Social media marketing: comparing past and present strategies
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Think about these questions before reading. Share your ideas with a partner.
- Thinking back to when you first started using social media, how has the way companies advertise to you on these platforms changed over the years?
- In your opinion, what makes a social media marketing campaign memorable and effective, versus one that is simply annoying or easy to ignore?
- If you were a marketing manager for a brand you like, what kind of social media strategy would you create to connect with customers today, and how might that differ from a strategy from five years ago?
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Planning a Social Media Campaign
Listen to the dialogue. Notice how the vocabulary and grammar from the lesson are used.
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Answer these questions in your own words. Support your answers with evidence from the article.
01According to the text, what is user-generated content (UGC) and who is responsible for creating it?
Sample answerIt's any kind of content, like photos or reviews, that is created by the customers or fans of a product, rather than by the company itself.
02How might the strategy of 'boosting a post' help a piece of content 'go viral'?
Sample answerBy boosting a post, a company pays to show it to a much larger audience. This initial push could be what's needed to get lots of people sharing it, which might cause it to spread quickly and go viral.
03Based on the examples provided, in what way has the focus of company advertising changed over time?
Sample answerThe text shows that companies used to rely only on things like print advertising, but now their online presence is a top priority and they use new methods like influencer marketing.
04Considering all the concepts mentioned, what fundamental shift seems to have occurred in the relationship between brands and their audience?
Sample answerIt seems the relationship is much more interactive now. Before, brands just pushed out ads. But now, with things like user-generated content and online engagement, the audience is much more involved in the marketing process.
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Key vocabulary
Vocabulary
These expressions will help you discuss social media and marketing strategies more effectively.
Examples
To gain traction — to start becoming popular, accepted, or successful.
Usage note: We often use this to talk about a new idea, product, or piece of online content that is beginning to grow. For example, 'The video didn't get many views at first, but it started to gain traction after a week.'
To resonate with an audience — to connect with people in a way that feels personally meaningful or important to them.
Usage note: This explains why certain content is successful. You can say a message, a brand's values, or a campaign 'resonates with' a specific group, like 'younger consumers' or 'eco-conscious shoppers'.
A paradigm shift — a fundamental and important change in the way something is done or thought about.
Usage note: This is a strong, semi-formal phrase for describing major, transformative changes. For example, 'The move from broadcast advertising to interactive social media was a paradigm shift for the industry.'
To leverage something — to use something you have (like data, content, or influence) in an effective way to achieve a goal.
Usage note: This is a common business verb that sounds more strategic than simply 'to use'. For example, 'Smart brands leverage user-generated content to build trust and authenticity.'
To stay ahead of the curve — to be more advanced or innovative than your competitors by anticipating future trends.
Usage note: This is a common idiom used when discussing strategy and competition. It means being proactive, not reactive. For example, 'To succeed in social media, companies must constantly try to stay ahead of the curve.'
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Complete the sentences with words from the box. One word is extra.
Word bank
01Our new video series didn't get many views at first, but it's finally starting to gain some on the platform.
02To be successful, your marketing message must with the values and interests of your target audience.
03The move from traditional advertising to influencer marketing represents a complete shift in how brands connect with consumers.
04We need to our existing customer data to create more personalized and effective email campaigns.
05By adopting new AI tools for content creation, the company hopes to stay ahead of the .
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Grammar: The passive voice for describing processes
Grammar
We use the passive voice when the action is more important than the person or thing performing it. In the context of social media marketing, this is useful for describing strategies, trends, and how content is created and shared, especially when the 'doer' is unknown, obvious, or unimportant.
Examples
In the early 2010s, most social media content was created directly by brands.
The focus is on the content, not the brands. This is a common way to describe past trends.
Now, huge audiences are reached through partnerships with influencers.
This present simple passive describes a current, ongoing process. The focus is on the result (reaching audiences).
A new analytics tool has been implemented to track engagement more effectively.
The present perfect passive is used here to announce a recent change that has a present result.
Key points
- Form the passive with the verb 'to be' (in the correct tense) + the past participle (e.g., is created, was sent, has been seen).
- Use 'by + agent' only when it is important to mention who or what performed the action (e.g., 'The campaign was designed by our in-house team').
- The passive voice often creates a more formal and objective tone, which is common in business and reporting.
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Find the mistake
Read the sentences below about social media marketing. Can you spot the error in each one?
Each sentence contains one error. Find and correct it.
01For a campaign to be successful, the message must really resonance with the target audience.
Corrected version
For a campaign to be successful, the message must really resonance resonate with the target audience.
02The way companies communicate with customers changed completely since social media became popular.
Corrected version
The way companies communicate with customers has changed completely since social media became popular.
03It's crucial for brands to stay ahead on the curve by adopting new digital trends early.
