When it comes to marketing a brand, it’s not necessarily about what you’re promoting; instead, how you’re promoting it. If you’re seeking to raise awareness about a service or product, regardless of the industry, leveraging social media to enhance brand visibility and stimulate growth should follow a consistent approach.
Although certain industries are typically more attractive to the eye on social media, and in some aspects, easier to execute an exciting narrative, niche audience industries such as manufacturing, healthcare, and law can use the same strategies.
Within this blog, we share top ten tips on how any industry can use social media tactics to elevate their brand:
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Content pillars are your new best friend
Utilising a content pillar for regular and relevant social media posts will help you produce an engaging content structure suited for your target audience. Moreover, a content pillar will ensure a consistent range of posts will be covered, keeping a harmonious and flowing stream of content.
It’s important to remember that any content pillar should revolve around your business goals and remain a useful and engaging source of information for your audience. Some fundamental content themes can include:
- Educational content
- Behind-the-scenes footage
- Showcasing a product or service (new or existing)
- Customer reviews
- User-generated content or case studies
- Awareness days
- Current industry trends and news
- Seasonal focus
- Team announcements
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Educational, but make it fun
Now, by educational content, we don’t mean boring textbook education. Although some industries, such as manufacturing and business, have slightly limited room to experiment with social media promotions, creating educational content tailored to products and services which is interactive and engaging is something that any brand can use to its advantage.
Educational content helps establish your brand as a valuable resource of trustworthy information, as well as placing a subtle focus on what you are ultimately trying to sell. It’s certainly an effective way to build trust, authority, and a loyal online community, however, this doesn’t mean it has to be bland.
Educational content can include product tutorials, FAQs, practical tips, case studies, products and services in action, industry insights and more. Below’s example shows a product demo (LinkedIn) from hostile vehicle mitigation manufacturer Heald.
Topline statistics include:
Impressions: 26,000
Reactions: 213
Views: 725
Clicks: 14,000
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Utilising current and trending topics for impact
When it comes to social media, no one wants to hear a repetition of how great you are (we know you are!); social media isn’t the place for this. It’s natural to want to shout about how amazing your services and products are all the time, but having a blend of social listening is crucial. By monitoring and analysing online conversations about your brand and industry, you’ll be keeping your brand as up-to-date as possible and knowledgeable within your field.
No matter what industry you are in, it’s okay to tap into a current event or a topic people are talking about as long as it’s relevant to your audience and brand. Just remember to add your own spin on it.
Search to find what your audience is talking about and what is going to spark their interest, but also the wider audience. Research trending hashtags on TikTok, X, LinkedIn, Instagram, trending headline news, and also keyword insights from tools such as SE Ranking and Google Trends.
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Celebrate and captivate with awareness days and seasonal focus
Utilising awareness days and national holidays can be beneficial for content purposes, and the good news is that any brand can use these! However, it is vital brands choose awareness days which align with company values, target consumers and fit with the brand identity. It’s important to remember that a relevant awareness day for one brand may be completely off-brand for another.
It goes without saying that a trending awareness day is an ideal marketing tactic to attract wide-spread audiences and create valuable content. From worldwide celebrations to niche industry-specific topics, you can count on awareness days all year round. Keep up to date using an online calendar.
This example shows awareness days being used by our manufacturing clients, Heald and Specialist Glass Products.
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User-generated content (UGC) for the win
Almost 70% of consumers say that social media content being authentic is more important than polished, high-quality content. With this in mind, user-generated content (UGC) is an ideal way to create authentic content. Likewise, UGC allows you to share visually appealing content and encourages customers to share positive experiences with your products or services at the forefront. This builds trust, and brand credibility, showcasing a wide variety of real-life successes.
Here you can see leading Glass manufacturer, Specialist Glass Products, utilising UGC within their social media strategy.
Learn more about the power of UGC social media content.
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All about the visuals
It’s not groundbreaking news that having enticing visuals and a consistent stream of eye-catching content will appeal to most audiences, no matter your industry. The trick here is to stay on brand and maintain consistency across platforms. For example, Instagram is a predominantly visual platform, whereas LinkedIn, Facebook, and X are often seen as more ‘networking’ platforms and may not require an intense stream of visuals, but will still require a high level of consistent branding.
No matter which platform you are using, investing in high-quality visuals, such as infographics, images, and videos to make your content more engaging and shareable will be beneficial. Moreover, visuals can make technical or complex subjects more accessible and exciting. Using Canva is a great way to create a wide variety of branded visual assets.
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Experiment with interactive video content
According to a HubSpot 2023 report, 92% of video marketers reported that video gives them a positive ROI, and 96% of marketers agree that videos have helped increase user understanding of their product or service. From Instagram reels to TikTok, video content is on a constant rise and applies to all industries. So what are you waiting for?
Implementing an all-encompassing social media strategy is essential when experimenting with different types of content. Take TikTok and Instagram reels, for example; although these may not be the primary driver of your marketing strategy, utilising this form of content will help with reach and visibility and can boost your search ranking on Google. Who doesn’t want that?!
Tapping into social media SEO tactics alongside interactive video content platforms, such as TikTok, can be a fantastic way to reach millions of people quickly and increase brand awareness.
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What does your audience want
Any brand’s social media content should benefit the audience in a way that gives them something unique that they don’t already have (maybe without them even knowing!). When you know your audience’s demographics, interests, and motivations, you can offer tailored information, Q&As, CTAs to website resources and tools, or specific services that cater to their desires or solve their problems.
By delivering valuable and unique content that aligns with your audience’s needs, you enhance the chances of attracting and retaining their attention, building trust, and establishing your brand as an authoritative voice.
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Don’t cancel out paid social media
Paid social media works very well with an all-encompassing strategy alongside organic content. Ultimately, whatever business you are, to drive brand visibility, audience engagement, and consumer conversions, paid social media may be something you consider.
Depending on your industry, paid social media can provide a much higher or lower ROI. For example, an eCommerce brand may benefit from paid social media more than a manufacturing company due to the need to promote seasonal sales, discounts, promotions, and special offers.
Paid social media ads also allow a brand to target specific demographics and behaviour much more precisely. This allows clients to understand audience intentions and patterns much more.
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Launch a social media series
Creating a recurring feature on social media platforms gives your audience a reason to keep up-to-date with relevant content. This could range from a lighthearted ‘meet the team’ bi-weekly series to a technical ‘product spotlight’ where employees can talk followers through a specific product each week.
Essentially this enhances authenticity and provides behind-the-scenes content which users love to see. This versatile tactic is something any industry can experiment with to discover what resonates best with their audience. Plus, it doesn’t have to be broadcast across all social media platforms; you can customise it to nurture a specific platform’s growth. For instance, you might opt not to share certain content on LinkedIn and, instead, choose to post it on Instagram and TikTok, as it may not resonate with the typical LinkedIn audience.
Glass manufacturer, Specialist Glass Products implements social media series within their social media strategy.
If you’re interested in levelling up your social media, no matter your industry, we’ve got you covered! Check out our Instagram, X, Facebook , LinkedIn and don’t forget TikTok!
Contact the Wild PR team here, or book a 30-minute introductory call with our Managing Director Katrina Cliffe – you can select a convenient data and time here.