To break it down:

• Social media monitoring involves tracking social media messages, comments and conversations directly related to your brand and responding to those engagements.
• Social media listening is the process of analyzing the full spectrum of conversations around your industry, brand, and any topics relevant to your brand to understand your audience better and improve your campaign strategy.

Ultimately, businesses need both because social media monitoring tells you what people say about your brand or industry, and social media listening tells you why.

For example, let’s say you lead marketing for an e-commerce brand, and you just launched a new product. Monitoring might show that many customers are discussing a particular product. These insights may indicate that the product is popular—in theory.

While social media listening could reveal that many of those mentions were negative. Dig even deeper, and you might find that the issue isn’t even with the product but with shipping delays. While monitoring addresses the symptoms, listening reveals the root cause.

In this article, we’ll define social media monitoring and social listening in depth and highlight the critical differences between the two.

Social media monitoring definition

Social media is a go-to channel for brands to connect with their audience. Social media monitoring is the first step towards powering these connections, helping brands find the conversations they should be aware of or participate in. It’s the process of gathering useful social discussions and messages to keep track of customers’ likes, dislikes, wants and changing needs.

It allows you to track mentions of your:

• Brand name and common misspellings
• Product names and common misspellings
• Main competitors
• Product or brand in particular areas

Example of social media monitoring

Social media monitoring tracks the key phrases and terms important to your company and surfaces relevant conversations for you to respond to.

For example, earlier this year, 100 Thieves, a lifestyle and gaming company, mentioned the footwear brand Crocs on X (formerly known as Twitter). Even though they didn’t tag the account, Crocs likely used social media monitoring to find the mention and respond promptly. 

The benefits of social media monitoring

Social media mentions provide vital business intelligence that can inform more strategic decision-making.

Monitoring is also essential to your brand’s communications pipeline. Your social media managers and customer care agents should own most of this interaction, acting as traffic controllers for what’s coming in across your social networks.

How to make the most of social media monitoring

First, centralize your social profiles into a single platform enabling message monitoring at scale. Then, create alerts to help your agents easily track and respond to direct or indirect brand mentions. Include your brand’s handle and broader mentions. Also, account for common misspellings, nicknames, flagship products and industry-adjacent terms.

By receiving these alerts, your social team will be better able to block and tackle on your brand’s behalf, answering FAQs while routing other critical messages to different departments within your organization—from HR to sales.

To get even more sophisticated, your community managers can identify potential entry points to guide purchasing decisions. But be careful: This tactic is as much an art as a science.

Social media listening definition

Social media listening is about examining the conversations and trends around your brand and industry, and using those insights to make smarter marketing choices.

It helps you determine why, where and how these conversations are happening and what people think—not just when they tag or directly mention your brand.

Example of social media listening

Social media listening can help you plan better campaigns and improve your content strategy and messaging by removing the guesswork of what content will resonate. Analyzing metrics like volume, share of voice and sentiment will help reveal what offers are most popular with your audience and how they truly feel about your brand and products.

One social media listening example is when a franchise restaurant used Sprout’s Listening capabilities to see which food items their customers loved and which were getting overlooked.

Our Listening Topic Themes data revealed some interesting patterns. While nachos weren’t mentioned as often as other food items, they had the highest percentage of positive mentions and the lowest percentage of negative mentions. So, the franchise decided to create more content about nachos because the data showed that customers really loved them.

The benefits of social media listening

Without social media listening, you might miss important industry trends and customer preferences, leading to missed improvement opportunities. Plus, while social media monitoring focuses on what’s being said and by who, listening helps businesses understand the overall sentiment and context of those conversations. Without it, companies might misinterpret customer feelings and feedback.

How to use social media listening for your business

Start with turn-key social listening solutions, then progress to more intricate techniques. Powerful, automated listening tools requiring minimal setup can deliver meaningful, actionable data as well as customizable ones.

For instance, you can look at how often your brand is mentioned on X during a certain time period, and which hashtags, keywords and related terms are often used. This can help you see how people feel about your brand, products and campaigns. All this is possible without creating complex search queries or relying upon algorithmic sentiment triggers. Simply listening to what people say alongside your brand mentions is enough.

Once you have a baseline, then you can get more advanced. Expand your listening with solutions that give the total volume and help you recognize patterns, find trends and figure out share of voice in groups of keywords or queries.

However you approach it, the goal is to reach clearly defined outcomes within your brand’s larger social strategy. For example, using monitoring tactics result in enhanced engagement and listening efforts to inform more strategic decision-making.

Key differences between social listening vs. social monitoring

If monitoring is the entry point, listening is the graduate degree. Most social media platforms offer basic, native monitoring capabilities. But a comprehensive social monitoring and listening strategy needs a tool like Sprout Social to track mentions and analyze data across multiple social media channels.

Here are a few more fundamental differences between social monitoring and social listening.

Micro vs. macro

Social media monitoring is micro. It’s focused on the details, like individual brand mentions or comments. In comparison, social media listening is macro. It’s about looking at the bigger picture and noticing how people talk about your brand, products, industry and competitors.

For example, monitoring would tell you thirty people directly tagged your brand in posts today. Listening would reveal that most of those mentions were either rave reviews about a new product or complaints about customer service.

Reactive vs. proactive

Social media monitoring is reactive. It involves observing and responding to direct mentions or tags as they happen. On the other hand, social media listening is proactive. It provides deeper insights that help you strategize and plan.

For example, while monitoring might alert you to a single customer complaint, listening can uncover a trend of complaints about a specific product feature, which can be fixed or optimized to prevent future issues.

Tactical vs. analytical

Social media monitoring is a more tactical, task-focused process. Many social media monitoring tools like Sprout Social collect all your mentions in one centralized place and notify you when there’s a new conversation. From there, you can focus on replying with appropriate responses.

In comparison, social listening is more analytical and strategic. Social listening tools offer in-depth insight into the context and sentiment behind what people are saying. Rather than simply responding to messages, listening shows you engagement patterns and trends for your brand and industry. This information enables you to set data-informed benchmarks and goals to make more strategic decisions. Social listening requires analyzing many different things to do this well, making it difficult to do it without an automated social listening tool.

How to use Sprout Social for social monitoring and listening

Sprout Social is a comprehensive social media management tool with monitoring and listening capabilities. These solutions enable users to zoom in on meaningful conversations and zoom out to analyze the trends and patterns that inform their social media strategy.

How exactly? Let’s explore this more in-depth.

Smart Inbox

The Smart Inbox is where you keep track of every conversation with and about your brand. It’s the essence of monitoring, helping you to centralize and foster authentic conversations with action in mind. Messages from your social channels are centralized into one feed to ensure you stay focused and never miss a message. Use Case Assignments to delegate messages to other team members and tags to keep all your messages organized. Plus, lean on our Message Spike Alerts to know when there’s a surge of @-mentions that need to be addressed, so you can avoid or address potential brand crises.

Brand Keywords

Brand Keywords help you capture more relevant conversations about your brand, industry or competition. This is a step towards listening as it enables you to track various topics beyond your brand. Brand Keywords are custom searches that run constantly and display results in your Smart Inbox, which you can interact with just like any other message. You’re still focused purely on messages to respond to or offer support on a personal level.

If you aren’t actively searching for these types of messages, you may miss the chance to participate in important conversations.

Sprout’s premium listening solutions

Sprout’s Listening solutions offer a window into an audience’s candid thoughts and feelings to uncover trends, reveal patterns and measure emotional response around any topic.

Listen in on millions of conversations happening across Facebook, Instagram, Reddit, Tumblr, X, YouTube and the web about your brand or topics important to you. No need for boolean expertise, as we offer templates to help you build queries quickly. And with Recommend by AI Assist, generate keyword suggestions to help refine your Listening queries for richer insights. These capabilities enable you to easily keep a pulse on your brand’s health, track sentiment around events or analyze insights from your industry, competitors and campaigns.

Once you’ve refined your query, you’ll likely have a lot of information to sort through. Our Analyze by AI Assist helps you efficiently identify your Topic’s most significant Smart Categories, keywords, hashtags, emojis and mentions. It turns data into clear insights, helping you instantly cut through the noise so you’re spending less time on analysis and more on strategy. All while giving you the flexibility to go broad on trends or zoom into individual posts for qualitative insights.

The insights Sprout’s Listening provides can power your social and business strategy, so you’re ready for the future.

Get started with social monitoring and listening

Social monitoring and listening are excellent for tuning into conversations around a brand and industry. But it also comes with a learning curve. From determining what hashtags and keywords to track, to understanding how to interpret and act on the data in listening reports, it can initially be overwhelming.

Our social listening guide is a great place to start. In just 90 minutes, you’ll get answers to questions about brand sentiment, trending discussions and content performance to optimize your content strategy.

The post The difference between social media monitoring vs. social media listening appeared first on Sprout Social.

In this article, we’ll break down the FTC influencer guidelines, why they matter and the branded content policies for each major social media network. We’ll also share tips on how to fit these guidelines smoothly into your strategy so your content stays compliant, authentic and on-brand.

Please note: The information provided in this article does not, and is not intended to, constitute formal legal advice. Please review our full disclaimer before reading any further.

FTC guidelines for influencers and content creators

In August 2023, the Federal Trade Commission introduced updated guidelines for online reviews and social media endorsements. These guidelines apply whenever an influencer or content creator has a “material connection” with a brand, defined as a financial, personal, family or employment relationship.

In other words, if a content creator is paid to talk about a product, receives a free item or gets a discount, they must make it clear in their posts. These guidelines ensure endorsements are honest and transparent, so it’s obvious when an influencer has a brand connection.

If an influencer wants to share about something they bought and liked, they can do so if there is no relationship with the brand. But whenever there is a material connection, these rules apply, and it’s both the brand and influencers’ responsibility to make sure their followers know.

FTC influencer guidelines do’s and don’ts

Here are some quick FTC compliance do’s and don’ts for influencer brand partnerships.

DO:

• Be crystal-clear. If an influencer received a free product, discount or any other benefit, they must disclose it—even if their review is genuine and unbiased.
• Place the disclosure up front, with the endorsement message, where followers will immediately see it.
• Match the disclosure to the media format. Consider how consumers view the content and match the disclosure accordingly– for example, if the endorsement is in a live stream, the disclosure should be repeated periodically so that even viewers who only pop in for a portion of the stream will view or hear the disclosure.
• Keep it simple. Use direct language like “Thanks to [brand] for the free product,” “Gifted by [Brand],” or “In partnership with [Brand] or hashtags like #ad or #sponsored.
• Use the same language as the endorsement and avoid jargon like “comped” or “ambassador” that might confuse followers.

DON’T:

• Assume an influencer’s followers already know about their brand relationships.
• Hide disclosures by putting them in a spot that requires extra clicks, like in a profile, in an “about me” section or at the end of the post.
• Mix with other hashtags (e.g., #beauty #ad #faveproducts”) or links where your audience might miss it.
• Use vague terms or unclear abbreviations like “sp,” “spon” or “collab.” Stick to terms like “ad” or “sponsored.”
• Publish endorsements from influencers who haven’t tried, disliked or can’t verify the product or service. Only share genuine experiences.
• Publish endorsements that claim results for which you don’t have evidence. Claims of health benefits or results need to be supported by proof.
• Incorporate influencer endorsements into any consumer review average ratings or lists without adequate disclosure.

Following these simple do’s and don’ts will help brands and influencers maintain transparency, build trust with their audiences and stay on the right side of the FTC rules.

Why the FTC influencer guidelines are important

The FTC guidelines for influencers aren’t just a legal formality. They keep branded content truthful and free from hidden motives so followers get the whole picture and can properly weigh the value of an influencer endorsement. Here’s why following them matters:

Building trust with your audience

Imagine a friend recommends a restaurant, and later, you find out they received a free meal to talk it up. It would likely make you second-guess their glowing review, right? This is the premise behind the FTC guidelines. By revealing brand connections upfront, consumers can make more educated choices, and influencers and brands can maintain credibility with their audiences.

According to our Q4 Pulse Survey, 59% of social media users say that the #ad label doesn’t affect their decision to purchase a featured product. But it makes a difference among specific demographics. A third (33%) of Gen Z respondents said it makes them more likely to buy, while about a quarter (26%) of Baby Boomers are less likely to purchase after seeing the #ad label.

These insights show that, for most social media users, adding disclosures doesn’t negatively impact their content-viewing experience or buying behavior. Many younger consumers appreciate disclosed partnerships and see them as credible endorsements.

Keeping up with evolving influencer trends

Influencer marketing is constantly evolving, so the rules around influencer relationships must keep pace. For example, virtual influencers complicate FTC guidelines since they aren’t real people. Human influencers can have a personal experience with a product or service, but virtual influencers can’t.

