We’ve all been there. You’re browsing for a pair of shoes, close the tab, and for the next two weeks, every website, app, and scroll you are reminded of those shoes. It’s not subtle or a memorable brand experience. Retargeting ads are shown to people who have already interacted with your brand, whether they visited your website, watched a video, or engaged with a social post. Because these users already know who you are, they’re a warmer audience than cold traffic.
This warmth translates to results. Retargeted users consistently convert at much higher rates than first-time visitors. They’ve already shown interest; your ad is simply a well-timed reminder. When used as part of a strategy, retargeting shortens the sales cycle, reinforces brand awareness, and keeps you top of mind when a buyer is ready to make a decision.
If retargeting works so well, why do so many people complain about it? Because most campaigns are set up once and left to run, with little thought given to the experience on the other end.
Here’s what typically goes wrong:
The simple fix is: retarget with intention.
Most retargeting problems aren’t platform problems, but rather strategy problems. The campaigns that frustrate users and drain budgets usually share the same handful of mistakes. The good news is that fixing them isn’t complicated. It just requires being intentional about how you structure your campaigns from the start. Here are some core best practices that separate retargeting campaigns that convert from ones that are quietly hurting your brand.
More impressions don’t equal more conversions. Instead, they actually translate to more annoyance. Most platforms let you cap how many times a user sees your ad within a set time period. A good rule of thumb is 3-5 impressions per week, adjusted based on your campaign data. Once someone has seen your ad enough times without acting, serving it again is unlikely to change their mind and may even push them further away.
This should be a non-negotiable. As soon as someone completes a purchase, submits a form, or takes the action you were targeting, they should be removed from that audience immediately. Continuing to advertise to them wastes the budget and creates a frustrating experience. Segment your converted users into separate lists, because they’re candidates for upsell or retention campaigns, not the same conversion push.
Not everyone who visits your website is in the same place in their decision-making journey, and your messaging shouldn’t treat them like they are. At a minimum, consider breaking retargeting audiences into three groups:
Ad fatigue is real. When users see the same image, headline, and copy week after week, engagement drops, and perception of your brand suffers. Build a rotation of at least two to three creative variations per audience, and refresh them regularly—every three to four weeks is a solid baseline. Even a simple swap of visuals or a rewritten headline can reset engagement meaningfully.
Match your retargeting window to your actual buying cycle. If your product is a considered purchase with a two-week decision window, a 90-day retargeting window is overkill and could be perceived as annoying. Shorter windows often perform better because they capture users when they’re most likely to be evaluating their options. Think critically about when your audience is actually making decisions, and build your time windows around that.
The instinct in retargeting is to push a deal or drive urgency. Sometimes that’s the right call, but not always. For users who aren't ready to convert, a hard sell can feel off-putting. Mix in softer touchpoints:
Campaigns that balance promotional and value-driven messaging tend to outperform those that only push conversions.
The best retargeting campaigns don't feel like advertising. Instead, they hold relevance. A user who abandons a cart sees an ad that speaks to exactly why they were hesitant. A blog reader gets a follow-up that goes deeper on the topic they were exploring. A returning visitor is welcomed back with something new, not the same message they ignored the week prior.
This kind of precision requires more than platform setup; it requires an intentional strategy.
When your retargeting campaigns are built with the user experience in mind, they stop feeling like follow-up ads and start feeling like timely, helpful reminders. That’s the difference between a campaign that converts and one that costs you credibility.
Yes, but the bar has gotten higher.
Users are more ad-literate than ever. They recognize retargeting. They know when they’re being followed across the internet, and they’re quicker to tune out (and develop negative feelings about) brands that do it poorly. Competition for digital ad inventory continues to increase, making strategic execution more important than simply showing up.
The brands winning with retargeting in 2026 aren’t necessarily the ones spending the most… they’re the ones spending the most thoughtfully. They’re segmenting audiences, capping frequency, refreshing creative, and measuring what actually works. The result is lower wasted spend, better audience relationships, and campaigns that improve over time rather than burning out.
Retargeting isn’t going away. But the margin for doing it poorly is shrinking.
Retargeting is one of the highest-leverage tools in digital advertising and one of the easiest to misuse. The technical setup isn’t the hard part… the strategy behind it is.
At Cork Tree Creative, we help businesses build retargeting campaigns that are rooted in intention from the start. We help take the guesswork out of strategy, so your campaigns work harder for you, not against you. Ready to build retargeting that sticks? Book a call with our team and let’s talk about what an effective strategy looks like for you.
