Marketing Tips With Elaine Archives – Kakic Universe News & Updates

Should you buy followers for social media marketing in Zimbabwe?

Elaine Manyika — Wed, 15 Sep 2021 11:15:58 +0000

For a fee, certain websites allow you to purchase fake followers. Fake social media followers are accounts that have been created using fictitious email addresses and sold to real Instagrammers/businesses as a way to exaggerate a social media influencer’s or celebrity’s popularity and social reach.

I see having numbers on social media as a ticket to a vanity fair or something.
In as much as that can still be true to a certain extent, social media numbers are very essential to establishing your online presence as a business. Before you get any crazy ideas about buying followers to enhance your social presence, let’s discuss what it means to have a lot of followers anyway.

Why people want a lot of followers

It means that you have a better opportunity to interact and influence a larger crowd and widen your range of potential clientele.

An increase in the number of followers means a higher possible chance of engagement and if it continues to stay high then it can be a reflection of the impact your business is having on the online society.

As you grow your small business social media markets, it’s always exciting to watch the numbers go up. It’s like watching your baby move from one stage to the next. Anyway let’s get back to buying followers…
Just in case you thought you were making a lot of progress by buying followers, you aren’t!
Those aren’t people!! Well real people anyway. There really is no point in advertising to algorithms (bots) that really couldn’t care less whether you have a discount on the latest product you’re selling. When you post something on social media, your followers see it first, but if your followers are not real people, then is there a point? It becomes a waste of marketing resources for your address to be “seen” by 328 658 algorithms and only 6 real people

Should businesses buy followers?

Buying fake followers is a huge disadvantage to you and your business because it gives false hope and false publicity. This means that people who look at your page would assume you have a large following and think you are doing well as a business when an actual fact you are not. Although an account’s following is important, it is not the most important social media metric to measure growth of a business. Because we are dealing with human beings social media tabs into human psychology. You know that feeling that you get when you watch your followers gradually increase, yes the one that brings happiness and joy as well as butterflies to your stomach, that one!

This feeling is generally very good for company morale and encouragement it helps to motivate and push the people in the company to work harder and more specifically so that they gain more followers and have more impact. But one aspect that we have to consider is that the apps we use also benefit from this. MORE SCREEN TIME…
The more we open these apps to monitor our progress the more screen time these apps have which means that the more time we spend on the app the more money they as an organization will receive. So if your social media platforms have fake followers, the social media companies themselves will ban you when they find out! They need real people to be on their platforms, so using fake followers is manipulating the system.

The trick really isn’t HOW MANY or WHO ?? Rather HOW MANY WHOs…
Let me explain….
How many – being the number of followers
Who- being the target market or actively engaged members i.e engagement rate.

To sum it up, followers are those that like what they see and may not necessarily be drawn to your company or what you are selling.
From followers, we then have Engagers, these are followers who are actively affected by what they see and what you are doing as a business and will do something about it.
It is ideal to choose a higher engagement rate than a following increase because the more engagers you advertise to the more your business grows because these are people who will purchase or support your business.

A like shows interest in that particular post, this may not be someone who is actually following you but someone who likes what they see currently.

Shares are for those who have someone in mind when it comes to your content. They may not necessarily have been moved or compelled to buy or support your business but they know someone who might.

Follows shows that I like what I see and would love to see more… I may or may not buy but I support what I can currently see.

All these matter to a business because we can use this to analyse what kind of content on our page has the most likes so that we deduce what kind of content to produce to actively engage the followers.

Your goal should be to have a high following and a high engagement rate.
Think of it this way, would you rather have 23 0000 followers and have only 3 people who buy, like or share?? Or would u have 100 followers and have 83 of them buy, share and like.

All the numbers matter and they work together to bring your social media presence to 100%.

Do you need help with social media marketing?

This is where we come in… We can help you with content creation from our elite team of designers and social media managers who will directly impact your page and increase your following while gaining engagement as well…

Knowing how to target your market and change your posts or improve them in a way that relates more to the people you are advertising to is a big advantage.
Click the link below to get in touch with the best team on the block when it comes to social media marketing. Our Webscope packages will reveal themselves to you and yes if you were waiting for a sign this is it!!

Click on the image below to see our packages on social media marketing:

Flyers or Videos? What to use for social media marketing in Zimbabwe…

Elaine Manyika — Wed, 08 Sep 2021 14:01:36 +0000

On an Instagram live broadcast, Adam Mosseri (head of Instagram) stated that, “video is driving an immense amount of growth online for all major platforms…”

When sharing content on most social media platforms it basically comes down to the following, it’s either going to be a flyer, image or a video. The question then becomes which should you use, why and where?

