Author: gene

Last Updated: November 21, 2023

Staying relevant and capturing your audience’s attention is a constant challenge for marketers. And now that brands rely on video content more than ever, it’s critical to use the correct social media video specs and advertising video sizes.

To simplify marketers’ efforts, we created a complete guide of every single social media video spec and advertising video dimension.

Before we start, here are some additional resources that keep the information in one place:

• Easily reference our social media video specs in our always up-to-date Google Doc.
• Looking for image sizes? Check out our social media image sizes guide for help.
• Want to get better results with video? Download our social media video content workbook.

Social Media Video Specs & Ad Sizes By Network

We’ve gathered data on each social network’s specific video sizes and specs. Simply click the links below to jump to your desired network:

• Facebook
• Instagram
• TikTok
• Twitter
• YouTube
• LinkedIn
• Pinterest
• Snapchat

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Facebook Video Specs

Facebook video is consumed at higher rates each year, so it’s no wonder why so many marketers search for the correct Facebook video specs.

There are simply so many types of videos you can share on Facebook and the platform updates its design frequently. Each video format has different dimensions and specs, which can make it confusing to know whether or not you’re uploading the correct format for organic or paid posts. Follow the specs below to optimize your posts.

In-Feed Shared Post Video (Landscape & Portrait)

The most common type of video on Facebook comes from shared posts. This type of video lives in your Facebook Feed, and can be shared by brands or your friends. While it’s not as easy to get organic reach on Facebook, it’s still a viable way to share video.

You can choose between two video orientations: Landscape and Portrait. Here’s a look at the video specs for both.

Video Guidelines

• Resolution: 1280×720, 720×1280
• Minimum width: 1200 pixels
• Aspect ratio: 16:9, 9:16
• Max file size: 10GB (3GB max in Sprout)
• Recommended video formats: MP4, MOV
• Video length: 1 second to 240 minutes (45 minutes max, if uploading in Sprout)
• Bitrate: 256kbps
• Frame rate: 30fps

360 Video

Facebook’s 360 Video allows users to get a complete 360-degree view by scrolling with a cursor on the web, by touch or turning the device on mobile.

Video Guidelines

• Resolution depends on the type of content:
  • Monoscopic: 5120×2560 maximum
  • Stereoscopic: 5120×5120 maximum
• Aspect ratio depends on the type of content:
  • Monoscopic: 2:1
  • Stereoscopic: 1:1
• Max file size: 10GB
• Recommended video formats: MP4, MOV
• Video length: 1 second to 30 minutes
• Frame rate: 30fp

Facebook Reels

The convenience of cross-posting your Instagram Reels to Facebook expands the reach of your videos. This format appears organically in feeds but often gets priority on Facebook feeds.

Video Guidelines

• Resolution: 1080p
• Aspect ratio: 9:16
• Max file size: No file size limit
• Recommended video formats: MP4
• Video length: 3 seconds to 90 seconds
• Frame rate: 24fps – 60fps (30fp recommended in Sprout)

Facebook Stories

Similar to Instagram Stories, you can post Facebook Stories to extend the reach of your posts. Users who may not follow you on Instagram will be able to view and interact with your Stories.

Video Guidelines

• Resolution: 1080p
• Minimum width: 500 pixels
• Aspect ratio: 9:16 and 4:5 to 1.91:1
• Max file size: 4GB
• Recommended video formats: MP4 or MOV
• Video length: 1 second to 60 seconds

Facebook Video Ad Specs

There are more than 10 million advertisers now on Facebook and having the right specs for your ads can be tricky. Each type of Facebook video ad is different, so let’s break down the specs for each type of video you can produce.

In-Feed Video Ads

These Facebook video ads are the sponsored equivalent of in-feed posts, and they follow similar guidelines to in-feed video posts.

Video guidelines

• Resolution: 1080×1080 minimum
• Minimum width: 120 pixels
• Minimum height: 120 pixels
• Aspect ratio: 1:1 (for desktop or mobile) or 4:5 (for mobile only)
• Max file size: 4GB
• Recommended video formats: MP4, MOV or GIF
• Video length: 1 seconds to 240 minutes
• Frame rate: 30fps

Character limits

• Primary text: 125 characters
• Headline: 27 characters
• Description: 27 characters

Carousel Video Ads

Facebook Carousel Video ads allow brands to showcase multiple videos (or images) and a landing page link within a user’s Facebook feed. It has grown in popularity because its unique scrolling feature allows users to see more content before clicking. In fact, Digiday estimated Carousel Ads to be 10x more effective than standard social media ads.

