and preferences. Except for the times when you have something disruptive to share, it is better to keep in mind your brand’s voice & goal. Concise writing is the key!
6. Follow-Up
Every time Netflix launches an important movie or series, it makes sure to engage its followers. The company makes it easy for users to share, like, and comment on posts by addressing them personally. It also follows-up with replies to comments. This strategy has helped Netflix increase conversions & engagement levels.
You should never ignore your clients’ comments or complaints. Pretending a problem isn’t there will not make it disappear, it will only make the issue worse. Each response or interactive connection will only make you gain clients’ loyalty. This is a good method to ensure a strong CRM base (client relations management).
7. Strategize, Implement & Monitor
Netflix pays close attention to everything that is going on. The company quickly identifies and solves issues or malfunctions. You should also adopt this fast response strategy to your social media networks. When interacting with your followers, you need to discover what is working and what needs improvement, in real time.
Besides monitoring the results and metrics from platforms like Google Analytics, you should also gather constructive feedback. If your users don’t give you feedback, you should encourage them to. This is a valuable resource that could really help your business improve and grow.
The next logical step is to make the proper changes. You should always optimize and update your content, images, videos, etc. A good way to so this is to use the A/B testing method. This technique refers to trying different versions of the same ad, post or visual element. Once you find the winning recipe you have to implement it again & monitor its result.
Always keep in touch with your clients or followers, as this will give you valuable information about their needs and desires.
8. Leverage Word-of-mouth
It is true that relevant paid ads can bring more content, but besides sponsored posts, there are also other ways to gain visibility and trust. Don’t be afraid to give a chance to new tactics that would enable you to leverage word-of-mouth.
Happy clients attract new ones. Testimonials or recommendations come in handy, especially when you are on a tight marketing budget. Netflix users are raising the company’s visibility by engaging in interesting online dialogs with other potential followers.
When using word-of-mouth, your business or brand will gain more trust among its users. According to a Nielsen’s study, the majority of consumers think recommendations from close friends and relatives are more trustworthy compared to classic forms of advertising.
9. Create Need
People like to think they are in charge when choosing a product or a service. Don’t push your brand towards them. Make them come to you. How can you do this? Simple: use emotions. Everything is about impulse and emotion. Despite the fact that many consumers want to believe they are ‘logical buyers’, they generally take action based on an emotional stimulus.
You can create need by posting educational & personal content, or by appealing to powerful emotions (fear, love, happiness, etc.). Informed users are more likely to buy or convert. Emphasize the benefits (not the features) of your products through your social media posts. Don’t just tell people the characteristics of what you sell. Show them how this can be a solution to their problems.
Always keep in touch with your customers. Ask them for their feedback, discover why they are not buying your products. Maybe it is because you didn’t show them the benefits they are looking for. Or, perhaps the product needs certain improvements. You will only find out by reaching out & reassuring them.
10. Show Them You Care
Approach each client in a unique way. Show them respect and never undervalue them. The era of standardization is dead. Long live customization. There are many ways in which you can show a customer you really care. You can start by addressing his/her name every time you send a newsletter or respond to his/her comments on social media networks.
Is anyone else watching Netflix instead of going out tonight?
— Netflix (@NetflixLife) June 29, 2013
Another possibility is to personalize every step of the interaction. Keep track of your loyal followers or clients, and offer them something valuable such as a limited edition of the product you sell. Keeping your existing consumers is less expensive than attracting new ones. Thank them every time they give you a positive review or when they buy and promote one of your products.
I strongly recommend checking out Netflix’s social channels for more ideas on how you can interact with your followers in a personal way.
Let’s Recap
Social media is a crucial tool when you want to engage both your clients and your potential customers. Netflix is a great example of how can social media help your business grow. For this to happen, you must develop some strategies and follow some guidelines.
A lot of content becomes useless when it is not relevant for the users. Also, using high-quality visuals emphasizes the message you want your followers to receive. Create a balance between text and other elements such as videos, images, and more. Building a strong relationship with your consumers will not only increase your sales but it will also make your brand gain more awareness.
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