FTC guidelines protect consumers by mandating that any paid relationship is clearly disclosed regardless of who or what is endorsing a product. This way, consumers are always in-the-know, no matter how influencer marketing shifts.

Consequences of non-compliance

Both influencers and brands face serious consequences—like fines, legal fees and other penalties—if they don’t properly disclose partnerships. For example, in 2020, a tea company agreed to pay a $1 million settlement after the FTC found it had misled consumers by not disclosing payments to influencers promoting its products.

There is also the risk of consumer backlash. In 2023, the FTC issued warning letters to TikTok and Instagram health influencers who failed to disclose paid endorsements for artificial sweeteners and sugary foods. The resulting scandal eroded trust with followers, leading to negative comments and press.

Influencer marketing regulations by network

Each social network has its own approach to disclosure requirements, and brands and influencers need to understand the nuances of each one. Remember, however, that using a platform’s built-in disclosure tools doesn’t guarantee compliance with the FTC’s rules. Here’s a quick guide to keeping content compliant across Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and more.

Instagram

According to their branded content policies, Instagram creators can only post branded content using the branded content tool, which applies a “Paid Partnership” label on posts, Stories, Reels and live content. This label indicates when a brand or business has influenced the content in exchange for payment or gifts. Creators must use this tool for sponsored content to maintain transparency with their followers.

For Instagram posts, disclosures should be placed near the start of the caption, above the “more” button, so they’re visible without additional clicks. Avoid burying the disclosure among hashtags or in a lengthy caption. For Instagram Stories, overlay the disclosure directly onto the image or video and keep it on screen long enough for viewers to read. These practices make the brand partnership instantly evident to the influencer’s audience.

TikTok

On TikTok, creators must use the platform’s “commercial content disclosure” toggle for any branded content, which automatically adds a “paid partnership” label to videos or LIVEs. This label immediately identifies the content as sponsored or part of a brand collaboration. TikTok also requires creators to obviously mention the promoted product or service in the content so viewers don’t have to check the creator’s profile or click links to understand the endorsement.

FTC guidelines recommend that video disclosures be audible, visible and placed at the start of the content. For livestreams like TikTok LIVE, it’s also best to repeat the disclosure periodically to tell any viewers who join late about the brand partnership.

Facebook

Since Meta owns Instagram and Facebook, they follow the same branded content policy. This requires creators on both networks to use the branded content tool for sponsored posts, even if the product or service they endorse was gifted.

When disclosing a partnership in a Facebook post or caption, use plain language like “Thank you [Brand] for the free service” or hashtags like #ad or #sponsored near the beginning of the caption. Avoid vague terms or hashtags like #ambassador or #partner, as these don’t meet FTC standards.

YouTube

Putting #ad in the video description isn’t enough. On YouTube, creators must disclose paid promotions, endorsements or product placements directly within their videos. To comply, they must check the “paid promotion” box in YouTube Studio’s video editing settings, which adds a disclosure message to the first 10 seconds of the video.

Disclosures should be audible and visible for video content and included at the beginning of the video. For longer videos, creators should consider adding another disclosure before the product endorsement so the brand affiliation is clear throughout.

X (formerly Twitter)

According to X’s paid partnerships policy, creators need to disclose when a post is sponsored. The simplest way to do this is by adding #ad directly to the post so followers immediately know it’s branded content. With X’s character limits, disclosures should be kept short, but confusing abbreviations or acronyms should be avoided.

The post should also directly mention the product, service or call-to-action without requiring viewers to click on links for additional information. If there’s room, consider adding terms like “[Brand] Partner” or “[Brand] Ambassador” to make the brand connection extra clear.

How to implement FTC influencer guidelines in your social strategy

Keeping your influencer strategy FTC-compliant is more straightforward than it sounds. Setting clear expectations and using the right tools will protect your brand and build trust with your audience. Here’s how to make it happen.

Thoroughly research and vet potential influencers

Before engaging influencers, ensure their values and style align with your brand’s voice and audience. Review past content for consistency and check for any red flags (like a lack of brand partnership disclosures).

Sprout Social Influencer Marketing streamlines this process by providing insights into influencer metrics, audience demographics and engagement rates, helping marketers make data-backed decisions.

Set clear expectations around compliance

The FTC holds brands accountable for influencer compliance, so set explicit guidelines from the start. Include FTC compliance clauses in contracts and provide influencers with guidelines on disclosure requirements and acceptable content practices, like the FTC’s Disclosures 101 for Social Media Influencers.

Sprout Social Influencer Marketing’s Creator and Collaborator portals make organizing communication, feedback and approvals in real-time easy, to ensure all of your influencer marketing campaigns are both compliant and on brand.

Use pre-approval processes for time-sensitive content

With fast-moving content like Instagram Stories and TikTok LIVEs, a pre-approval process can keep everything legally compliant and brand safe without slowing down content production.

For example, you could have your influencers submit a draft of each Instagram Story slide with the disclosure (#ad or “Sponsored by [Brand]”) in advance. Hosting a live stream? You might have influencers share a brief outline of talking points, noting where they’ll make brand disclosures (e.g., “This is a paid partnership” at the start and every five minutes).

Follow best practices for different content types

Regardless of the social media network, keep the following content guidelines in mind:

• Photos and Static Posts: Make disclosures clear and upfront. Don’t bury them in a sea of hashtags. Use simple terms like #ad at the start of the caption so viewers see it immediately. Also, consider using a text overlay on the image itself in addition to the caption disclosure, especially on platforms where the image grabs attention first.
• Videos: Include audio and on-screen disclosures within the video, not just in the description. This way, all viewers can easily spot the brand partnership—even if they’re watching with the sound off. Repeating disclosures before brand mentions in longer videos helps all viewers understand the content is sponsored. Even if they skip around or don’t watch the entire thing.
• Livestreams: During live broadcasts, repeat the disclosure periodically to notify new viewers. This is especially important for longer streams where audiences may join and leave throughout. For sessions with multiple product demos, mention the disclosure at the start and end of each demo so everyone tuning in gets the context.

Streamline your workflow with an influencer marketing platform

Managing multiple influencers can get complicated, especially when coordinating disclosures and approvals. Sprout Social Influencer Marketing simplifies the process. The platform allows you to track campaign performance, coordinate schedules and monitor compliance across all stakeholders—all in one place. With features like invite links for labeling TikTok branded content and centralized content feedback, Sprout makes maintaining FTC compliance seamless.

The future of influencer compliance starts here

What does the future of influencer marketing look like? Only time will tell. But as the field evolves, so must consumer protections. The FTC’s goal is simple: to maintain honesty and transparency in advertising. For brands and marketers, this means staying adaptable and proactive. Having the right processes will help you manage compliance as guidelines shift.

That’s why using a dedicated influencer marketing platform like Sprout Social Influencer Marketing makes all the difference. With Sprout, you get the tools to track disclosures, manage campaigns and communicate directly with influencers in one streamlined platform.

Schedule a demo of our influencer marketing platform and see how easy managing compliant, successful influencer campaigns can be.

Disclaimer

The information provided in this article does not, and is not intended to, constitute formal legal advice; all information, content, and materials are for general informational purposes and are subject to change. Information on this website may not constitute the most up-to-date legal or other information. Incorporation of any guidelines provided in this article does not guarantee compliance or that your legal risk is reduced. You should contact your legal team or attorney to obtain advice with respect to any particular matter including how to comply with FTC guidelines and should refrain from acting on the basis of information in this article without first seeking independent legal advice. Use of, and access to, this article or any of the links or resources contained within the site does not create an attorney-client relationship between you and Sprout Social or any contributors to www.sproutsocial.com. Links to any third-party sites are for general informational purposes only. Such third-party websites are beyond our control, and we are not responsible for any content or links found within. Sprout Social does not endorse or otherwise opine on the compliance or legality of any content or examples on this article. All liability with respect to actions taken or not taken based on the contents of this article are hereby expressly disclaimed. More information about social media disclosures can be found at ftc.gov.

The post FTC influencer guidelines, explained: Tips for engaging influencers appeared first on Sprout Social.

Cybersecurity threats are constantly evolving, so companies need to evaluate and adjust. In this article, we’ll cover social media security best practices to help you develop a security-first approach for your organization’s accounts.

What is social media security?

Social media security refers to the strategies, tools and best practices businesses and individuals use to mitigate risk and protect assets across social media platforms. This includes safeguarding sensitive information like customer data, employee details and confidential business information.

Common social media security threats include:

• Password theft
• Account impersonation
• Phishing and social engineering
• Data breaches

With the right privacy and security measures in place, organizations can lower the risk of these attacks and maintain a positive reputation.

The importance of social media security

Social media security goes beyond preventing account hacks and phishing attempts. It’s essential for protecting your brand’s reputation, employee and customer information, as well as ensuring compliance with evolving data protection laws (like GDPR and CCPA) and avoiding financial losses.

Think of it this way: Every employee, vendor and leader who touches your social media accounts plays a role in your overall security posture. Why? Because social media is inherently public. Any security breach can instantly damage your brand’s reputation through inappropriate posts, misinformation or scams visible to a wide audience. On top of that, the real-time nature of social means a malicious post can spread like wildfire, leaving little time to react.

And the stakes for brands are high. Not only can failing to follow data protection regulations lead to hefty fines, it can also lead to lost revenue due to damaged brand trust. According to a Q1 2024 Sprout Social Pulse Survey, 78% of consumers agree that, compared to a year ago, a brand’s social media presence now has a bigger impact on whether they trust that brand.

Top social media security risks and threats 

Here are the most common social media cybersecurity risks, along with sample scenarios of how they might occur in an organization.

Password theft

Password theft involves stealing login credentials (username and password) to gain unauthorized access to a social media account. This can be done by stealing the login credentials of an employee or through a brute force attack.

Password theft can apply to the networks and any third party tools used to access and manage social media accounts.

Account impersonation

Account impersonation in social media security refers to the act of creating a fake account that mimics a legitimate individual, brand or organization.

Attackers use these fraudulent accounts to deceive others into believing they are interacting with the real entity. This can include impersonating executives, employees or entire businesses to scam customers, spread misinformation or damage a brand’s reputation.

Phishing

Phishing is a common cyberattack where cybercriminals impersonate trusted entities via email or social media to trick individuals into sharing sensitive information, like login credentials or financial details. These messages may look legitimate, but often contain links or attachments that lead to malicious websites or install malware—programs intentionally designed to harm a device, network or server.

Phishing is a serious security threat, as it can compromise accounts and systems, leading to privacy breaches and financial loss.

Malware

Malware is malicious software designed to harm a device, network or server. On social media, it can be spread through links, downloads or attachments shared on various platforms.

One wrong click can lead to malware being installed on a user’s device, potentially compromising sensitive data or allowing attackers to take control of the system.

Social engineering

Social engineering is a manipulation tactic used to trick people into giving up sensitive information, like login credentials or financial details. Instead of using technical hacking methods, social engineers rely on psychological tricks to exploit human nature.

For example, a scammer impersonating a customer or a partner might send a direct message (DM) that includes a link to a malicious website. Without proper training on social media security best practices, your team might click the link, assuming it’s legitimate.

Spam and bot accounts

Spam and bot accounts are automated accounts used to spread spam, malicious links and misinformation, polluting your feed and potentially harming your brand. They typically mimic real users and can be tricky to spot.

The real threat lies in their ability to distribute harmful content, launch phishing attacks and impersonate legitimate users or brands. This increases cybersecurity risks for both your social media team and your followers.

Privacy breaches

Privacy breaches occur when unauthorized individuals gain access to personal or sensitive information shared through social media platforms. This can include login credentials, private messages, financial details or proprietary business information.

Breaches often happen due to weak security practices, phishing attacks or vulnerabilities within social media networks and third-party platforms.

4 social media security best practices to know in 2025

Here are some social media security best practices you can follow to safeguard your brand, employees and customers:

1. Implement strong password practices

Strong passwords are foundational to your social media security. They’re your first line of defense against unauthorized access, protecting your social accounts and any third-party management tools. But while most people understand the dangers of weak or shared passwords,  it’s easy to fall short in practice.

That’s why it’s crucial to choose tools with built-in security features like multi-factor authentication and single sign-on. These features combat “password fatigue” by making it easier to create and manage strong, unique passwords for each account. They also make it much harder for unauthorized users to gain access, even if a password is compromised.

Equally important is avoiding manual password sharing (like keeping passwords in a shared note). This practice makes it impossible to track who has access to which profiles, creating a major security vulnerability. If you can’t control access, you can’t ensure security.

2. Educate employees about social media security

Social media moves fast. This rapid evolution allows cybercriminals to innovate quickly, and unfortunately, exploit vulnerabilities on a large scale. But here’s the thing: Many employees may not be aware of the unique security risks that come with using social media for business.

