Social marketing can be as fickle as Fashion! There’s always a “What’s Hot” and a “What’s Not” list springing up in both. Let’s look forward and back to learn, plan and stay on trend.
Remember poodle skirts, leisure suits and big hair? You laugh, yet I sure loved my big hair…back in the day. Now those fashion faux pas are as out of date as:
- MySpace
- Social ads that aren’t targeted to specific, well-defined audiences.
- Images that are poor quality or not sized right for the particular platform.
These vintage tactics can be as easily updated as those flared pants that made a comeback after bell-bottoms.
What’s NOT!
Let’s bring in new fashions and leave some things in the dressing room.
Targeting Social Ads
We want to leave behind untargeted, large audience social ads. We all know that not every tour is right for every person out there. Just like every fashion trend isn’t for everyone!
When you dive into Ads Manager or Power Editor on Facebook you’ll find a wide array of targeting options that will help you reach your ‘perfect audience’.
Fashion your custom audiences around these features:
- Relationship status; think newly engaged, upcoming anniversary
- Activities; think yoga, culinary aficionados, Italian food lovers
- Travel; people who love eco-tourism, adventure travel, theme parks and beaches
Tip: The more closely your ads are related to the audience, the more likely you’ll find new business. Consider setting up audiences for each type of trip or tour you’re promoting.
You’ll be able to save the audiences you create and use them for multiple ads. Here’s a sample of some choices you’ll find:
Did you know? You can also target a ‘Preferred Audience’ for your organic posts? Here’s where you find that on your business page:Social ads are as cool as platform shoes of yore. Here’s some tips to elevate your awareness.

Figure 1 – How to select preferred audiences for an organic post
Then you can select from targeting options similar to those you’ll see when you set up an ad. You’ll be able to save your audience to that specific organic post only.

Figure 2 – Preferred Audience choices for organic posts
It’s all about the Visuals
Social is turning into a visual playground. Your photos, videos and graphics speak much more loudly than ever before. Forget about those old fam photos you took back when your phone just got a camera.
Now we want to focus on clear, crisp images that tell your modern story. Here’s what’s tops now:
- Quirk works; unusual angles, quirky local signs and sites
- Beaches, sunsets and calming images. In our overworked society we all need a break.
- Lively action
- Culinary Foodies are a dominant force in the world of travel.
- Size Matters. Tips to make sure your graphics size-up socially
Like in the world of fashion, having the right fit is important. Don’t make this mistake with your photo sizing.
While we all try to keep up to date, sometimes staying on top of our social posts can be daunting. Here’s a quick overview for you.

Figure 3 -Avoid these social marketing slip-ups

Figure 4 – Up to Date Fixes
Why not take a few minutes and go over your own social strategy – are any of these outdated habits still on your to-do list? Consider leaving some vintage memories behind and implementing a more targeted and streamlined approach to your marketing!
While fashions can be fickle, great marketing strategies are always stylish.
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