Video Guidelines

• Resolution: 1080×1080 minimum
• Aspect ratio: 1:1
• Max file size: 4GB
• Recommended video formats: MP4, MOV or GIF
• Video length: 1 seconds to 240 minutes
• Frame rate: 30fps

Character limits

• Primary text: 125 characters
• Headline: 32 characters
• Description: 18 characters
• Landing Page URL: Required

Collection Video Ads (Mobile)

The Facebook Collection ads showcase multiple images and a main video above it. This is perfect for displaying multiple products (or various colors of a single product) plus a video. The ad type has been popular so far with retailers and clothing companies as an instant storefront or lookbook.

Video Guidelines

• Resolution: 1080×1080 minimum
• Aspect ratio: 1:1
• Max file size: 4GB
• Recommended video formats: MP4, MOV or GIF
• Video length: 1 seconds to 240 minutes
• Frame rate: 30fps

Character Limits

• Primary text: 125 characters
• Headline max: 40 characters
• Landing Page URL: Required

Instant Experience Video Ads

Facebook Instant Experience ads open up a full-screen experience after the first click, which can be further customized with a variety of interactive features. This can include multiple video experiences, including features to auto-play on loop.

Video Guidelines

• Minimum width: 720 pixels
• Max file size: 4GB
• Recommended video formats: MP4, MOV
• Video length: Up to 2 minutes
• Frame rate: 30fps

Slideshow Video Ad

Facebook’s Slideshow videos were built for advertisers wanting to reach audiences with slower internet connections. Instead of a regular video, slideshows are just that–a slideshow of images or video in an ad display.

Video Guidelines

• Resolution: 1080×1080
• Aspect ratio: 16:9 or 1:1
• Recommended video formats: MP4 or MPV
• Slideshow duration length: 15 seconds

Facebook Stories Ads

Facebook added the Stories feature – photo or short video posts that are only available for 24 hours. In addition to user-generated organic posts, Stories ads are available to run between sets of posted Stories. While most users will be sharing immediate and organic updates from their phone’s camera, the guidelines for this format are similar for both paid and organic ad posts.

Video Guidelines

• Resolution: 1080×1080
• Minimum width: 500 pixels
• Aspect ratio: 9:16
• Max file size: 4GB
• Recommended video formats: MP4, MPV and GIF
• Video length: 1 second to 2 minutes
• Frame rate: 30fps

Character Limits

• Primary text: 125 characters
• Headline: 40 characters

For more information on the video specs for Facebook, visit the Facebook Help Center.

Instagram Video Specs

Instagram launched video capabilities in 2013 and quickly saw enough success to start advertising on the platform in 2015. Since then, video only continues to grow as an engaging social format. Needless to say, Instagram videos are absolutely worth the investment.

Carousel Video (Landscape, Square & Vertical)

Since 2015, Instagram crafted its video formats to allow three different styles: landscape, square and vertical. However, like the app, Instagram and how video is presented has evolve. Gone are the days of IGTV and Instagram Video. Video can be natively included as a post or carousel post, or they can be uploaded as Reels, but more on Reels later.

Video Guidelines

• Resolution: 1080×1080, 1080×1350
• Aspect ratio: 9:16
• Max file size: 4GB
• Recommended video formats: MP4, MOV
• Video length: 3 seconds to 60 minutes
• Frame rate: 23-60 fps

Instagram Reels

Introduced in 2020, Instagram Reels are another option for your video strategy on Instagram. These short-form, easily digestible videos are becoming the preferred type of content in Instagram feeds.

Fortunately for social content creators looking to easily generate a lot of content for Instagram, most of the video specs for Instagram Reels are fairly similar to other formats on the platform.

As Instagram has started to add separate tabs for different content types, thumbnails will be cropped differently on each view. If the viewer is on the first tab that has all content types, the thumbnail will be cropped to the traditional square post size of 1:1–center your subjects and plan to avoid undesirable vertical cropping.