Let’s be honest, when’s the last time you stopped scrolling for anything that wasn’t a video? This shift in behavior is a large reason why short-form video has taken over. For many brands, the question now becomes: what is short-form video and why does it matter? People are scrolling faster, attention spans are shorter, and users expect value almost instantly.
Short-form video is quick, high-impact content, typically under 60 seconds. This format is designed to capture attention fast and deliver value even faster. Over time, platforms and people have evolved around this shift.
Social platforms are prioritizing short-form video because it holds users’ attention longer than most other forms of content. At the same time, audiences are expecting content that’s easy to consume, fast to understand, and deemed worthy of their time.
That combination has changed the foundation for how brands capture attention in a way that actually sticks.
Short-form video isn’t just another format; it’s the primary way your content gets seen. Brands that aren’t using it are seeing their engagement stall, while those leaning into it are gaining visibility without overcomplicating their strategy.
Short-form video isn’t dominating by accident; it’s built for how social media works today. The average person spends 1 hour and 16 minutes daily watching short-form videos. This signals a significant growing preference for consuming this content.
Platforms like Instagram and TikTok are designed to push video content to new audiences, giving brands more opportunities to be discovered without relying solely on follower count.
On TikTok in particular, each video gets its own chance to perform. Think of this like a lottery ticket; every post has a shot at going viral. You never quite know which one will take off and, in turn, bring new eyes back to your business.
Users decide within seconds whether they’re going to keep watching. Video satisfies this behavior by delivering content or value quickly and clearly. A study found that Gen Z averages about 6.5 seconds of focused attention per social media post. A crucial element with TikTok and Reels is having a strong hook that grabs attention fast. Average watch time is extremely low, only 1.5 to 3 seconds. This shows that if your hook is not strong enough, users will leave.
Video naturally holds attention longer than other forms of content, which signals value to the platform and leads to more reach.
People connect with people, not graphics. Video allows brands to connect with their audience by showcasing personality, transparency, and authenticity in a way static content simply can’t replicate.
Whether it’s clicking a link, filling out a form, or making a purchase, video helps bridge the gap between awareness and decision-making.
So, what is an Instagram Reel, and how does it actually work for your brand?
An Instagram Reel is a short-form video designed to reach new audiences and expand your visibility on social media, making it a key part of a strong marketing strategy on Instagram. But more importantly, it’s one of the most powerful tools a business can utilize today.
Reels don’t function the same way as other content on the platform, and this is where most brands can get it wrong.
Feed posts are primarily shown to those already following you. Stories are designed to keep your current audience engaged. Reels, on the other hand, are built for discovery. This is the reason that Instagram prioritizes this.
Reels are pushed beyond your follower base and shown to users who have never interacted with your brand before. This makes them one of the most effective, low-barrier-to-entry ways to grow your audience and increase reach organically through short-form video content. From a strategy standpoint, Reels should be your top-of-funnel content.
They introduce your brand, capture attention, and bring new people into your social media ecosystem. Once they’re on your page, your feed and stories allow that relationship to be nurtured and drive deeper engagement.
If your feed is where you foster and build connections, Reels are how you get noticed in the first place.
This is where a lot of brands can get stuck, but it doesn’t have to be complicated. Yes, there are differences between TikTok and Instagram Reels, but they’re not as important as most people think.
TikTok tends to favor more fast-moving and trend-driven content. Instagram Reels often perform better with content that feels slightly more polished and aligned with your brand. But at their core, both platforms reward the same thing: content that captures attention and can hold it.
The biggest difference comes down to audience and intent. TikTok is similar to a search engine, as users are typically in discovery mode, whether that’s learning something new or going down a content rabbit hole. While Instagram users are still consuming short-form video, they are often more connected to the brands and businesses they already follow.
So, where should your brand focus?
For most businesses, it isn’t a matter of choosing one over the other; it’s about creating short-form content that can perform across both.
Strong short-form video content can be repurposed and distributed on multiple platforms with minimal adjustments. The brands seeing the most success aren’t creating completely separate strategies; they’re focusing on what works and leveraging it across platforms.
The key takeaway is not to overcomplicate it. Focus on creating content that grabs attention, delivers value, and feels authentic to your brand. Then let platforms do what they’re designed to do: get in front of the right audience.
Short-form video marketing continues to outperform other types of social media content, and for good reason.
Short-form videos are prioritized by social media platforms, helping your content reach audiences beyond your existing followers.
Video captures attention quickly, leading to more likes, comments, shares, and overall engagement in less time.
Short-form video content allows your brand to feel more human, making it easier to connect with your audience and build trust for your brand.
