Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, YouTube, Pinterest, Vimeo – you know the lineup. But, just because all these social platforms exist, does your brand need to be actively using all of them?
If you find yourself feeling the need to be on all these platforms, you may have a classic case of Social Media FOMO or “fear of missing out.”
Taking a shotgun approach and attempting to be everywhere can cause your brand messaging to become impersonal, diluted and distracting. Social Media can be one of your hardest-working channels, but it’s important to make sure you’re distributing the right kind of content on the right platforms for your target audiences.
So you're self-diagnosed with a case of Social Media FOMO. Now what? Take a deep breath; you’re going to be okay. It’s nothing a little strategy can’t fix.
First, take a look at your target audiences. Who are they? And where do they spend their time online?
According to Pew Research Center, nearly 79% of Internet users are using Facebook. That stat alone is a solid reason why your brand should continue to use Facebook; however, do you know what your Facebook audience looks like? If your Facebook audience is made up of people who liked your page a few years ago to enter a contest but hardly engage, consider initiatives to build a new, more engaged audience or consider backing off the amount of time and energy you put into your Facebook page. A million fans are great, but if only a handful is engaging with your content, what’s the point?
Second, take a look at the content you have and want to share. What does it look like?
- If it’s highly produced, long-form creative assets, consider sharing and promoting the content on platforms designed to do so. Facebook, YouTube and Vimeo are all high-quality video sharing platforms for sharing long-form content.
- If your content is more snack-sized, like quote cards, user-generated photos or GIFs, consider a platform like Instagram or Twitter where your content can be quickly consumed and shared.
- Finally, if your strategy includes sharing real-time content – experiences or stories as they happen – consider using Instagram Stories, Facebook Live or Snapchat.
Spend the time to define your target audiences, strategy and assets before you pick your platforms. It may be one; it may be a few; or it could be many of them (if you really do have the time, team and assets to adequately tackle them all). But, be sure to create outline each platform’s goals and objectives and share it with your creative, marketing and media teams. It’s the only way to ensure content going out on these channels achieves its objectives.
A few other tips to keep Social Media FOMO at bay:
- Use a tool like Facebook Audience Insights to discover your fan base, their interests and active users. Tailor your content to fit these users and use paid social targeting to increase the reach and frequency of your content.
- Use your owned media channels to show users which social channels to connect with – send emails (if you can segment them, even better) or use your website to drive users to specific channels to receive specific content.
- Track engagement and cross-check your platform analytics. You’ll discover which social networks are the weak links in your chain and know better where to focus.
- Reward new channel users with exclusive content. If you decide to launch a Snapchat account or start an Instagram Story for the first time, make it special. Entice users with a special announcement or offer to get them to tune in and then set the bar by establishing the kind of content they’ll get from your account.
With these tips in mind, you’re ready to start curing your brand of Social Media FOMO. Keep these tips in mind when you’re working with your team on content creation and don’t be afraid to do mid-year or annual check-ins to keep your band from relapsing.
