December, 2018 - Social Media 101
WHY SOCIAL MEDIA 101 – WHAT MAKES US A GREAT CONSULTANCY?

WHY SOCIAL MEDIA 101 – WHAT MAKES US A GREAT CONSULTANCY?

The phrase “All social media agencies are not created equal” is not just an accurate statement, but an understatement – given the current state of affairs. This is due to the vast disparity among the many social media service providers in terms of quality level and expertise. But how do you know a great agency when you see one? Well, we at Social Media 101 are here to tell you a bit about ourselves and what makes US a leading social media consultancy. And we sincerely hope that by the end of this, you understand what makes Social Media 101 different, and why we would be a great agency to partner with.

Why Social Media 101 – what makes US a great consultancy? Here are some of the things that sets us apart in this highly competitive industry:

OUR SOCIAL MEDIA & BUSINESS ACUMEN

Strategic, result-driven approach

We are a social media business consultancy and take a strategic approach to all services. We speak your language – we know that it all comes down to return on investment and positive business impact. Social Media 101 works with you to understand your business, industry, customers and competitors. We then look at what your primary business objectives are, and structure a social media strategy in line with these defined objectives. Our social media activities are result-driven and focus on your business goals: whether its driving sales, increasing brand awareness, boosting desired customer affinity or other objectives based on your needs. We also integrate social media activities with your existing marketing and business endeavours (e.g. by promoting live events or traditional marketing campaigns).

Client-centric Service

 
At Social Media 101, we pride ourselves on being agile, responsive and adaptable. We take a client-centric approach and craft a social media solution that works best for you. Our service offering is flexible as we understand that a “one size fits all” style just does not work when it comes to social media. We are also available outside of normal business hours and have an open and approachable management structure. This customer-centric approach also applies when we manage your clients on social media i.e., we are responsive and provide excellent customer support that further positions YOUR brand as client-focused.

Reporting

 
We provide in-depth reports so that you can keep track of our performance as well as your investment returns. These can be customised based on your priority measurables. We also explain what the data means so that you are empowered to drive informed business decision-making.

Full Service Offering

We can supply (or source) services to meet all your needs: from Search Engine Optimisation to animation to live event social media coverage. We also have a network of partners equipped to handle all social media and digital requirements including legal and business advice. This assists not only with service excellence, but risk mitigation and crisis management (should the need arise) as well.

OUR SOCIAL MEDIA EXPERTISE & KNOWLEDGE

Team of Experts

Each member of our team is a specialist in their field, as well as in social media. For example, our graphic designers are skilled at creating visual content for social media. Our copywriters know social media best practices for written content for each platform. Our strategists are experienced when it comes to the algorithms and rules that govern the social media sphere. And all of our social media experts have a high level of business acumen that ensures professional execution of tasks. The diverse backgrounds of our team members include experience and qualifications in: Business, Sales, Marketing, Law, Communication Science and Psychology (to name a few). From a social and digital media perspective, our team of specialists include data analysts, media booking specialists and content producers that are able to create high quality material to suit different media needs, including articles, videos, GIFs, animation clips, carousel-type content etc.

Advanced Social Media Knowledge

On the surface, social media platforms appear simple enough to use. However, behind the curtain (or in this case, the screen) are complicated systems driven by complex programs and algorithms. This affects the performance of all social media content – both paid and unpaid. At Social Media 101, we understand the inner workings of the different platforms, and take a scientific approach when planning activities. This includes content, media type, audience targeting and even the timing of uploads. By using best-practice methods, return on investment is maximised based on the strategy behind each message.

Sidebar: Have you noticed that your personal Facebook feed now has more family & friend posts than marketing? This is a practical example of an algorithm change affecting content delivery.

Constant Industry Upskilling & Tools

Social media platforms, as well as digital technology, are constantly evolving and advancing. Social Media 101 team members continually upskill themselves to keep up with technical changes and market trends. Not only does this help keep your online marketing content relevant, but feeds into your overall marketing and business activities as well.

Quote: “Social media is an ever-growing and changing platform, with algorithm adjustments happening constantly […] and without dedicated monitoring and adjustments, your business could be missing out.” (www.thumped.co.uk)

Sidebar: Have you noticed that your personal Facebook feed now has more family & friend posts than marketing? This is a practical example of an algorithm change affecting content delivery.

We also invest in tools and partnerships to provide our clients with a superior service offering. These include reporting, tracking and insight applications. We stay in the loop with regard to emerging software and tools that can further boost the level of service we provide.

At Social Media 101, we have a proven track record across numerous industries, business types and regions. Since inception, our business has grown threefold year-on-year. Our clients base includes local, global and international brands, and continues to expand. Despite this growth, we take a personal and dedicated approach to every client and strive to exceed expectations always. We believe that this ethos, along with our expertise and experience, makes us a leader in the social media field. Put us to the test – we are confident that you will not be disappointed.
If you are looking for a great agency to partner with, or if your current agency simply does not match up, give Social Media 101 a call. We look forward to hearing from you.

