Social Media Marketing (SMM) Strategies

• Social media marketing (SMM) involves using social media platforms to promote products, services, and brands.

Social Media Marketing Strategies

• Creating and sharing tailored content.
• Data analytics is a tool used to measure engagement and effectiveness.
• Organic strategies include community engagement, user-generated content, and paid advertising like promoted posts or influencer marketing.
• Nike's #YouCantStopUs campaign integrated YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok to engage audiences and drive sales.
• Having a well-rounded SMM strategy requires platform selection based on the target audience (e.g., TikTok for younger demographics, LinkedIn for professionals).
• Content should be tailored to platform-specific formats (short-form video on TikTok, long-form discussions on LinkedIn).
• Utilize engagement tactics such as interactive posts, giveaways, and influencer collaborations.

Key Performance Indicators

• Clickthrough Rate (CTR)
• Engagement Rate
• Conversion Rate

RACE Framework in SMM

• Reach: Paid ads drive awareness.
• Act: Encouraging interactions (likes, shares, comments).
• Convert: Encouraging purchases through targeted content.
• Engage: Building brand loyalty through long-term campaigns.

SEO and SEM

• Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the organic process of optimizing web content to rank higher on search engine results pages (SERPs).
• Search Engine Marketing (SEM) refers to paid strategies to increase visibility on search engines through advertisements.

SEO Types

• On-Page SEO involves optimizing website content, meta descriptions, and keyword usage.
• Off-Page SEO involves building backlinks, social signals, and external authority.
• Technical SEO involves improving site speed, mobile-friendliness, and structured data.
• An example is a travel blog optimizing for "Best Summer Destinations 2025."
• SEO Strategy involves using relevant keywords, internal linking, and structured headings.
• SEM Strategy involves running Google Ads targeting users searching for “cheap summer trips.”
• Top SEO ranking factors include user experience, page speed, and backlinks.

Paid SEM structures

• CPC (Cost Per Click): Payment occurs only when users click an ad.
• CPM (Cost Per Mille): Payment is per 1,000 impressions.
• CPA (Cost Per Acquisition): Payment occurs when an action is completed (e.g., a purchase).
• Long-tail Keywords: Using more specific search phrases that convert better (e.g., "best budget running shoes for beginners" instead of "running shoes").

Email Marketing

• Email marketing involves sending targeted messages to an audience via email to nurture leads, maintain customer relationships, and drive conversions.

Email Marketing Strategies

• Lead Nurturing which sends automated email sequences based on user behavior.
• Segmentation which tails content to specific audience groups.
• A/B Testing: Testing subject lines, CTAs, and visuals to optimize performance.
• Based on previous purchases, Amazon sends tailored product suggestions and includes discount codes for re-engagement.

Email Marketing Best Practices

• Increase personalization increases open rates.
• Clear CTAs drive conversions.
• Ensure mobile-friendly designs are crucial.
• Metrics to Track include open rate, clickthrough rate, and conversion rate.
• A double opt-in strategy ensures email quality by requiring confirmation before subscribing.

Online Advertising

• Online advertising involves using digital platforms to promote products through paid ads like include search ads, display ads, and social media ads.

Types of Online Advertising

• Search Ads (Google Ads): Appear at the top of search results (e.g., "Best running shoes").
• Display Ads: Banner ads on websites (e.g., travel ads on a news site).
• Social Media Ads: Sponsored posts on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.
• If a user visits an Airbnb listing but does not book, Airbnb shows a retargeting ad with a discount offer.
• Payment models consist of CPC, CPM, CPA
• Effective Ad Strategies consist of A/B testing for visuals and copy, retargeting to re-engage interested users, and geo-targeting for location-specific campaigns.

Mobile Marketing

• Mobile marketing refers to digital marketing strategies optimized for mobile users, including SMS marketing, mobile apps, and mobile-optimized ads.

Key Components of Mobile Marketing

• Responsive Web Design ensures websites are mobile-friendly.
• Push Notifications send time-sensitive updates to users (e.g., “Flash sale in 2 hours!”).
• SMS Campaigns send promotional texts (e.g., UberEats discount codes).
• Users receive push notifications for exclusive discounts based on location and past purchases in the Starbucks' Mobile App Loyalty Program.
• Mobile SEO prioritizes fast loading times and mobile usability.
• Metrics include app downloads, in-app purchases, and push notification CTR.

Privacy in Digital Marketing

• Privacy in digital marketing refers to the ethical and legal considerations of collecting and using consumer data.
• Regulation compliance by markers: GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) requiring clear user consent and CCPA (California Consumer Privacy Act) granting users control over their data
• Apple's App Tracking Transparency (ATT) requires apps to ask users for permission to track their data.

Privacy Best Practices

• Transparent data policies, clear opt-in mechanisms.
• Balancing personalization with privacy compliance.

Synapse Case Study

• Focuses on analyzing a company's digital transformation and social media marketing strategy including the following:
• Target Audience Segmentation: Students, entrepreneurs, and corporations,
• Social Media Strategy: Combination of organic and paid ads,
• AIDA Model Implementation: Awareness, Interest, Desire, Action
• Ticket Sales Strategy: Leveraging scholarships, discounts, and influencer marketing to drive attendance
• Platform-Specific Engagement: Using LinkedIn for corporate outreach, Instagram for student engagement, and Twitter for event updates
• Budget Allocation Challenges: Balancing a $10,000 ad spend effectively across platforms.
• Utilize social proof through testimonials and user-generated content
• Maximize ROI by integrating organic and paid promotions.