#salomonwmn

[runwithcourage]

My kind of #HEADTURNER 👀🌄⛰ ⁣ ⁣ Eastern Sierra sunset mid run? Yes please. ⁣ #salomonWMN @salomon @salomonrunning (at Cottonwood Lakes Trail)

[livsansoz]

When you plan to go alpine climbing some nice and long routes in the Mont Blanc massif and suddenly you realise the wind will be perfect to take off from the summit of Aiguille Verte... It does not take too long to change plans since it’s not everyday you get to fly off this beautiful peak. It was also the perfect opportunity for Zeb to guide Guillaume, whose dream was to climb and fly off Aiguille Verte since many years. The three of us headed for the classic Whymper couloir in good conditions but already a bit dry. A route I like on one of my favorite mountain in the massif. As I was on the last foot steps from the summit I could see my good friend @giuliamonego taking off the summit (they had climbed the Couturier couloir) which made me happy and excited for her. Zeb and Guillaume topped out a few minutes later and it was quite an emotional moment seeing Guillaume so happy to finally reach the summit of Aiguille Verte. He took off shortly and safely after, with the help of Zeb. My turn came, gentle and smooth. Whoop whoop I was also flying off this summit I had been looking for quite a few times! A little turn to the left and I was above the Drus, playing next to it, stoked and excited like never! Pic 1: Zeb and Guillaume reaching the end of the Whymper couloir Pic 2: myself on the final ridge to the summit Pic 3: Guillaume and all his happiness on the summit, hugging Zeb Pic 4: myself taking off Pic 5: flying next to the Drus. Can you see the Madonna? 📷 @antipodeszeb and myself #Alpifly #TimeToPlay #GetOutStayOut #MountainsAreAwesome #SeaToSummit #MountainVersatility #Skin3P #Paragliding #TheMagicCombo #SalomonWMN #PlayMinded #Morningroutine #ProtectWhatYouLove @niviukparagliders (à Aiguille Verte) https://www.instagram.com/p/CA-udm5pfqK/?igshid=1uen5mt3oogr5

[veronicawhytemeat]

Salomon #TIMETOPLAY (divertirsi dalla testa ai piedi)

Salomon #TIMETOPLAY (divertirsi dalla testa ai piedi). Salomon Hiking ci dimostra che oltre il parrucchiere e la manicure, c'è molto di più nel mondo!

Tirarsela è roba da donna, ma quanto sono più belle le ragazze che si lasciano andare?

Ho scelto questa immagine per l’articolo perchè mi fa troppo ridere. Mi ha fatto pensare a tutte quelle ragazze che si prendono eccessivamente sul serio.Quelle del “i capelli me li lavo solo dal parrucchiere, dove vado almeno 2 volte a settimana”, o alle amiche del “faccio la manicure anche per lavare i…

[halley-pdx]

Thankful to those who’ve come before... and put in a skin track. 🎿🐺🐺🤘 . . . #backcountry #skitouring #skitour #skiing #earnyourturns #neverstopexploring #alwaysascending #rei1440project #winterwonderland #vanlife #atskiing #salomonWMN #fischerski #salomonMTN #freeski #salomonski #skiuphill #powderhounds #tamaskan #huskylife (at McCall, Idaho) https://www.instagram.com/p/CLP3sl3h1-C/?igshid=1okivx6eo2ka8

[thmostinterestingbunnyintheworld]

My kind of #girlsdayout with the family. #tmibitw #stonegrey #hiking #salomonWMN @salomon (at Jake Mountain) https://www.instagram.com/p/CAmGwEsgsjD/?igshid=fk5xxi58um82

[raissaruns]