Creating short-form videos is low-barrier to entry; they don’t require large-scale budgets, many high-performing videos are simple, authentic, and produced on a phone.
Social media video content helps move users from awareness to action faster, increasing clicks, inquiries, and overall conversions.
Knowing you need short-form video is one thing: knowing what to post is where most brands get stuck.
The key is creating content with a clear, intentional purpose behind it. The best-performing short-form content isn’t random; it serves a clear purpose. Whether that’s educational, humorous content, or an insight into the brand’s culture. Each of these types of videos serves a purpose: to educate, to laugh, to relate. By implementing these strategies, you will begin to build trust, increase engagement, or drive conversions. Here are a few reel video ideas and concepts that have proven to work:
Show what goes into your work, the process, your team, or what day-to-day operations look like. This builds transparency with your audience and allows them to feel more connected to your brand.
Share insights, tips, or quick wins your audience can apply immediately. This positions your brand as an authority in your industry and shares valuable information that keeps people coming back for more.
Highlight the impact of your product or service in a visual way. Whether it’s a project, a result, or a process, this type of content clearly shows your value.
By letting your clients speak for you, it helps add authenticity and reinforce trust that your brand is who they say it is. Short-form video testimonials add an extra layer of authenticity in a way that written reviews can’t always provide.
Show the people behind the brand. This helps humanize your business and gives your audience a reason to follow and connect beyond just the services you provide.
The key takeaway here is that you don’t need to reinvent your strategy; you just need to be more intentional in the creation process. Focus on content that serves a purpose, and you’ll start to see better results without having to post more.
One of the biggest misconceptions about short-form video is that you need to be posting constantly to see results. The truth is you don’t. What truly matters is having a clear strategy and a process your team can actually sustain.
Start small and work your way up. Instead of filming a single video, set aside a few hours each week to capture multiple pieces of content at once. This helps reduce stress and keeps the content queue full.
Repurpose the content you already have. Not every video needs to start from scratch. Blog content, FAQs, client conversations, and past posts can all be turned into short-form content with the right approach.
Consistency over perfection wins every time. The videos that perform the best aren’t always the most polished; they’re the most authentic. Showing up consistently will outperform waiting on the “perfect” video.
Short-form video is the standard that’s been set for performing on social media. But success doesn’t come from doing more. Success comes from having the right systems in place and executing them consistently. That’s where having the right strategy and partner makes all the difference.
Our creative agency helps brands simplify the process of creating short-form video from start to finish. From building a clear content strategy to producing high-quality video and executing across social media, we focus on what actually drives results. If you’re ready to stop guessing and start seeing real and sustainable growth from your content, let’s talk. Book a call with our team.
Let’s be honest… social media looks a lot different than it did even a few years ago. Twitter isn’t even Twitter anymore. But here’s the thing: even as the platforms shift, some businesses are still treating social like a “nice-to-have” instead of a critical part of their marketing strategy. The truth? Social media can do so much more than rack up likes. It can put your brand in front of the right audience, build trust at scale, and even boost your SEO presence. And it’s not just for B2C brands, as B2B companies are finding huge value here too. By embracing current trends for social media, you can transform social from a passive presence into a proactive growth tool. Let’s break down what’s working on social media and how you can make it work for you.
Online platforms are evolving faster than ever, and current social media trends are already showing clear patterns that brands can’t afford to ignore. These trends for social media go beyond fleeting gimmicks; they’re fundamentally changing how businesses connect with audiences, spark engagement, and drive conversions. Staying ahead means understanding not just what’s popular, but what creates a meaningful and lasting impact.
Instagram has always been the place for visuals, but now, it’s getting serious about search. Earlier this year, all public content from professional business accounts became eligible to appear in Google search results. That means your Instagram posts can now drive organic traffic well beyond the app itself.
Why is this huge? Google handles 8.5 billion searches a day. If your Instagram content is optimized, your brand has a chance to appear in those results, making the platform part of your broader SEO strategy.
Here’s how to leverage this Instagram trend:
Authenticity sells. That’s why user-generated content (UGC) has exploded, making up over half of TikTok’s content and driving engagement across nearly every platform. Customers trust real voices over brand messages alone, which makes UGC and influencer marketing a powerful tool in both organic and paid campaigns.
To start, check your tags and mentions, search for hashtags tied to your brand, or simply ask customers for content you can share. Adding UGC into your strategy builds credibility, strengthens community, and keeps your feed from feeling like a sales pitch.
The latest social media trend marketers can leverage? Artificial intelligence. AI is changing the way brands approach social. From automating research to assisting with creative brainstorming, AI tools help marketers work faster and smarter without replacing the human touch that makes content connect.