That’s why it’s crucial to educate your team about the specific challenges of social media security. Here are a few key reasons it requires extra vigilance:

• Public nature: Social media platforms are inherently public, making it easier for attackers to gather information about your employees and target them with personalized attacks.
• Decentralization: Security on social media is a shared responsibility between platforms, users and businesses. This makes it more challenging to enforce consistent security practices across the board.
• Third-party apps and integrations: Many marketers connect their social media accounts to third-party apps and services, which can increase the risk of data breaches if those apps have weak security practices.

Empower your team to make smarter security decisions with up-to-date training that includes specific examples of social media threats. By illustrating how these risks can play out in realistic scenarios, you can help employees recognize and respond to potential attacks effectively.

3. Regularly review and update access permission settings for third-party applications

People change roles, leave organizations and projects evolve. To maintain strong social media security, it’s crucial to regularly review and update access permissions for all your social accounts and any third-party tools.

Start by setting clear user permissions. Your social media management platform should enable you to grant specific access levels based on each team member’s responsibilities. For example, in Sprout Social, you can set user permissions at the company and feature level. This ensures that team members have access to the tools they need—and nothing they don’t.

Equally important is establishing a clear workflow for removing system access when someone leaves the team or changes roles. This helps prevent former employees or those with new responsibilities from accessing sensitive information or performing actions they no longer have authorization for.

4. Create a social media crisis management plan

Crises don’t follow business hours. When a social media crisis hits, you need a plan to guide your response and minimize damage to your brand. This plan should outline the steps your team will take to address different scenarios, such as a hacked account or a data leak.

Imagine a hacker gains access to your social accounts and starts posting content that goes against your brand values. Or worse, what if they leak sensitive customer data? Without a plan, your response will likely be reactive, inconsistent and potentially damaging.

A strong social media crisis management plan will help you:

• Respond quickly and effectively to minimize damage.
• Communicate clearly and consistently with your audience.
• Protect your brand’s reputation and maintain customer trust.
• Coordinate efforts across different teams (social media, IT, communications, legal).
• Back up important data regularly and establish a recovery plan to handle security breaches.
• Learn from the experience and improve your future response.

Bonus Resource: Download our three-step template to document a social media crisis management plan. This template will help your team effectively respond and recover if a crisis strikes.

Get the template

Social media security best practices for executives and brand advocates

Executives and fellow employees can be powerful brand advocates. Their personal social media posts can humanize your brand, build trust and reach new audiences. However, it’s crucial to ensure they can participate safely and effectively without compromising security.

Here’s how to empower these groups while maintaining a high level of social media security:

Executives

When it comes to executives, managing their social media presence within a secure platform is key. This eliminates the need for shared passwords and provides a centralized hub for managing content and approvals.

With Sprout Social, executive communications teams can efficiently oversee leadership profiles on LinkedIn and X (formerly Twitter). Easily schedule and approve posts, photos and videos directly within Sprout. If your executive prefers to approve content outside the platform, assign them an “External Approver Seat” to send content directly to their email for approval.

Employees

Employee advocacy is a powerful way to amplify your brand’s reach. Using a centralized platform enables employees to easily share pre-approved brand content while ensuring compliance with your company’s social media policy.

If your team has concerns about connecting their personal profiles to a company’s tool, reassure them that platforms like Sprout Social prioritize data privacy. Explain that Sprout only collects the essential information needed for employees to connect their profiles and share content from within the platform. This enables them to share company posts directly through our Employee Advocacy tool without needing to access their personal accounts.

How secure social media management tools keep you safe

Secure social media management tools act as a central hub for all your social media activity, making it easier to control access, enforce security policies and monitor for suspicious behavior. They provide a layer of protection between your valuable brand accounts and potential threats, helping you mitigate risks and safeguard your reputation.

At Sprout Social, we understand the importance of keeping data secure. That’s why we’ve incorporated world-class, enterprise-grade security standards into our platform. We’re trusted by over 35,000 organizations to help them manage millions of daily conversations across social media.

Here’s how we prioritize security:

• Purpose-limited data processing: We clearly identify our purposes for processing personal data from social media networks and limit our processing solely to those purposes.
• Data minimization: We ensure that the personal data we process is adequate, relevant and limited to only what is necessary.
• Stringent data retention policies: We have established standard data retention periods for customer data and are stringent in ensuring that deletion requests are respected.
• Enhanced login security: We offer capabilities like single sign-on (SSO) and multi-factor authentication (MFA) to add extra layers of protection to user accounts and prevent unauthorized access.
• Responsible AI usage: We weave AI into our product responsibly to enhance our platform’s capabilities while prioritizing data security. Whether it’s Sprout’s proprietary AI models or integrations with third-party providers like OpenAI or Claude, Sprout never sells customer data and ensures these models cannot use or store data for model training.

For more on Sprout’s security and privacy standards, check out trust.sproutsocial.com.

Guarding the gateways to social accounts and data

Safeguarding your brand requires staying vigilant in the ever-changing cybersecurity landscape. Continually educate yourself and your team to stay ahead of emerging threats. Remain proactive, and you can keep your accounts secure today and into the future.

Managing all your accounts and permissions on one central platform is a significant step toward greater social media security. Request a personalized demo to discover how Sprout Social empowers over 35,000 brands to achieve smarter, faster business impact with comprehensive social media management solutions. Our platform includes tools for publishing, engagement, customer care, influencer marketing, advocacy and AI-powered business intelligence.

The post Social media security best practices to keep your company and customer data safe appeared first on Sprout Social.

Who should you partner with? What kind of content should you create with influencers? How can you make sure your influencer marketing methods are going to pay off? It all comes down to influencer authenticity.

In this article, we get into the nitty gritty of what influencer authenticity is, why it matters and how you can use it to drive revenue and make a business impact.

What is authenticity in influencer marketing?

Authenticity may sound like social media jargon, but it’s a concept that’s essential to connecting with your brand’s social media followers. The definition of what is authentic in marketing is a moving target, as it varies across generations and demographics. In the context of social media marketing, influencer authenticity refers to influencers that are true to their values and mission. In authentic influencer marketing, brands work with influencers whose values and mission align with their own.

Authenticity in social media is something users want more of—whether it’s from influencers or others. According to The 2023 Sprout Social Index™, authentic, non-promotional content is the number one thing users don’t see enough of on social media. It’s what they crave.

Influencer authenticity makes your brand look more believable to consumers simply by association. How can you spot an authentic social media influencer? Look for these traits:

Transparency and honesty

Examine how the influencer communicates with their audience, especially about their brand partnerships and brand deals. The FTC now requires influencers to disclose brand partnerships, so influencers must note which posts are sponsored by their partners or that they’re doing a brand deal with a specific company who’s paid them to create content.

Disclosing a brand partnership is just one way to be transparent. As we’ve seen in our research, social media users are looking for authenticity and transparency about business practices and values. Look at how the influencer talks about the brand in their posts. For example, do they share that they loved the brand even before they started working with them? Do they talk about certain aspects of the brand that align with their personal values and interests? This type of transparency and honesty helps to create trust with followers.

@SpiceSpoon is a social media influencer that focuses on modern Pakistani, Afghan‌ and Persian Cuisine. In the post below, she specifies that she has a partnership with a sponsor so her audience is aware that it’s a paid post. In the caption, she notes specific aspects she loves about the product, such as their sustainable farming methods—something she’s passionate about.

Genuine passion and interest

Does the social media influencer really care about the topics they post about? Are those topics an important part of their life? Unless the social media influencer is a talented performer, most users and brands can see right through faked passion and interest.

Authentic influencers live and breathe their area of expertise—it’s not only how they make money, it brings true joy and value to their lives.

Engagement with followers

Look at how the influencer interacts and engages with their followers. Do they passionately talk about common interests or do they brush off comments and DMs from followers?

Showing authenticity with social followers involves engaging with them, whether that’s by liking comments, replying to comments or even using user-generated content (UGC) in posts.

If an influencer isn’t building an emotional connection with their followers, they likely aren’t putting their authentic selves out into the world—and a partnership with them could harm your brand.

Why authentic influencers matter

Why should your brand prioritize influencer authenticity? Appealing directly to consumers is a major reason, one that helps increase influencer marketing return on investment (ROI).

Authentic marketing with influencers not only captures your target audience’s attention and gives them what they want, but it also has several other benefits like enhancing your credibility, increasing engagement with followers and creating meaningful relationships with consumers. Who can say no to that?

Here are other reasons influencer authenticity matters:

Builds trust and credibility

Brand trust—you can never have too much of it, but you can certainly have too little. If your consumers trust your brand, they know they can rely on you to fulfill your promises to them. This makes them much more likely to purchase from you again or refer you to their family and friends.

The same is true for authentic influencers. They build trust with their audience by showing how true they are to their values and mission. This increases credibility with their followers, encouraging them to engage online and consider making a purchase based on the influencer’s recommendations. People are much more likely to buy a product or service from someone they trust, after all.

The Pasinis’ social media presence revolves around their connection to Italy—it’s the area of their expertise. As a result, when they share travel tips for Italy (that include brand partnerships like the one below), their followers trust their recommendations.

Drives engagements and conversions

Authentic influencers tend to engage with their followers by liking and responding to comments, especially when discussing matters that align with their own values. Meaningful interactions like these increase the likelihood of their followers taking action—such as going to your brand’s social media profile or clicking through to your website from a sponsored post.

Never underestimate the value of social media engagement. It helps social media users feel connected with influencers and the brands they promote, creating a sense of loyalty and community.

@Maymah is an influencer whose content focuses on fitness training and modest gym outfits. She responds to her followers’ comments in almost every post, driving further engagement.

Create long-term relationships

Speaking of loyalty and community, authentic influencer marketing is a great way for brands to create long-term relationships online—both with influencers and their followers, benefiting everyone involved. How does this work?

Influencer authenticity, by association, builds brand authenticity. When the influencer’s followers feel aligned with the influencer’s values and see them as being authentic online, they feel more inclined to trust what they say. And if the influencer vouches for your brand, their followers will want to create a relationship with you as well, all based on the influencer’s word.

Be sure to live up to expectations by engaging with your influencer’s audience online when and where it feels appropriate to do so.

Enhances brand reputation

Influencer marketing and authenticity in content creation go hand in hand. You can’t have authentic social content without an authentic influencer and vice versa. Partnering with the right influencers can positively impact your brand’s image and reputation, especially if your brand values align with the influencer’s values. This kind of alignment will help both the brand and the influencer create content that feels meaningful

For example, if you work with an influencer who values sustainability just as much as your brand, you’ll be able to enhance your brand reputation with their followers through a strategic partnership. If your brand doesn’t feel the same way about sustainability, however, your partnership won’t resonate with followers.

@GreenGirlLeah is an influencer whose content revolves around sustainability and environmentalism. Naturally, her content features brands with similar values, like in the example below, where she partnered with brand Brilliant Earth.

How to identify authentic influencers

There’s no shortage of social media influencers online, so how do you find the best partnership for your brand? Our blog on how to find the right influencers is a great start to getting a shortlist of candidates, but you’ve also got to consider influencer authenticity.

Follow these tips to find the right influencer for your brand.

Conduct a content analysis

When it comes to influencer marketing and authenticity in content creation, the best way to find what your brand needs is to do a deep dive into the influencer’s content. This is a key step, so be sure not to rush it—you want to take time to watch or read posts in detail.

Look for consistency in the influencer’s message: Do they talk about their values in the same way across their posts? Also consider how genuine their content feels. Is the influencer enthusiastic in how they talk to their followers? Do they show passion and interest in the topics that matter to your brand?

Originality can’t be understated. It’s ranked as one of the top factors that make a brand memorable on social, with 38% of consumers remembering brands who share original and creative content. Consumers don’t want to see the same trends over and over again. If the influencer shares new and interesting content on a regular basis, they might be a winner.

Identify values alignment

Influencer-brand partnerships are successful when the influencer’s values align with the brand’s values. If there’s a major disconnect, the authenticity of the relationship fades—and consumers can tell.

When reviewing the influencer’s content, pay special attention to what drives them and compare them to your brand’s values. While the influencer may not share 100% of your values, there needs to be considerable alignment on the things that matter most.

For example, if a luxury home decor brand values high-quality manufacturing and doesn’t like to cut corners—and the influencer’s whole platform is about cheap and quick home decor “hacks”—there’s a disconnect in values here. Even if the brand and the influencer agree on other values, this type of misalignment can tank a partnership and create a brand crisis.

Evaluate audience engagement metrics

Analyze the quality of interactions between the influencer and their followers. Look at engagement metrics such as likes, shares and comments to evaluate the level of engagement the influencer has with their audience. Around three-quarters of marketers focus on engagement metrics when tracking social performance.

