Social Media Strategies for Michigan Wedding Vendors

I. Introduction To Social Media Strategies In 2024

The rise of social media platforms has launched marketing strategies into a new century. What formerly required a team of dedicated individuals and a cache of creative ideas to sell a product now involves algorithms, codes, technologically savvy people and a little bit of luck. This is not to say that the modern marketing firm is obsolete, but rather a good firm finds itself pivoting to embrace new strategies and tactics to market products.

In this modern era, we are noticing a particular emphasis on short form videos that catch the viewer’s attention quickly and require little in the way of an attention span. Platforms such as TikTok and Instagram are seeing the greatest popularity and opportunities for viral attention when it comes to reels and mini, minute-long or less videos. Beyond this, social media has become an online gathering spot for people to share content, reviews, and thoughts on a brand which may make or break a business. Social media is a force to be reckoned with, and we’re here to help you discover the most effective social media strategies for advertising your wedding services!

II. Create Short Form Videos

Short Form videos are video media between five and ninety seconds long that are often used on social media platforms to engage viewers in a certain topic, product or service. The viral potential for short form videos cannot be understated! Creating engaging content is key to catching the eye of the billions of people scrolling mindlessly through their social media pages. We have a few tips below that are crucial to successfully crafting engaging short form videos.

• Stick to vertical content! Vertical format uses the whole screen and creates a more immersive experience for the viewer as opposed to horizontal content. Be consistent with your format, too. We don’t recommend switching back and forth from horizontal to vertical, or vice versa, because it ruins the visual cohesion of your page. Believe it or not, the aesthetic of your page is a key aspect to recruiting clients. Lastly, make sure your content fits the screen! There are plenty of apps and guides that can help assist you in finding the best formatting for your social media video content.
• Hook your audience from the beginning! Use keywords and phrases, eye-catching visuals and popular trends that draw the viewer in. Once you have a viewer’s attention, the rest is simple. Take Instagram, for example! The more times one viewer watches your video, the higher the view count climbs. View count incrementation is crucial to climbing your way through the social media algorithm, and engagement is a critical aspect of that as well! The more people you have viewing your content, the more likely you are to compile likes, comments and shares, which in turn will increase the likelihood of your video crossing others’ explore pages. Intriguing introductions are a major aspect of a video’s viral potential!
• Pay attention to trends. This may include trending sounds, skits, and imagery. Trending sounds are probably the most critical aspect of viral videos today. Viral music does a great job catching a viewer’s attention for a wider variety of video content while viral sounds that require specific content creation are a little more niche but just as effective when done correctly.
• Keep it short and simple! In a world of instant gratification and shortening attention spans, shorter videos have proven more effective when executed properly. Between TikTok and Instagram, it has been found that the most effective time-frame for a short-form video is between seven and seventeen seconds long.
• Post as often as you can! Quantity and quality are both important here; be capable of posting often but make sure the quality of your content does not reduce. The more you post, the better the odds are of one of your videos going viral.
• Partner with big name brands. If you can use a product or promote the services of another largely-known brand and tag them in your content, it has the potential to be viewed by all of their followers, too!
• Showcase usable products and services in everyday scenarios. Relatability is key. You want to create content that allows your ideal customer or client to imagine themselves using your product or services to increase the odds of them coming back to inquire about it or purchase it later.
• Use user generated content to your advantage. User Generated Content (or UGC) is content created by real-life customers or clients. Happy customers that choose to create positive reviews about your goods and services can be an amazing asset to your social media advertising. Entertaining reviews, good or bad, coupled with a good sense of humor and a bit of creativity, can give your product that sense of relatability and hook a certain demographic of clients that appreciate a company that doesn’t take itself too seriously.
• Authenticity and humor are key characteristics to creating engaging video content. People love to laugh and they want to feel a real sense of honesty from you; integrity is a driving factor behind a client’s choice of product or service. Be inherently you, because that’s what sets you apart! Customers love to feel like they’re working with real people, not an automated machine.
• Details matter. Accessibility is often overlooked in modern society, but it will open your horizons to so many other incredible client bases. Use closed captions for your video content and ensure that your captions are easy to read from a visual and aesthetic standpoint as well as from a timing perspective. Ensure your viewers have enough time to read captions before moving on. Trigger warnings (TW) are helpful for viewers with sensitivity to certain content or visual stimulation. Attention paid to details that may seem small to an able-bodied individual can show certain customer demographics that you’re thinking of them and sensitive to their needs.

III. Use Trending Sounds

We mentioned this above when discussing the importance of trending sounds as related to short form video content, but viral music can be added to photography posts as well. Engaging photography content coupled with catchy songs that are trending on social media will increase the likelihood of your content being seen by a wider audience. Use what you have at your disposal! Trending music and sounds are an easy addition to any content post.

