Powerful Gen Z Marketing Tips?

Social media is one of the most effective marketing channels for companies of any size..

In fact, it works so well that more than half of U.S. small businesses are planning to increase their social media marketing budget this year..

Related Article: YOUR Social Media 2.5 Billion User Reach?

Generation Z is at the forefront of social media -- they are extremely active on social networks, with half of Gen Z connected online via their smartphones for approximately 10 hours per day. This generation loves personalized apps, and a poll from SCG notes that 88% of Gen Zers are primarily using Instagram and Snapchat. Because of the new ways in which Gen Z is using social media, they’re changing the outlets associated with these platforms as well, with music at the forefront.

Fabrizio Moreira, founder of recording company VIP Music Records, understands the marketing punch social media can deliver, when executed correctly. The company is expanding rapidly, and recently inked a long-term contract with The Orchard, a division of Sony Music.

However, their primary focus has been Latin America, where they now hold the top spot for music distribution in the youth market. As a global study by Nielsen notes, listening to music is a primary source of Generation Z’s entertainment, with 37% of respondents stating it was top choice. This suggests Moreira is on his way to making his label a household name across the globe.

Related Article: YOUR Social Media Sales Strategy?

The fast growth of Moreira’s recording company and the success of its artists is a result of several factors, with a solid social media marketing strategy leading the way. I recently spoke with Moreira, and asked him for his top social media marketing tips for Gen Zers.

1. Test Multiple Social Platforms

According to Moreira, you aren’t going to know which social networks will provide value unless you test them. He says, “You have to think like your target customer, and determine what networks they are more than likely to be active on. Then you need to become active and put out a serious effort. It’s not something you can just play with for a day or two and expect to have a concrete answer.

It’s important to experiment with as many social networks as possible and think beyond just dollars when evaluating their value. “You might find that Twitter posts aren’t converting into immediate sales, but it’s a great source for driving new followers to your Instagram page, which does convert at a high rate,” Moreira notes.

Related Article: Master Marketer Social Media Stratagies?

2. Measure Everything With Scaling In Mind

Moreira suggests that all social media efforts should be designed and executed with scaling in mind.

“Social media gives you the opportunity to connect with the world, and when you identify a winning strategy, it can easily be scaled as high as your budget will allow. This is why you read so many stories of startups quickly scaling to millions of dollars in revenue in a short period of time. Social media gives you that unlimited reach ability.”

As the youths’ behavior is changing on these platforms, advertisers need to integrate themselves into their lifestyle. Moreira says, “Consumers are becoming very savvy when it comes to social media, and they are becoming immune to ads and promotional posts that lack creativity. You have to offer something of value if you expect to capture even a second of someone’s time on social media.”

Related Article: The Exponential Growth Of Social Media?

3. Recognize Who Your Target Market Is

“Not knowing precisely who your target market is will lead to an epic fail,” according to Moreira. He suggests that you take the time to properly identify your target market and then utilize all of the targeting options available, with a focus on Facebook to start.

“Facebook has the most targeting options, allowing you to laser-focus your efforts. I see a lot of campaigns make the mistake of focusing on the reach rather than the target. Placing your offer in front of 1,000 highly targeted prospects is going to perform much better than showing it to 500,000 untargeted prospects.” Moreira notes that the smaller targeted audience will not only convert higher, but the overall ad spend will be lower since you are targeting a much smaller pool.

Though Facebook can be a great first test run for targeting, be wary of using it as your primary channel. According to the survey from SCG above, Generation Z’s usage is down, with only 66% using it daily.

Related Article: YOUR Social Media Listening Power?

4. Realize That You Have To Spend Money To Make Money

This is the point that Moreira really focused on. “Far too many brands think that they can post organically and that the business should roll in. Social media has become a pay-to-play platform and anyone complaining about that needs to re-evaluate the situation. These social networks are no different than the companies using them -- everyone is in it to turn a profit.”

Moreira suggests starting with a small budget and then increasing it once you find ad copy and ad formats that perform well. “You also need to realize that it’s going to require a testing budget before you should realistically expect results. You can’t load up $20 and then become discouraged when you don’t find immediate success.”

Guest Authored By Deep Patel. Deep is the Founder of Owl Metrics, a serial entrepreneur, marketer and bestselling author of A Paperboy’s Fable: The 11 Principles of Success. The book was dubbed the #1 best business book in 2016 by Success Magazine and named the best book for entrepreneurs in 2016 by Entrepreneur Magazine. Also recognized as a top 25 marketing influencer by Forbes, He has worked with VC-backed startups to Fortune 500 companies. He's am also a contributor at Forbes, Entrepreneur, The Huffington Post and Success Magazine. Follow Deep on Twitter.

Related Article: Social Media Marketing Best Practices?