Let’s explore this shall we?

Attention retention

When approaching the topic of social media content, it helps to consider the angle of the host companies themselves. Social media is free to use but how does Facebook and the rest of the gang make their money?

Always understand that the platforms are designed to fit agendas that profit them in the end. Most platforms charge businesses to show ads on their platforms. So a valuable aspect to most social media platforms is the total amount of time users spend on them.

The more time we spend on social media, the higher the chances of us running into business ads which is what the social media platforms want.

So if you look at it from that angle, it’s easy to see why video content performs best with most algorithms based on the fact that it captures viewer’s attention for longer. With images/flyers, you can read or interact with it in a few seconds and move on but videos demand for you to stop what you are doing and pay attention.

So doesn’t that mean videos win by default?

No not necessarily, even though the social media platforms are looking more and more to video content, images and flyers are still effective.

Let’s start by looking at the advantages and disadvantages of each type of content.

Flyers versus videos

The first thing that is important to understand is that regardless of which one you choose to use, a key aspect for both is “ATTENTION GRABBING”.

You need to understand that people are always scrolling through social media from one post to another. So you need to catch their attention before they move on to the next post. So whether it is a video or an image, you need to catch their attention first.

Once you have their attention, how much information you can give them then depends on what you are using, a flyer or a video:

Using flyers

A well designed flyer can do wonders for your business! Our screens have a fixed size meaning flyers have limited space to communicate their message, and that space has to be shared between text, images and design.

When approaching flyers, it is important to be very clear about what the objective is and what the most important aspect of the flyer is. The important parts should get the most space and are easy to see.

Advantages of flyers

-If done well, they can be straight to the point, delivering the message to clients in a very short space of time.

-Flyers can be compressed to a small file size making them easier to share without affecting the quality much, people are usually not reluctant to download a small image and they won’t be concerned with saving their data, also, people in areas with poor network stand a better chance of downloading the flyers than a large video.

-Take up less storage space so people can keep them in their galleries and inboxes for a longer time, keeping the information with them as well.

-Can be printed and distributed as hard copies.

Disadvantages

– Design has to be decent so that people are not turned off (People do not want to associate with ugly things), so if you do not have good looking flyers, you might lose business to competitors who have better looking flyers.

-Limited space means there’s only so much information you can put on a flyer. If a person has more questions, they may not be enough room to answer that.

-Open to the interpretation of people. You can design your flyer and share it, but your concept needs to be very clear, otherwise people will get the wrong message or focus on the wrong things all together.

-Your title/design has to really catch the person’s attention otherwise they will quickly scroll through to the next post

Need help with flyer design?

Not everyone is a designer! Or maybe you simply don’t have the time to design and run your business, we can help! Check out our Webscope Content express package that delivers 8 flyers (2 per week) for $50 per month. (Click the image below fore more info)

Using Videos

The trick to video content, is to convince viewers within the first few seconds that the video is worth watching. This is why most videos start by asking you a question or by displaying the title. This is to make sure if you are interested in that topic you watch it till the end.

Advantages

-You can share information on a lot of things in 1 video, properly exhausting and sharing important information with your clients.

-(Where applicable) you can actually show your products in action, helping convince people of the authenticity of your product.

-Clear explanations can eradicate any questions that clients might have of the product.

-Social media platforms are favouring more video content, so the algorithms are likely to push your video more than flyers.

-You can also take your videos to other video platforms other than social media, e.g Television or electronic billboards.

Disadvantages

-Videos are usually larger in size than flyers, so people with poor network can struggle to download or see your video properly. Large video files can also discourage people from downloading as they might want to save their bundles.

-You need catch viewer’s attention within the first few seconds otherwise they will just scroll over to the next thing if you take too long to introduce your topic.

-If your video is not engaging enough, people might quit watching it before they actually here the message you want to share

-Your audio and visuals need to work together in harmony, that means both the audio and video need to be giving the same message. If you fail to do so, it may put off the viewer.

-Quality is important, the audio and video have to be on the same quality level. Avoid situations where audio is poor but video is good, or good audio and poor video, this can force viewers to move on to the next post out of frustration.

-Video editing is a skill, audio mixing is a skill, good voice over work is a skill, and you may not have people skilled in these departments in your company.

Need help with video production?