Think:
When paired with strategy and human expertise, AI helps you stretch your budget and make better decisions faster.
Creating a social media plan is no longer just for engagement. Businesses are leveraging it as a direct sales channel. Top social media platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Pinterest are making it easier for users to browse, discover, and purchase products without ever leaving the app. Brands that integrate shoppable posts, live shopping events, and product tags can turn casual scrolling into measurable revenue. Beyond retail, even service-based businesses are experimenting with social commerce features to generate leads, offer bookings, or showcase premium offerings, making social a critical piece of the sales funnel.
Social media moves fast. For most businesses, trying to keep up with trends for social media while running day-to-day operations isn’t realistic. That’s where we come in. At Cork Tree, we help brands turn the latest social and advertising trends into strategies that actually work. From boosting discoverability to improving ROI on paid campaigns, we keep you ahead of the curve, so you can focus on running your business while we focus on growth. If you’re ready to make social media work harder for you, let’s talk. Book a call with our team today to learn more.
Influencer marketing tactics utilize a digital creator’s audience, credibility, and ability to persuade their audience. Social media influencer marketing helps brands promote their products, services, or campaigns and is generally used when you have a specific call to action. We understand how stressful placing your brand's campaign message in an influencer's hands is, especially if you choose the wrong one. However, as a marketing agency, we’re here to help you, making influencer marketing a breeze.
Influencer marketing has grown exponentially in the past few years and will continue to grow. According to Matter, 69% of people are more likely to purchase something a friend, family member, or influencer recommends over the actual brand. Influencers are changing the game of social media marketing. At Cork Tree Creative, we stay up to date with all the latest social media trends, so we’re sharing the best tips and tricks for leveraging social media influencers.
Collaborating with an influencer with thousands or millions of followers means you can promote your product or service to a diverse audience that may not already follow you. Your chosen influencer’s followers are likely to read about, click, or, even better, buy your brand's product or service through their videos or images.
Some of the primary benefits of influencer marketing include:
With the digital world constantly evolving, we understand how overwhelming it can be to choose the right influencer to represent your brand. You want your influencer’s content to reach your campaign goal and their followers to resemble your target audience. There are three main types of influencer marketing: Content Creators, Influencers, and UGC Creators.
If you’re not sure which type of influencer is right for your campaign goal, another way to choose an influencer is to determine the platform on which you want to promote your brand. Online platform influencers can help improve your content by creating sponsored posts, affiliate giveaways, brand ambassadors, and product collaborations.
The five leading types of platform influencers are:
The first thing to consider when determining whether to use business-to-consumer (B2C) or business-to-business (B2B) influencer marketing is your target audience. If your goal is to reach other businesses, then B2B influencer marketing is for you. If you want to connect directly with consumers, you should utilize B2C influencers. B2B influencers consist of industry professionals and experts, and their content is more educational to generate leads and spread brand awareness. On the other hand, B2C uses social media influencers who create more entertaining content, such as engaging marketing videos, and help you reach new market audiences and sell your product or services.
Types of B2B Industry Influencers:
Types of B2C Industry Influencers:
There’s influencer marketing available for every industry, so it’s important to find an influencer unique to your brand's industry. As experts in social media marketing, if you’re debating if an influencer is the right one for your business, we recommend imagining your influencer's followers as potential clients. Would they buy your product or keep scrolling because it’s irrelevant to them? Partnering with the right social media influencer will increase your brand awareness and reach more highly engaged niche clients. Social media influencers' ability to sway their follower's opinions and purchasing decisions makes for the ideal collaboration.
Examples of influencer campaigns include:
Influencers have forever reshaped the way social media marketing works. Their authentic connection with their followers has opened the door for brands to connect directly with their consumers and broaden their organic reach. At Cork Tree Creative, we are a team of established individuals who know when to utilize influencer marketing appropriately. We have the connections to help you choose the perfect social media influencer for your specific market needs. If you need influencer outreach services in the St. Louis area, contact us today, and let us help you reach the perfect influencer for your brand!
TikTok isn’t just dances and funny skits; it’s the perfect platform to connect personally with your target audience. With 1 billion users, TikTok is one of the fastest-growing social media platforms available, meaning the reach and visibility potential could be a massive advantage for businesses. The viral nature of TikTok allows unparalleled opportunity for brand exposure and viewer engagement, unlike other social media platforms that make gaining visibility difficult for smaller accounts.
If you are a business owner, you need to be utilizing TikTok as a marketing and branding tool to reach your business goals! We’ve gathered some of our top tips and tricks to make your business TikTok account more successful!
