When media investments are directed to social media, it also requires a change in marketing creative planning. In this article, we explore what social first marketing is, what it is needed for, and what are its key principles.
The role of social media in marketing continues to grow. For an increasing number of brands, social media advertising already forms a significant part of media investments. According to Kantar's research, social media's share is already 18% of Finland's media market. At the same time, the amount of influencer marketing has risen according to Sponsor Insight's research to 60 million euros. When media investments focus on social media, it also requires a change in marketing creative planning and approach.
Social first thinking is a marketing approach in which marketing activities are planned primarily according to social media channels and their principles, rather than simply distributing existing marketing materials on social platforms.
Social first approach is about strategic thinking in which social media is not just a distribution channel for advertisements designed for other channels, but is a central part of all marketing planning and implementation.
Media consumption has changed radically over the past decades and social media has become one of the most important forms of media consumption. According to research published by Statistics Finland in 2023, 62 percent of Finnish adults use some social media service daily or almost daily. Among 16-34 year old Finns, as many as 80 percent use social media daily.
Through social media, people enjoy themselves, search for information and news, and form communities. With social media, attitudes towards advertising have changed and people have learned to skip disruptive ads within seconds.
In order for marketing to reach and engage social media users, it requires a change in mindset from traditional advertising towards social first thinking.
Read how the restaurant chain Barot's has successfully utilized Social First marketing
At the heart of social first thinking is an understanding of different distribution channels, the tools and advertising formats they offer, and how they work so that marketing content best serves users' habits. For example, short videos have become increasingly important on Meta platforms (Instagram, Facebook), TikTok, and YouTube. On Instagram and Facebook, visually striking images and discussion-provoking posts such as memes are consumed. On LinkedIn, professional content is traditionally consumed.
When marketing is planned with social first, it is important to understand the principles of different channels and why consumers use them. Each platform has developed its own role as part of consumer habits. So in social strategy, it is key to consider what are the different social channels' roles as part of the whole and what they offer to different target groups.
Brands do not compete on social media only against each other but for user attention with influencers, media companies, and other social media users. For brand content to reach the desired target group, the content or advertising created by the brand must offer social media users some added value or entertainment that makes them choose the brand's content amid the vast amount of content.
Instead of just marketing slogans or announcements, content should focus on what serves the target group's needs and provides them with added value, whether it's information, entertainment, or inspiration.
People of all ages consume social media. If the same content is used to serve everyone, it rarely works. It is important to consider what the role of each social channel is, who it aims to reach, and what message. For example, TikTok emphasizes young people, but Facebook can reach a slightly older audience. In social strategy and content planning, it is important to keep different target groups and their needs clearly in mind.
People are interested in authentic people and stories behind the brand. According to research, 72% of people feel they form a better connection to a brand when content is shared by the company's own employee. The company's CEO also plays a significant role as the company's face and credibility factor. Social media platforms offer the opportunity to bring your own employees forward as the face of the brand and create interactive content through them.
The audience can be involved by asking them questions and answering them, for example in video form. Various polls and surveys are also good for increasing interaction with followers. When a brand serves its audience through content, it is able to build community and through it loyalty to the brand.
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The role of community management has also grown in recent years. For example, on TikTok, a single comment on an influencer's post can generate thousands of engagements and take on a life of its own alongside the content.
Social media is not just "organic content production" or advertising. To get the best results from social media, it is worthwhile to strategically leverage social media's different tools and distribute content across multiple channels.
Through the brand's own media and social channels, you can build the brand and communities in the long term. Campaigns often produce faster impact for a wider audience. Through influencer marketing, you can reach influencers' audiences through their unique audience relationships. Strategic advertising ensures that social media also achieves short-term business results.
In addition to marketing communications, social media enables product development. An increasing number of brands respond to phenomena occurring on social media by creating their own version of the trend. A good example of rapid product development is the Dubai chocolate developed by Lindt in response to a phenomenon emerging from TikTok. On the other hand, many brands have realized the role of social media and plan their products ahead of social media virality. A good example of this is Bakerika, whose visually appealing products get the audience posting about them on social media.
When social media marketing is planned strategically, it is key to create a concept that ties together all of social media's different tools under the same umbrella. This way, social media's different tools support each other and the brand communicates the same message to desired target groups while taking into account the principles of different channels and tools.
To make social media marketing as effective as possible, social media experts should be involved in planning from the very beginning. This way it is possible to best take into account social media's different tools and the suitability of communications in different distribution channels.
Social first marketing works best, however, when the team responsible for social media is given sufficient freedom to leverage its diverse range of tools. Social media requires courage from a brand and the ability to quickly engage in conversations, topics, and current trends. In social media strategy, it is key to define resources and operational processes so that the social media team can best support the brand's business objectives.
Different target groups, especially younger generations, are reached today particularly through social media. The platforms are full of content, so to stand out, brands must offer them added value and speak to their audience in their own recognizable style. The social first approach allows brands to build themselves in the long term, create deeper connections with consumers, and ultimately also better achieve commercial goals.
Audiences have learned to skip traditional ads on social media within seconds. When content is planned with social first, the audience is more likely to stop at the message. Attention value and time spent with the brand improves.
When marketing is planned with social first it becomes more effective. Ads and content planned for social media work more efficiently on social platforms than ads designed for traditional media. When ads and content are planned according to the platforms' terms, the media budget is better allocated and more is gained from the investment.
Social media makes it possible to create earned media. Good examples of this are events that leverage social media, PR packages aimed at influencers, and content that speaks to the target group on the brand's channels. When content speaks to the target group, it is also more likely to be shared in consumers' own channels.
Read how Ehrmann achieved earned media through an influencer-driven PR event
In summary, it can be stated that social first marketing places social media at the center of the marketing strategy. Marketing planned with social first aims to create meaningful, impactful, and interactive marketing for different target groups where people spend their time. It takes into account different distribution channels, target groups' habits, and social media marketing tools comprehensively.
Are you looking for a strategic marketing partner who understands the secrets of social media? Contact our team.
