Turnip Marketing Internship - Social Media Marketing

Summary

In this video, the speaker offers a rationally optimistic view of social media marketing for startups and small businesses. They explain that social media is most effective for top-of-funnel awareness and engagement, rather than direct conversions, and illustrate this using the IDA funnel model. The video highlights how social media algorithms prioritize user time and engagement, limiting organic reach and favoring native content. Practical strategies include analyzing post performance, leveraging paid advertising for reach, and following Gary Vaynerchuk’s “jab-jab-jab, right hook” approach: consistently provide value before asking for action. Recommended resources for deeper learning include books on social media and viral marketing.

Takeaways

• 😀 Social media marketing is often not very effective for startups and small businesses in terms of direct conversions.
• 😀 The IDA funnel (Awareness → Interest → Decision → Action) shows that social media primarily influences the top of the funnel (awareness and engagement).
• 😀 Users typically visit social media for engagement and entertainment, not with strong purchase intent.
• 😀 The single most important metric for social media platforms is **time spent by users**, which drives their revenue through ads.
• 😀 Social media algorithms favor content that keeps users on the platform and penalize posts with external links.
• 😀 Organic reach on platforms like LinkedIn is limited, even for accounts with thousands of followers, making paid promotion often necessary for visibility.
• 😀 Effective social media content should be **native to the platform** to maximize algorithmic reach.
• 😀 Analyzing post performance (impressions, clicks, CTR) helps determine what content works and should be repeated.
• 😀 Gary Vaynerchuk’s strategy, **‘Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook’**, emphasizes giving value repeatedly before asking for a sale or action.
• 😀 Successful social media strategies combine understanding platform dynamics, optimizing for engagement, and strategic content planning rather than expecting immediate conversions.
• 😀 Additional recommended resources for learning social media marketing include books by Ashish Chopra (*Fast, Cheap & Viral*) and Jonah Berger (*Contagious*), which explore viral content and effective social marketing.

Q & A

Why does the speaker believe social media marketing is less effective for startups and small businesses?

The speaker argues that social media marketing is less effective because organic reach is low, conversion potential is limited, and small businesses may not have the resources to maintain a strong presence across multiple platforms.

What is the IDA model, and how does it relate to social media marketing?

The IDA model is a customer journey funnel: Awareness → Interest → Decision → Action. Social media mainly contributes to the Awareness and Interest stages, helping to engage users, but is less effective for driving direct conversions.

At which stage of the IDA funnel is social media most impactful?

Social media is most impactful at the top of the funnel, during the Awareness stage, and can also support engagement in the Interest phase.

What is the single most important metric for social media platforms, according to the speaker?

The most important metric is 'time spent by users on the platform,' as platforms earn revenue from ads and aim to maximize user engagement.

Why do social media algorithms favor native content over external links?

Algorithms favor native content because it keeps users on the platform longer, increasing engagement and ad revenue, whereas external links take users away from the platform.

What do the speaker's LinkedIn analytics reveal about organic reach?

The analytics show that less than 10% of followers see organic posts, demonstrating that organic reach is limited even with a moderate follower base.

What is the 'Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook' strategy, and how should it be applied?

This strategy by Gary Vaynerchuk advises providing value through content ('jabs') multiple times before making a direct sales request ('right hook'). It emphasizes engagement before asking for conversions.

Why does the speaker recommend posting content natively on each platform?

Posting natively increases engagement and reach because algorithms reward content that keeps users on the platform rather than directing them elsewhere.

What are the key differences between top-of-funnel and bottom-of-funnel marketing approaches?

Top-of-funnel approaches focus on broad awareness and engagement, such as branding and mass marketing. Bottom-of-funnel approaches are more direct, targeting potential customers individually through emails, telemarketing, or meetings to drive conversions.

Which additional resources does the speaker recommend for learning more about social media marketing?

The speaker recommends three books: Gary Vaynerchuk's 'Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook,' Ashish Chopra's 'Fast, Cheap, and Viral,' and Jonah Berger's 'Contagious,' which cover social media strategy, viral marketing, and content effectiveness.

How do paid social media campaigns impact reach compared to organic posts?

Paid campaigns significantly extend reach beyond organic limitations because they unlock more audience visibility and bypass algorithm restrictions, which naturally favor engagement over external traffic.

Why does the speaker mention dark mode and blue light filters in the context of social media?

Dark mode and blue light filters help users stay on the platform longer by reducing eye strain, indirectly supporting social media companies’ goal of increasing user engagement time.