IV. Professional Photography

Viral-worthy, professional grade photography elevates your picture-posting to a new level. Good photos draw attention, clicks, likes, comments, and shares which in turn increases the likelihood that your post is visible to a larger audience on explore pages. Invest in quality photography to showcase your brand in the way it deserves to be seen! Invest in hiring a professional photographer equipped with the skills necessary to capture your content authentically. In 2o24, even the most basic social media user can spot inauthentic content, and you want your clients to see your product displayed in reality.

Photo sourced from Gilmore Catering

V. Tag Big Brands

Tagging and engaging with well-known brands is one way to increase the likelihood that your product or service is seen by a larger audience. There are a few ways in which you can do this:

• Engage with well-known brands by tagging the company page, tagging products, commenting, sharing, liking and including hashtags in your posts. Brands that have a large following are the perfect focus group for this, as you can engage their audience as well, especially in collaborative posts. Sometimes, big brands will re-share media that showcases their products or services well and from that possibility alone, you can exponentially increase the size of your audience!
• Use trending hashtags from big brands and companies. Trending hashtags have a greater likelihood for targeted searches from people looking for a specific product, good or service. Pay attention to relevant, viral hashtags and include them in your content post to attract attention to your own brand!
• Partner or engage with influencers. It’s no secret that social media influencers have significant sway in trending media, products and brands. Influencers often have large, dedicated follower-bases that love to take suggestions from their favorite social media star. Forming connections and relationships with influencers, offering discount codes and promotions through their pages, and even just asking for positive testimonials from them all are methods proven to have significant impact on your reach and following. Increasing the visibility of your content is key!

VI. Engage With Your Audience

Engaging with your followers reminds them that there’s a real person behind the keyboard rather than just artificial intelligence. Here are a few ways you can engage with your audience.

• Reply to comments. Comments boost engagement metrics on social media platforms, and ultimately this leads to your content being more visible from a site’s algorithm. Replying to your followers also makes you memorable! A friendly and knowledgeable voice on the other end of the keyboard promotes customer satisfaction and increases the likelihood of return customers and happy buyers. Customer service goes a long way.
• Respond to reviews! From user generated content that reaches viewers on social media to mainstream Google and Facebook reviews, show your clients that you’re interested in what they have to say and take their feedback seriously!
• Be personable! Being friendly, humorous and kind to your audience creates a lasting impression that people are sure to not soon forget. Make sure people know that there’s a person behind the platform, and they’re not just receiving auto-generated replies!
• Reply to Direct Messages (DM’s). It can be hard to keep track of countless DM’s sometimes, but check your message requests often and make sure you’re responding to as many messages as you can! A customer that receives attention on social media for an inquiry, review or general comment feels seen and heard.

VII. Get To Know The Algorithm

We’ve all heard of the social media algorithm, but what exactly is it and why is it so important? The algorithm is comprised of compiled data from a site that ultimately govern its operations. This means that social media suggests content for users to see based on likes, shares, comments, saves, and views. There are a few things you should know about the algorithm when marketing on social media:

• Never transfer videos from Instagram to TikTok with the watermark visible on your content from the other platform. Artificial Intelligence (AI) can read it and will not push content that comes from a competitor.
• Instagram prefers users to edit content in-app, meaning that all reels and photos should be edited and posted from Instagram’s editor pages
• TikTok pushes editing in-app or through the mobile editing app Capcut, so use either one of these options to ensure your content is more likely to be picked up by TikTok’s algorithm
• You can re-share content on Instagram, but TikTok has to be user-created content, so be original!
• TikTok is a video-only app, while Instagram pushes users to post a variety of content, including reels, carousel posts, stories, and static images. This allows for a variety of content forms to be used for dynamic advertising that targets a wide audience.

The social media algorithm varies from platform to platform, but its equally important across applications! Maintaining a working knowledge of driving factors behind the social media algorithm will help you to elevate your social media marketing strategies to the next level.

VIII. Conclusion

Social media is an undeniable powerhouse in today’s digital age. It has revolutionized how vendors connect with their audiences, offering up a whole new playbook for marketing magic – if you know the right moves. Yes, navigating this vast landscape might seem daunting, but let’s zoom out and focus on what really matters in your social media game plan. Dive into the world of short-form videos, keep your feed lively with regular posts, make your brand approachable, craft content that resonates, genuinely interact with your followers, and don’t forget to inject a dash of personality and humor into your interactions! Stick to these strategies, and you’re bound to see a spike in your social media engagement, boosting your visibility and reach in the bustling market.

Want Instant Traffic To Your Website From Social? Leverage Nearlywed’s Instagram & Facebook Audience! 

Imagine leveraging the power of Nearlywed’s social platforms to showcase your services and boost traffic to your website. Our ad placements are not just about views; they generate an impressive 4-6% click-through rate directly to your website! This is your chance to tap into a highly engaged audience, eager to explore what you offer for their big day.

Ready to see your content go viral? Reach out to us today to learn more about leveraging Nearlywed’s social media power to boost your business.