Still buzzing from my 2-part mini-adventure! 🙌🏼🤩 . A couple of weeks ago, I won a spot at a ladies-only adventure in the Cotswolds with @salomon to test their OUTline kit, as part of a campaign to promote that line. I'd never been to the Cotswolds before, and I thought it was the perfect opportunity to do a little bit of exploring and to meet new people :D. Plus I'm a sucker for trying out new kit so why not!! . I plotted a 10mi run along the Monarch's Way which ended at the event venue, packed my kit and set off in the afternoon. Jam-packed adventure on a school night at its finest. . I don't think I've ever seen so much variety in views and terrain in such a relatively short distance. I ran through a forest, crop fields, along a river, loads of different fields of flowers and rocky paths, a few old farms and a couple of decent little hills. It was a fab place for exploring! . The highlight of my run was definitely my encounter with a small herd of young cows. They were all chilling out until one of them heard me approaching; it stood up and rallied its fellow troublemakers to start running at me. No idea where the knee-jerk reaction to tell them off came from (maybe from raising a naughty chihuahua 😂), but that's what came out of my mouth and it worked!! #CowWhisperer . I managed to get to the event venue in one piece, meeting such a cool group of adventure ladies and kicking off the evening with a little picnic. We then went off on a hike after getting kitted up (loved the fit of the OUTline bag!), enjoying beautiful views and the last rays of the sun for the day. . Many thanks to @salomon and all the organisers of the event (and to @steph for the lift to the station 🤗)! It was a great way to end the day, and to meet other like-minded ladies. I may even have found another kindred spirit to do a multi-stage race I've been eyeing for next year 🤫. . @salomon #salomonWMN #SalomonOutline #timetoplay https://www.instagram.com/p/ByISRSwn6E6/?igshid=tr7bqrh64inf

[paulzizkaphoto]

I'm lucky to say that the woman who inspires me most is my wife and business partner, @meghanjward. Meghan is a trailblazer in the mountains and the writing world. She is also a fantastic storyteller. With an insatiable curiosity about history and mountain culture, she has informed and inspired many people in our community. She wears many hats, juggles them gracefully, and accomplishes everything she sets her mind to while encouraging those around her. She is the perfect guiding star for our two daughters. 📍Connemara National Park, Ireland. @salomon #SalomonWMN #HerWay — view on Instagram https://ift.tt/2R2vydn

[naturalswimmingspirit]

johannaschalander

Drömdag!

@inspireusse#salomonwmn

@areguiderna#inspireushikes#nakenbad#vedsågning#åresweden

[shoputu]

My kind of #weekendvibe #salomonwmn #salomon (at Griffith Park Trails) https://www.instagram.com/p/CAoU5oynA_v/?igshid=zvos6uq9o3op

[livsansoz]

The way I like to embrace my valley view 🙌🏻 With @antipodeszeb 📷 #TimeToPlay #GetOutStayOut #MountainsAreAwesome #SeaToSummit #MountainVersatility #Skin3P #Paragliding #TheMagicCombo #SalomonWMN #PlayMinded #Morningroutine #ProtectWhatYouLove @niviukparagliders https://www.instagram.com/p/CAstsJuJASI/?igshid=1tq91ye2w6qq9

[cento40battute]

#TimeToPlay

la linea Hiking Primavera 2019 by Salomon

Salomon, noto brand di articoli sportivi outdoor per tutta la famiglia, presenta la nuova linea di abbigliamento Hiking Primavera 2019. Dedicata alle donne che amano le sfide

Da donna a donna

Progettata dalle donne per le donne

La nuova linea Hiking Primavera 2019 firmata Salomon è dedicata alle donne che amano le sfide e cercano ogni giorno nuovi traguardi da raggiungere.

Non è un caso che le signore siano alla ricerca costante di abbigliamento sportivo. Secondo una ricerca di Salomon, infatti, il 52% dei consumatori outdoor a livello mondiale sono proprio loro.

E, allo stesso modo, all’Annecy Design Center (ADC) di Salomon nelle Alpi francesi, le signore svolgono un ruolo fondamentale nello sviluppo e nella realizzazione della linea outdoor di calzature e abbigliamento.

Esperte in biomeccanica, fit, materiali, utilizzo dei prodotti. Profonde conoscitrici del proprio lavoro che studiano costantemente seguendo l’evoluzione degli sport all’aria aperta.

Spesso sono anche loro escursioniste, scalatrici, runner e appassionate di mountain bike.

Il loro lavoro parte dalla creazione del concept fino alla progettazione, la gestione del prodotto, il marketing.

Almeno 15 donne sono coinvolte a 360° nella realizzazione di tutto questo. Come la linea Hiking Primavera 2019. Dedicata a tutte coloro che amano il #Timetoplay all’aria aperta.

