Written by Zoë Loving, account supervisor on the Ashton and Brianne Eaton team

With more brands than ever occupying space in the social media world, social media networks and newsfeeds are becoming increasingly congested. Whether the brand is new to social media or has an established online presence, it is essential to utilize the tools native to each social media platform to optimize exposure and ultimately break through the noise.

Here are three ways to stand out in the crowded social media space:

  • Hashtags may seem like an obvious way to increase visibility on social media, but they are often under utilized or used without a strategy. A hashtag on Twitter or Instagram can pull a post onto the popular page and draw views from other people using or viewing the same hashtag. With all of this potential visibility, it is important to pick hashtags that your target audience will connect with and that your brand embodies. For instance, if you are working with a brand in the health sector, you might consider using the hashtags #motivationmonday or #teamfit to connect the brand with like-minded publics. Another strategic use of hashtags is to create a hashtag surrounding a brand’s upcoming event or campaign. This unique hashtag can become a vehicle to tell the story of the brand throughout the event. A hashtag that a brand creates to correlate with their event can create a sense of community and engage publics who are supporting or participating in said event, and who are also using the hashtag on their own social media channels.
  • Location tagging is another way to connect on a personal level with an organization’s publics. Utilizing location tagging on Twitter and Instagram can elicit a special connection between people in the area and the brand. Aside from the benefits of reaching people in targeted areas, location tagging can help a post make it to the popular page. Overall, location tags are an effective way for a brand to lend a life-like quality to its social media accounts through showing travel photos, office locations or client whereabouts.
  • Finally, search engine optimization, or SEO, is an important part of any brand’s visibility. SEO can be the deciding factor between a brand website getting lost in a Google search or being easily accessible on the web. SEO relies on coding and html, and one of the easiest ways to achieve SEO is by including keywords into the website’s coding. These keywords should include the brand name, brand sector, commonly associated work, clientele, or brand professionals. This will help the company’s online media rise to the top of the page during a web search. SEO will increase the chances of a brand standing out among similar brands in a congested market.

Today, a brand’s ability to stay relevant across social media is essential to its survival and its success. Strategic social media shows that a brand is fresh, in the know, and ultimately ready to engage with new people and trends.

 

Zoë Loving is a senior at the University of Oregon School of Journalism and Communication. She is earning a Bachelors of Science in journalism with an emphasis in public relations and currently works as an account supervisor at Allen Hall Public Relations. Previously, Zoë worked as a global communications and media intern for adidas. After college, Zoë plans to move to Los Angeles and work as a PR practitioner in the lifestyle, health and wellness sector.

Connect with the Ashton and Brianne Eaton team!

Zoë Loving, Account Supervisor

Phoebe Rios, Account Executive

Emily Choulamany, Account Executive

Nicola Hyland, Account Executive