When marketing to Gen Z on social media, it can be tough to find the quantitative levels of success you’re after.

However, by sticking with a plan that is telling a genuine, relatable story, you can reach not just fans, but followers for years to come.

And if anyone knows how to do this, it’s the man who will probably have a bust of himself in Cleveland someday soon..

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  Authored by:

  Fred Hansen Pied Piper of Social Media Marketing at YourWorldBrand.com & CEO of Millennium 7 Publishing Co. in Loveland, Colorado. I work deep in the trenches of social media strategy, community management and trends.  My interests include; online business educator, social media marketing, new marketing technology, skiing, hunting, fishing and The Rolling Stones..-Not necessarily in that order ;)

Making YOUR Social Media Life Less Stressful?

There was a time in the not-so-distant past when "social media" was adding glitter GIFs to your MySpace profile or making your AIM away message the perfect passage of song lyrics..

Now, it’s full-blown universe, the ecosystem for all news, comedy, hot takes, memes, and, not to mention, an abundance of anxiety.

Related Article: Keeping YOUR Social Media Marketing Current?

In their "Stress in America" report, the American Psychological Association found that those who constantly check their texts, email, and social media -- about 86% of Americans -- are more stressed than those who aren't as tech-dependent. This kind of unease stems from our neurological wiring; without visual, emotional and social cues, we’re more likely to misconstrue certain emails, Facebook posts, or tweets and alert the fight or flight part of our brain in the process.

"Our brains are not built at all for dealing well with text-based communication, which is hilarious because that is what our lives are now," says Deanna Zandt, a media technologist and the author of Share This! How You Will Change the World With Social Networking. "Without [body language and tone], incoming communications go straight to our amygdala, which is our fight or flight center. When you see something that upsets you on the internet, it’s going to give you the feeling that a cheetah is chasing you across the plains. It actually feels like you are personally under attack."

But because of the other neurological side-effect -- the dopamine boost that comes with an online interaction -- it makes it hard to just up and quit the internet. So instead of throwing up your hands and weathering the kill-or-be-killed conditions of your feeds or going on the offensive, take some concrete steps to de-stress your socials.

Related Article: Marketing Trends That WILL Shape YOUR 2018?

Start With Your Device

Think about where you’re accessing social media, then make it harder for yourself to get there. Zandt suggests turning off notifications on social apps, or one step further, deleting them altogether.

"Make it difficult for yourself to log in and check in," she says. "Give yourself some stumbling blocks rather than have this default setting be available to you."

Customize Your Feeds

On Twitter, create lists comprised of "essential" accounts, like family and friends, and make that your go-to feed. That way, you’re not stuck in a waterfall of tweets and treading water to keep up. Taking advantage of Twitter’s mute option prevents you from seeing certain words, phrases, hashtags, and accounts. If you’re looking to take more extensive measures, there’s Block Together, an app that allows you to subscribe to another Twitter user’s list of blocked accounts. You can also share your block list for other users to follow.

For Facebook, where feed customization is algorithm-based (and whose said algorithm is soon changing), there’s the News Feed Eradicator plugin that transforms your newsfeed into an inspiring quote.

Related Article: How Facebook's Changes Impact YOUR Social Media Marketing?

Stay Off Socials During A Breaking News Situation

While you think social media taps you into the most up-to-date info, you’re only stressing yourself out by closely following the breaking-news deluge. Researchers from the University of California, Irvine found that during a crisis (in this case, an active shooter lockdown on a university campus) people who received unofficial or conflicting information from social media reported higher levels of stress.

"When official information is not readily available, people are going to look at information wherever they can," says Nickolas Jones, a doctoral student at UC Irvine and the senior author of the study. "And there are consequences to being exposed to that information, especially if it’s false."

Jones also recommends taking social media messages with a grain of salt. Unless it’s coming from an official source, it’s OK to feel skeptical, and that being too trusting can compound your stress levels. "We found that people who use five or more social media platforms and who trusted the information that they saw, those were the people who reported the most distress about this event in the aftermath of it," Jones says.

Related Article: Future-Proof YOUR Social Media Marketing Career?

Curb Your Curiosity

Humans are naturally curious, and social media feeds the habit. But having a wealth of easily searchable material available on platforms -- some of which can be disturbing, like live amateur coverage of mass shootings or terror attacks -- makes our access to upsetting details a little too simple. Jones studies the psychological consequences that come from seeing some of these images and video, and the results aren’t peachy.

"Study after study that we do shows that there’s a negative association with seeing graphic content and experiencing distress symptoms," he says. "I think it’s really important for people in those situations to really ask themselves if they want to see something they can’t unsee."

Or pages that post videos of baby animals or cooking videos. Whatever gets you laughing or feeds your Zen. Tiny Care Bot dispatches multiple reminders to help you chill while the uber-popular We Rate Dogs combines absurdist humor and pups. Smash that follow button and flood your feeds with joy instead of doom.