#SalomonWMN

Non solo con la linea Hiking Primavera 2019. Salomon si pone l’obiettivo di incrementare la crescita del mercato femminile, per questo propone diverse iniziative e una campagna marketing ad hoc per sensibilizzare la categoria outdoor durante la stagione primaverile 2019.

La nuova campagna pubblicitaria mostra donne attive all’aria aperta, che riescono a far dimenticare vecchi cliché purtroppo ancora oggi legati al mondo femminile

A supporto di questa campagna Salomon offre anche l’opportunità di provare la sua nuova linea di scarpe in ambiente outdoor.

Tutte coloro che decideranno di partecipare a queste iniziative potranno, per esempio, frequentare workshop dedicati presso un rivenditore

(How To Trail Run - www.salomon.com/it-it/experiences?sport=406 ) e testare un paio di scarpe all'aperto

Prodotti Marquee

Il comfort di una sneaker impreziosito dal design per la montagna, OUTline GTX® W è ideale per le avventure di tutti i giorni.

OUTline GTX® è stata realizzata sulla forma di una scarpa da corsa, i designer Salomon l’hanno poi impreziosita di comfort e flessibilità eccezionali.

Leggerissima, infatti pesa solo 330 grammi. I tasselli alti 5 mm sulla suola, il rinforzo in punta e la membrana integrale in GORE-TEX garantiscono tutta la protezione necessaria per le avventure all’aria aperta.

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OUTback 500 GTX® W è la nuovissima scarpa da escursione ultra moderna in un pacchetto ultraleggero con la migliore mobilità e protezione della categoria.

Un collarino sagomato e Advanced Chassis con EnergyCell offrono una mobilità superiore. La membrana

GORE-TEX® è completamente impermeabile.

OUTback 500 GTX® W pesa il 20% in meno rispetto ai modelli di punta del settore, solo 500 grammi.

Il collarino sagomato consente la massima mobilità, mentre la tomaia non si piega e rimane ben salda quando ti muovi. La tecnologia Advanced Chassis™ di Salomon garantisce protezione stabile e l’intersuola

EnergyCell assorbe gli urti, per farti andare avanti senza problemi.

Sneaker estiva per avventurarsi nell’acqua o una scarpa anfibia con la quale poter correre.

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XA AMPHIB BOLD W ha la versatilità giusta per ogni tipo di avventura.

Abbassa il tallone per indossarla come una scarpa aperta dietro, oppure regola il sistema Quicklace™ e usala per correre. La rete ultra traspirante è un vero toccasana per i nostri piedi quando fa caldo, così come poi asciuga in fretta in caso di pioggia.

La giacca perfetta per tutti gli sport outdoor è OUTLINE JACKET.

Polsini e cappuccio sono dotati di regolazione elastica minimalista per ridurre il peso. E protegge da pioggia, neve e vento.

La struttura Motion Fit™ si muove con te con la massima naturalezza per regalarti un’eccezionale libertà di movimento. Può essere portata ovunque, infatti si comprime e si ripone facilmente.

La membrana 2.5L tiene a bada ogni tipo di intemperia, per non rinunciare mai al divertimento (con membrana 3L più robusta sulle aree esposte per una maggiore protezione).

La nuova collezione Salomon OUT bag da donna comprende borse che si adattano a ogni esigenza.

OUT NIGHT 28+5 è pensato per offrirti comfort mentre cammini, perfetto per avventure a passo veloce fino a 2 giorni.

Il suo look essenziale ma estremamente moderno è completato da un sistema di spallacci e cinghie che segue perfettamente i movimenti del tuo corpo e dagli agganci per bastoncini, piccozze e altri accessori, per avere l’equipaggiamento sempre a portata di mano.

Il cappuccio amovibile aggiunge una capacità di 5 litri. Compatible sia con flask morbidi che con serbatoi, uno zaino numero uno nel suo genere.

Pantalone OUTspeed. Un pantalone altamente protettivo, agile, versatile, adatto ad ogni tipo di escursione. Che sia una lunga passeggiata con zaino in spalla, o alla ricerca di sentieri inesplorati, o in mountain bike, tutte ameranno OUTSPEED PANT.

Il resistente tessuto ad armatura doppia agisce come una barriera contro i sentieri rocciosi e gli agenti atmosferici, lasciandoci libere di muoverci agilmente.