TikTok marketing is an essential and valuable addition to your marketing plan. Here’s how to incorporate it into your business plan!
A business account is a public profile allowing businesses to use TikTok’s marketing tools for their strategy. Creating a business account will provide you with templates for content creation, analytics to evaluate your success, and a whole arsenal of tools for effective advertising on the app.
To create your TikTok business account:
TikTok has a lot of business-boosting potential, but getting started can be intimidating. Here are a few practical tips and strategies to give your business an advantage!
Hashtags – everybody uses them, and they help get your content seen on TikTok! Using the right hashtags for your business will boost your visibility and engagement on TikTok. Hashtags ensure that TikTok shows your content to people interested in what you provide. Conduct some research on what hashtags are most relevant to your business, services, and brand image, and consistently use them on every post for maximum reach.
Leveraging social media trends is a way to ensure that your marketing efforts don’t go unnoticed. TikTok trends are trendy for a reason – everyone watches them! Tailor a specific trend to your brand or product so that anyone watching is exposed to your business. Spend some time seeing what sorts of videos trend, gain the most visibility on the platform, and determine if there is a meaningful way to connect them to your business. Not only will following viral movements result in exposure and engagement, but it can also help companies stay relevant and adapt to evolving consumer preferences.
TikTok also offers multiple advertising options through the platform for business owners to take advantage of. Through a business account, you can set your own ad budget and target audience and add your content to target potential customers best. A TikTok pixel can be added to your website to track viewer actions, engage previous site visitors, and reach new customers. TikTok provides a host of digital advertising and analytics tools to measure and evaluate your success and change your strategy if necessary. Through TikTok, businesses can leverage these options for ultimate growth, visibility, and engagement.
Are you on board with TikTok but unsure of how to effectively make the app part of your marketing plan? Do you have an account but struggle to keep up with trends and content creation? Hiring a good social media marketing agency can make all the difference for your business.
At Cork Tree Creative, our team of social media experts specialize in every aspect of TikTok, from strategy to trends and content creation. Our professionals help businesses thrive on TikTok by providing a unique marketing plan tailored to their services and target audience. If you’re ready to see actual results from your TikTok marketing efforts, contact us today to get started on the path to social media success!
Social media is an essential and unavoidable part of any good marketing strategy. To be a successful business owner, you need to know how to navigate and utilize social media. While getting started can seem intimidating, the financial and promotional benefits of social media marketing are unparalleled.
Social media offers several advantages for businesses, making it a powerful tool for advertising, customer engagement, and brand promotion. The accessibility and popularity of social media provide unlimited potential for brand visibility and driving sales. Additionally, social media is an invaluable conversion method, enabling your audience to make purchases or take desired action after exposure. With the right social media strategy, you can reach both existing and new customers more efficiently and effectively than ever. Learn our top five tips to leverage social media for your business.
Creating unique content that is on brand with your business and your image will help you craft a strong brand presence online. The use of features like hashtags and consistent posting on social media will increase the recognition of your brand among your target audience. Social media platforms allow even small profiles to trend so anybody can gain visibility online. The more you post, the more opportunities your business has to be noticed by your audience, and the more reliability you build in your industry.
Social media provides an opportunity to reach both existing and potential customers, making it an incredibly useful tool for businesses. Building a strong brand presence on social media will inevitably attract new customers for you to begin creating a relationship. Engaging with your audience is crucial to success. Create content that encourages audience interaction and reply to all comments and messages to strengthen your connection with potential customers.
Consumers turn to social media for guidance and recommendations. A great way to attract new customers while building brand credibility is to feature customer feedback on your business’s social media platform. Promoting positive reviews and testimonials enhances trust and credibility, helps boost your reputation online, and encourages customers to choose your business over others. Showing appreciation for these reviews also proves that you value your consumers and care about the experiences they have with your business.
Social media has multiple opportunities for you to reach your audience. Platforms like Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and TikTok all have different features that you can use for your business’s success. It’s important to utilize many of these platforms to expand your reach and connect with a wider audience. Make sure your content is cohesive enough to be recognizable across platforms.
Some platforms are more beneficial for sharing certain content as opposed to others, so it’s essential that you design your content with a specific channel in mind. For example, TikTok is better for sharing short videos, while Instagram prioritizes higher-quality photos. Working with a social media marketing agency can help you strategically plan content uniquely suited for each platform for the best results.
Influencer marketing can be a great advantage for a business looking to leverage social media. Influencers are opinion leaders and creators with great influence online, and you can utilize their following for your business. Partnering with a social media personality who has authority and an audience similar to yours can boost your brand’s visibility and engagement and drive customers to your site. Industry influencers are available across all types of businesses – if there’s an audience, there’s an influencer!