Related Article: YOUR Audience Response Social Media?

Set A Time Limit

Jones sets parameters for how long he spends on social media: about an hour a day. If you find yourself frequently upset at rapid-fire opinions and political volleying, determine the max amount of time you’d need to catch up on the happenings without feeling stressed. To curb any concerns about missing too much, Zandt suggests all-encompassing news podcasts like NPR’s Up First and The New York Times’ The Daily.

Realize That if the World is Going to End, Someone Will Tell You

Sure, people will be tweeting through the end of the world, but what will that accomplish? You’ll likely find out about it the old-fashioned way.

"Someone’s going to call you," Zandt says. "Someone close to you is going to text you and say ‘Did you hear the world is ending?’"

Guest Authored By Allie Volpe. Allie is a writer based in Philadelphia. She has contributed to Rolling Stone, The Washington Post, Glamour, and more. Follow Allie on Twitter.

Related Article: How YOU Expose Yourself To Social Media Threats?

"The power of advertising for your business cannot be underestimated. But remember, you don’t need to break the bank to get there.

Stick to these simple tips to be resourceful with your message and spread the word about your unique value.." -Anuja Khemka

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  Authored by:

  Fred Hansen Pied Piper of Social Media Marketing at YourWorldBr@nd.com & CEO of Millennium 7 Publishing Co. in Loveland, CO  where I work deep in the trenches of social media strategy, community management and trends.  My interests include; online business educator, social media marketing, new marketing technology, skiing, hunting, fishing and The Rolling Stones..-Not necessarily in that order ;)

Social Media Resolutions For YOUR Success In 2018?

Yes, this is another column about New Year's resolutions. But this is the one you should read all the way through, because unlike those others, these suggestions are easy to do and the resulting habits are easy to keep..

And who doesn't like to cross something off their list right away? So without further ado, here are five simple social media resolutions for 2018.

Related Article: Future-Proof YOUR Social Media Marketing Career?

Stop Broadcasting And Start Engaging

Broadcasters post nothing but links to their content, yet somehow expect the entire internet to share them with a smile. In social media, there are no successful broadcasters. When you start to engage with your audience and really take the time to know them and what they like to share, your stock really starts to rise. (See what I did there?)

Try Something New

Maybe your something new is something small, like engaging more. Or maybe it's something that requires time and effort, such as trying out a new platform. Do you need to be on Instagram? Of course. Is being on Instagram fun? You bet it is. Do you have time for a little bit of fun? Yeah, I think you do. And if you don't, that can be a resolution within a resolution.

Related Article: Social Media Trends For YOUR Business In 2018?

Terrible Passwords Are So 2017

And 2016. And 2015. Hacking and phishing scams are already a problem, so please don't exasperate the problem with easy-to-guess passwords. One of the most popular bad passwords of 2017 was 12345, a password equally unsuitable for Twitter and your luggage. Lucky for you, most up-to-date browsers will suggest a secure password and even save them for you. Take advantage of these features and don't leave yourself vulnerable. The 10 seconds you spend doing that could save you a lifetime of heartache if someone gets into your accounts.

Update Your Settings Four Times This Year

That's every three months, 10 minutes each time for a total of 40 minutes. Make it easy by setting an Outlook reminder on their first day of each season. During this time, change your passwords if they resemble anything mentioned in the previous paragraph. Make sure you aren't granting access to a service you no longer use. Make sure you are sharing with the right audiences on LinkedIn, which will likely differ from the right audiences on Facebook or Twitter.

Related Article: Blockchain - The Next Social Media Revolution?

Follow Back Like A Pro

This goes back to engaging and broadcasting. Never follow someone back just because they follow you. What seems like a nice gesture makes your social media weak because you know nothing about this person. And when you do it a few thousand times, you end up with a feed that has nothing to do with you and your interests.

Easy, right? And it only takes a few minutes of your time. Turn these social media resolutions into good social media habits now and you'll be all set for 2019 and beyond.

The treadmill? Well, that's a different story.

Guest Authored By Scott Kleinberg. Scott's director of social media and digital engagement @NYCMayorsOffice. Former @ChicagoTribune social media manager. Journalist. Apple Pro. Photographer and 80's fanatic. Follow Scott on Twitter.

Related Article: Social Media Secrets To Going Viral?

"Easy, right?

And it only takes a few minutes of your time.

Turn these social media resolutions into good social media habits now and you'll be all set for 2019 and beyond." -Scott Kleinberg

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  Authored by:

  Fred Hansen Pied Piper of Social Media Marketing at YourWorldBr@nd.com & CEO of Millennium 7 Publishing Co. in Loveland, CO  where I work deep in the trenches of social media strategy, community management and trends.  My interests include; online business educator, social media marketing, new marketing technology, skiing, hunting, fishing and The Rolling Stones..-Not necessarily in that order ;)

Social Media Grieving Guidelines?