Our creative arsenal has many video solutions for you to chose from. Below are examples of some of the work we’ve done for our clients check out the different types of videos we offer:

Corporate Profile videos

3D animation videos

2D animation videos

The platform counts as well!

Another factor to consider when choosing when to use flyers or videos is which platform is your business most dominant on? The platforms themselves handle pictures and videos differently. Generally photos and flyers still do very well on most social media platforms, but there is a shift towards video content,

Let’s take a look at the dynamics between videos and the social media platforms:

Tik tok

Tiktok is a video app that allows users to post all kinds of videos from dance videos to product sales, to DIY videos or short music videos all restricted to a time limit of 30 seconds max. This time limit has been increased to 3minutes which tiktok bloggers, storytellers, dancers and other influencial people advertised and were so excited about. This app has done well for you world wide web community. Because of the typical nature of videos in themselves these videos generate more interactions and shares which means they get to stick around on the online environment for much longer.

Because of the massive success of tik tok’s formula, other platforms started copying the method and implementing it in their own systems. Instagram then launched Instagram reels, Youtube introduced Youtube shorts.

The formula is simple, viewers watch a video, and as soon as its done another video is played. Shorter videos allowing for people to view a lot of content within a short space of time.

Instagram

Images and flyers do very well on instagram,To date Instagram is still promoting reels which are being used by many as a “growth hack” to bring more followers. The “infinity scroll” feature that Reels uses allows users to discover new content and content creators.

Even other social media networks such as Pinterest which is mostly know for it’s pictorial content has a video feature which might be new to most, “video pins”.
They are displayed in a scrollable banner at the top of the Pinterest Mobile App, right there! It’s the first thing you might see when you log in on your screen , calling out your name…

Facebook

Facebook also incorporated Facebook lives and normal feed videos that can be categorised with links and the type of content such as any other social media platforms.

In conclusion

Right now the shift on most social media platform is to focus on video content, however making a video will not be enough. The video needs to have good quality, your caption and title will still count as well. There are a lot of factors that count when we talk about social media marketing. If you want more of these helpful tools join us every wednesday for a free marketing tip.

If you need help with content creation for social media then visit our business page and see the different services we offer:

https://www.kakicuniverse.co.zw/business

Appendix:

Link to article that states Adam Mossero’s claim about video growth:

( click here to read the article)

Social Media Marketing In Zimbabwe, are you doing it right?

Elaine Manyika — Wed, 01 Sep 2021 10:16:32 +0000

Social media has gone from being an option to a necessity. The recurring lockdowns and other Covid-19 pandemic related issues, have resulted in our economies suffering a lot, leading to a lot of businesses shifting to digital solutions to stay relevant and because we all need to make money right? Right!

So learning what social media marketing can do for you and your business is also very important. There are many social media platforms that are at your disposal but knowing which one to use can save you precious time and money. It is also important that you know what to post on each of those platforms.

This is what we will be focusing on in this article, Well let’s get into it shall we …..

Facebook

Facebook is the largest social media platform in the world, with over 2.74 Billion Active Users. Furthermore, according to the statistics by Datareportal, for January 2021, 12.7% of Zimbabwe’s social media users are active on Facebook (Equating to 1.20 Million Users).

Zimbabwe social media usage

Click on the image above to see the full report

So it makes sense to advertise on the platform that has the most people right?

Facebook offers robust analytics where you can track the actions and behaviors of clients after viewing your ads across multiple devices. This information is useful as it can help you make informed decisions on what to focus/work on.

You have complete visibility and control of the adverts and your budget. Clear book keeping is also one of the many advantages of Facebook advertising because you can get to know how much you are spending and the results from what you would have posted so far.
Like everything else Facebook also has a bad side or rather some disadvantages. One of them is that some sectors are not allowed to advertise on Facebook for the safety of the users. Too much text is not approved to post as adverts. As it is the largest platform, A lot of people use Facebook to advertise and thus there is a lot of competition for users’ attention. So you need to invest in serious marketing and branding to make sure your work stands out from the sea of adverts.

What to post on Facebook?

While you can sign up on facebook and use it for free, you have to remember that Facebook is a company and the platform is managed in such a way that has to benefit them. Facebook as a company makes its money through paid adverts and other means. As a result, the facebook system is regularly updated to ensure everything on the platform benefits their company, so the trick is to tailor your content and package it in either of the following formats:

Short and frequent videos to keep your followers engaged ( The more you post, the higher your page's visibility becomes).
Videos Longer than 3 Minutes are currently being favoured by facebook's algorithm.
Pictures of your goods or services
Flyers to both show images and important text
Facebook supports links, so you can post links to your website etc
Create a facebook page to be the official communication channel between you and your clients (Keep your personal account and business accounts separate)
You can join the numerous groups about your industry/area of expertise and share your posts in there with more people.