Other important metrics to track include click-through rates, reach and impressions, which are also directly impacted by audience engagement. If you note upward trends, it’s typically a good sign. Downward trends should be investigated—because it may mean the influencer is struggling to connect with their followers.

Consider follower count—but not too much

On a related note, the influencer’s engagement may depend on how many followers they have. In some cases, the more followers an influencer has may mean they have more engagement as well—but that’s not always the case.

Often, micro and nano-influencers have high levels of engagement because they have a highly targeted, engaged follower base. So, while follower count is important, it’s not as important as the level of engagement or authenticity.

Authenticity in influencer marketing isn’t impacted by follower count. While it can be beneficial for your brand to work with mega influencers, the ROI only pans out if those influencers align with your brand and have loyal followings

If you want to connect with your target audience through strategic partnerships, check out this worksheet to help you create a social strategy that blends data and values.

Review past partnerships

Do your due diligence by looking at the influencer’s history of collaboration to gauge their authenticity and alignment with your brand. How many brands have they worked with before? What kinds of brands do they typically work with? How do those brands compare to your brand? The answers to these questions can help you evaluate if the influencer is right for your needs.

Consider influencer marketing benchmarks, like those found in The 2024 Influencer Marketing Benchmarks Report, to see how well the influencer’s partnerships have performed. If the influencer hasn’t met past brand expectations, there could be something amiss with their partnerships, messaging or engagement.

DermDoctor is a board-certified dermatologist. His brand partnerships are typically with skincare brands, like in the example below, showing consistency and authenticity.

Use an influencer marketing platform

An influencer marketing platform is a great way to speed up the identification and vetting process. Whether you’re interested in virtual influencers or human influencers, you can use influencer marketing platforms to connect with top creators in your industry, narrow down your search and identify influencers that align with your brand.

Once you’ve found your partner, you can use influencer marketing platforms to manage contracts, content and analytics.

Finding authentic influencers with Sprout Social Influencer Marketing

In order to harness authenticity in influencer marketing, you need the right tools. Sprout Social Influencer Marketing (formerly Tagger) is an influencer marketing platform that helps brands find and connect with influencers that align with their brand values. Brands can maximize their influencer marketing ROI and create lasting business impact.

Check out these key capabilities:

Advanced search and filtering

Sprout’s Influencer Marketing enables users to filter influencers based on criteria such as audience demographics, engagement rates and content categories. Use the 50+ search filters to find influencers that not only align with your brand values and mission, but serve the same target audience as you.

Brands can create data-driven influencer-marketing strategies for effective collaboration. By partnering with social influencers who have the power to introduce your brand to their loyal audience, you can reach more people who may be interested in what you have to offer.

Authenticity and brand affinity analysis

Sprout’s Influencer Marketing helps you assess an influencer’s authenticity by analyzing their content, audience engagement and past brand partnerships, so you can be sure they’re the right fit for your campaign.

Influencer Marketing’s proprietary algorithm uses machine learning and audience psychographics to match brands with creators who have a strong affinity for one another. The platform also has a content health capability that compares crucial performance metrics among influencers so you can make data-driven decisions that result in business impact.

Streamlined workflow and collaboration

Once you’ve found the influencers you want to work with, managing the partnership is made easy with Sprout’s Influencer Marketing. It simplifies the process of overseeing influencer campaigns with its end-to-end campaign workflow. You can optimize every aspect of the campaign, from planning to approval and posting.

Foster collaboration between your team and the influencer with collaboration portals, which make onboarding and communication easy. Organize feedback and approvals for the influencer and track performance all from one interface.

Build long-term relationships with authentic influencers

Nurturing long-term relationships with authentic influencers isn’t a one-and-done job. It requires strategy, planning and continued collaboration, but it’s worth it for the level of brand advocacy you get in return.

The key? Mutual respect.

Brands and influencers need to see eye to eye and be on the same page about the goals of their collaboration. Through candid communication and clear expectations, you can be on your way to establishing a partnership that lasts years.

Consider giving influencers creative freedom to create content for your brand, avoiding overstepping your role as a partner. Provide guidance when needed to protect your brand, but keep in mind that the influencer has built a following for a reason and they know what kind of content appeals to their audience.

Champion authenticity in your next campaign

Whether you’re new to influencer campaigns or have already partnered with several influencers, it’s time to put authenticity front and center. It’s what social media users want and they’re in charge of your brand’s success on social.

Use this influencer marketing toolkit which will set you up with the resources to begin, budget and build an influencer strategy optimized for ROI. Establish strong relationships on social for the long term with influencers, followers and customers.

The post Authenticity in influencer marketing: How to find authentic influencers appeared first on Sprout Social.

In this post, we take a deep dive into the art of social media listening for Instagram. We explain why it’s important, how it works and how to build an Instagram social listening strategy. Let’s get started.

What is Instagram social listening?

Instagram social listening is the process of tracking relevant conversations on the platform. It involves listening in on conversations about specific keywords, topics, hashtags and competitors. This helps you extract valuable insights to inform other aspects of your Instagram marketing strategy.

Not sure what to post? See what your followers are buzzing about to get inspiration for new content ideas. What memes are they sharing? What topics are they discussing?

Similarly, these conversations help you:

• Identify potential customers and influencers
• Assess your overall brand health and sentiment
• See what your competitors are doing
• Guide customers on their path to purchase
• Stay on top of the latest industry trends

Instagram social listening gives you firsthand, actual answers based on facts. So you’re no longer wasting your efforts and resources on guesswork.

Why Instagram social listening matters

Brands shouldn’t live in a bubble when it comes to their Instagram activity. Listening puts your mentions, interactions and comments into context. This helps you engage people and grow your account.

Below are some specific ways that Instagram empowers you to connect with customers.

Learning what your audience wants on a personal level

Social listening on Instagram lets you hone in on the needs and pain points of your target audience. It shows you what conversations people are having, even outside of your brand’s account. This gives you a better idea of what they want based on the posts they’re creating and the comments they’re leaving on a friend’s or influencer’s post.

These insights will then inform your social media content strategy and promotion strategy. Knowing what your audience wants can even guide your product development efforts.

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Providing more impactful Instagram customer service

“Good” service goes hand-in-hand with having a pulse on customer questions, comments and concerns.

This becomes challenging when people use Instagram to vent their frustrations instead of talking to you. Instagram social listening ensures that you never miss a @mention. It also helps you track posts containing branded keywords. So you can stay on top of customer service conversations beyond your direct call-outs.

That way, you can respond swiftly and step up your social media customer service efforts.

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This could be a game-changer, with 76% of consumers in our 2023 Sprout Social Index™ report valuing how quickly a brand responds to their needs. Our report found that consumers also equally appreciate it when a brand prioritizes customer support. 70% also expect to get a personalized response for their customer service needs.

Discovering meaningful customer content to promote your brand

Your customers are your best marketers. Listening can clue you in on valuable content and social proof you can promote yourself. This might include:

• Positive reviews, testimonials and customer success stories
• User-generated content (think: customer photos and videos)
• Shout-outs from potential co-marketing partners (think: brands, influencers and creators)

Rather than dig for these opportunities, listening ensures that they all come to you.

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Instagram social listening vs. social media monitoring

Quick side note! Let’s take a moment to break down what Instagram listening isn’t.

Listening is about more than @mentions, comments and #hashtags

Terms like “monitoring” and “listening” often get used interchangeably among marketers. They aren’t the same, though.

• Social media monitoring is the act of tracking @mentions, comments and hashtags. Monitoring is a crucial aspect of listening, but it’s only part of the process.
• Instagram social listening involves translating conversations and customer talking points into action.

Interactions matter, but so does context. Think about it. Someone tagging a fashion brand in their OOTD post versus calling out that brand’s products are apples and oranges.

A tag simply means, “This is what I’m wearing/using.” A call-out goes deeper into what they love about the product or why they chose it specifically. Also, not every mention of your business on Instagram involves a direct call-out or tag. This is likely to happen when people are complaining about your brand or expressing their frustration.

Social listening for Instagram is about deciphering the context behind those relevant conversations. This then empowers you to take appropriate action and make informed decisions.

The takeaway? If you’re only looking for mentions of your brand name or campaign key terms, you’re missing out on key conversations.

You’re also missing opportunities to intervene and take action to engage customers. That’s why it pays to be proactive via listening.

How does Instagram social listening work, though?

Good question! Instagram is a strange beast as far as listening to customer interactions goes.

For starters, you’re juggling a lot of different queries. Tags, mentions and branded keywords are just the beginning.

And although IG search has improved, you need to do some digging to find and pull together relevant conversations.

Instagram social listening involves the following three-step process:

• Creating queries based on your business, hashtags and terms relevant to your industry
• Monitoring mentions, tags, comments and interactions
• Assessing all of the above to take action

This action could be something as simple as responding to a post. Or it may involve a bit more complex process of solving a customer’s problem.

Starface uses brand tags and hashtags to find relevant customer content. The following Reel shows how a customer created a DIY bag charm using the brand’s star balm. Starface responds with a comment about how smart this is. Even a simple acknowledgment like this is enough to build a strong brand community.

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Features such as Instagram’s keyword search and tags can help you dig out content relevant to your brand. Coupled with your comments and brand tags, you have a decent idea of what people are saying about your business.

This is obviously a lot to sift through by hand. Again, Instagram doesn’t make listening particularly easy by default.

The good news is that there are tools out there to help. Sprout’s social media listening tool helps you hone in on relevant Instagram conversations. Brands can create their own listening queries for Instagram via Boolean syntax and rules logic.

Choose from existing templates to simplify your Instagram social listening efforts. Monitor brand health, discover industry insights and analyze your competition. Or check out how your campaign is performing and how people are responding to an event.

Sprout’s Query Builder is where you enter the words, phrases or hashtags you want to track. For Instagram, it’s crucial to include hashtags as a part of your Query since Sprout uses hashtags to collect data from the platform.

Not sure what words or phrases to track? Queries by AI Assist is a useful feature that automatically suggests additional words or phrases. Enter one keyword relevant to your industry and the capability comes up with other related keywords to add to your Query.

Optionally, exclude specific words and phrases and select industry themes to reduce noise in your social listening data. You can also configure your alerts and apply additional filters to streamline your search.

How to build an effective Instagram social listening strategy

Of course, understanding Instagram listening and how it works is only half the battle.

How do you turn all of these metrics and observations into action?

Your social listening strategy ultimately boils down to your goals. Below is how brands can use Instagram social listening to level up their marketing efforts.

Conduct competitive analysis to find ways to stand out

One of the best uses of social listening is competitive analysis.

Consider ultra-competitive markets such as the beauty industry, for example. New products are constantly popping up every day, with new brands adding to the competition. Tracking tags and trending discussions will show you which brands are dominating the space and why. So you can better position yourself in the face of stiff competition.

Meanwhile, direct mentions and branded hashtags highlight conversations specific to your brand. This helps you uncover what makes your brand different.

Uncover opportunities to improve your products

If you want to know how to improve your own products and services, who better to ask than your own customers? Prompted or not, followers can clue you in on new ideas.

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Of course, not all feedback from your followers is going to be direct. People might create posts or Stories complaining about your products without tagging you. Using an Instagram social listening tool will help you zero in on those relevant discussions.

Likes, comments and shares also help you measure how customers are responding to certain products. Look at an influx of interactions to see which products are a customer favorite. Alternatively, posts with a lower engagement can show you which items are falling flat.

Make valuable customer touchpoints on the path to purchase

The latest Instagram stats show that 70% of shoppers look to the platform for their next purchase. And over 60% research brands and products on the app. So if you take the opportunity to engage these potential customers, you could effectively grow your sales.

Instagram comments are a goldmine for finding folks interested in your products. This rings true for people who don’t know about you yet or might be looking for a new spot in your space.

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Listening makes it easier to maintain relationships with satisfied customers, too. This includes check-ins and opportunities to earn more UGC.

Discover industry and content trends relevant to your followers

Social listening is invaluable for tracking industry trends. For starters, you should know the tags your audience follows. But are how they responding to such trends? What’s the context behind those trends? How can you apply them to your own campaigns?

On a related note, Instagram listening can keep you from accidentally copying your competition.

For example, brands need to differentiate their tone, content calendar and captions if they want to stand out on Instagram. Effective listening can help you uncover tags and trends that your competitors might be missing out on and how you can fill the void.

Monitor your customer sentiment and keep people happy

Let’s say you’ve launched a new product or campaign.

You obviously want to know how your audience feels about it, right? Are you building the kind of buzz you expect? Or is the campaign falling flat with your audience?

Again, you may not always get those answers from direct mentions. Chances are there are users out there who can provide a concrete answer, though. You need to keep track of the posts people are creating about the product or campaign to get an idea of its impact.