Last month, I lost a dear friend: suddenly and unexpectedly..

You can never be fully prepared for death, but when it's sudden and unexpected, you become dazed and disoriented while your brain tries to process the information.

Related Article: Best Practices For Live Social Media?

That Friday Morning Was A Mess

Too stunned to even attempt a normal working day, I went about informing our circle of friends.

It's what you do when someone dies.

One knee-jerk reaction was to post something on social media -- Facebook in particular -- but I resisted. 

A month before, I had read a powerful article by Taya Dunn Johnson titled: Please read this before you post another RIP on social media -- there is a hierarchy of grief.

In the article, Dunn Johnson describes the horror of losing her 36-year-old husband suddenly and unexpectedly and how, as she was trying to deal with the immediate admin that comes with death, people were calling her after seeing RIP posts on Facebook, even though she had not logged into the platform. 

She describes her panic as she had yet to inform her husband's best friend or their relatives. 

She did not want them to hear the news via social media, but word had spread.

Related Article: The Art Of Social Media Listening?

Digitized

We're living in a digital era and even death, and the grieving process, has become digitized.

Dunn Johnson describes social media as a new layer to the grieving process. Before social media, the bereaved would be visited by a close circle of family and friends, to dispense hugs and food and to swap tears and condolences. 

This still happens, but social media, while well meaning, speeds up and amplifies the process, and can add stress to the immediate family who are reeling with shock.

She acknowledges that people should be allowed to "express their love, care, concern, support and prayers for the soul of their recently deceased and family", and a platform like Facebook is perfect to express these feelings. However, she pleads:

"We are shocked. We are heartbroken. Give the immediate family a little time to handle the immediate and time-sensitive business related to death."

She observes that we don't have established rules for digitized grieving, but adds: "This isn't breaking news and you're not trying to scoop TMZ.

Related Article: Digital & Social Media News Trends?

"Listen, I know you're hurt. 

"Guess what? Me too. 

"I know you're shocked. Guess what? Me too. 

"Your social media is an extension of who you are. I get it. You "need" to express your pain, acknowledge your relationship with the deceased and pray for the family."

And for me, therein lies the problem, and dichotomy, of grieving via social media.

We want to share. 

We want to amplify. But we sidestep the uncomfortable truth that there lies a nub of narcissism at the root of it all.

I don't deny that our feelings of hurt and devastation are not sincere, but a group hug in cyberspace almost becomes an obligation of sorts.

If you don't post, will it be seen as uncaring? Is there insensitivity in not expressing your grief in cyberspace? And do you post simply to draw comfort from your social-media circle?

Related Article: Getting Personal On Social Media?

Support

Rachel Moss also weighed up the pros and cons of digitized grieving in her blog titled: Why I Changed My Mind About "Attention-Seeking" RIP Facebook Statuses.

She sees social media as a means of support in the aftermath of death. 

"Writing RIP on Facebook is attention seeking, but in the most literal sense," she says. "It's a way of saying "someone I knew and cared about died and I'm not coping very well, so please can you help me?"

She adds that talking about death makes bereavement easier, including by posting statuses on Facebook about loved ones who have died.

I agree with both writers, but feel that we miss the point of differentiation, and that is the impulse to share instantaneously -- in essence a warped sense of instant gratification. 

Posting a tribute or memory of the departed does help process the grief, for all concerned, but wait until the shock waves have subsided.

Related Article: Being Smart On Social Media Refresher?

Dunn Johnson concludes her article with some sobering suggestions.

"I caution you to wait and then wait a little longer before posting anything. 

"The person is no less dead and your sympathy no less heartfelt. The first couple of hours are shocking. 

"Most bereaved people will only be able to truly appreciate your love, concern, prayers and gestures after the first 24 hours."These are her guidelines:

"If the person is married, let the spouse post first. If the person is young and single, let the partner, parents or siblings post first. If the person is old and single, let the children post first.

"If you can't identify the family/inner circle of the person, you probably shouldn't be posting at all."

Guest Authored By Dion Chang. Dion is an Observer, Trend Analyst and the Founder of Flux Trends. Follow Dion on Twitter.

Related Article: YOUR Social Media Reputation Mistakes?

“Sage advice, and quite possibly the first guidelines for digitized grieving. 

We should heed them.."

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  Authored by:

  Fred Hansen Pied Piper of Social Media Marketing at YourWorldBrand.com & CEO of Millennium 7 Publishing Co. in Loveland, Colorado. I work deep in the trenches of social media strategy, community management and trends.  My interests include; online business educator, social media marketing, new marketing technology, skiing, hunting, fishing and The Rolling Stones..-Not necessarily in that order ;)