Corrected version
It's crucial for brands to stay ahead on of the curve by adopting new digital trends early.
04A new strategy can take months to win traction in a competitive market.
Corrected version
A new strategy can take months to win gain traction in a competitive market.
05In the past, marketing campaigns were often create by large agencies with little direct customer feedback.
Corrected version
In the past, marketing campaigns were often create created by large agencies with little direct customer feedback.
06The data collected from social media analytics provide valuable insights into consumer behavior.
Corrected version
The data collected from social media analytics provide provides valuable insights into consumer behavior.
07We've witnessed a paradigm shift in marketing, moving from mass media to a personalized content.
Corrected version
We've witnessed a paradigm shift in marketing, moving from mass media to a personalized content.
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Useful phrases: Brainstorming ideas for a social media campaign
Vocabulary
In any creative or marketing role, you'll need to brainstorm ideas with your team. These phrases will help you suggest ideas, build on others' suggestions, and express concerns constructively, making you a more effective collaborator.
Examples
How about we explore the idea of [creating a video series]? — for suggesting a new idea.
Register: Neutral/Semi-formal. Use this to introduce a suggestion in a collaborative way. It's less direct than 'We should do...' and invites discussion.
That's a great starting point. We could take it a step further by [partnering with an influencer]. — for building on someone else's idea.
Register: Neutral/Semi-formal. Use this to show you agree with a colleague's idea and want to add to it. It's a very positive and collaborative phrase.
I see where you're coming from, but my only hesitation is [the potential cost]. — for politely expressing a concern.
Register: Neutral/Semi-formal. This is a soft way to disagree or raise a problem. You first acknowledge their point ('I see where you're coming from') before introducing your concern.
Could you walk me through how that would look in practice? — for asking for more detail.
Register: Neutral/Semi-formal. A professional way to ask for more specific information about a plan or idea. It's much more polite than just asking 'How?'.
I'm completely on board with that idea. — for showing strong agreement.
Register: Neutral/Informal. A common and enthusiastic way to say you fully support an idea. 'On board' means you agree and are ready to help.
Just to bring it back to our main objective, how does this help us [increase engagement]? — for refocusing the conversation.
Register: Neutral/Semi-formal. Use this politely when the discussion is getting off-topic. It connects the conversation back to the original goal of the meeting.
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The evolution of marketing
Read the passage about how marketing strategies have changed over time.
Fill in each blank with the correct word or phrase from the word bank.
Word bank
The evolution of marketing has seen a true in recent years. In the past, companies simply broadcasted messages, hoping they would their target demographic. Now, the goal is to create authentic content that helps a brand online. To do this successfully, marketers must user-generated content and data analytics. This dynamic approach is essential for any company that wants to and not get left behind.
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Words to take with you
Vocabulary
These expressions are not in the article but will help you discuss this topic more fluently.
Examples
To go viral — to spread rapidly and widely on the internet, especially through social media.
Use this to describe content that becomes extremely popular very quickly. Example: 'Their short video about the new product went viral overnight, getting millions of views.'
Engagement rate — a metric used to measure the level of interaction (likes, comments, shares) that content receives from an audience.
Use this when discussing the performance of a post or campaign. A high engagement rate is usually a sign of success. Example: 'We're focusing on creating content that improves our engagement rate, not just our number of followers.'
User-generated content (UGC) — any form of content, such as images or videos, that has been posted by users on online platforms rather than by the brand itself.
This is a powerful marketing tool. You can talk about 'running a UGC campaign' or 'featuring user-generated content' on your channels. Example: 'Our latest campaign encourages customers to share photos with our product, giving us lots of great user-generated content.'
To boost a post — to pay a social media platform to show a specific post to a wider audience than it would reach organically.
This is a common form of paid advertising used to increase the reach of important content. Example: 'The event announcement wasn't getting much attention, so we decided to boost the post.'
Digital footprint — the trail of data a person or company creates while using the internet.
For a brand, this refers to its overall presence and reputation online. A positive digital footprint is crucial. Example: 'Companies need to carefully manage their digital footprint to maintain a good public image.'
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Building a strategy
A good social media strategy involves many different actions.
Match the beginning of each sentence with its correct ending.
Drag or click to match
Definitions
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Discuss these questions with a partner. Try to use vocabulary from the lesson.
- Some argue that leveraging user data for highly targeted ads is a brilliant way for brands to resonate with their audience, while others see it as an invasion of privacy. Where do you stand on this issue, and is this a sustainable way for companies to stay ahead of the curve?
- Think about a local brand in your country that has successfully gained traction on social media. What specific strategies did they use to resonate with a local audience, and how do these differ from those used by global corporations in your market?
- Looking to the future, what do you predict will be the next paradigm shift in social media marketing? Will current trends like influencer collaborations continue to be effective, or will a new approach be needed for brands to connect with customers?