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This is where sentiment analysis comes in, helping you gauge how folks are reacting to your brand on Instagram. Track the sentiment around specific campaign tags and products. Whether it’s “yay,” “nay” or “meh,” sentiment analysis can inform you to better serve customers and score more love from your Instagram followers.

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What Instagram social listening tools are available to brands?

Native Instagram search tools allow basic brand listening. But the process is manual and taxing, especially if you’re going all in with Instagram social listening.

After all, brands need to track multiple tags and competitors. That’s not even considering your own mentions and branded keywords. Given the sheer amount of content posted to Instagram daily, sifting through it all is no small feat.

Investing in a proper Instagram social listening tool saves you the trouble of digging through thousands of posts each day.

Sprout’s robust suite of social listening features is a game-changer for brands looking to step up their Instagram presence. Businesses can track dozens of queries beyond simple hashtags with the help of our Query Builder. This gives you a holistic understanding of your brand and industry to inform your larger marketing efforts.

Reporting and analytics provide a quantitative look at your listening so you can make data-driven decisions. Second-guessing a campaign or your next move on Instagram? Look no further than your numbers for peace of mind.

Listen, learn and grow with Instagram social listening

Social listening on Instagram helps you tap into the pulse of industry trends and conversations. These insights inform various aspects of your business—from your content to your product development.

Stay on top of those critical conversations with Sprout’s robust social media listening solution. Try it for free for 30 days to see how it can power your Instagram social listening efforts.

The post Instagram social listening: Transform your brand’s strategy appeared first on Sprout Social.

Just ask Tim Brogdon, Director of Digital Content for the Chicago White Sox. He and his team modernized the franchise’s approach to social media management, creating space for fans to celebrate—and commiserate.

We sat down with Brogdon to learn more about the team’s strategy, and to get his perspective on the ups, downs and best practices of social media in sports marketing.

Social media’s impact on sports marketing

Social media has reshaped the way teams, athletes and brands engage with fans. What used to be a one-way broadcast is now a conversation with the masses. To succeed, teams first need to keep up—which is easier said than done.

“While there is fan focus on the games themselves, sports marketing is so much more than those individual events.” says Brogdon. “We strive to authentically grab attention and engage with our audience year-round.”

In the past, sports fans only saw game-day footage captured by professional broadcast crews using high-tech cameras and audio equipment. Today, meeting fans’ growing demand for content requires a small army of contributors. Everyone plays a role—from digital content teams and fan services to the athletes themselves—ensuring a steady stream of engaging content.

All those efforts reap big wins in terms of fan engagement. According to the 2024 Content Benchmarks Report, organizations in the leisure, sports ‌ and recreation sectors typically receive eight times the average number of inbound engagements on their content each day compared to other industries.

The benefits of social media in sports marketing

Sports marketers who step up to the social media plate can score major rewards for their franchises. Here are three ways social media strategies can benefit the teams they support.

It promotes fan engagement—even during tough seasons

A social-first media strategy allows teams to connect with fans in a less corporate, more relatable way, making teams less reliant on wins for positive engagement. The White Sox aren’t the first to pioneer this strategy. Brogdon was inspired by another big name in the sports marketing world: The Cleveland Browns.

“One example I’d always bring up internally while trying to get buy-in is the Cleveland Browns,” shared Brogdon. “Allie Raymond—who’s now with the Los Angeles Chargers—led their social media strategy during the team’s 19-game winless streak. Even during a winless season, they were widely regarded as the best NFL team on social.”

The White Sox social media team captured similar success after setting the record for most losses in a single season. “In September, the White Sox were the third highest ranking team in terms of engagement on X, and number one in engagement per follower. That’s during the time Shohei Ohtani made history with his 50/50 season and other teams were vying for playoff spots. We took difficulties on the field and made them wins off the field.”

It expands reach into new audiences

Thanks to the rise of the algorithmic feed, a stranger is just a fan who hasn’t come across your content yet.

“Our strategy doesn’t hinge on follower growth,” explains Brogdon. “The algorithms are feeding people content whether they’re following the Chicago White Sox accounts or not. Instead, we want to create content that encourages people to pause, view, like and comment. Shares and sends (DMs) are also important, because that impacts virality.”

This impact of social media on sports marketing goes far beyond baseball. A record-setting 5 billion people engaged with the 2022 World Cup on social, and the 2024 Summer Games saw 12 billion engagements. The channel turns die-hard fans into armchair sports analysts while introducing the game day experience to new audiences, ready to be captivated.

It creates new revenue opportunities

Corporate sponsorships have long been a key revenue stream for professional sports teams, but in the past, opportunities for promotion were mostly limited to stadium signage and jerseys. With social media, however, the potential for lucrative partnerships has expanded dramatically.

“Our reassessed strategy at the end of the season caught a lot of attention on social and earned media, which led to a partnership with Dude Wipes,” says Brogdon. “So, in addition to boosting engagement, impressions and growth on our social profiles, we were able to generate revenue for the organization even as the season was winding down.”

The story behind the Chicago White Sox’s new social media approach

Every social media manager knows that behind every brand meme are multiple strategy discussions and layers of internal approvals—and sports is no exception. So how did the White Sox get buy-in for a relatable and self-aware social media strategy that navigated on-field challenges? To put it simply, they worked as a team.

“Our team did a lot of internal advocacy to showcase the potential benefits of talking about losses in a relatable way while taking eyeballs off of players and the front office,” says Brogdon “Our roster saw a lot of new faces added before 2024 season, so early on our strategy was dedicated to getting to know them. We want to humanize them so fans look at them with a sense of empathy and respect.”

As September arrived and the possibility of making history became real, Brogdon and his team took some time to get everyone on the same page. These efforts called for a bit of managing up, along with a solid proof of concept.

At one point, the social team even created memes on the spot during a meeting with the front office’s senior vice president of communications to show what the strategy could look like in real time.

“We would literally go into meetings with printed out memes to share as examples during presentations,” shares Brogdon. “We had to prove that our ideas were grounded in best practices while breaking our normal cadence. We wanted to move forward with a more relatable version of our existing brand voice, but wrapping that up in a presentation that appeals to executive staff takes some time, effort and energy.”

All the internal advocacy, meetings‌ and effort behind their strategic vision ultimately led to a 5% increase in social media sentiment during the month of September. Plus, it gave fans another team to root for: the social team.

4 social media best practices sports marketers need to know

When it comes to professional sports, a great strategy can’t be built in a silo. There are countless other teams and individuals that’ll impact and be impacted by your efforts. To create more seamless social-first experiences, you need to work with all of them. Here are four best practices for getting it done.

1. Take the time to secure internal buy-in

In a perfect world, all of your colleagues would be on board with your strategy after a single presentation. In reality, it’s never that easy, but don’t let the work scare you. The time you take to secure internal buy-in plays a critical role in the success of your strategy.

“Communicating and building relationships with other people who have the ability to enhance your strategy can’t happen overnight,” says Brogdon. “It takes time and effort to sell your strategy internally. There are so many stakeholders that need to buy in, including the social and video teams, marketing, sponsorship and supervisors, etc.”

If you want to give your organization’s social presence a creative overhaul, you have to slow down to speed up. Talk with individuals across your organization, share the rationale behind your ideas and listen to their critiques. This will help you create a stronger business case once the opportunity knocks.

2. Lean on your network

The role of social media in sports marketing is major, but teams are still smaller than you might expect. If you’re a sports marketer in need of some creative inspiration, try looking beyond your organization for help.

“One of my favorite things about sports marketing is the community,” says Brogdon. “It’s much smaller than people realize. You’re able to see a lot of cool success stories from people you’ve worked with or run into over your career.”

Sharing victories and losses with other social media professionals working in the sports industry can spark big ideas. “Everyone creates content around their core and secondary audiences, all while taking their brand identity and account demographics into consideration. It’s interesting because we all get access to the same data, but everyone does something different with it.”

3. Make the most out of time with players

Players are your greatest content creators, but their main focus is on performing on the field. So how can you prep them to capture social content without disrupting their game?

The Chicago White Sox social team maximizes their limited time with players by integrating content strategy into existing touchpoints. “We have two major opportunities to educate our players on social media,” explains Brogdon. “We connect with newly acquired players at a social media session in the fall in Glendale and hold a full team session during Spring Training”

These sessions not only allow the social team to introduce the White Sox digital brand but also give players a glimpse of how the social and video teams will work with them throughout the season. It’s a relationship Brogdon describes as ‘symbiotic’—players learn how to support the social team’s efforts, while the social team helps players amplify their personal brands.

4.  Develop a reporting infrastructure to support corporate partnerships

When the Chicago White Sox sought a new social media management solution, Sprout Social’s Tagging feature stood out as a game changer.

“The ease and convenience of reporting through custom Tags stood out to us immediately” says Brogdon. “Being able to provide marketing, PR, corporate partners and senior leadership with precise, channel-level data is huge for us.”

MLB isn’t alone in recognizing the benefits of this feature. The Atlanta Hawks social media team also uses Sprout to implement their sophisticated Tagging strategy.

“Everything we post gets a content pillar tag and a content medium tag, at minimum,” shared Katie DuPre’, Atlanta Hawks’ Social Strategy Manager, in a previous interview. “We also create campaign ID tags for any larger marketing campaigns. For example, when we were at All-Star Weekend, all live content coverage got a specific tag. After the event concluded, we were able to go back and recap the success of our event coverage.”

When it comes to social media in sports, you have to bring your A-game

Sports marketers across countries, teams and leagues are doing some big things on social. These efforts don’t just impact marketing KPIs—they introduce franchises to the next era of fans.

If you want to get into the game, you need a social media management and analytics platform that can provide you with real-time insights and engagement opportunities. Download our social media management buyer’s guide and learn how to make the most informed choice today.

The post Social media in sports marketing: Takeaways from the Chicago White Sox’s game-changing strategy appeared first on Sprout Social.

That’s where Twitter tools come in. There are many tools available that can help you with managing your Twitter account, from scheduling tweets to analyzing your performance. But with so many options to choose from, it can be tough to know where to start.

In this article, we share a comprehensive list of Twitter tools that’ll empower you to manage, track, schedule and elevate your Twitter presence.

Benefits of using Twitter tools

Twitter tools can help you with the following:

1. Scheduling your Twitter (X) posts in advance

Plan and schedule your Twitter posts ahead of time to ensure a consistent posting schedule and reach your audience when they are most active. Twitter tools streamline the process and save time.

2. Tracking your Twitter analytics

Regularly review your Twitter analytics to gain insights into your audience, engagement rates and overall performance. A centralized Twitter tool can deliver the data to identify trends, optimize your Twitter content and measure the effectiveness of your strategy.

3. Growing your Twitter following

Use Twitter tools to implement strategies to attract new followers and grow your Twitter audience. This includes discovering relevant hashtags, engaging with followers and users, running contests or giveaways and partnering with influencers.

4. Managing your Twitter reputation

Monitor your Twitter presence and respond quickly to mentions, comments and messages with a tool that includes social listening and social monitoring capabilities. When you address any negative feedback or criticism constructively and quickly, you maintain a positive online reputation.

5. Engaging with your Twitter audience

Interact with your followers by responding to their tweets, reposting their content and starting conversations. Host Twitter chats, ask questions and encourage discussions to foster a sense of community and build stronger relationships with your audience. With a Twitter tool, you can manage and track all parts of a conversation in a centralized dashboard.

Now that you know the benefits, let’s take a look at some of the best Twitter tools available.

14 best Twitter marketing tools

1. Sprout Social

Sprout Social’s Twitter management tools encompass nearly all the tasks you’d need to accomplish—management, scheduling, listening, monitoring, analyzing and more.

Easily manage multiple Twitter accounts in one place, whether you’re working with multiple brands or locations, or if you have Support accounts to maintain. Publish or schedule your content from one easy-to-use dashboard and measure its performance.

Sprout’s AI-powered analytics provides marketers with actionable insights within the dashboard based on business data. Analyze by AI Assist looks at your social data and gives you important insights so you can modify your social strategy where needed. For example, Sprout can identify the most frequently used hashtags and keywords in your audience’s conversation. It can also highlight significant shifts in brand sentiment and pinpoint spikes in mentions or engagements. Analyze by AI Assist automatically surfaces these insights, saving social media managers time and allowing them to quickly understand their Twitter performance.

Try Sprout for 30 days free

2. Planable

Planable is a social media collaboration and scheduling tool that allows teams to visually plan and schedule their Twitter content in a calendar view. The tool also facilitates team communication and streamlines the approval process with features like commenting and real-time feedback directly within the platform. Planable also offers analytics to help users understand the performance of their Twitter content.