Video Guidelines:

• Resolution: 720p minimum
• Aspect ratio: 0.01:1 to 10:1; 9:16 recommended
• Max file size: 4GB max (1GB in Sprout)
• Recommended video formats: MP4 or MOV
• Video length: 3 seconds to 15 minutes
• Frame rate: 23-60 fps

Cover Photo Size:

• Size: 420p x 654p
• Aspect ratio: 1:1.55

Instagram Stories

Instagram Stories are short-form videos that display for 24-hours on your profile. Followers and users can access your Stories directly from your profile; followers have the luxury of accessing your Stories directly from their feed, where Stories for accounts they follow display directly at the top of their screen.

Video Guidelines

• Resolution: 1080×1080
• Minimum width: 500 pixels
• Aspect ratio: 9:16
• Max file size: 4GB
• Recommended video formats: MP4, MOV or GIF
• Video length: 1 second to 60 minutes
• Frame rate: 23-60 fps

Character Limits

• Primary text: 125 characters

Consider leaving roughly 250 pixels of the top of the video free from text to avoid covering them with the profile icon.

Instagram Video Ad Specs

Instagram’s advertising revenue has significantly increased over the last year. In fact, Instagram reportedly earned $43.2 billion in ad revenue in 2022. The push for Instagram advertising is real and marketers have to be ready to take advantage with engaging videos.

Carousel Video Ad

Much like Facebook’s Carousel Ads, Instagram offers a similar feature. Carousel ads allow users to see more of a product or feature than a single image or video. With Instagram, your carousel video ads can have 2-10 cards with a full-width call to action below the ad.

Video Guidelines

• Resolution: 1080×1080
• Aspect ratio: 1:1
• Max file size: 4GB (video) 30MB (image)
• Recommended video formats: MP4, MOV or GIF
• Video length: 1 second to 2 minutes
• Number of Carousel cards: 2 (minimum) to 10 (maximum)
• Frame rate: 23-60 fps

Instagram Stories Ads

It didn’t take long for Instagram Stories to feature ads within users’ story feeds. Brands can seamlessly integrate their video content between other Instagram users’ Stories.

Video Guidelines

• Resolution: 1080×1080
• Minimum width: 500 pixels
• Aspect ratio: 9:16
• Max file size: 4GB
• Recommended video formats: MP4, MOV or GIF
• Video length: 1 second to 60 minutes
• Frame rate: 23-60 fps

Character Limits

• Primary text: 125 characters

Consider leaving roughly 250 pixels of the top of the video free from text to avoid covering them with the profile icon

If you’re looking for further information including images, check out our complete guide to all the Instagram ad sizes.

For more information on the video specs for Instagram, visit the Facebook Help Center.

TikTok Video Specs

TikTok has quickly gained attention in the social space. Fortunately, TikTok’s focus on easy to create and share videos means it’s not hard to start producing video content for the platform, and there are plenty of trends to inspire TikTok content creation.

TikTok In-Feed Videos

TikTok videos are all about the ease of creation, editing and sharing, so it makes sense that specs are more or less oriented around typical mobile phone dimensions. One key trait to keep in mind if you’re trying to repurpose video content across platforms is that videos uploaded from another file source, rather than recorded on the app, can be longer than 60 seconds.

Video Guidelines

• Resolution: 1080×1920
• Aspect ratio: 9:16
• Max file size: 72MB (Android users) and 278.6MB (iOS users) (1GB maximum in Sprout)
• Recommended video formats: MP4 or MOV
• Video length: Up to 3 minutes recorded in-app or 10 minutes when uploaded from another source
• Frame rate: 23-60fps

TikTok Feed Ads

TikTok ads are a rapidly evolving opportunity for brands. The in-feed option for paid TikTok content is fairly similar to the formatting for existing organic content. To fine-tune paid content for the best performance, be sure to consult TikTok’s business center for the latest tips.

Video Guidelines

• Resolution: 540×960, 640×640 or 960×540
• Aspect ratio: 9:16, 1:1 or 16:9
• Max file size: Up to 500MB
• Recommended video formats: MP4, MOV, MPEG, 3PG or AVI
• Video length: 5 seconds to 60 seconds
• Bitrate: 516 kbps minimum
• Frame rate: 23-60fps

Character Limits

• Ad description: 1-100 Latin alphabet letters and 1-50 Asian characters

Twitter Video Specs

X (formerly Twitter) is a popular space to share and interact with different social media videos. For marketers, it’s all about keeping a user’s attention with enthralling and click-worthy video content. In the sports and entertainment industry, Twitter is often the go-to for sharing video content, so it’s critical to learn the correct Twitter video specs.