Do note, it’s not just about posting! The content needs to be presentable!

Whatsapp Messenger

WhatsApp is one of the most common means of communication especially here in Zimbabwe. The convenience of speaking to a business instantly by just taking out your phone from your pocket and then sending them a message to order or purchase goods is amazing!
WhatsApp has even made new features for business specifically, WhatsApp Business!

WhatsApp business is a separate application from the normal WhatsApp messenger.
It has features tailor made to make businesses communicate easier and efficiently. It allows catalogue viewing and instant automatic responses. All these features make WhatsApp Business one of the most suitable apps for social media advertising. Statuses and formation of groups also are great features and very useful as well for online marketing, as you can directly send messages, updates and special offers to your customers all at once! Instead of forwarding the same message to all your clients, you can simply add them to a group and post the message there and they will all see it!)

It is also cost effective allowing you to send and receive messages on time. Depending on what we all know as Network Bundles that is…

Mistakes people make on whatsapp

These are some of the things to avoid when using whatsapp to communicate with your clients:

Broadcasting messages to everyone in your contact list on a very frequent basis without their consent (Ask people if they would like to be on your broadcast list, don't just spam)- Use your whatsapp status instead
Information Dumping- When a client wants to know more about a service or product, try your best to have it as a conversation rather than dumping links, long messages, pictures and videos all at once. Whatsapp is an instant messaging platform, so its almost the same as having a real time, real life conversation with people. surely you can't just be the one talking endlessly! You need to allow time for questions and the clients feedback.
Not saving clients numbers- It would help you a great deal if you saved clients numbers and also in such a way that if they called you,you would immediately know who you are talking to and what they are interested in .
Not being available during business hours or responding late to clients

Instagram

Instagram is also a great platform for advertising. It has advanced targeting where adverts can be seen and linked to other platforms as well.

Instagram has over a billion monthly users. Accompanied by lots of amazing features such as Highlights which may be left on for more than 24 hours just to draw attention to a specific item on your page, Stories which disappear after 24 hours and Reels which are short videos that can be categorised according to their content and thereby allowing ease of finding content for users.

On Instagram it is very easy to track your campaign’s success and boost brand awareness. The great thing about this is that it is very cost efficient and fits into any budget well and with this you stay ahead of the curve.
Though it has all these great aspects , Instagram is not as click friendly as other social media platforms though it has improved of late. Instagram only allows you to post links in your bio, thus you can only have 1 link in your bio at any given time.

What to post on Instagram

You can make the instagram experience very personal with your clients.

On Stories, you can use the questions feature on the stories as a tool to enlighten clients on a product or service.
On Stories, you can post polls to get direct feedback from clients
Make sure you are posting content with the proper aspect ratio! (Know when to use potrait, square and horizontal posts)
Use stories to catch the attention of users or direct their attention to a post they might have missed.
Post behind the scenes material so people see what its like to produce your work (Don't share trade secrets tho!)
Use hashtags to reach more people who like or have interest in your area of expertise

Twitter

Moving on to Twitter which is good because it has a narrow segmentation of who your ad is shown to. There are several options for the type of ads you want to run. Target marketing allows you to choose who your ads are shown to and where they show up. Some disadvantages of Twitter are that the analysis or progress from your campaigns is not as in depth as other platforms. Since it is a constant stream of information, your ad may be missed by potential clients.

What to post on twitter

Twitter has a character limit per post, meaning you can only use so many letters/words in a single post. Here are some ways you can use twitter for advertising.

Use the limited characters as a caption then post a flyer or video with more information on the matter
Use the limited characters as a caption then post a flyer or video with more information on the matter then post a link to either your facebook page or your website where they can find more information.
Use threads to continue your post beyond the character limit by using a chain of sub-posts within a post
Use polls to get direct feedback from clients
Use hashtags to reach more people who like or have interest in your area of expertise

We can’t exhaust all the information about social media marketing because there is soo much to talk about! There are so many tools that can help you do more with social media.
If u haven’t already, check out our social media marketing packages on Webscope.
We as Kakic Universe are devoted to growing your business with you through social media marketing. (See the link below)

Join us every Wednesday for a marketing tip with Elaine!