3. Ritetag

RiteTag is a hashtag analysis tool that can help brands optimize their posts by suggesting relevant and trending hashtags that align with their brand. It analyzes hashtag performance in real time and provides instant feedback on hashtag engagement potential, which can help increase visibility and reach. Ritetag also offers features like hashtag comparisons and the ability to track hashtag performance over time. RiteTag is just one tool within RiteKit’s suite, which includes RiteForge for publishing content, Rite.ly for short-link CTAs and RiteBoost for enhancing posts in your current scheduling tool.

4. Audiense

Audiense is an audience intelligence and Twitter analytics platform. It provides in-depth insights into your audience’s demographics, interests and behaviors. It allows users to segment their audience, identify key influencers and understand their social media conversations. With Audiense you can tailor your Twitter content to specific audience segments and identify opportunities for engagement.

5. Tweepi

Tweepi is a Twitter management tool designed to help users grow and manage their Twitter following. It offers features like identifying relevant users to follow unfollowing inactive accounts and cleaning up your Twitter lists. Tweepi also provides analytics on your follower growth and engagement helping you to optimize your Twitter strategy.

6. Circleboom

Circleboom is a follower analysis tool that can help brands clean up and manage their Twitter accounts. With Circleboom, you can identify inactive accounts, spam accounts and fake followers to curate your following and improve your feed. It also offers tools to help manage your Twitter lists and provides analytics on your account activity. The tool also provides Twitter audience insights so brands can make sure they’re generating followers that match their target demographics.

7. Followerwonk

Followerwonk is a great tool for finding accounts to follow and analyzing your existing follower count. It allows users to analyze and compare Twitter accounts based on various factors like location, bio keywords and who they follow. This tool can help you find influencers in your niche, discover potential followers and understand your audience demographics and interests. Followerwonk also provides insights into your followers’ activity patterns and social authority.

8. Keyhole

Keyhole is a tool for gathering insights on your Twitter posts and overall account performance. Get an idea of how many tweets you’ve published in a given time period, the number of engagements they’ve received, likes, clicks, retweets and so much more. It provides real-time data and visualizations to help you understand the reach and impact of your Twitter campaigns and identify trending topics. Keyhole also allows you to track competitor activity and measure the performance of your social media strategies.

9. Trendsmap

Trendsmap is a tool for monitoring conversations on Twitter. Keep an eye on relevant trends so that you can incorporate them into your content or get an idea of when topics are being widely discussed. It provides a real-time visual representation of trending topics and hashtags on Twitter across different geographical locations. This tool allows you to see what’s trending in specific cities, countries or regions. It helps you understand local conversations and tailor your content to different audiences. Trendsmap can be useful for identifying emerging trends and engaging with relevant conversations in real-time. Get alerts based on keywords you’ve set about various topics of conversation so you can be a part of the discussion.

10. Mention

Mention is a tool for monitoring online conversations around your brand, competitors or any keywords across Twitter and other online platforms. It provides alerts in real-time, enabling you to quickly respond to comments and engage in relevant conversations. Mention also helps you analyze sentiment around your brand and identify potential influencers or brand advocates.

11. Daily 140

Daily 140, named for the original Twitter character limit, is a great tool that provides a daily email digest of the Twitter activity from accounts you select to follow. This includes their latest tweets, retweets, likes and the new accounts they follow. It’s a good way to keep up with the activity of specific accounts like industry influencers, competitors or thought leaders without always checking Twitter.

12. Twitonomy

Twitonomy is a great Twitter tracking tool because it offers a ton of information all at once. Gather in-depth analytics and insights into your Twitter activity and that of any other public Twitter account. You can analyze tweets, retweets, replies, mentions and hashtags to understand engagement patterns and identify influencers. Twitonomy also allows you to download data for your tweets, followers and lists for further analysis or archiving.

13. MeetEdgar

MeetEdgar is a social media scheduling tool that allows you to create and schedule a library of evergreen content for your Twitter account. It automatically varies the scheduling and re-shares your updates to maximize visibility and reach. MeetEdgar also includes features like A/B testing for tweets and category-based scheduling to help streamline your social media management.

14. Twitter

While often thought of as a social media platform, Twitter itself offers a variety of built-in tools that can help with social media management. Users can compose and schedule tweets in advance, ensuring a consistent flow of content. To share longer-form content and narratives, Twitter allows users to create threads linking multiple tweets together. Important or evergreen content can be highlighted by pinning a tweet to the top of a profile.

Beyond content creation, Twitter provides basic analytics to track tweet performance and audience engagement through impressions, reach and other metrics. While Twitter’s built-in tools may not be as comprehensive as some third-party platforms, they provide a solid foundation for managing your Twitter presence.

Find the best Twitter tools for your needs

Not every Twitter tool will work for your brand and your team’s needs. Do your research and read through our descriptions of each tool to find the best one for you. Or, take advantage of Sprout Social’s all-in-one Twitter management tool. Get started with our 30-day free trial and see if our solution will work for your brand.

The post 14 Twitter tools to boost your brand’s marketing in 2025 appeared first on Sprout Social.

But trying to identify relevant content for multiple social networks all the time is exhausting—and costly. And, frankly, some days you don’t have the time to create fresh social content from scratch.

When it comes to social content creation, it pays to work smarter, not harder. Instead of constantly coming up with new ideas, social marketers should look at what they already have and repurpose their top-performing blog posts, videos, reports, white papers and more.

In this article, we’ll discuss repurposing content for social media and how to make your content work for you, instead of the other way around.

Why it pays to repurpose content for social media

There are many strategic benefits to repurposing content for social media.

What does this process look like in practice? The Sprout Social Index™ is our annual data report that speaks to the entire marketing industry. But we also include data points that are specific to certain disciplines and can be used to capture the attention of niche audiences.

With this in mind, we create new articles inspired by data from the Index to dive deeper into those industry insights. Plus, we consistently pull graphics from the report to include in our social media content.

Here are the key benefits of having a content repurposing strategy:

Saves time, money and effort

Social media content creation for multiple networks is time-consuming. However, it’s an effort brands need to take if they want to remain relevant with consumers. According to Sprout Social’s 2024 Social Media Content Strategy Report, social media users connect and consume content differently across social platforms. To reach your target audience, you’ve got to post relevant, entertaining and educational content in multiple places.

However, with tighter budgets and lower head counts, brands have to figure out how to make the most out of every marketing resource they have available.

When you have a content repurposing strategy in place, you optimize your efforts and spend. Of course, you should avoid sharing the same content everywhere, all the time. It’s important to take into account each social network’s unique features and demographics so the content you share aligns with what your target audience is looking for.

Reinforces the brand message

Sharing consistent messaging across different formats strengthens your brand’s identity on social, reminding followers who you are and what you stand for. Remember the “Rule of Seven”? Prospects need to see or hear a brand’s message at least seven times before taking any action to make a purchase.

When you repurpose content for social media, you double down on key brand messaging. According to the 2024 Content Benchmarks Report, brands published 10 posts per day across social networks in 2023. In some industries, the number doubled or even quadrupled. That’s a lot of opportunities to find creative ways to repurpose content and remind social followers about your unique value proposition.

Builds share of voice on a topic

Share of voice is a metric for how much your brand dominates a conversation in your industry compared to your competitors. For example, Sprout is a frontrunner in conversations about social media influencers. Repurposing content allows brands to maintain steady content production volume, so they can maintain and grow share of voice on social without having to create a bunch of net new content.

The next time your target audience searches for that topic on social or in a search engine, your brand may be at the top of their search results—proving to your audience why you’re the authority in this area. (We’re always on the front page of search results for social media influencers, for example).

When you repurpose content for social media, you play the long game. It’s not just about saving time and money, it’s also about increasing visibility and authority over time.

What to consider: Best practices for repurposing content for social media

If you don’t have a strategy for repurposing content for social media, it can feel a bit overwhelming to start. Where do you begin? What workflow is right for your team? How much repurposing is too much? Don’t worry—the following best practices will answer your questions so you feel confident when getting started.

Identify high-performing content

Before you dive into recycling your content, you should know that not all content lends itself to this particular art form. For content repurposing success, you’ve got to select the right content to reuse in the first place.

Put your best foot forward, as the saying goes: Prioritize content that performs well, resonates with your audience and will meet your needs and goals. Having a goal in mind makes it easier to determine which content to include in your curation strategy. Goals can include:

• Raising brand awareness in a certain industry
• Connecting with your audience
• Driving organic traffic back to your website
• Supporting leads or trials

Consider which social media metrics you’ll use to determine your best-performing content. For example, if your goal is to increase engagement across networks, repurpose content that has a high number of likes, shares and comments. If your goal is to increase follower growth, consider repurposing content that has previously had the most mentions, comments and shares. For brands that want to drive organic traffic back to a landing page or website, repurposing content that has a high click-through rate makes the most sense.

Check if the content you want to repurpose is evergreen or time-constrained. An article that performs well year-round may be easier to repurpose right now, while event-specific or seasonal content may need to be carefully scheduled before posting.

Choose the right channels

Repurposing content for social media also means you need to consider where it’ll be posted. The right channel makes all the difference—how you tell the story is equally as valuable as the story itself. Your repurposing strategy needs to consider audience network preferences, along with your social goals for the year.

For example, if your audience is largely active on LinkedIn and one of your goals is to increase visibility on that network, then you’ll want to consider how best to repurpose content that’ll get more eyes on your feed.

While LinkedIn is a great space for sharing thought leadership content, be sure to think about what else social media users want to see on that channel. This will help you increase visibility on that network and improve social follower retention as well.

In addition to considering which of your networks are most active, focus on what types of content consumers are looking for as a whole across networks. Industry trends can shift and fade quickly for each network, so it’s also important to have a pulse on where social is going. For example, short-form video is currently king, which means that social networks that support and promote that format will likely continue to see growth.

Tailor content to each platform

Know your audience. Think about what your audience on each network expects to see from you. For example, if your Instagram followers consistently react well to short-form videos from your brand, repurpose more content into that format. Be sure to surprise and delight your audience with something unexpected every now and then too, such as a GIF or meme, so that your social network feed isn’t all the same.

Considering the right format for each social network is key because what works for one network isn’t going to be right for another. For example, a three-minute video based on an eBook may work well for YouTube, but is likely too long for X (formerly Twitter). Instead, users want to see shorter videos under a minute on X, along with static images, text-only posts, GIFs and memes.

Don’t overlook emerging networks you’ve recently started using. Repurposing content may provide an opportunity to increase your visibility on those networks and establish your brand as a leading voice in the space. Take Threads, for example. While only 15% of our survey respondents have a Threads profile, there’s significant potential for growth.

Use AI to save time

If you’re thinking about how to repurpose content for social media in less time, consider the many AI tools available that can help.

AI tools can enhance social media content creation by making new versions of tested formats. For example, marketers using Sprout Social can use our Suggestions by AI Assist tool to generate custom copy that aligns with their brand’s voice and audience preferences, supporting their copywriting efforts.

To enhance your repurposing strategy with Suggestions by AI Assist, try using the tool to rework top-performing posts. This allows you to create three fresh versions of a proven format in no time.

How to repurpose high-performing content into a social media post

After compiling a list of your best pieces and determining the social networks to focus on, it’s time to repurpose your content for social media. But, beware of social media saturation—social media users are sifting through a ton of social media content, so it’s best to offer quality over quantity. Here are some ideas to help kickstart your creativity, stand out from the crowd and turn any piece of content into an engaging post for your networks:

Post X threads

While one X post is only 280 characters, you can expand your content by posting threads instead. Use X threads to share detailed and complex information that doesn’t lend itself well to a single post, such as blog content. It’s also a good way to share resources, lists and tips and tricks with followers.

Cross-post your livestream

Extend the life of your livestream event by saving and uploading videos to YouTube, sharing snippets to X or trimming clips for an Instagram post or TikTok. You can also use screenshots and quotes for non-video posts to capture your audience’s attention or tease what’s to come. The possibilities for repurposing livestreams are endless. You can even turn memorable moments into GIFs and memes for more shareability.

Make it a GIF

Have a video clip or animation that brings a smile? Turn it into a GIF. Plenty of free tools exist to do this, and GIFs make for eye-catching posts that can be used to promote a piece of content or a new product. Starbucks, for example, created a simple GIF that showcases the cold foam in their new product in a fun way.

Ask a question

The same questions used to spark comments at the ends of videos and blog posts can be repurposed on other platforms. Create a static image with the big question, for example, or take the poll route. LinkedIn Q&As and Facebook and X Polls all create opportunities to engage your audience with existing content or tease a new report that’s on the way.

We asked a question on an Instagram carousel which pointed followers to our LinkedIn live event on the same topic.

Provide an answer

Search your Facebook and LinkedIn communities for questions you can answer with an existing article. By repurposing content and/or linking to it in your response to queries, you build relationships and increase the chances of being found by others asking the same question. This approach also shows social followers you’re paying attention to their questions, preferences and needs.