Twitter Landscape & Portrait Videos

Twitter provides two formats of in-feed video content to share with your followers: landscape and portrait. These specific formats are only available for uploading video directly to Twitter, rather than sharing YouTube or other links.

Video Guidelines

• Resolution: 1280×720 (landscape), 720×1280 (portrait), 720×720 (square)
• Aspect ratio: 16:9 (landscape or portrait), 1:1 (square)
• Max file size: 512MB*
• Video length: 0.5 seconds to 140 seconds*
• Frame rate: 30fps or 60fps

*Twitter Pro Media users can upload files up to 1GB and videos up to 10 minutes.

Character Limits

• Maximum count: 280 characters.

Twitter Videos Ad Specs

Looking to promote your video through paid ads on Twitter? Luckily, you can use the same exact formats from Twitter organic videos. Stick to the same specs for both organic and paid video to ensure maximum visibility.

Video Guidelines

• Resolution: 1280×720 (landscape), 720×1280 (portrait), 720×720 (square)
• Aspect ratio: 16:9 (landscape or portrait), 1:1 (square)
• Max file size: 512MB
• Video length: 0.5 seconds to 140 seconds
• Frame rate: 30fps or 60fps

Character Limits

• Maximum count: 280 characters.

For more information on the video specs for Twitter, visit the Twitter Help Center.

YouTube Video Specs

As the second-largest search engine behind Google, YouTube is an essential network for video content. For marketers, YouTube is a great space to promote, educate and share video content around your brand.

As YouTube continues to grow as a destination for video content, it hosts everything from short-form promotional videos to full-length movies and TV. This means users are streaming content on all sorts of devices, which could have different levels of zoom or overscan.

While there’s no hard and fast rules from the platform on how to approach the video editing concept of “title safe” areas where text like titles and subtitles aren’t cut off, you do want to avoid placing these types of visual elements right at the edges of your video area. Read on for more specifics on each format available on YouTube.

Video Player (Standard YouTube Video)

While YouTube allows users to upload various types of media formats and use plenty of different dimensions, organically, there’s truly only one format for the video player. Organic videos should all follow a 16:9 ratio, but can be uploaded 4:3. However, the smaller ratio will automatically pillarbox the sides to still make it fit in the player.

YouTube has seven recommended dimensions and ratios for standard YouTube videos:

Video Guidelines

• Resolution:
  • 4320p (8k): 7680×4320
  • 2160p (4K): 3840×2160
  • 1440p (2k): 2560×1440
  • 1080p (HD): 1920×1080
  • 720p (HD): 1280×720
  • 480p (SD): 854×480
  • 360p (SD): 640×360
  • 240p (SD): 426×240
• Aspect ratio: 16:9 default
• Max file size: 256GB or 12 hours, whichever is less
• Recommended video formats: MOV, MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG4, MP4, MPG, AVI, WMV, MPEGPS, FLV, 3GPP, WebM, DNxHR, ProRes, CineForm, HEVC (h265)
• Video length: Up to 12 hours, dependent on file size
• Frame rate: 24, 25 or 30fps

YouTube Shorts

Introduced late 2020, YouTube Shorts have recently made its debut as another short-form video feature. These videos are a new way to watch, create and discover short-form content. Because people are watching more short-form videos globally, using Shorts is a new way to reach wider audiences to entertain or educate.

Video Guidelines

• Resolution:
  • 4320p (8k): 4320×7680
  • 2160p (4K): 2160×3840
  • 1440p (2k): 1440×2560
  • 1080p (HD): 1080×1920
  • 720p (HD): 720×1280
  • 480p (SD): 480×854
  • 360p (SD): 360×640
  • 240p (SD): 240×426
• Aspect ratio: 9:16 or 1:1
• Recommended video formats: MOV, MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG4, MP4, MPG, AVI, WMV, MPEGPS, FLV, 3GPP, WebM, DNxHR, ProRes, CineForm, HEVC (h265)
• Video length: Up to 60 seconds

For more information on the video specs for YouTube, visit the Google Help Center.

YouTube Video Ad Specs

Standard YouTube videos are pretty straightforward, but there are a few video ad formats to learn if you want to advertise on the network. According to data from Google, brands advertising on YouTube with Discovery ads see incremental conversions.