Profilo minimalista ed essenziale per un’elegante vestibilità con una struttura leggera che riduce al minimo l’ingombro.

Condividi l’avventura

Salomon invita tutte le appassionate del mondo outdoor a condividere le foto delle proprie avventure su Instagram con l’hashtag #SalomonWMN e con il tag @salomon.

Oppure su Twitter con l’hashtag #SalomonWMN ed il tag @SalomonSports.

Alessandra Borgonovo

SOCIAL FB www.salomon.com

Donne e sport: la coppia vincente #TimeToPlay la linea Hiking Primavera 2019 by Salomon Salomon, noto brand di articoli sportivi outdoor…

[andynoise]

Posted @withregram • @courtneydauwalter First loop is in the books! 🙃 This tough-as-nails group has turned in their pages and headed out for loop 2. Raise your hand if you can’t stop refreshing! 🙋‍♂️ ••• 📸 @howiesternphoto ••• #deweytoit #timetoplay #runonemotion #salomonWMN @salomonrunning #suuntorun #addaday #gotailwind #squirrelsnutbutter #sweetentheburn #toesocksornosocks #stepintosuperfeet #adventurestartshere #tanrioutdoors https://www.instagram.com/p/CMk1OX6HtJP/?igshid=lz03v6w9ji29

[uthc-trailrunning]

@marianneinbedford: ENTERING WINTER 🤩🤩🤩 . . . #SalomonSQUAD #timetoplay #salomonwmn #NaakAmbassador #CricketPowered #brixalerable #coroscanada #lacliniqueducoureur #coachingducoureur

[anastasiacasaluci]

The mountains are calling and I must go 🎿 . . . . . #glacier3000 #alpesvaudoises #lesdiablerets #salomon #nakdfashion #jetset #jetsetch #ugg #uggeurope #earmuff #earmuffugg #alpineoutfitters #salomonwmn #teamsalomon #timetoplay #teddyjumper #yesnakd #winterfashion2020 #winteroutfits #myswitzerland — view on Instagram https://ift.tt/2KzhHYt

[raissaruns]

Still buzzing from my 2-part mini-adventure! 🙌🏼🤩 . A couple of weeks ago, I won a spot at a ladies-only adventure in the Cotswolds with @salomon to test their OUTline kit, as part of a campaign to promote that line. I'd never been to the Cotswolds before, and I thought it was the perfect opportunity to do a little bit of exploring and to meet new people :D. Plus I'm a sucker for trying out new kit so why not!! . I plotted a 10mi run along the Monarch's Way which ended at the event venue, packed my kit and set off in the afternoon. Jam-packed adventure on a school night at its finest. . I don't think I've ever seen so much variety in views and terrain in such a relatively short distance. I ran through a forest, crop fields, along a river, loads of different fields of flowers and rocky paths, a few old farms and a couple of decent little hills. It was a fab place for exploring! . The highlight of my run was definitely my encounter with a small herd of young cows. They were all chilling out until one of them heard me approaching; it stood up and rallied its fellow troublemakers to start running at me. No idea where the knee-jerk reaction to tell them off came from (maybe from raising a naughty chihuahua 😂), but that's what came out of my mouth and it worked!! #CowWhisperer . I managed to get to the event venue in one piece, meeting such a cool group of adventure ladies and kicking off the evening with a little picnic. We then went off on a hike after getting kitted up (loved the fit of the OUTline bag!), enjoying beautiful views and the last rays of the sun for the day. . Many thanks to @salomon and all the organisers of the event (and to @steph for the lift to the station 🤗)! It was a great way to end the day, and to meet other like-minded ladies. I may even have found another kindred spirit to do a multi-stage race I've been eyeing for next year 🤫. . @salomon #salomonWMN #SalomonOutline #timetoplay https://www.instagram.com/p/ByIQ1e9n-k4/?igshid=t447qew1dbd9

[sempiternalsandpitturtle]

How to crush content creation on social media in 2019

Sometimes, creating content that resonates with your social media audiences can feel as mystifying as the task confronting Mickey Mouse in “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice”.

Needing to complete some chores, Mickey cast a spell meant to make things easier, but it had an unpredictable effect. Any social media manager who has encountered an unexpected wave of responses or been stumped by changes to a platform’s algorithms – maybe the closest real-world equivalent to magic spells, as powerful as they are inscrutable – can probably relate.