Amazon answers a question in the video below, engaging followers with a subject matter expert. Similar content is used in a blog post by Amazon as well.

Rework written content for Instagram

Even written content can find a home on a visual platform like Instagram. But don’t just copy and paste a paragraph as your Instagram post; consider pulling out salient data points or quotes to build a visual social narrative around. A lengthy report also works as fodder for a series of short videos sharing key information. Instagram carousels are great ways to share text-based content—just be sure to implement design best practices to tell the story visually.

We noticed an increase in interest in building an executive social media presence, so we wrote a guide on it and created an Instagram carousel featuring three compelling reasons for executives to focus on their social media presence.

Turn a webinar into a video

Webinars offer informative and educational content for social followers, but often, followers need to watch them live. Why not turn a webinar recording into a social video, similar to what SAP has done below. In this case, they’ve used the whole webinar as a video, but you can also slice and dice the recording into bite-sized pieces for different social channels.

Focus on the numbers

Stats on social media tend to capture a lot of attention, especially in industries where building credibility and expertise matter. Create stat-based static graphics or short videos that use your brand’s research from reports and white papers to showcase your authority in the space.

Use the power of a memorable quote

Looking to spark conversation, build authority‌ or drive engagement? A powerful quote can make your content stand out.  Comb through your blogs, reports, interviews and other text-based content for a quote that’ll capture your audience’s attention. Share it as a static graphic on your networks.

Smart content repurposing generates exponential returns

If you already have high-performing content, it’s time to use it across channels. With a little creative reformatting and thoughtful placement, social media marketers can make the most of all their brand’s greatest content and reduce the content generation workload. It’s a win-win.

Want more tips to make a lasting business impact with your content strategy? Download the 2024 Social Media Content Strategy and get findings to help you prioritize your budget and bandwidth to deliver the greatest return on investment from your social efforts.

The post The greatest hits: Repurposing your best content for social media appeared first on Sprout Social.

But departmental silos, limited understanding of the value of social customer care and clunky tech stacks hinder businesses from delivering quality customer service. Leaders who don’t invest in solving some of these issues will be leaving money on the table and putting their customers’ loyalty up for grabs.

In this article, you’ll read how AI and automation technologies are transforming the landscape of social customer care. And how brands, like yours, can take advantage of them to build memorable brand experiences and maintain customer loyalty.

What customers expect from your service: quality and speed

In a world where social DMs have become a form of texting in their own right, brands replying quickly to customers is table stakes. This makes speed a critical performance metric in social media customer care.

As modern customer expectations shift heavily toward immediacy and accessibility, so have the number of customers who turn to social media for prompt responses and solutions. According to our 2024 Social Media Content Strategy Report, customers across generations—Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X and Baby Boomers—are using social media for customer care.

It makes sense, then, that one of the ways brands can amp up customer care quickly and effectively is to make social customer care an integral part of their overall customer service.

Yet, consumers want more than just a fast response.

The 2023 Sprout Social Index™ found that even though 69% of customers wanted brands to respond within 24 hours, and 16% within minutes, 63% of consumers said their brand loyalty hinged on the quality of customer service they received on social media.

As social platforms become the preferred channel for inquiries and complaints, brands need to keep up with the speed of social and provide swift, effective solutions. It’s especially critical today, when social customer care has such a huge impact on the entire service experience, influencing customer satisfaction, loyalty and brand reputation.

Luckily, technology is here to help.

AI and automation tools are enabling brands to meet customer expectations without missing a beat like never before. And consumers are welcoming the move. According to a Sprout Q1 2024 Pulse Survey of 2,000 consumers across the US and UK, 75% say they’re comfortable with brands using AI and automated technology to deliver faster customer service on social.

And with social becoming a key place for customers to sound off, care teams deserve all the support they need to scale and meet customers’ high expectations.

Read more about how top brands provide exceptional customer service and support.

Common roadblocks to delivering high-quality customer service

Though 88% of business leaders agree social media is a critical tool in providing customer care and service, several roadblocks prevent teams from accessing the tools and resources they need.

Here’s how social media marketers and care teams describe their greatest challenges to delivering exceptional customer care and experiences.

Too many messages and too much manual work

According to a Q3 2023 Sprout Pulse Survey, 63% of customer care professionals said a high volume of customer care requests is their most prominent obstacle.

As one member of The Arboretum, Sprout’s online community for social professionals, put it, “The most significant challenge I face when managing customer care on social media is the expectation to be available to answer questions 24/7.”

Meeting customers’ high expectations is something all brands are struggling with. Customer care tools can take the pressure off by automating tedious or repetitive tasks and managing cases based on priority, so care agents can act more effectively. Yet, only 30% of marketers feel their brand actively engages with customers on social and has implemented customer service tools and processes. And 71% of business leaders agree that brands don’t have a strong social media strategy for customer service.

Departmental and technological silos

Per the Index, social customer care is a shared function between marketing and customer service teams in 2024. But shared ownership means reimagining your teams’ entire approach to collaboration.

From your tech stack to your internal workflows, brands need to pressure test each stage of the social customer care process to find out where silos are slowing service down, and where there’s too much strain on one team.

For example, social teams are often not equipped to handle complex customer service needs, but they’re often asked to do so anyway.

As one member of The Arboretum described, “A social media manager doesn’t have the resources to resolve every customer complaint. Customers use social more and more for issue resolution, but there’s a solid wall between customer care (which uses traditional communication channels) and social media engagement.”

Others agreed that collaboration between teams at their org is lackluster. “Our team’s inability to provide quick and effective customer care is due to the lack of timely interdepartmental communication,” says one social marketer.

Lack of training and education

Social customer care is a relatively new domain, with most teams struggling to keep up with best practices. These gaps are often the product of social customer care being thought of as an ancillary duty rather than a business-wide priority.

As one member posted in The Arboretum, “There is a lack of recognition that social media ‘counts’ as customer service and care. Engaging with customers and your audience through comments and DMs doesn’t get the same respect or regard that dealing with customers through email, phone or in-person channels often does.”

Brands must ensure their care agents get the social media customer service training they need. This will help them better understand the nuances of providing care on social and delivering brand-friendly customer service across key social networks. In fact, our Q3 2023 Sprout Pulse survey found that 35% of businesses planned to hire additional agents and host additional training to improve the quality of customer interactions on social going forward.

While social customer service teams understand that social customer care is key to resolving issues on channels where customers provide open, honest—and very public—feedback, educating key stakeholders and senior leadership is also necessary to help them see its impact.

Not having the right tools

The lack of investment in customer care processes and tools to actively engage on social is a major hurdle to developing a sophisticated strategy. Disjointed tech stacks and disparate communication channels can make social customer care cumbersome and inefficient.

The Q3 2023 Sprout Pulse Survey revealed many organizations’ most prominent challenges stem from technology breakdowns—48% are left with manual tasks that take up significant time, 41% have gaps in available customer care intel for agents to reference when handling requests and 26% cite a lack of technological resources.

An Arboretum member describes how not having the right tools impedes quality: “Customers appreciate personalized responses that address their specific concerns. However, doing this effectively on social media, where conversations can be disjointed and context may be lost, can be difficult.”

According to the Index, 50% of marketers plan to implement advanced social media management software to streamline workflow efficiency. This suggests leaders are aware that technological investments are crucial to crafting a cohesive customer experience. With social becoming the central hub for social customer care functions—not just for posting and reporting, but for direct customer engagement—brands must invest in social media customer service tools.

How to provide high-quality customer service, fast

What it takes to deliver memorable and positive customer experiences is changing. As customer expectations evolve, so too should the best practices your teams follow and the processes and tools you use.

These are actionable steps to overcome challenges and meet customers where they are.

Use AI and automation for support

Per the Sprout Social Index ™, 81% of marketers said AI positively impacted their work, citing benefits like more time for creativity (78%) and increased efficiency (73%). Another 47% plan to use AI to handle basic customer inquiries in 2024 and beyond.

Thoughtfully using AI for customer service can help brands reallocate care teams’ time so they can handle tasks more efficiently. Plus, AI can help improve direct responses and meet audiences with more authenticity and human connection.

For example, our Enhance by Assist capability helps customer service agents enhance the tone of their responses to match the customers’.

AI and automation also improve customer care workflows. Sprout’s Case Management solution enables your team to automatically create Cases for each social message that needs a reply—and route them to the right team or individual based on custom criteria and rules.

Each team in Sprout has access to a distinct queue, where they can see all incoming messages assigned to them and key details about each Case. Teams can access Cases via a specific pane in the primary navigation menu.

In addition to our Case Management solution, Sprout also has a Smart Inbox, where all incoming messages from across social channels are visible in one single stream. The inbox also includes other tools that empower your team to resolve issues faster, with AI-enhanced agent replies that make replying fast and easy, tags that allow for efficient sorting and filtering and bulk actions to quickly triage messages.

And, Sprout has rules-based chatbots to help expedite customer service for common scenarios, too. Here’s an example of how automated chatbots can be set up to help automate repetitive conversational tasks (like gathering information), resolve customer issues at a faster rate and provide 24/7 service, even when no agents are available.

Personalize the experience

Consumers don’t want to be thought of as one of thousands (or millions) of people who receive the same canned response. They want to be seen as a VIP who deserves an experience that meets their unique needs.

Truly resolving customer issues and personalizing care starts with finding meaningful data. And this requires integrating social with other business intelligence software like your CRM. By having a centralized, 360-degree view of your customers, you’ll increase the quality of service you provide and break down departmental silos.

This data will deliver key insights about your customers, from the first time they sent you a DM to the last time they made a purchase. As our Q3 Pulse Survey data revealed, about 38% of customer care leaders are already looking forward to consolidating agent and customer data to guide business decisions.

Sprout enriches your Salesforce CRM records with social data to provide a comprehensive view that enables your team to engage in real time with the right context. Notice how the sidebar is populated with Salesforce Service Cloud data in this example of an agent responding to a customer via the Smart Inbox.

Similarly, brands can also use Salesforce’s internal AI assistant, Agentforce, to surface data from within Salesforce faster, so customer care agents have a complete view of a customer’s history to provide exceptional care.

Agents can prompt Agentforce to pull up a customer’s case history and quickly see what they’ve reached out about previously, for additional context, and offer thoughtful, personalized support.

Sprout’s Tableau Business Intelligence Connector takes it a step further by combining social data in an omnichannel view with other marketing data. By harnessing this intel, customer care and marketing leaders can work together to align on the business value of social customer care and elevate it into strategic planning conversations.

Use social data to understand what your customers care about

The best customer care is proactive. Understanding what your customers care about, the common issues they’re having and how they feel about your brand will shape your brand’s care strategy.

According to our Q3, 2023 Pulse Survey, 23% of customer care leaders count an inability to make data-driven decisions among their most pressing challenges, and another 37% are eager to adopt social media management tools that increase the value and business impact of customer care.

By using a solution like Sprout, you can use AI to uncover critical customer insights. Automatically sift through billions of data points to zero in on trends and key learnings you need to guide future strategy. For example, find out how your customers are reacting to your latest product launch through sentiment analysis within our Listening tool. Then, use that data to train your team and inform future product development.

Be an example of high-quality customer service

As the volume of messages and mentions you receive on social rises, so too will customer expectations of your business. To stand out from the competition, invest in the right training, processes and tools to provide quality customer care and propel your business forward.

Audit the tools and processes your organization currently uses to find gaps and redundancies. Build the case for shared ownership of customer care and access to social data, and identify the new skills you and your team need to lead a robust social care strategy.

Dive into this 2024 interactive guide on modern customer service to see the untapped potential of social for customer care and how you can benefit from it.

The post How to balance speed and quality customer service appeared first on Sprout Social.

Why? Because the more eyes on your TikTok content, the better your chances of growing your reach and engagement.

Building a TikTok marketing strategy means experimenting with new ways to get views.

However, getting those views isn’t a one-size-fits-all affair. You need options based on your brand and audience. Below we dig into 16 different strategies to get more TikTok views.

What is considered a view on TikTok?

Views on TikTok are counted after someone watches at least one second of a video. Even if they scroll away immediately after that, it’s still counted as a view.

For creators monetizing their videos through the TikTok Creator Fund, views only count when someone has watched a video for five seconds or longer. These types of views on TikTok are referred to as “qualified views.”

How much does TikTok pay for each view?

There’s no set rate that TikTok pays per view.

However, TikTok’s own Creator Academy has stated in the past that creators can earn between two and four cents per 1,000 views.

As of this post, the minimum payment threshold for revenue earned through the TikTok Creator Fund is $50.

Should you buy views on TikTok?

Under no circumstances should you ever buy likes, views, followers or any other type of social media metric. TikTok views are no exception.

The numbers might look nice on paper but inflated metrics won’t translate to long-term success. In the end, this may actually harm your business as you violate TikTok’s Terms of Services and Community Guidelines.

