01 Feb 10 Social Media Tactics to Leave Behind in 2022
One month of 2022 has come and gone, so let’s check in. Cliché or not, there is something valuable in utilizing the change of a calendar year to take a step back, evaluate, and set goals for the upcoming year. In this case, we are talking specifically about social media strategies and trends for brands. What are some brand practices that need to be left behind and what are some strategies that still need improvement going forward into 2022?
Let’s dive in and see what our experts here at Ignite Social Media have to say:
1. Overposting TikTok-Style Videos
TikTok. The industry disrupter us social media experts can’t stop talking about. It’s important to jump in if you haven’t already, but there’s a huge caveat—don’t copy/paste it into every other platform you have. “One mistake I continue to see is brands taking videos made specifically for TikTok and posting it on Instagram, Facebook and every other platform they have. If it’s going on Reels, utilize Reel’s best practices and repurpose that video for that platform.” -Ericka Riker, Community Manager
2. Separating Organic & Paid Media Strategies
Organic and paid media strategies are vital for a brand’s long-term success, so let them work together! “In a desire to not forget the value of organic, many organizations have organic experts with key knowledge on what resonates and they separate it from the paid media or paid creative – which then is treated more like traditional advertising. In this scenario the organization often misses out on the efficiencies born out of creating content that resonates with the communities, that could be repurposed to drive marketing results as well.” -Lisa Braziel, Senior Vice President Ignite Social Media
3. Continuing to Promote Half-Baked Activism
Let’s say it together: Stop promoting half-baked activism. It’s inauthentic and not helpful to force your brand into serious topics that are not relevant to your mission. You run the risk of it backfiring when your audience can see the performative side to it. “If you’re going to engage in social activism, commit. Make sure your brand’s position and message are consistent when it comes to diversity and inclusion.” -Taylor Gumina, Senior Content Producer
4. Unrealistic User-Generated Content
Hear us out: we’re not saying the professional photographer’s or influencer’s photo isn’t great. In fact, they are great content for brands to use (and should use!). What we are saying is those quality photographs should not be the only type of content the brand engages with. “The smaller audience fans, the ones who take a crooked photo, tried their best to make something positive for them, deserve some love and recognition from the brand too… We shouldn’t be afraid to show something the majority of our audience can relate to. Most of the general population can’t do the amazing things our content teams do; however, it’s important to take the time to like and comment to try and engage with all levels of UGC- and guess what? They keep posting positive things for us to see and build loyalty.” -Sara T., Manager of Community Management
5. Focusing Too Much On Followers
The simple number of followers or fans you have does not determine success. Rather, it’s the number of engaged followers you have. A brand is going to see more success if the majority of their audience is loyal, regardless of the number next to their follower count. “Surprisingly I still see and hear from CMOs who still are focused on the follower count metric and internal teams that are still reactively building strategies around it.” -Lisa Braziel, Senior Vice President Ignite Social Media
6. Not Establishing a Brand Tone of Voice
“A key part of any brand’s social strategy should be establishing a tone of voice. In finding that tone of voice, you naturally weave together some of the nuances of social in a seemingly organic way. From the way you communicate with your audience to the media you engage with and post about, the brand’s tone of voice should always be top of mind.” -Aly Moser, Community Manager
7. Relying On Canned Responses Over Engagement Opportunities
“There are dedicated social teams whose expertise involves thoughtful, authentic engagement (hello, hi, here we are), even if it is responding to complaints. Maybe some brands don’t consider the reactive side to be worth the cost of an expert team, but we’ve seen more and more that brands with personality have more engaged fans, and even an upset customer feels better about a genuine response. Investing in quality reactive engagement is investing in customer satisfaction in a very public way.” -Jesse Walker, Senior Community Manager
8. Paying Too Much For Social Media Management Software
These tools are important, especially for larger brands, but they simply cannot do all the heavy lifting for you. “Platforms soak up a ton of marketing dollars and in many cases aren’t being leveraged fully. They also don’t always give the insights the brand really wants at the end of the day.” -Lisa Braziel, Senior Vice President Ignite Social Media
9. HumbleBrags That Are Really Just Brags
If you can jump on a trend before it goes viral, you’ve struck gold. But not every trend is for you, especially if it’s just a means to brag. There’s a fine line there, but it is an important one to toe closely. Don’t fall into the self-promotion trap by jumping on every “glow-up”, “10-year challenge”, or “Look at me now” trend. “I mean, it’s not even a humblebrag. It’s straight up posting, ‘Look how awesome I turned out!’” -Jim Tobin, CEO Ignite Social Media
10. And Last But Not Least…
“For the love of God, boomerangs need to go away.” -Susan Flower, Senior Production Manager Carusele
Well, that’s it for now. Don’t let another year go by without evaluating and maybe even changing some of your brand’s social strategy to align with best practices.
Let us help you reach your brand’s 2022 goals. Contact our team today!