Mastering social media content creation isn’t magic, luckily. However, reaching audiences at scale requires practice and a systematic approach, which can be hard work. Indeed, 60% of content marketers find it challenging to consistently produce engaging material, showing the opportunity for improvement.

Why invest in social media content creation in the first place?

With an effective social media content strategy, you can not only reach a potentially vast audience, but also establish yourself as a credible authority in your field and create a reliable conversion pipeline.

Compelling social content literally pays off:

Over half of marketers see social media as a driver of increased leads, sales, partnerships, and fan development.

Almost 90% of marketers feel their social efforts have boosted exposure for their organisations, while 72% say they’ve resulted in increased site traffic.

Three in four consumers have bought something they’ve seen in a brand’s social media feed.

More people get their news from social media (20%) than from newspapers (16%).

Nearly 70% of online marketers cite visual content – the type of marketing collateral most optimised for social channel engagement – as very important to their marketing strategy.

While we can’t provide a magic spell that will instantly supercharge your social media marketing efforts, we can offer the next best thing: Proven tips on what works when creating content for your social media audiences.

Let’s get started!

1. Focus on visual assets, especially infographics and videos

Videos, photos, and infographics all perform exceptionally well in a world in which Instagram Stories, Twitch livestreams, and YouTube explainers have captured a huge share of all online attention.

In fact, “visual images” are the preferred social-centric medium among marketers, ahead of blogs, videos, live streams, and podcasts.

This shouldn’t be surprising, as a well-crafted infographic can convey a lot of data in a concise format and leave a lasting impression.

Infographic guidelines

Most people retain only 10% of something they heard after 3 days, compared to 65% retention of images they saw. When you create an infographic for a social media post, keep these guidelines in mind:

Keep the text short

Long, wordy sentences are sometimes good in blog posts, but they take up too much space in infographics, cluttering the design. Use simple sentences with parallel (similar) structure for easy readability and consistent design across social media platforms.

Let the design do the talking

Infographics should be as visual as they are informative. Multiple images adhering to a single theme – for example, racing or cars for a graphic about “driving” engagement – will often grab the viewer’s eye and hold their attention.

Use statistics if relevant

Interesting statistics are memorable, plus they don’t take up much space. So if you come across a gem like the fact that 79% of people scan online content rather than read it word-for-word, see if you can work it in.

Pick a narrow topic and concise design

The best infographics are concise and easy to view. As such, they usually focus on just a single topic. Don’t try to make it another blog post or, worse, a mini whitepaper that tries to cover far too much in far too little space.

Cite everything

Infographic statistics and mini-sized facts can seem like they came out of nowhere, which reduces the credibility of the asset when someone tries to verify them. Include a list of URLs and other sources at the end of the infographic to show your work.

Video guidelines

For videos, the same general advice about brevity applies, along with a few more pointers specific to the format:

Use subtitles

Closed captions began as an accessibility feature, but they benefit everyone. For starters, they’re one of the best ways to increase viewer focus and a preference of Gen Z viewers in particular. Brands such as Dunkin’ have also made creative use of subtitles to call attention to marketing messages that might otherwise get lost in the din of a busy social media feed.

Think about animation

Animation is a great way to give a video a distinctive aesthetic and expand the range of what it can portray. This DocuSign explainer video makes the most of its animation to show its subject performing a bunch of different tasks in various contexts, before pivoting to a depiction of her going “all digital” as papers fly across the room.

Incorporate CTAs

You should always have an answer for viewers wondering what to do next. An effective CTA will direct them without seeming too salesy. Dropbox incorporated a pitch-perfect CTA – “Keep teams flowing” – at the end of this action-packed 30-second video which also calls out the “flow” verbiage earlier on to set up the conclusion.

2. Tailor your content to each platform

Every social media channel has its own distinctive character. Accordingly, it’s essential to fine-tune your content for each one. That process starts with analysing details from tools like Instagram Insights and Facebook Audience Insights, which offer details on audience location, age, gender, and more.

Knowing these details makes it easier to dial-in your messaging, create buyer personas, and take advantage of the features of the platforms you’re using, whether that’s a live video on Instagram, a curated collection on Pinterest, or a text post on LinkedIn. Here’s a primer on what to keep in mind for some of the most popular social channels.

