Understanding how your content and campaigns are performing against the competition will help you to stay competitive and ahead of current and evolving social media trends and consumer behavior.
Data marketing firm Rival IQ recently analyzed a number of benchmarks across social media platforms, such as engagement rates, trending hashtags, post types and frequencies, to find out how 10 predetermined industries are stacking up.
Data marketing firm Rival IQ recently analyzed a number of benchmarks across social media platforms, such as engagement rates, trending hashtags, post types and frequencies, to find out how 10 predetermined industries are stacking up.
The firm looked at 150 companies from each industry, chosen at random, and compiled the median performance of each industry for the results shown in its 2018 Social Media Benchmark Report.
Here are some takeaways based on the report findings and our experience trying out new tactics for industries our agency is focusing on.
Here are some takeaways based on the report findings and our experience trying out new tactics for industries our agency is focusing on.
Home Decor
In the home decor space, video is the clear winner across Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Photos also deliver solid engagement rates across platforms. That said, engagement rates on Facebook and Instagram are lower than average in this sector. Creating high-quality video and photo content to share more frequently may help to improve this.
With these results in mind, we recommend making the posting of high-quality videos on Facebook a priority. In order to keep our audience engaged, we are constantly integrating high-quality video content. For example, one of our clients, a leading quartz manufacturer, utilizes video content to inspire the design community and the end users who are in the process of creating new kitchen and bathroom environments.
With these results in mind, we recommend making the posting of high-quality videos on Facebook a priority. In order to keep our audience engaged, we are constantly integrating high-quality video content. For example, one of our clients, a leading quartz manufacturer, utilizes video content to inspire the design community and the end users who are in the process of creating new kitchen and bathroom environments.
From how-to videos and testimonials to home reveals and new product announcements, video offers an attention-grabbing avenue by which to engage audience members. By incorporating different kinds of video in conjunction with photo content, brands can provide enough variety to keep their audiences interested.
Hotels And Resorts
This sector enjoys high engagement rates across platforms, but yields the highest engagement rates on Twitter, beating out all other industries.
Producing more video content for all social media platforms and taking advantage of good hashtags should be a priority in this industry. We also recommend creating a branded hashtag that customers can use when they share photos of their experiences and stay at your hotel or resort. This can create organic buzz and make finding user-generated content quick and easy.
Producing more video content for all social media platforms and taking advantage of good hashtags should be a priority in this industry. We also recommend creating a branded hashtag that customers can use when they share photos of their experiences and stay at your hotel or resort. This can create organic buzz and make finding user-generated content quick and easy.
We applied the latest social media tools to a boutique hotel in Naples, Florida, prioritizing video content across channels. We introduced a new communications approach by sharing luxurious experiences that guests can expect when they visit versus generic benefits expected from any hotel. And we also integrated user-generated content into our social strategy, sharing guests’ photos and featuring wedding photographers at the venue.
Furthermore, hotels and resorts can increase engagement by focusing on microtargeting. For example, we developed a laser-focused campaign to target travelers with pets, since the hotel we represented offered a pet-friendly environment. We engaged with pet lovers on social media and shared our campaign to “Bring them with. Experience the most pet-friendly resort in Naples.”
This, in combination with consistently engaging with online users who engaged with us, drove engagement rates across platforms, especially on Twitter and Instagram. These efforts also led to a spike in Twitter followers and, most importantly, direct bookings.
Food And Beverage
Despite decreased posting frequency across this sector, engagement rates were found to remain high, which suggests that high-quality content can outperform posting volume when the audience is not interested or invested in the content. Examples of high-quality content include recipe videos, step-by-step meal-prep guides or interesting photos that capture people with/using the brand’s product.
Although pictures remain to be the most popular with the highest engagement rates on Facebook, like the fashion space, video performs increasingly well and should remain part of the equation.
Although pictures remain to be the most popular with the highest engagement rates on Facebook, like the fashion space, video performs increasingly well and should remain part of the equation.
Reposting and sharing photos of consumers who use your product is a great way to generate more photo content while connecting to people who already support and endorse your brand.
If you’re not using hashtags, data shows that choosing the right ones can help to boost engagement. And on Twitter, regular status updates continue to be winners.
If you’re not using hashtags, data shows that choosing the right ones can help to boost engagement. And on Twitter, regular status updates continue to be winners.
Health And Beauty
Surprisingly, this sector was found to be underperforming across platforms, despite the visual nature of health and beauty content. Photos continue to deliver the best performance and engagement rates, and video content has been found to perform well on Facebook and Instagram in particular. The best performance is found on Instagram, with photos coming out on top and video content in second place.
Unlike other industries, health and beauty hashtags do not necessarily have to be tied to the industry in order to be effective and perform well. For example, #cute garnered the most engagement, beating out more specific hashtags like #beautiful or #perfume.
Unlike other industries, health and beauty hashtags do not necessarily have to be tied to the industry in order to be effective and perform well. For example, #cute garnered the most engagement, beating out more specific hashtags like #beautiful or #perfume.
Brands should also adjust their strategies to include trendy hashtags that top influencers in the community are using. This will ensure that your brand’s content will appear alongside top health and beauty bloggers or YouTube influencers.
Nonprofits
The highest engagement rates in this sector go to Instagram, despite lower posting frequency, and photos are the top performers across platforms. Photos and video crush text links in this sector, and relevant hashtags perform especially well here.
We’ve seen great growth happen for one of our nonprofit clients on Instagram through our use of Instagram Stories (using location and geotagging for location and event-specific stories), Instagram Live as a complement to Facebook Live, testing out uses of IGTV, high daily posting rates (three times per day), and activating product giveaways with Instagram influencers.
In order to increase engagement, nonprofits should have a consistent scheduling plan, should be utilizing Instagram Stories and connecting with followers on a daily basis by replying to their questions or comments.
Along with paying attention to what works well for your personal brand, tracking what does well for top-performing brands in your industry is necessary to stay competitive.
Along with paying attention to what works well for your personal brand, tracking what does well for top-performing brands in your industry is necessary to stay competitive.
It’s important to adjust your strategy when needed and to always be on the lookout for how you can increase engagement with current users and create a meaningful relationship with new customers through microtargeted campaigns.
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