In today’s marketing environment, leveraging social media is a must to keep up with the competition and connect with your audience. If you’re ready to see your business expand and your marketing efforts rewarded, it’s time to start leveraging social media advertising. There are several considerations to be made when beginning to create a social media strategy for your business. Which platforms to use, what kind of content to create, and how to even get started can be an intimidating process – but it doesn’t have to be!
Working with a social media marketing agency can provide you with the guidance and expertise you need to be successful. An industry leader in social media management and marketing, Cork Tree Creative can help you start crafting a social media plan uniquely tailored to your business and your advertising goals.
Press releases aren’t just about getting media coverage anymore—they’re a tool to leverage your search engine optimization and social media presence. With the right strategy, you can get more eyes on your news, drive traffic to your website, and expand your brand’s reach. Whether you’re announcing a big company update, launching a new product, or sharing industry insights, when you optimize press releases, it ensures your message reaches the right audience.
To make the most of your press release, you need to craft it strategically. From keyword optimization to social media promotion, here are 10 essential tips to ensure your press release and public relations efforts get the attention it deserves.
Your headline needs to do two things: catch attention and help you rank in search results. Keep it short (under 75 characters) and include a relevant keyword phrase (3-4 words) that aligns with what your audience is searching for. When you optimize press release headlines, it increases the chances of your news getting found and clicked.
The first paragraph of your press release should pack a punch. If there’s a trending topic relevant to your news, weave it in. Tools like Google Trends and social listening can help you identify what’s hot in your industry. A compelling lead ensures people keep reading—and Google notices engagement, too.
A great press release isn’t just text—it’s visually engaging. Photos, infographics, or videos increase engagement and shareability on social media. Plus, search engines prioritize content that includes multimedia, making it a smart move for search engine optimization efforts.
Strategic linking from your press release helps drive traffic back to your website. Add hyperlinks to key pages (like a product page, blog, or service offering), but keep it natural—one link per 100 words is a good rule of thumb. This not only benefits SEO but also guides readers to take action on your website.
Google only displays about 60-65 characters of a headline in search results. Keep yours short, clear, and loaded with relevant keywords. A strong, optimized headline makes it more likely your press release will get found.
Once your press release is live, don’t let it sit—promote it! Share it with engaging captions and relevant hashtags on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram. Break it down into bite-sized posts to keep the buzz going over time.
Your email list is a powerful tool—use it! Send out your press release to your subscribers, linking back to the full release on your website. This not only increases visibility but also helps drive traffic directly to your site.
The boilerplate (or “About Us” section) is your brand’s calling card. Keep it concise but informative, highlighting who you are and what you do. Most importantly, include a clear call to action—whether that’s visiting your website, following you on social media, or getting in touch.
Want even more reach? Submit your press release to online distribution platforms like PR Newswire, Business Wire, or GlobeNewswire. These services help extend your reach and increase the likelihood of media pickup.
A well-crafted press release can do more than just announce news—it can strengthen your SEO, expand your audience, and enhance your brand’s credibility. By optimizing for search engines and social media, you’ll ensure your news gets the attention it deserves. Need help crafting a public relations plan that gets results? Contact us today, and let’s make your news work harder for you!
Oh, the ‘pound’ sign. How far you’ve come. A hashtag is a powerful categorizing tool. More specifically, it is a symbol of grouping together like content that lives on social media. Somewhere around the year 2007, Twitter users were in a frenzy about how content was displayed across the platform. It was a big jumble of topics with no rhyme or reason. In an effort to control the chaos, hashtags were thrown into the mix. Now, posts on Twitter that contained keywords or phrases preceded by a ‘#’ symbol could be displayed in one cohesive place where interested parties could find them. All you had to do was search the keywords in the search bar, and it would pull up related posts, mentions, and other media with the same tags.
While the use of the hashtag for categorizing topics was born on Twitter, other social media platforms quickly followed suit. Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Pinterest also allow for content on their sites to be grouped by relevant hashtags. Groups that can benefit from adequate use of hashtags differ with each platform. Depending on your target audience, LinkedIn could be the best or only platform for you to shine. And shining bright on LinkedIn involves the proper use of hashtags (among other things). LinkedIn suggests using hashtags on its platform to establish credibility, reach people who value your offerings, and network and start conversations over shared goals and interests.
