Month: May 2022

Love it or hate it (we most definitely love it) TikTok has taken over the world in recent years and has become a digital marketing must-have for both established and small businesses. 

With over 1 billion active users as of 2022, no matter the niche of your business – there is a TikTok audience waiting for you. 

It can be intimidating approaching the platform for the first time professionally, so read on to learn our top tips for a successful presence.

 

Be Consistent 

Consistency is key when it comes to TikTok – if you’re looking for significant traffic to your page it’s ideal to be posting as often as possible.

You might be thinking, “there’s just no way I can do that!” however, when it comes to business-related TikToks, we recommend setting up a content strategy to make daily posting more achievable in line with your business priorities (product drops etc).

 

Jump On the Trends 

When it comes to TikTok, trends are the way forward if you’re looking to reach your target audience via the ‘For You Page’. This can include using popular sounds, hashtags, filters, dance trends….the list goes on! 

The algorithm is more likely to promote a video with trending sounds – ultimately leading you one step closer to reaching your audience.

 

Competitor Research 

As discussed in our previous blog post, keeping an eye on what your competitors are producing is key to a successful TikTok presence. Make note of what sounds, trends & hashtags they are using that have already been received well by your shared audience and attempt to replicate the content in some form. 

Check out our previous blog post for further tips on how Competitor research can benefit your business

 

Be Authentic 

Last but not least, be yourself! It’s proven with TikTok, that more often than not ‘less is more – so don’t spend too much time on expensive equipment or extensive production; simply, have a laugh and enjoy what you’re producing as that will reflect in your videos.

Brands that aren’t afraid to make fun of themselves bring a real sense of authenticity to the business. An example of this would be SkinnyDip London, known for their phone cases & accessories, often post BTS content featuring videos of their staff in funny/ relatable situations i.e being late for work, making fun of old products etc.

 

TikTok is undoubtedly a digital marketing marvel, with its almost perfect algorithm bringing thousands of communities together & growing even the smallest of creator platforms. 

Still needing assistance with your brand’s TikTok presence? Our specialist creative team here at Social Nucleus are here to help – Book a call with us today and get your business growing today. 

No matter the size, age or niche of your business, there will be a competitor. And as a business owner, it is important to identify your competitors and keep a close eye on what they are producing so you can ensure your own business is going above and beyond – and ultimately stands out in the market. 

To put it simply, “Keep your friends close but your enemies closer”. In today’s article, we will discuss the importance of competitor research and the benefits it can bring to your business. 

 

Keep up with the trends

Through conducting your research, you will easily be able to identify trends that are working successfully with your shared audiences, which can ultimately be embedded into your own content and strategies.

As they say, imitation is the highest form of flattery!

For example, when Snapchat first launched the ‘Stories’ feature in October 2013, it was a social media marvel and has set a new industry standard for the majority of platforms. 

After seeing the success of Snapchat’s feature, Instagram replicated its own version in August 2016 – and in doing so, it has become the preferred platform to use the stories feature due to Instagram making it a staple to their platform, as well as becoming a digital marketing phenomenon. 

 

Stand out from the crowd 

When it comes to competitor research, it can be easy to become overwhelmed – and can leave you kicking yourself with the “Why didn’t I think of that?”. 

However, it’s also a way to visualise what you’re doing well in comparison to other businesses and helps you identify your USPs, which you can ultimately push in future marketing strategies. 

 

Set a standard  

Keeping an eye on what your competitors are doing successfully allows you to set realistic benchmarks – in other words, setting a standard for your business to live up to and achieve. 

For example, watch closely to whoever you define as your main competitor(s) and form a benchmark; i.e metrics of how well their Instagram posts do on average (likes, engagement, reach etc) and set that as a goal for your own content to surpass. 

 

Here at Social Nucleus, competitor research is a key part of the client onboarding process. Our Creative Team conduct competitor research on a monthly basis to ensure our clients are always performing to the highest standards – as the industry is constantly evolving and it is vital to keep up! 

If you feel that your business would benefit from fully comprehensive competitor research, book a call with us today to find out how our creative team can help you achieve your fullest marketing potential.

When you’re building a business, it’s also important to build a brand : a company identity that separates you from the competition, conveys your message and personality, and makes you recognisable in your market sector.

 

In today’s market, competition is high- more and more brands are coming into existence, and we have so much choice with our interests and needs. So it’s more important than ever to present your business’s originality and stand out with clear, cohesive and professional branding. This will present you as a strong market contender, and make your target audience remember you.

 

Read on to find out what to consider when upping your branding game, and why branding is more important than ever.

 

First of all, what do you need for effective branding? 

 

How your brand makes your customers feel depends on your market, target audience, product line and brand identity – but there’s always an opportunity to stand out amongst your competitors. 

 

It’s important to keep things consistent, sticking to your brand guidelines across all your business’s creative output, website, social media and internal/external communication.

 

Visually speaking, here are the factors to pay attention to:

 

1. Distinct logo : create a symbol or graphic that is visually appealing, simple and original, and effectively represents your brand identity/the products you offer.
2. Brand colours: establish an attractive colour palette – this may be one dominant colour, or many colours used equally across all media.
3. Brand fonts : decide your typeface (eg serif, sans serif) and whether you will use the same or different fonts for headlines and body text.

 

Considering your business’s brand voice, it’s important to establish a clear, consistent TOV (tone of voice) across all written copy. Ask yourself : how do you want to make your audience feel? 

 

Your TOV could be:

1. informal or formal (ie chatty/familiar/exclamatory vs serious/informative/distant)
2. punchy/to-the-point or more descriptive/flowing in style.

 

Either style can engage your audience, depending on your product line – but it’s important to set your TOV and stick with it, to create a consistent brand voice.

 

Next, why is branding important?

1. It increases brand recognition : with a fully coordinated brand design and colour palette across all creatives, including your logo, your brand can be recognised in seconds.
2. It strongly establishes your brand in the market : memorable, original branding will stick in people’s minds, allowing your brand to increase in mind share amongst your competitors. Most of the time, when people first come into contact with your brand, they’re not looking to buy straightaway – but eye-catching, professional branding will greatly assist in making them remember your brand at the point they wish to purchase products/services you offer.
3. It increases brand loyalty : strong recognition and memorability builds loyalty. Utilise great branding to impress potential customers and build trust in a clearly established brand. 

 

Branding is a continuous process – it requires routine evaluation to ensure branding is fresh, relevant and original in ever-changing markets. By paying attention to the factors above, you’ll be well on your way to presenting yourself as a market leader.

 

Need assistance with your brand development? Our specialist team here at Social Nucleus can help with that – book a call with us today to find out how we can help take your business to new heights.