Facebook

Facebook posts with images or videos in them get more than twice the engagement of ones without any visuals.

With that in mind, a useful tactic is to mix text and pictures to take advantage of Facebook’s relatively large character limit and engage the audience in multiple ways. Nike did this in a spot featuring basketball star LeBron James, which was accompanied by a short poem that wouldn’t have fit on platforms such as Twitter.

If you go the text-only route, asking for audience input and responses is also a generally reliable technique for boosting engagement.

YouTube

YouTube’s algorithms recommend shorter videos to mobile users, who account for 70% of all YouTube views, and longer ones for anyone using the TV app. That might make it seem like short videos are best. However, half of video-viewing time on smartphones is on videos 20 minutes or longer, and these videos drive higher ad revenue. So it pays to mix up your video lengths while always thinking about the hook in your intro and the overall production quality of the video.

Instagram

Instagram’s distinctive, filter-driven aesthetic puts a premium on visual flair, but posting beautiful imagery alone won’t be enough to consistently engage the platform’s largely under-35 audience. Successful Instagram videos from brands often take the form of a product sneak preview, a behind-the-scenes video tour of an interesting site, a narrative, or a contest. This Salomon audience caption contest – about abolishing cliches about women – is a strong example of the latter.

View this post on Instagram

Not all bubble baths were created equal… But this one has to be the most fun!

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Capture your own vision of an old cliché about women that you want to abolish. Caption it and share it in the comments for a chance to win a spot at the next Salomon Women’s Weekend this summer! Swipe left to discover our own tag line for inspiration and check out the link in our bio for more informations. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ #SalomonWMN #TimeToPlay

@thomaslgnr

A post shared by Salomon (@salomon) on Apr 25, 2019 at 10:25am PDT

Pinterest

The long half-life of content on Pinterest means that evergreen assets do particularly well on this platform. Information-dense infographics are also perfect for Pinterest due to their predominantly vertical layouts, but it’s important to get the right aspect ratio. Pinterest recommends 600 x 900 pixels, or a 2:3 width to height ratio for the best results.

LinkedIn

Compared to the other social networks examined here, LinkedIn has a design that’s more text-oriented, which makes sense given its role as a clearinghouse for resumes, career updates and business news. That creates an opening for content types that might struggle to stand out elsewhere. While native video is gradually becoming a powerful force on LinkedIn, it’s also possible to get significant engagement with text-only posts, particularly lists and updates interspersed with emojis and slide decks made with the LinkedIn-owned SlideShare.

3. Create a content calendar

When you post is often as important as what you post. I mean, if you were a TV executive, would you air The Bachelor at 2am instead of primetime? Probably not, and the same holds true for publishing the high-quality content you and your team have developed.

In this context, content calendars supported by scheduling tools are your friends.

Consider Facebook. Data assembled by Sprout Social revealed that the highest engagement for Facebook posts was on Wednesdays and Thursdays, between noon and 2pm, with dramatic drop-offs on weekends and after 5pm.

To capitalise on peak posting times, use tools such as Buffer, Dlvr.it, Sprout Social, HootSuite, and CoSchedule. Versatile tools such as Airtable and Feedly can also support advanced scheduling regimens.

What does an effective content calendar look like? It’ll vary by company, but usually it will:

Incorporate a brand persona(s): A brand persona encapsulates your organisation’s voice, whether it’s casual, serious, or somewhere in between. Having a well-defined persona makes it easier to select the right content formats and topics for a calendar. For example, Nike’s performance-centered brand persona has always lent itself well to still imagery.

Make the most of existing assets: You don’t have to reinvent the wheel each time you build or update your content calendar. Evergreen collateral such as old whitepapers or blog posts can often be transformed into infographics or short video explainers that help populate the calendar. Re-optimising this previous content can also yield eye-popping results for metrics like keyword rankings.

Have a variety of “shows”: Content marketing expert Jay Baer came up with this idea of comparing content calendar deliverables to TV shows that maintain regular viewerships. For instance, a quarterly or yearly whitepaper or eBook is like a special episode, while weekly videos or blog roundups are like regularly scheduled programming and series are akin to binge-worthy shows.