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LinkedIn in the South African environment

LinkedIn in the South African environment

Bobby Darnell, business development consultant said: “Active participation on LinkedIn is the best way to say, ‘Look at me!’ without saying ‘Look at me!” During the LinkedIn Indaba, held earlier this year, we learned just how much of an impact LinkedIn has on the on our South African setting.

From 6 000 sign ups in 2003 to an estimated 575 million active users today, LinkedIn has surely come a long way, although, in some circles, it is still considered the black sheep of social networks.

LinkedIn is a social network with a very specific audience: it has the aim of connecting the world’s professionals to make them more productive, more successful and ultimately more in touch with content and people that can enable the growth they seek.

On a normal day, LinkedIn boasts 15 million jobs, 50 000 skills listed, and 109 billion updates viewed. This is no small impact, considering that LinkedIn is only one of several social media networks currently available.

The LinkedIn Indaba was held in Johannesburg in October, and apart from sharing some insights on the platform, our dot on the map was the main focus: how does LinkedIn fair in the South African environment?

As proudly South African as braaivleis, the Cape Wine Lands and the word “eish”, so are Sangomas, known as traditional healers in African cultures. Sangomas are also found on LinkedIn; 85 of them to be exact. Also, 644 Sommelier’s can be found on LinkedIn, in South Africa. A Sommelier is a trained and knowledgeable wine professional: and thus, amongst the magwenja’s, also truly South African.

In South Africa, LinkedIn boasts seven million users, 75 000 jobs and 30 000 companies. There is a world of possibilities, in a country where the unemployment rate has increased from a staggering 37.3% earlier in 2018 to a worse still 37.7%.

Most LinkedIn users in South Africa are based in Johannesburg, followed by Cape Town, Durban, Bloemfontein, Port Elizabeth and then Polokwane. This means that the major business centres in South Africa are all covered with LinkedIn users, which indicates that the platform is being used in all corners of the country.

In South Africa, the majority of LinkedIn users use the site for networking. It is indicated that 56% of South African users use LinkedIn to network with other professionals. While 60% use the platform to stay up to date on what their colleagues are doing. 61% of South African LinkedIn users use the platform to keep up to date on industry discussions, meaning that LinkedIn as a social media networking site for professionals, gives individuals the opportunity to not only connect with others but learn and update their skills and knowledge, staying on top of what the trends are in a specific industry. While 28% of users in South Africa use the platform to actively seek employment opportunities.

In South Africa access to social media is quite literally in the palm of our hands. Just over half of LinkedIn users (55%) access the platform from a desktop computer, with 15% accessing LinkedIn from a mobile phone. While the remaining 30% access the platform through a combination of devices. This points to the type of LinkedIn users in South Africa: most likely professionals, people for whom popping onto LinkedIn isn’t about a quick catching-the-latest-memes-on-the-move, they are active participants in their professional community with an engaging commitment to their job and profession, with the aim of bettering themselves and staying on top of movements happening in their industry.

The top job titles listed on LinkedIn in South Africa are as diverse as our country. These include teachers, sales representatives, IT consultants and software developers. Top skills listed on LinkedIn by South African users are Microsoft abilities, customer service, management, leadership, project management and strategic planning.

The leading industries in South Africa, according to LinkedIn are financial services ranking first, followed by information technology, mining and metals, retail, construction and higher education. This shows a clear indication of where most LinkedIn users are employed. Walking hand in hand with these industries, three of the five top employers in South Africa, based on South African LinkedIn users, are in the financial industry, with Sasol and Eskom Holdings completing the Top five.

Company sizes in South Africa differ quite extensively, according to LinkedIn with the majority of companies employing over 10 000 people, and the second largest range between 1001 and 5000 employees. The third largest company size comes from companies employing between 11 – 200 people. Although this shows big institutions as the majority employer, it also points to the small businesses that employ people, a welcomed sight and a sign of innovation and entrepreneurial skills in South Africa.

In the South African market, Operations and Business development are the largest job functions on the platform, followed by Sales, Information Technology, Engineering and Finance. This means that the largest amount of South African LinkedIn users identified their primary job functions as Operations, Business development and Sales.

LinkedIn offers a portal, an opportunity, a hope for businesses and individuals to connect, learn, enable themselves and ultimately find like-minded individuals to build futures with, more so in our sunny South Africa.

We have noted some welcomed updates to LinkedIn over the past 8 months, proving this professional platform to be innovative and striving forward in providing value to its users.

Social Media 101 can assist B2B businesses with winning strategies on LinkedIn as well as offer personal branding workshops to assist professionals with their LinkedIn profiles. Contact us to learn more.

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