The 5 Different Types Of Social Media Marketing And How You Should Use Them

There are numerous social media marketing sites with many other formats and platforms that pop up each day. Some of these platforms are small niches, but they have the potential to become the next Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or TikTok. Something notable has changed with these social media platforms. Instead of focusing on one function, which is image sharing or social networking, the most established social media platforms have grown or rather expanded to include live streaming, shopping, augmented reality, social audio, and more. In this article, we will discuss some of the most popular types of social media marketing, along with examples and other details.

Types of social media marketing

The internet has changed how people interact with each other, and social media websites have taken it to the next level. The world has become a global village of social interactions, and these interactions can be based on any topic or interest. Gone are the days of magazines, newspapers, and billboards. There are numerous advertising options you can choose from, and each boasts its unique pros and cons. Below are the different types of social media marketing.

1. Video ads

Statistics show that half of social media users tend to watch a full video if it is less than a minute long. Video ads are classified as short, mid-length, and full-length videos. The short videos are less than 30 seconds long, while the fully-minute ones are termed mid-lengths. The word ‘full-length’ implies that the ad is longer than a minute. Videos allow you to reach a global audience and are available on all the most popular social media platforms, such as YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

2. Standalone blogs

Blogs can create brand awareness, drive traffic to your website, and engage with your current or prospective customers. Blogs are a popular way to build your lead generation marketing campaign. Although blogs have been around for a while, they remain one of the best methods to promote content, products, or services.

3. Photo ads

Photo ads are a bit simpler to create than other ads like stories and videos, but you must ensure your photos are of high quality. Photo ads are nice for brand awareness and social proof, as fans and followers usually share them. Ensure your images are high-quality and that your content is interesting enough to make people want to share it with their friends.

4. Messenger ads

Facebook Messenger ads are a great way to drive traffic and sales directly to your website. These ads appear on the user’s Facebook messenger app and are usually seen in the form of videos or photos. A pre-recorded video goes through the entire process of buying a product, which usually inspires users to purchase.

5. Stories ads

Instagram Business conducted a survey and reported that half of the users interviewed purchased a service/product from viewing it via the stories ad. If you are advertising on Instagram or Facebook stories, an image can be viewed for about six seconds, while a video can play for 15 seconds maximum.

Social media marketing Platforms examples

When deciding where to advertise, you may want to consider working with a social media marketing platform. This will help you to save money and stay on top of your campaigns. Below are some of the most popular social media marketing platforms:

1. YouTube

This platform provides an easy way to post and promote videos. You can also promote your business through advertising. Youtube allows you to easily choose the exact audience you want, with topics that match your business. YouTube videos can be shown on other social media and help you build a website for your company.

2. Pinterest

Pinterest is a great platform to advertise as it has over 650 million users, who spend an estimated 40 minutes on the site daily. The platform is highly decorated with fashion reels, cooking videos, wedding photos, and more. The site is now being used to find content and discuss topics. Pinterest allows brands to advertise interests, boost brand recognition and increase consumer engagement.

3. Twitter

Twitter is another popular platform for social media ads. The platform allows you to create ad campaigns that are highly engaging and allow you to build an audience from the get-go (no need for leads). Twitter offers two options: Twitter ads and Quick promote.

4. Facebook 

This is the largest social media platform and boasts the largest audience, with over a billion monthly active users. Facebook allows users to create business pages and promote products and services. Facebook ads help you meet your campaign goals, including conversions, building brand awareness, and more.

5. TikTok 

Although this platform is a newer player in advertising, it has a huge potential, mostly the younger audiences. TikTok focuses on product ads appearing as videos. TikTok allows you to select a category and style and upload your product. This is the newest social media platform where your post can have up to 20 seconds or more before and after photos.

The social media marketing world

The social media marketing world focuses on new and upcoming technology that adds power to the transformation of society and marketing. The primary areas of the social media marketing world are social strategy, paid social, organic social media, content marketing, and search engine optimization. Below are elements of the social media marketing world:

Social strategy: The social strategy incorporates the overall goals and objectives, as well as how you will communicate on social media platforms.

Paid social: This refers to a marketer’s budget for social media advertising.

Organic social media: Organic or owned marketing promotes content or products through various social media platforms.

Content marketing: Content marketing refers to creating and distributing content online to help promote and improve brand awareness.

Search engine optimization (SEO) – Search engine optimization is a way of making your website visible in search engines, thus increasing brand awareness.

Conclusion

Social media marketing plays a vital role in a business. Digital marketing is not just about Facebook and Instagram. Social media marketing is one way to connect with your customers and keep track of their needs and wants. It is important to know the elements of digital marketing, as this will enable you to choose the right course of action and effectively execute your chosen social media marketing strategy.