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5 Marketing Lessons I Learned From Joining a New Social Network

Sarah Corley
#Digital Marketing, #Inbound Marketing, #Social Media
Published on January 19, 2017
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We share the marketing lessons we learned from joining Musically, an app that lets users create and share short music videos.

In a busy world, it can be hard to keep up with the latest app, song, or product, and the latest popular trend can easily sneak under our radar. This happened to me recently with an app called Musically. Have you heard of it? Until a friend’s daughter told me that I should join “because I like to sing and dance,” I had no clue it even existed.

Basically, it’s an app that allows you to record short, looped videos to the latest music hits, while you lip sync and show off your sweet dance moves. According to Billboard.com, “Musical.ly is many things: a hit mobile app that topped the iOS App Store Free chart in July 2015 and hasn’t fallen from the top 40 since; a scorching-hot startup with a $500 million valuation (as estimated by TechCrunch in May) and more than 133 million “Musers” worldwide; and a promotional platform embraced by the music industry for its ability to translate song clips into streams and sales.”

As a social media marketer, it’s easy to take for granted how Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest work, since I’m consistently using those platforms on a daily basis. But if you’re just getting started using these tools, they can be overwhelming. I was able to experience this sensation firsthand when I joined Musically. As you can imagine, with no prior knowledge of the app, just navigating through the app to find and watch people’s creations was difficult. This was a fantastic reminder of how some people can feel when joining a commonly-used app and being the new kid on the block.

After I joined Musically and spent a good week just browsing videos to see what other Musers were doing and learning how to navigate this new social platform, I came away with some great marketing lessons. Here are 5 things I learned as a marketer from my time with Musically:

1. How will you stand out? What makes you different from everyone else on the platform?

One of the first things that I noticed is many Musers tend to use the same hand motions and camera angles when making their videos. It can be easy to copy something that has worked for someone else and put your own spin on it, but why not shake things up? This is the perfect opportunity to reference your buyer personas and figure out what content would appeal to them. Make unique content targeted toward the people you want to reach, and you’ll stand out from the crowd.

2. Where will you turn to for advice/tutorials if you don’t know the platform?

When I first joined Musically, I read several articles and watched over 20 YouTube videos on how to use the app. These videos included hacks for getting the most out of the app, instructions on how to add filters, and a variety of compilations of Musically uploads.

If you have questions on how to use social media channels, where do you turn to for answers? After you have mastered the platform, does it make sense for your company to create “how to” videos or blogs to help others in your industry? Leveraging this need is a great way to engage new users of a social media platform.

3. Is this platform where your target audience lies?

I’ve often heard people say, “We need to be on [insert the latest trendy social platform] because everyone’s on it.” But that’s not necessarily the case for everyone. The most important question you need to be asking is, “Is this where my target audience is?” If the answer is no, think twice about joining the platform. Why spend time creating content that won’t bring you closer to your community and your goals?

4. Can you create enough content for more than 20 posts?

If you’ve answered yes, you’re more likely to succeed on your platform of choice! Consistent content establishes trust and keeps your audience coming back for more. Before you get started, you should plan for at least 20 posts, and then keep adding more content on a regular basis. Don’t let your presence on the platform stagnate, or your audience will find someone else to follow.

5. Where will your audience be next?

If this new social platform is going to shut down tomorrow, where would your audiences go? When the popular Vine app was discontinued last year, many users moved over to Musically and its spinoff app, Live.ly. Paying attention to your audience’s preferences will help you ensure that you are able to reach them where they are.

When trying out a new social platform, keep these five things under consideration! Have you joined a new social platform recently? What have you learned? I’d love to hear about your experience, so please share your thoughts in the comments below!