This semester has helped me understand how powerful — and time-consuming — social media marketing can be. By experimenting with different platforms and tools, I’ve learned not only how to grow my presence but how to build an intentional strategy that actually reflects my goals. Now that I’ve explored a range of tools, it’s time to refine my approach and focus on what works best.
The Platforms That Fit My Brand
The social media platforms that integrate best with my brand are Instagram and TikTok. These platforms are both highly visual, trend-driven, and ideal for the kind of content I create, which includes short-form videos, dance content, and collaborations with other creators. They are also ideal for building a personal brand, which is essential to what I’m doing.
Instagram gives me tools like Reels, Stories, Insights, and Collab features that I’ve found especially effective. For example, my best-performing post this semester was a collab with a friend who has a large following, which helped boost both reach and engagement. TikTok, on the other hand, rewards early adopters of trends, which makes it great for increasing visibility when timing and audio selection are on point.
Tools I’ll Take With Me
From this class and the reading materials, a few tools stood out as especially useful for building an organized and consistent strategy:
Editorial Calendars: After learning about editorial calendars in the lecture, I see how helpful it is to plan content in advance. Having post ideas plotted around holidays, collaborations, or trends helps avoid the last-minute scramble and leads to more intentional posting.
Scheduling Tools: Platforms like Meta Business Suite or Hootsuite make it easier to manage Instagram and Facebook in one place. I plan to use these tools to pre-schedule at least 50% of my content, especially when I know I’ll be busy or traveling.
Insights & Analytics: I’ve learned that looking at numbers like reach, saves, and shares (not just likes) helps guide content creation. The Likeable Social Media textbook emphasized building content around what your audience wants to engage with — and analytics are the clearest way to know that.
Google Drive: As mentioned in the lecture, using shared Google Docs and Sheets is a smart way to keep ideas organized and collaborate with others. I’ve started keeping a running list of caption ideas, trending sounds, and potential collab opportunities there.
What I Enjoyed Most
The platform I’ve enjoyed using the most is Instagram. I feel most comfortable with its features, and I like how easy it is to balance visuals, captions, and interaction through Stories and DMs. I also enjoy TikTok for its creativity, but I’m more selective about what I post there. I’ve learned that enthusiasm translates. When I’m genuinely excited about a trend or collab, the content performs better, and the audience can feel that energy.
Time Commitment Going Forward
Going forward, I believe my business should spend at least 6–10 hours per week on social media marketing. This includes time spent planning content, shooting/editing videos, writing captions, responding to comments, and reviewing analytics. It may sound like a lot, but in today’s digital-first world, especially for a brand rooted in creative expression, this kind of time investment is necessary to grow and remain visible.
Final Thoughts
This class gave me a chance to try new tools and platforms and reflect on what aligns best with my business. Using the guidance from the lecture and Likeable Social Media, I now feel more prepared to structure my strategy with intention. I’ll keep improving by using analytics to inform decisions, planning with editorial calendars, and leaning into the platforms I enjoy most. The future of my marketing isn’t just about posting, it’s about building connection, consistency, and creativity.
No comments:
Post a Comment