Do you find that as the recovery of travel ramps up, that some social marketing tactics seem old and out of touch with the times?
Over the last year, so much has changed in the ways that people consume marketing that savvy travel pros are turning to new ways to stand out in the noisy social marketing space.
Let’s explore 3 creative ways to get noticed, so that fans and clients are excited in this new era. We’ll dive into the 3-A’s to amplify your brand: Ads, Audiences, and Audio.
“Facebook, which has said it wants to make audio a “first-class medium” on its platforms, joins Twitter Inc (TWTR.N) and messaging platform Discord which have already launched their own live audio offerings. Spotify debuted its own version, “Greenroom,” last Wednesday. Slack, Microsoft Corp-owned (MSFT.O) LinkedIn and Reddit are also working on similar products.” Source
Social Ads
Ad styles continually change to meet audience expectations. These days video ads are still at the top of the popularity puzzle, but the tone and style are evolving.
While live stream video and on-camera produced video ads give the best bang for your buck, animated ads allow you to be in the directors’ chair and still gain traction.
Easy to create, professional looking ads (without an on-camera personality) used to be in the wheelhouse of ad agencies. However, with the right tools, they can be created in a flash (with a short learning curve). Popular video ad styles include:
- Animated ads
- Text-heavy animated ads
- Voice-overs
The first thing to do is to establish your ad goal, and then gather the images that support that mission. Tune in for examples of ad goals and video tools to use from the directors’ chair.
Another option is to explore the Video Ad features baked into Facebook’s Ads Manager. With some planning, it’s super-easy to create scroll-stopping video from still images. Start by creating a new ad campaign and ad set. Within the Ad Set, is the actual video ad creation tool. You can choose the format: single video, carousel, or collection. By selecting ‘single video’, you have the option to ‘Create Video’.
Once you select the option to ‘Create Video’ you’ll have a number of template choices. The fun begins as you upload your images, add text, stickers and transitions.
This video opportunity gives you the value of video, without jumping in front of the camera. Don’t waste money by choosing the wrong goals or images.
Similar video options can be created using Canva, as well as the other tools mentioned in the above video, and then animating the graphics.
Voice over videos are valuable when showcasing activities or destinations. Simply use a tool, like Canva, to create a video slideshow and then add the audio to create a multi-media experience that will earn more social views than still images. Check out Talkia to add the voice-over or use your own voice.
Audiences
Accelerating your engagement in these competitive times is more important than ever. If you’ve put out a great piece of content and seen it fall flat, you know how disappointing not having the right audience can be.
When content doesn’t perform as well as expected, it’s time to audit your social ad audiences. A simple method is to update your ad audiences, so that you reach fans with more recent activity on your page. Create and update custom ad audiences based on:
- Facebook and/or Instagram page interactions
- Video Views
- Pixel activity
- Your Super Fans
You may also want to study your audience overlap to make sure that a particular audience isn’t seeing your ads so often that it brings on ad fatigue. If your ad audiences contain over 10,000 users, access the Audience Overlap tool within your Facebook Business Manager account. Tap on the Audiences tab and choose up to 4 ad audiences to compare. You’ll learn the percent of overlap of the selected audiences. Armed with this knowledge you can remove common interests or exclude specific audiences from your ad creation. This will cut down on ad fatigue and same some money.
Audio
What’s old is new again!
Podcasts are all the rage! During and after the pandemic, podcasts have been earning more fans as people look to learn and consume information in a variety of ways. While people are looking to cut down on screen time, it’s been found that the portability of listening on the go is another asset of tuning in to a podcast. Grab your Podcasting 101 guide here. Check out these top spots to host your podcast:
- Spotify
- Apple Podcast
- iHeartRadio
- Podcast websites
- Patreon
Taking podcasts up a notch, live audio is taking center stage, with Clubhouse leading the way. Facebook is following suit with their Live Audio Rooms.
Clubhouse, the invite-only app that skyrocketed in popularity during the pandemic, lets you listen in on other people’s conversations. Conversations of thought leaders, public figures and people who want to be heard. No pictures, no video, no slides… just conversation.
Facebook is now leaping into this medium by attracting content creators and partnering with public figures. At this time, public figures and specific Facebook Groups in the United States using iOS will be able to develop their own live audio room, with up to 50 speakers and unlimited listeners.
The competition is on for live audio podcast platforms.
Standing out in a noisy, chaotic social feed is both an art and a science. Nail both by using the tools available and creating great content that appeals to your unique fan base.
Catherine Heeg, International speaker & trainer, focuses on social media marketing strategies for the tourism and hospitality industry. Connect with her at www.cmsspeaking.com and socially.
