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A Quick Guide to Social Media Marketing Resources

Ultimate Social Media Marketing Resources Guide

Published on 21st of January 2023

Social media marketing is a fun and rewarding investment for any company. You get to create unique content that engages customers and leads to stronger brand awareness.

So, the best way to interact with your target audience is to engage them on all the platforms they already use.

But despite various social networks becoming more prevalent, many companies and individuals still find it challenging to succeed at social marketing.

The resources below will help you build and improve your SMM skills, creating a successful organic or paid campaign.
 

Contents

Top resources to learn social media marketing

The best social marketing blogs

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The best social marketing books and ebooks

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Books

  • The Art of Social Media: Power Tips for Power Users

  • The Ultimate Guide to Facebook Advertising

  • The New Rules of Marketing and PR

  • The B2B Social Media Book: Become a Marketing Superstar by Generating Leads with Blogging, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Email, and More

  • Social Media Marketing for Dummies

  • Jab, Jab, Right Hook: How to Tell Your Story in a Noisy Social World

  • Likeable Social Media

  • Contagious: Why Things Catch On

  • Likable Social Media: How to Delight Your Customers, Create an Irresistible Brand, and Be Generally Amazing on Facebook

  • The Tao of Twitter

eBooks

 

The best social marketing courses and degrees

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Free

Paid

  • Social Media Marketing Online Training Courses (LinkedIn Learning)

  • Digital and Social Media Professional Certificate (Fordham University)

  • Master's in Marketing Online (Southern New Hampshire University)

  • Developing an End-to-End Instagram Marketing Strategy for Your Business

  • Putting Social Media to Work for Your Coaching Business

  • Developing an End-to-End Facebook Marketing Strategy

  • Social Media Influencer Course

  • Social Media Certification

  • Fundamentals of Digital Marketing

  • Social Ads 101

  • Social Media Marketing Masterclass

  • Social Media Training for Beginners

  • Online Social Media Marketing Classes

  • Acadium Digital Marketing Course

  • Social Media 101 Training

  • Fundamentals of Digital Marketing, Social Media, and E-Commerce

  • The Strategy of Content Marketing

 

The best social marketing videos

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The best social marketing podcasts

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The best social marketing slideshows and infographics

 

Top social media marketing stats

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Social Media Statistics

  • In general, people use social media for 144 minutes a day.

  • Based on their number of active users, the top social media platforms are Facebook, YouTube, WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook Messenger, WeChat, and TikTok.

  • There are about 3.6 billion social media users worldwide, with the number projected to increase exponentially soon.

  • The three most important challenges in social marketing for businesses include determining and reaching your target audience, tracking ROIs of campaigns, and reinforcing overall business targets. Nearly all successful content marketers reported that the top two contributors to their success were their content value (83%) and website improvements (60%).

  • Social media ads had an average click-through rate of 1.3% in Q2 2020. The CTR increased by 0.1% from the previous quarters.

  • When selling to other businesses (i.e., B2B), 83% of marketers use social media marketing. It ranks second in success (29%) only to search engine marketing (33%).

  • People are spending more of their time on mobile devices, and the amount of time spent online is skyrocketing. 91% of everyone who accesses social media will do so from a mobile device, and nearly 80% of their total social media time happens on a mobile app.

  • 54% of people surveyed said they would prefer to see more videos from marketing professionals than texts and other media. YouTube and TikTok are excellent places to leverage video marketing.

 

Facebook Statistics

  • Facebook continues to dominate and remains the No. 1 most used social network. The company's Q3 2020 report shows it has over 2.7 billion monthly active users around the world!

  • Facebook’s circulations are rising substantially, with 9 million advertisers in Q2 2020 and 92% of their revenue coming from mobile. Almost all of their income comes from these social media ads.

 

Instagram Statistics

  • Instagram now has over 1 billion monthly active users, with 50% of them using Stories. Women between 18-24 are the central demographic here.

  • Influencer marketing is an essential tool that 90% of US marketers use to take advantage of opportunities on Instagram and reach the right audience. The top two most effective types of content for this purpose are posts (78%) and Stories (73%).

 

LinkedIn Statistics

  • LinkedIn has 720+ million members in 200 countries. 4/5 of those members are constantly driving business decisions at their organization. Most B2B marketers use different platforms for different content distribution, but LinkedIn is the most-used network in organic content distribution (96% of marketers) and paid social marketing (83%) opportunities.

  • Long-form posts have been shown to perform better on LinkedIn than shorter, more concise posts. In fact, posts with around 1900-2000 words performed the best in terms of views and engagement.

 

YouTube Statistics

  • YouTube is the second largest search engine globally. It is also the most popular channel for marketing your content online. In the United States, men and women use the platform at equal levels, with 85% of U.S. teens being active on YouTube in 2019.

