It’s time to step out of the Facebook and Instagram bubble and explore the vast and quirky universe of alternative social media platforms.
Social media marketing often heavily relies on stalwarts like Facebook, YouTube and Instagram. But as these platforms become more expensive, crowded and prone to security concerns, brands are looking for fresh alternatives. Two platforms that are emerging as compelling options are TikTok and Pinterest, which provide features and audiences that brands can tap into for their awareness campaigns. For example, TikTok has become a hotbed for viral content among younger demographics, while Pinterest’s users seek creativity and inspiration.
By exploring uncharted social media territories, savvy brands can discover novel ways to interact with their target audience and strengthen engagement. Here we will look at how marketers can leverage the distinct features of these less explored social networks in order to differentiate their messaging from the standard social media fare.
WhatsApp Business
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WhatsApp, with a whopping 2.24 billion monthly active users globally, provides a fantastic platform for businesses to reach out to potential clients and boost brand recognition. With the introduction of WhatsApp Business, businesses can use its capabilities to communicate more effectively with their target audiences. The app’s quick replies feature allows businesses to respond swiftly to frequently asked questions, while its broadcast feature enables them to send messages to multiple recipients simultaneously.
Additionally, the app’s status feature can be utilized to showcase new products, promotions and behind-the-scenes glimpses of your business. The WhatsApp Business application programming interface (API) takes things up a notch, allowing businesses to create custom chatbots and integrate the platform with their customer relationship management (CRM) systems. By harnessing these features, businesses can create a more comprehensive and engaging brand experience, foster lasting relationships with customers and boost their visibility in a crowded market.
Quora
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In the crowded world of social media, Quora offers a unique platform for marketers to create brand awareness and promote their products or services. With over 300 million monthly active users, Quora is a knowledge-sharing community where users can ask and answer questions on a wide range of topics.
Brands can leverage this platform to establish thought leadership, share insights and showcase their expertise by answering questions related to their industry. By providing valuable, informative answers to users’ questions, businesses can increase their visibility, attract potential customers and establish a strong online presence.
Moreover, Quora offers advertising options such as Promoted Answers and Quora Ads, allowing marketers to reach a broader audience and drive traffic to their websites.
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Reddit is a powerful social media platform that can help businesses and bloggers to create brand awareness and connect with their target audience. With over 52 million daily active users and 130,000 active communities (known as Subreddits), Reddit offers an enormous potential audience for marketers to tap into.
One of the key advantages of Reddit is its highly engaged and passionate user base, who are eager to participate in discussions and share their opinions on various topics. Businesses can leverage this by creating relevant and engaging content that resonates with their target audience and sharing it across relevant Subreddits. By actively engaging with users and responding to their comments and feedback, businesses can build a strong online community and establish themselves as thought leaders in their respective industries.
Additionally, Reddit also offers various advertising options, including sponsored posts and display ads, to help businesses reach their target audience more effectively.
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When it comes to social media platforms, Pinterest is often overlooked as a tool for building brand awareness. However, with its unique features, including visual discovery and content curation, it presents a tremendous opportunity for businesses to showcase their products and services to a wider audience.
One way to increase brand awareness on Pinterest is by creating boards that are tailored to your target audience’s interests. For example, if you sell natural skincare products, you could create boards that feature organic beauty tips, DIY skincare routines and healthy living advice. By doing so, you not only provide value to your audience but also showcase your products in a natural, non-intrusive way.
Another way to leverage Pinterest for brand awareness is by optimizing your profile and pins for search engines. This involves using relevant keywords in your profile description, board titles and pin descriptions to improve your visibility on Pinterest and drive more traffic to your website.
You can also collaborate with influencers on Pinterest to extend your reach and build brand credibility. By partnering with influencers who have a sizable following in your niche, you can leverage their influence and tap into their engaged audience to drive more traffic and sales.
TikTok
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With over 1 billion active users worldwide, TikTok provides a massive opportunity to connect with your target audience in a fun and engaging way. One way to use TikTok for brand awareness is by creating short, entertaining videos that showcase your product or service. For instance, if you own a beauty brand, you could create makeup tutorials or before-and-after videos that highlight the effectiveness of your products. You can even partner with popular TikTok influencers to promote your brand to their followers.
Furthermore, TikTok’s advertising capabilities are also worth exploring. You can run sponsored ads that appear in users’ feeds and create branded hashtags and challenges that encourage user-generated content related to your brand. For example, Chipotle’s#GuacDance challenge, where users had to dance to a song about guacamole, helped the brand increase its sales by 10%.
In today’s ever-evolving landscape of social media marketing, businesses must take a focused and calculated approach to unlock the potential of these platforms to reach customers in creative ways. Whether through leveraging platforms like Reddit and TikTok or exploring alternatives like Pinterest and WhatsApp Business, the possibilities for expanding social media horizons are endless. By testing new tactics and strategies and staying ahead of the curve, companies can form stronger bonds with customers and ultimately drive sales.
Also read:
- YouTube vs TikTok: Which Platform Pays Its Creators Better?
- 9 Marketing Myths That Are Holding Your Startup Back
- Why are Brands Breaking Up With Social Media?
- Can Social Media Keep You from Getting a Job?
- 5 Cool Instagram Features Marketers Must Try in 2023
- Instagram vs YouTube—Which Is Better for Your Business?
- Can Social Media Keep You from Getting a Job?
- 7 Must-Have Tools for Social Media Managers in 2022
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