Yes of course, we wouldn’t be talking about them if they didn’t. One of the best ways to reach your audience in this saturated market is to target yourself to the people or entities that care. Why would you want to sell hair products to a bald person? Or a car for someone who only wants to use bikes or public transportation? Once you lock in your ideal audience’s wants and needs, you can use hashtags to your advantage. Additionally, LinkedIn is a great place to do it right now because, according to their user data from 2020, only (approximately) 1 to 2 percent of users are even creating content regularly on the platform. This gives you even more room to stand out versus on other social media.
Believe it or not, there’s a method to the hashtag madness, especially on LinkedIn. Being more of a showcase for businesses and talent, the content you post should be targeted, organized, and relevant to your audience. Not only must the tags be relevant, but they should also be work-appropriate. What works on one social media platform could jeopardize someone’s business on LinkedIn.
Hashtags can go anywhere you can write words. They go on your own LinkedIn posts, shared articles, comments, groups, messages, videos, images, and job postings. Anything that has a text box can contain a hashtag, but that doesn’t mean you can just put hashtags anywhere, and they’ll do what you want. While hashtags can go in comments and articles, this type of content doesn’t show up in search results. Try to keep hashtags at the end or embedded in your posts, media, and shared content. Hashtags aren’t meant to replace copy and shouldn’t be used as an alternative. This also appears unprofessional. One way to get the jump on where to place your hashtags is to write out your posts and then embed them where they make sense. They’re supposed to be used to complement and clarify your writing, not to replace it.
You may have assumed by now that the number of hashtags you should use on your LinkedIn posts also matters. You don’t want to have too many keywords; this will dilute your topic and can confuse your audience. Keep it concise, LinkedIn recommends the use of about 2 to 3 hashtags in each post. There’s technically no limit to how many hashtags you can use, but try to keep it short and simple with what matters most. Each industry varies, however, so if yours could benefit from more than three hashtags, don’t limit yourself, but also don’t get out of control.
During your hashtag research, you must decide whether to use long-tailed keywords as hashtags or use one-word or concise hashtags. Longer words or phrases have the advantage of less competition but are also in fewer search results. Concise, one-word, or popular keywords will have higher search volume but bring more competition. Understanding what type of hashtags to use is an evolving process that must continually be tested and evaluated.
This really depends on who you’re targeting, as different buzzwords will matter to different niches. Use hashtags exclusively depending on the specific post versus your entire brand. Are you a shoe company looking to sell comfortable sneakers to working-class folk who are always on their feet? You can do research on bigger companies doing the same thing. What hashtags do they use? Note selected hashtags on their posts with high customer engagement. Start following these hashtags and do a deep dive into all content in this niche. Following hashtags is as simple as searching for them on LinkedIn search, clicking them, and then hitting follow once you are on the related search results. Here, you can start to build a robust list of related keywords and phrases to test out on your LinkedIn posts to see if their hashtags resonate with your audience.
Researching and following hashtags on LinkedIn is a good way to get an idea about popular keywords and phrases in your niche but in order to access specific hashtag metrics and data on your LinkedIn content, you’ll need to use a media monitoring tool. You can monitor the hashtags you follow and see how many people also follow them, but that’s about it (for now) on hashtag metrics from content produced directly on LinkedIn. If you don’t use a monitoring tool, you can simply observe engagement in your content by taking notes on how many people interact with your posts. Metrics you can find include reactions, shares, follows, and comments.
Here are a few important things to avoid when utilizing hashtags on LinkedIn. Make sure you do not:
Here are a few tips and things to remember when drafting up tag ideas. Try to:
Can’t figure out hashtags? We can help. Cork Tree Creative has a knowledgeable team that specializes in the evolving nuances of social media. Your online presence is important and can be the difference between brand recognition... and rejection. Make sure you’re getting it right the first time. We can help you brainstorm which tags to use, where they should go, and how to get you right in that visibility sweet spot.
So, you’ve got your company’s social media platforms ready to rock, and it's time to start posting. Before you begin, ask yourself, “Ok, so when is the best time for me to throw these tweets, posts, and updates out to the public?” Well, be happy you’re here because we are going to teach you just that.
First things first, you want to know where most of your audience lives. This will help you determine what time zone you should focus your posting on. So, let’s say the majority of your customers are in Sweden, you’ll need to execute your posts during CET. Or maybe your largest audience is in the USA and Canada? You’ll want to focus on timing your posts during peak EST hours. Since EST hosts cities like New York and Toronto, this time zone has the largest number of people.
However, the more popular your brand is, the more time zones you’ll likely need to consider. Your goal here is to reach as many time zones and customers as possible without overdoing it. To determine what geographical area your audience is coming from, you can use social media analytics tools to help plan which times work best for your business.