  • YouTube accounts for over one-fourth of mobile traffic worldwide. This shows that people are actively looking to stay entertained on the go. YouTube has actually seen a more significant jump in viewership than any TV network, especially for viewers aged 18 to 24. The statistics show that 18-to-34-year-olds use YouTube to view video content on TV more often than basic or premium cable.

 

TikTok Statistics

  • TikTok has been engaging users more heavily than Instagram and Facebook over time. TikTok became the most downloaded app of 2019 (beating the giants above), and it clocked a billion app downloads in 2020. It now has ~750 million active users, and that number continues to rise—growing from 680+ million in January 2021.

  • TikTok has seen an increase in users ages 16-24. 41% of all users fall within this age range. And of the US-based TikTokers, a majority are between the ages of 10 and 19, and 58.8% are female.

Pro-Tip: More stats about social networks

 

Top social marketing media trends

  • The concept of brands taking a less-is-more approach will probably see more and more traction in the coming years.

  • People are becoming more open to the idea of social gaming and Virtual Reality.

  • Authenticity will remain vital in social media marketing.

  • The content's value will beat its production quality, as the former sustains your business longer.

  • Social networks could double as direct shopping channels; they’re already helping brands expand their reach and connect with potential buyers.

  • Consumers will increasingly crave snackable, easily digestible content that is highly engaging and entertaining.

  • The role that video plays in the modern workplace will continue to increase, taking center stage in all areas of business and marketing.

  • More brands will go live on social platforms, which has been a growing trend in the past few years.

  • Conversational marketing is shifting from a traditionally neutral tone towards a value-driven style that encourages interaction.

 

More SMM resources

 

Engage and conquer, or how to succeed at SMM

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  • Determine your target audience, and there are many ways to do this. You can research current social media trends, what types of individuals visit your website, customer demographics, and the likes. Once you've identified who you're targeting, simply use that knowledge to reach and satisfy them.

  • Social media is a powerful tool to analyze the practices and pricing of your competitors while simultaneously building your brand.

  • Goals are necessary; if not set correctly, they can be challenging to pursue. They should be realistic and measurable while also fitting specific timeframes.

  • Focus on a few key social media channels and cross-promote your content by sharing it on those channels. Then, look at how you can scale based on data and research.

  • Your business must know what current social media channels it has. The idea is to maximize your existing resources and influence by using various marketing techniques, including content marketing, influencer marketing, and search engine optimization. This can also help ensure that all channels (FB, Twitter, etc.) are functioning as expected.

  • You need to go where your customers are and give them the service that they desire. This is critical for company growth, but it's sometimes difficult to determine what you need to do. For example, it would be essential to determine if your customers are looking for a full-service salon or just a basic haircut and color.

  • The most remarkable thing to do is to focus on quality content and product, not quantity. It's all about the user experience, so remember that what counts is not how you create but how your audience connects with your creation. (Also, never copy/paste the same text into two social profiles.)

  • Create educational and entertaining content to engage your viewers, and include a powerful call to action. Clever marketers and brand owners automate writing tasks, configure an editorial calendar ahead, and repurpose their content to various channels.

  • To attract repeat, loyal customers on social media, being helpful is a must. In fact, positivity and good intentions will quickly go a long way. Keep in mind that your goal isn't to just get likes or shares - it's about building trust with your audience and providing value. Have genuine conversations with them and do well to listen and act on any valuable insights. This is how you grow your follower base.

  • Make sure your data is meaningful and always available so you can quickly and accurately measure the impact of any social media tactic. Having a well-documented strategy will allow you to adjust these tactics as needed and efficiently track the success of your efforts.

  • Develop a recipe card that will guide you in making the best decision. There are many ways to create a recipe card, but the best way is to develop a straightforward question, put together your findings or data, and note the answer. Designing the perfect card will take some time, but make sure you prioritize asking questions first.

  • You should build a consistent brand across all digital platforms and cater to the different needs of your customer. By doing so, you can better promote your brand and take advantage of the online presence to sell more products and services.

  • Don't get trapped by #followback loops; this primarily applies to individual marketers.

  • Never stop learning.

 

Take it above and beyond!

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Social media marketing can be a convenient way to keep up with the latest trends, gain new insights into your industry, and attract all sorts of buyers.

The lists above are quick overviews of the best resources and practices to bring your SMM game from beginner to expert level.

Keep in mind the needs of your business when you explore social marketing options. You will indeed find budget-friendly options that suit the needs of your brand, industry, and target audience.

Good luck!

 

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Our team specializes in viral Instagram and TikTok marketing. We have a holistic suite of services that will elevate your social media account and help you beat the algorithm. Take a look around our website or read more of our great content.

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