INTERVIEW: How to grow your brand or business using social media marketing

As part of Bdaily’s latest feature surrounding Social Media Day, we sat down for a chat with Anika Shah, the new head of communications at Birmingham based digital marketing and web agency Digital Glue.

The team describes Anika as an essential member of the team for almost five years and has over a decade of business experience, including running her own events management company.

Anika heads up progressive campaigns that connect businesses with their audiences through story-telling PR, captivating social video content, and careful brand management and development. We discussed all of the above and more in this exclusive interview. Read on to find out more…

1. Can you tell us about the importance of social media in establishing market traction?

Social media plays a crucial role in establishing market traction for businesses. It offers an unparalleled platform to reach and engage with a vast audience, enabling companies to enhance brand visibility and cultivate a loyal customer base.

Platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok and LinkedIn provide businesses with opportunities to showcase their products or services, share regular updates, and directly interact with potential customers.

Maintaining an active presence on social media helps businesses establish themselves as industry leaders, gain credibility, and develop trust among their target market.

The significance of social media in establishing market traction lies in its cost-effectiveness. Unlike traditional marketing methods such as print advertising or television commercials that can be expensive and have limited reach, social media platforms offer a cost-efficient way to promote businesses.

With targeted advertising options and the ability to track and analyse user engagement, companies can optimise their marketing efforts, reaching the right audience with tailored content. This targeted approach enables businesses to generate leads, convert them into customers, and drive sales growth while staying within a budget-friendly framework.

2. What are some of the best tactics for reaching audiences through social media?

When it comes to reaching audiences through social media, there are several effective tactics that focus specifically on leveraging the power of these platforms. One key strategy is to create and share high-quality, engaging content tailored to social media audiences.

By crafting relevant, informative, and entertaining content, you can capture users’ attention and encourage them to interact, share, and engage with your brand. This content can take various forms, such as well-crafted blog posts, visually appealing images and videos, or thought-provoking infographics, all optimised for social media consumption.

By delivering valuable content, you not only establish your brand as an authority in your industry but also attract a wider audience. In addition, utilising storytelling to create an emotional connection with your social media audience is a powerful tactic.

Sharing relatable stories, case studies, or user-generated content can elicit emotions and foster a sense of connection between your brand and your audience. This emotional bond not only makes your brand more memorable but also encourages users to share your content, thereby expanding your reach across social media platforms.

3. Could you run through some current trends we’re seeing and how to make them work for businesses?

One of the current trends in social media is the rise of ephemeral content. Platforms like Instagram Stories, Facebook Stories, and Snapchat offer features that allow users to share temporary content that disappears after a set period.

This trend provides businesses with an opportunity to create engaging, real-time content that captures the attention of their audience.

To make ephemeral content work for businesses, it’s important to leverage its spontaneous and authentic nature. Behind-the-scenes glimpses, exclusive product previews, limited-time offers, and interactive polls or quizzes can all be incorporated into ephemeral content strategies to create a sense of urgency and encourage user engagement.

By tapping into this trend, businesses can foster a sense of FOMO (fear of missing out) among their audience and drive immediate actions, such as visiting their website or making a purchase.

Another current trend in social media is the increased emphasis on video content. Platforms like YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram Reels have gained immense popularity, with users gravitating towards short, visually appealing videos. Businesses can leverage this trend by incorporating video content into their marketing strategies.

4. How important would you say employee advocacy is when it comes to social media?

Employee advocacy has emerged as a powerful strategy for businesses to amplify their reach, build trust, and drive engagement. When employees advocate for their company on social media, it adds a human element to the brand, making it more relatable and trustworthy in the eyes of the audience.

Employee advocacy can significantly expand the reach of a business as employees have their own networks and followers, and their endorsements and shares carry more authenticity and credibility. Furthermore, employees are often seen as experts in their respective fields, and their insights and perspectives shared on social media can position the company as a thought leader in the industry.

Employee advocacy on social media also helps in attracting top talent and building a positive employer brand. When employees actively engage with and promote their company on social media, it showcases a strong sense of pride, loyalty, and enthusiasm towards their work.

This public display of support and positivity can attract potential employees who resonate with the company’s values and culture. Moreover, employee advocacy humanises the recruitment process, allowing job seekers to gain insights into the company’s work environment and the experiences of current employees.

5. Are there any social media marketing campaigns from recent years that remain in your mind?

One memorable social media marketing campaign is the Aldi campaign featuring Cuthbert and Colin the Caterpillar. Aldi, launched the creative and playful campaign centred around their own chocolate caterpillar cake named Cuthbert.

The campaign gained significant traction on social media, particularly on Aldi’s Twitter account, where they posted humorous tweets calling out Colin the Caterpillar and inviting other supermarkets to join the conversation.

This sparked a viral topic as social media users shared their opinions, created memes, and generated jokes about the “caterpillar cake controversy.” Notably, Aldi’s campaign had an added impact by connecting it to a charitable cause, as they pledged to donate a portion of the Cuthbert cake sales to the Teenage Cancer Trust.

It showcased the power of effective social media marketing. By utilising humour, engaging with their audience, and incorporating a touch of controversy, the campaign successfully created a buzz, capturing the attention of both customers and the media.

Another social media marketing campaign I’d add to the list is Spotify’s #YearWrapped. First introduced in 2019 and now taking place annually, this campaign serves as a remarkable example of effective digital marketing. It revolves around users’ music preferences, highlighting their listening habits and summarising trends throughout the year.

Spotify skillfully taps into users’ desire to share and celebrate their unique music tastes, effectively promoting its popular streaming platform. During the campaign, Spotify actively encourages users to share their personalised Year Wrapped summaries on various social media platforms using the hashtag #YearWrapped.

The impact of the #YearWrapped campaign resonates strongly within the realm of social media, capturing users’ enthusiasm as they eagerly share their personalised summaries and engage in lively discussions about their music preferences.

By Matthew Neville – Senior Correspondent, Bdaily

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