If there’s one constant in social media, it’s change. Platforms come (BeReal, anyone?) and go (Rest in Peace, Vine). Algorithms are as whimsical as influencers’ sponsored-post rates, and content churn is so rapid that it practically guarantees that as long as key stakeholders approve of a brand’s attempt to catch the viral bandwagon, By then a trend will become stale.
Plus, social media is where customers are—and where they’re making purchasing decisions. According to a 2022 study by Sprout Social, two-thirds of consumers have made purchases directly through social media. For brands, getting left behind—hanging on a platform that’s outlived its popularity or losing followers because the content isn’t fresh—can make the difference between whether a business lives or dies Is.
Most brands recognize the importance of social media to the bottom line: direct purchases on social are expected to double in the United States by 2025 and reach US$99 billion. That’s why wages, a Canadian fine-jewellery brand, employs three full-time employees whose job it is to ensure that the company maintains its strong social presence. ,wages It has one million followers on Instagram alone.) Launched online in 2015 before ever opening a brick-and-mortar store, the company has made social media a priority since day one; Its target demo—women with disposable income aged 20 to 40—are among the most active social-media users.
Majeed Massad, president and co-founder of Mejuri, says that staying relevant on social media is a never-ending task, explaining that the social team logs at least six hours of screen time a day, with other brands and creators Identify trends to consume content from. Within the team, everyone has an expertise—one person is more focused on TikTok, for example—but staff pitches across platforms as needed. This constant monitoring means that Mejuri is attuned to changes in the tastes of its audience.
“Over the past year, we realized we needed to shift towards content that was less curated and more ‘real’ and ‘in the moment,’” says Massad. Previously, Mejuri posted more professionally taken product photos. The brand’s feed now features the majority of items from customers and employees in unfiltered images that look like they were shot on an iPhone.
Mejuri also introduced more videos, knowing that’s what young social-media users are gravitating to, regardless of platform. (Eighty-eight percent of social-media users want more video from brands, according to Sprout Social.) In keeping with a less curated aesthetic, this means lo-fi reels instead of commercially shot campaign videos that are a Liked the bar. , Now, the team produces a lot more “on the go” video content, like footage of employees opening a new store or talking about their favorite items.
“There’s a purpose behind everything we post,” says Massad. goal can be Attracting New Customers Or promoting holiday sales. Sometimes, it looks like an intense product explainer for a new fall look. Other times, it’s stoking on a trending TikTok sound, helping content land on users’ “For You pages,” which in turn leads to a massive increase in the number of people who see the post. One of Mejuri’s most successful TikTok posts from December – a short video of sparkly rings with a clip from the film’s popular song “Miracles Happen” princess diary—Over 835,000 views.
Mejuri Dash also uses a tool from Hudson that generates analytics, which can be used to inform future posts. Reach Number of people who viewed the post—This is a key metric for measurement, but so are things like comments or how successfully something leads to a conversion—that is, a sale directly through a platform like Instagram or a click-through to their e-commerce site.
“Our social strategy is primarily based on what our target demos seek and engage with based on our data analysis, what we predict,” says Massad. He says the company also draws intel from its in-house consumer-insights team, which tracks buying patterns and broader market trends. But it works both ways: “Understanding the type of content our demos interact with on social media provides insight into their purchasing behavior and decision-making processes.”
Brands often make the mistake of using the same strategy across all social platforms. The content should make sense for the specifics and specialties of each channel. ,Tiktok skews youngand there’s more freedom to experiment,” says Massad. “Instagram, on the other hand, is more aesthetically driven.” Creates perspective.
The one thing brands can’t afford is to sit back and pray the algorithm smiles down on them. “Like any marketing strategy, we constantly have to re-think our approach,” says Massad. “And we have to evolve as the platform and the consumers evolve.”
This article appears in print in the Winter 2023 issue of Canadian business magazine. buy issue for $7.99 Or better yet, subscribe to the quarterly print magazine for only $40,