4. Harness the power of user-generated content

To kick off 2019, Apple announced its Shot on iPhone contest, a campaign asking any iPhone user to submit a photo taken via iPhone to a panel of judges. The winners would then have their photos featured on official Apple billboards.

It was a smart way to showcase the power of the device’s cameras without needing to resort to heavy-handed marketing speak or the use of Apple-produced photos, either of which might have come off as inauthentic. The idea was that anyone could take a professional-grade photo with the standard-issue iPhone in their pocket – a powerful notion, similar to Andy Warhol’s famous quip that every Coke was, in theory, of equal quality.

This type of user-generated content (UGC) has gained significant traction as brands look for ways to increase social media engagement and reshape perceptions of their authenticity. In addition to the Apple campaign, famous examples of UGC include Coca-Cola’s “Share a Coke” initiative with names that appeared on each can and Starbucks’ White Cup Contest encouraging consumers to doodle on their plain cups and share the images on social media.

View this post on Instagram

#whitecupcontest @starbucks

A post shared by Kayla (@kaylanehme) on Apr 23, 2014 at 4:52pm PDT

UGC has numerous benefits, including:

Increased engagement

Pairing UGC with professionally produced content marketing can raise engagement by 28%, higher than either one on its own. UGC also works around ad blockers and connects with audiences more effectively than either ads or branded content – many consumers trust peer or online recommendations much more than traditional forms of marketing.

Better alignment with audience expectations

A pair of studies from Cohn & Wolfe and Mindshare North America found that trustworthiness and authenticity were in the top five brand attributes important to millennials, who were skeptical of overtly salesy tactics. In this context, UGC can make a big impression.

High cost-effectiveness

A UGC campaign can provide a lot of mileage for relatively little fuel. It can be a low-cost alternative to creating all of your content on your own time and dime, although as we noted earlier the best approach is usually to pair UGC with professionally produced assets.

5. Enlist influencers in your social media marketing campaigns

Like UGC, influencer marketing is a cost-effective way to strengthen and diversify your social media marketing initiatives by tapping into the power of people beyond your own team. An influencer is anyone who has significant clout on a social media platform. Many brands have successfully enlisted influencers to produce high-quality social media posts that reach large, trusting audiences.

Pepsi took this route with its huge #SayItWithPepsi marketing strategy, which revolved around special bottles adorned with 200 unique #PepsiMoji and sold exclusively at Walgreens and Duane Reade. Influencers created a variety of content, including videos, photos, and blog posts, for multiple social media channels.

View this post on Instagram

Guten Abend ihr Lieben,

ist diese Pepsi Dose nicht süß?

Schreibt mal euren Lieblingsemoji in die Kommis.

Noch einen schönen Samstagabend.

A post shared by Jєѕѕι¢α

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(@jessi99js) on Jan 14, 2017 at 10:25am PST

The result? High engagement and reach, at a fraction of the cost of conventional display ad-driven social media marketing. #SayItWithPepsi generated 46 million impressions across social media platforms including Instagram and Twitter, along with 50,000 measurable engagements. Buying ads to reach a comparable audience would have cost 5 times as much!

6. Select the right tools for your projects

For implementing all of the tips we have provided here in your social media content strategy, it helps to have powerful, versatile content creation tools.

We’ve mentioned a few so far, mainly social media management and scheduling apps, but there are many others in categories like:

Photo editors: Adobe PhotoShop, Pixlr.com, Canva, PicMonkey

Audio and video solutions: Animoto, Biteable, Placeit, Anchor

Presentation software: Google Slides, Microsoft PowerPoint, SlideShare, SlideSnack

Text tools: Grammarly, ZenPen, Hemingway

This isn’t a comprehensive list, of course. There are so many worthwhile utilities out there for creating the engaging, visually appealing content that succeeds on social media. It’s worth exploring as many as you can to find the ones that fit your workflow and budget.

Becoming a social media master in 2019 and beyond

We admit it: getting to grips with all of the nuances and challenges of creating social-optimised content can feel overwhelming. Social media audiences are vast and have ever-evolving tastes, while the platforms themselves are constantly changing. But there’s a replicable science and an art to mastering social content creation. We hope this guide will be helpful as you fine-tune your social media content strategy now and in the future.

from http://bit.ly/2K576jU