Now that we know you want to make sure you’re posting when your followers are online, this will be different for each platform and each brand. To go along with that, you need to post during your customers’ highest engagement period during the day, not just the largest audience. If you are posting on LinkedIn, your audience’s prime time of engagement will differ from the most engaging time for customers on Facebook or Twitter. A good way to do this is by not only tracking each platform separately, but also by tracking your competitors. See when they post and how those posts do in terms of engagement. If it works for them, it’ll probably work for you! By keeping track of when your audience is the most active, keeping up to date with current trends, holidays, and events, you can maximize engagement with your customers.
While it’s important to track your own social media metrics to determine the best time to post for your business, there are some general go-to times to get you started with your posting.
Best Times to Post: (data from Sprout Social)
In the end, your brand’s prime time to post is just as unique as your customer base and will vary channel to channel. While the times we mentioned above can get you started on the right path to posting, you will need to keep tracking your company’s data on each platform to find the optimal time to engage with your audience. Keep it up! With the right tools and constant improvement of your posting schedules, you will drive results and improve your social ROI for an awesome social media presence.
Do you have questions on how to leverage your company’s social media to build business and brand awareness? We have a team of social media strategists ready to help! Contact us today for more information.
In today’s technology-driven, app-crazy, and influencer frenzy world, it can feel hard to keep up. You’ll want to begin utilizing social media to positively impact your business. Now, you might be wondering, “Where do I start?” Luckily, you’ve found us, and we are going to give you a simple play-by-play on how to create the perfect social media plan for your company.
Sit down and ask yourself this question: “What is my brand's mission?” This is the first step in helping to set your business goals and objectives. Once you have decided on these, it’s time to decide what you want to achieve from utilizing social media. Is it to increase awareness? Expand your brand's audience? Generate sales? Boost community engagement? Or are you trying to drive more traffic to your site? These are just some of the things your business may want to achieve from utilizing social media. These goals can help you determine which social media platforms are best for your biz and leverage social media effectively.
Next, take the time to get to know your target audience. This step is vital to the success of your social media plan. Knowing who your ideal customers are and what social platforms they are utilizing is crucial. For example, if your business is targeting millennials – Instagram may be one of the platforms you make a priority. However, if your product is geared more towards business-oriented professionals – LinkedIn should be your focus. If you already have business social media accounts created, it’s time to research your existing audience and how they interact with you. Remember, don’t spread yourself too thin by creating an account on every platform. Instead, focus on those platforms where your primary audience is.
Your social media content calendar is going to be the backbone of your social media strategy. This tool will allow you to stay organized, plan ahead, and ensure fresh, consistent content. This is where you can keep up with which campaigns your business is running this month, what holiday events you may be advertising, and more! Your content calendar should be unique to your company. If you are using social media management tools to automatically post for you, make sure it aligns with your content calendar. Your calendar should include what content you are posting, which platform you are posting on, what time you should post it, and any images, videos, text, or links. This way, when the time comes for you to share an update on your social channels, you and your team are ready!
As you are putting together your company’s social media plan, you will need to decide what metrics are most important to your brand. Then, track, analyze, and improve them. Keeping track of important metrics will allow you to know what works and what does not. Most social media platforms will allow you to navigate your page’s analytics. For Facebook, they are in the Insights tab. For Twitter, go to Twitter Analytics. And if you have a business account, Instagram does a good job of summarizing your content data for each post. While at first, this may be a trial-and-error situation, examining the real-time metrics of your campaigns can allow you to change your social media plans as you go.
Some of the most common and valuable metrics to pay attention to are engagement, impressions, reach, referrals, conversions, share of voice, and reply time.
Let’s talk about social media content. It’s important to stick to your company’s brand. You want your theme throughout your social platforms to stay true to you, like your “Instagram grid” should have an identifiable and cohesive aesthetic. More importantly, though, you want your followers to interact with you, and there are several ways of achieving this. Creating polls on your favorite platforms is a sure way to get your audience involved and a great way to learn a little more about them. One of the best ways to engage with someone is to ask them questions.
Also, it’s vital to stay up to date on all the social media trends. Is a certain song viral on TikTok right now? Hop on that movement and create an engaging TikTok video about your product or brand. Then, share it to the reels on Instagram for increased exposure. Overall, remind your audience that there are humans behind your posts. Content that shows off your company’s “human side” will help you connect with your followers more than anything.
Never undervalue the power of a social media plan! In today’s world, a strong social media presence is vital to any company’s success. If you have any questions about curating a social media plan for your business, contact us!
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