Instead, try advertising your content using TikTok Promote or follow our tips for getting more views on TikTok organically. And put that wallet away!

Why views matter on TikTok

Views are a crucial TikTok metric. Views highlight how many times people have seen your videos and signal interest in your content. The more views you get, the more your videos are shown, suggested and shared.

More views on TikTok translates to more opportunities to receive other types of engagement. This includes comments, follows and shares. While your follower count is the most straightforward way to measure an account’s size, your view count—the people actually seeing your videos—matters just as much.

Simply put, you need to learn how to increase TikTok views in order to grow your account, reach a wider audience and positively impact your business’s bottom line.

How to get more views on TikTok: 16 essential strategies

If you’re looking for ways to increase your views on TikTok, we’ve got you covered! Below are sixteen strategies to get more eyes on your videos.

1. Add hashtags to your content

Hashtags exist on nearly every social media platform as a way to categorize, tag and search for content.

Well, TikTok is no different. TikTok hashtags are used similarly—but can also be used for trends and challenges.

Using hashtags in TikTok captions can help even more users discover your content and boost your view count.

However, you need to be strategic about your hashtag use. Make sure you’re using hashtags that are both relevant to your content and are popular, ensuring you can generate some reach from your hashtags.

Here are a few key ways to find the best hashtags for more TikTok views:

• Pay attention to the hashtags your competitors are using
• Use a third-party tool like TikTok Hashtags to find popular tags
• Take advantage of TikTok’s autocomplete features to find hashtags
• Browse through the For You Page to discover trending hashtags
• Search TikTok’s Creative Center to find product-related tags in your industry

Here’s an example of how you can incorporate hashtags into your caption to help boost your videos:

Three to five hashtags seems to be the sweet spot with TikTok hashtags and getting relevant reach. Experiment with different tags and try to keep them consistent with similar topics. This will help the TikTok algorithm understand what you’re posting about and get your content in front of the right audience.

2. Create a multi-part series

If you’ve created a video that’s performed well, use that to your advantage.

Make it a multi-part series by coming up with more content of a similar nature.

For example, the Morning Brew team created a single video translating words into corporate speak. Their audience loved it, so they started creating more of the same types of videos with the same theme and format. The TikTok videos below are part of a series that they were able to build on.

TikTok allows users to create playlists that are perfect for putting together a video series. You can even add all of the parts of each series to a list, making it easy for users to view all similar videos within one single feed.

A few ideas for different playlists and content themes include:

• Customer showcases and testimonials
• Product demos and how-tos
• Reaction videos
• Reply videos
• Q&A videos featuring your audience
• “Tip of the week” videos

All of the above provide opportunities to both educate and entertain viewers. Given how much TikTok leans into the concept of “edutainment,” this strategy can be an effective way to get more TikTok views. If you find that a series gets traction, it makes sense to continue your momentum and make similar content.

3. Include popular music and trending audio

When in doubt, use popular music and sound clips within your video content. If someone likes the music clip, they can click on the spinning album in the bottom right corner to view more videos that use it, potentially leading them to discover your content.

TikTok now makes it easy to search for trending audio for your videos, including royalty-free songs and audio that’s cleared for commercial use.

Keep in mind that you don’t necessarily have to do a TikTok dance or anything controversial. Just a bit of creativity can help you incorporate trending sound bytes into your videos to get more TikTok views.

Leveraging trending music and audio is an easy way for brands to boost their reach and potentially get picked up on the TikTok FYP. The key is using music that makes sense for your content and not forcing yourself onto a trend.

4. Follow viral TikTok trends

Speaking of trends!

TikTok is all about following viral trends and they’re a great way to get more reach. Thankfully, there are many different types of trends to choose from. This includes dances, challenges, memes and more.

There are also truly organic events like the “Demure” trend that took over TikTok a few months back. Brands, influencers and everyday creators alike got in on it and got massive reach as a result. This example highlights again how you can use trending TikTok audio to get more views.

One of the best ways to gain an understanding of viral trends on TikTok is to spend a good bit of time simply consuming content on the platform.

Take a look at competitors and other brand accounts, but simply scroll for a bit each week as well to make sure you stay up-to-date on new TikTok content ideas. Also, pay close attention to the FYP and what’s trending among your target audience.

Note that content and trends move extremely quickly on TikTok. If you want to integrate these sorts of trendy ideas into your content calendar to get more views, you need to act on them quickly. Think days, not weeks or months.

5. Know your target audience

If you’re wondering why your views are low on TikTok, maybe it’s time to think about why your content isn’t hitting.

Pop quiz: who’s your target audience? Knowing your customers and who you’re trying to reach on TikTok can help you to create content that they want to see.

When you create content that your target audience actually enjoys, they’re going to be more likely to engage with it, share it with their friends and follow your account.

And all of the above leads to even more views.

Start by creating a customer persona. Put together a profile of exactly who you’re trying to reach—especially when you use social media data to do so. This can give you an understanding of which types of content each persona would be interested in consuming.

For example, are your customers looking at reviews? Are they looking up answers to questions or specific pain points? This is where doing research related to TikTok keywords can be a huge help, especially as the platform leans more and more into its search features.

TikTok’s keyphrase autocomplete can give you a ton of ideas related to your industry and customer pain points to create content that not only gets views but also ranks for keywords.

Next, analyze your competitors. What are they posting? Better yet, which of their posts gets the most views and engagement? How can you incorporate similar strategies with your audiences?

Then, start creating! Cater your content to your specific audience. And adjust your content strategy based on their reception.

6. Find the best times to post on TikTok

Posting at the right times can also ensure better odds of your audience seeing your content. According to our data, the best times to post on TikTok include:

• Tuesdays from 4 to 6 p.m.
• Wednesdays from 9 to 11 a.m., noon, and 2 to 6 p.m.
• Thursdays from 9 to 11 a.m. and 2 to 6 p.m.
• Fridays from 4 to 6 p.m.

However, these times can change by industry and by brand. Consider also that other variables impact TikTok views and whether the algorithm picks up your content. Rather than stick to one-size-fits-all advice, it’s important to experiment with different publishing frequencies and schedules.

To find your own best times to post, pay attention to your TikTok analytics and when your audience is most likely to be online. Then, schedule your TikTok posts accordingly.

7. Cross-promote your videos

Rather than look for some sort of TikTok view trick, consider how a bit of cross-promotion can go a long way.

For starters, share your TikTok videos on other platforms to further spread the word. You can easily share them on Instagram Stories, or you can repurpose TikTok videos as Instagram Reels or YouTube Shorts.

Consider also sharing links to your TikTok videos on X (formerly known as Twitter) to cast a wider net.

Beyond that, don’t be shy about promoting your TikTok presence across additional channels. Consider where else you can promote your TikTok presence and videos, such as your marketing emails or even product pages.

8. Create videos from TikTok comments

If someone comments on a video with a question, you can reply to it as a text comment or respond with a new TikTok video. Doing the latter creates a link from the new video to the old.

Those interested in seeing what the comment stemmed from will then go watch the original video, netting you even more views.

As you can see in this brand example, you can use this tactic as a way to announce or highlight products you’re promoting. The social team used this comment to showcase the product’s aesthetics in a way that got solid views and was likewise entertaining to the brand’s audience.

Note that you can couple this strategy with other tactics to get more views on TikTok. For example, you could make a full-blown series where you reply to customers or answer questions regularly. The bonus of using comments as content is that it naturally drives discussion and therefore more engagement and interactions, which drive views on your TikTok content.

9. Duet and stitch popular videos

Another way to create new TikTok videos is by dueting or stitching an existing TikTok video. A stitch plays part of an existing video before you take over with your own recorded video. It’s a great way to add additional context or commentary to someone else’s video.

A duet places your video alongside an existing video. This is perfect for reacting to another video, like OREO did by reacting to a creator’s video featuring their cookies.

Incorporating duet and stitch videos into your strategy can be a great way to generate more views—especially if you use videos from well-known creators. Like other tactics, it’s important to make sure you’re replying to relevant videos and not just trying to piggyback on trends for the sake of it.

10. Work with influencers and UGC creators

Speaking of well-known creators, partnering with them as part of your influencer marketing strategy can be a great way to reach an even wider audience on TikTok.

If users see a familiar face, such as a social media influencer, athlete or celebrity, they’re likely to stick around and watch, share and follow your content.

Similarly, if you have influencers create content featuring your brand on their own channels, their viewers may tap over to your profile and start watching some of your videos.

If you already incorporate influencer or user-generated content into your TikTok strategy, you’re on the right track. Pro-tip: you can drive engagement and views further by tagging creators in your content like in the post below. This goes goes hand-in-hand with permitting creators to promote their videos but also increases the chances for creators to cross-promote your content to their own audiences. It’s a win-win!

Consider that simply featuring real people in your content is a proven way to boost views as content with people gets more engagement, especially on TikTok. This is why many brands incorporate in-house employees or UGC creators to produce content for their TikTok accounts.

11. Participate in TikTok challenges

There are many different types of TikTok challenges, but the main two types are branded challenges and community challenges. Branded challenges are challenges that relate back to your product or service and that your brand creates to engage your audience. Community challenges are started by creators and TikTok users.

Try creating a unique branded challenge for your audience to participate in to see how much reach you can generate. Or, keep an eye out for community challenges that make sense for your brand or product to join. TikTok challenges can do wonders for your reach.

12. Create a lot of content

TikTok still says to post 1-4 times/day. If you want to keep up the momentum and grow your account, it’s a good idea to share as much content as often as you can.

Consider batch-creating content so that you have a lot to share for a week or two before you need to create more. Post daily at a minimum—more, if you can—to increase the number of views your TikTok account can get. In fact, it may be worth creating a social media content calendar to help plan your TikTok content in advance.

However, keeping up with this sort of content demand can be daunting which speaks to the importance of having a diverse content calendar. While some videos should be planned carefully, not all of them need to be.

By incorporating creators and customers into your strategy and posting off-the-cuff content, you can post more content without doing as much editing. Many of the best brands on TikTok have a wide variety of content on their feeds for a reason.

13. Engage with your community through comments and live streams

TikTok has leaned heavily into its live-streaming features lately. Chances are you’ve seen your share of TikTok LIVE presentations popping up on your feed as a result.

Check out how Stratia Skin does a TikTok LIVE to promote products and engage customers in real time:

Filming a TikTok Live is no small feat and requires a lot of legwork and prep to do effectively. That said, it’s a prime way to make connections with your audience and get closer to them.

Even not doing that, you can use comments to engage people as well. Brands that frequently reply to creators can drive engagement and get more views as a result. Showing customers that you care builds loyalty and long-term viewership.

14. Experiment with new video formats and styles

Experimenting is crucial on TikTok, especially as the algorithm and what ranks in the FYP changes rapidly.

You can’t post the exact same types of content over and over and expect more views. There are plenty of details big and small to play around with for any given video, including:

• Video lengths (sub-15 second vs 30+ seconds vs 1+ minute videos)
• Voiceovers vs no voiceovers
• Music versus trending audio
• Content featuring customers vs brand-generated videos

Another big detail to experiment with is less polished content. Many brands make the mistake of going overboard with editing and making their content feel too produced. Notice that most of the viral TikTok content is raw and off-the-cuff like this example. That’s no coincidence. This detail is even more important for branded accounts that generally get less reach.

You may be surprised at what works and what doesn’t. You’ll never know until you create it. This relates to our previous tip on keeping up a good posting frequency with diverse content.

15. Collaborate with other accounts to reach new audiences

Collaborating with other creators can be a great way to reach a wider audience. This could include people in your industry, other brands, or anyone else who might be a good fit. For example, if you’re attending an event or doing a cross-promotion, it makes sense to get the most out of that partnership.

Check out this celebrity crossover with Airbnb’s TikTok account for inspiration:

Successful collaborations require planning. Think about your partnerships, events, product launches and other opportunities. Then, figure out how to align them with your TikTok content strategy.

16. Leverage TikTok analytics to understand your audience

Your TikTok analytics are a treasure trove of insights to help you understand what videos get the most engagement so you can do more of what works.

You can use hard data to see if long or short videos are more popular, if people watch your videos all the way through, and if hashtags are helping you reach new viewers.

By analyzing all of this information, you can identify trends and optimize your content strategy to get more views. If you find that a specific video-length, topic or format is really successful, it makes sense to keep doing more of it.

Start getting more views on TikTok

Getting more views on TikTok doesn’t happen by accident. You need a strategy and consistency. By following the tips in this article, you can start to see results, especially since many of these strategies complement each other.

And if you need more help, check out our full guide to building and improving your TikTok marketing efforts so you can boost your view count sooner rather than later.

The post How to get more views on TikTok: 16 essential strategies appeared first on Sprout Social.