Skippable, Non-Skippable, Mid-Roll, Bumper Video, In-Feed Display Ads

We’ve put these five YouTube video ads specs together because in the end, they all play through the standard YouTube video player. That means all of these ad types follow the same dimensions as the non-ad videos, but only differ in video length. Let’s look at each ad type:

• Skippable Video Ad: This YouTube ad type is played before, during or after the content and becomes skippable after 5 seconds. This ad format is the only one allowing advertisers to monetize views from any viewing device.
• Non-Skippable Video Ad: This YouTube ad type is played before the content and users must watch the full 15 seconds maximum ad (can also be added during or after video).
• Mid-roll Video Ad: This YouTube ad type is played mid-view (like TV commercials) and is only available for videos 8 minutes or longer. Ads are added either manually or automatically. Mid-rolls can be skippable, but users must watch 30 seconds or the entire ad (whichever is shorter).
• Bumper Video Ads: This YouTube ad type is played before the content. This short 6-second max video cannot be skipped and is usually optimized for mobile views.
• Display Ads: These ads are shown in users’ search queries and sometimes appear in the right video column when watching a video. These ads are static, which means they don’t automatically play. However, once the video is clicked, the type of content displayed can simply follow the standard video player guidelines.

Video Guidelines

• Resolution: 1920 x 1080 (horizontal), 1080 x 1920 (vertical), 1080 x 1080 (square)
• Aspect ratio: 16:9 (horizontal), 9:16 (vertical), 1:1 (square)
• Max file size: 256GB
• Recommended video formats: MPG
• Video length:
  • Skippable Video Ad: No maximum, but recommended 15 – 20 seconds for awareness, 2 – 3 minutes for consideration, and 15 – 20 seconds for action.
  • Non-Skippable Video Ad: 15 or 20 seconds, depending on marketing
  • Mid-roll Video Ad: 30 seconds minimum
  • Bumper Video Ad: 6 seconds maximum
  • In-Feed (Display) Video Ad: 15-20 seconds for awareness, 2-3 minutes for consideration

For more information on the video specs for YouTube, visit the Google Help Center.

LinkedIn Video Specs

With 66% of consumers finding short-form video the most engaging type of in-feed social content, LinkedIn adopted the use of video on the platform. If you’re looking to incorporate video into your LinkedIn marketing strategy, then it’s important to do it with the right specs. While some technical requirements may match other networks, there are some specs that are specific to LinkedIn.

LinkedIn In-Feed Video

While before the only video format you were able to upload was a shared video, LinkedIn has expanded its capabilities to upload your own videos into the platform.

Video Guidelines

• Resolution: 256×144 (min) and 4096×2304 (max)
• Aspect ratio: 1:2.4, 2.4:1
• Max file size: 5GB
• Recommended video formats: AAC, ASF, FLV, MP3, MP4, MPEG-1, MPEG-4, MKV, WebM, H264/AVC, Vorbis, VP8, VP9, WMV2, WMV3
• Video length: Up to 10 minutes
• Frame rate: 60fps
• Bitrate: Up to 30mbps

For more information on the video specs for LinkedIn, visit the LinkedIn Help Center.

LinkedIn Video Ads

As of 2018, LinkedIn now offers video ads. The requirements are a little bit different than in-feed video, so be sure to consider them when developing ads for your paid campaign.

Video Guidelines

• Recommended dimensions and resolutions:
  • Vertical (4:5): Min 360 x 450 pixels, Max 1536 x 1920 pixels
  • Vertical (9:16): Min 360 x 640 pixels, Max 1080 x 1920 pixels
  • Landscape (16:9): Min 640 x 360 pixels, Max 1920 x 1080 pixels
  • Square (1:1): Min 360 x 360 pixels, Max 1920 x 1920 pixels
• Aspect ratio:
  • Vertical: 4:5, 9:16
  • Landscape: 16:9
  • Square: 1:1
• Max file size: 200MB
• Recommended video formats: MP4
• Video length: 3 seconds to 30 minutes
• Frame rate: 30fps

Character Limits

• Ad name: 255 characters
• Headline: 70 characters recommended; 200 characters maximum
• Introductory text: 150 characters recommended; 600 characters maximum

For more information on the video specs for LinkedIn ads, visit LinkedIn Marketing Solutions Help.

Pinterest Promoted Video Specs

Pinterest allows video upload for business accounts only, so they have specs designed for brands to get the most out of the highly visual and inspirational lifestyle content frequently shared on the platform.

Shared Video Pins and Standard Width Video Ads

In addition to ads, Pinterest Business Accounts can upload organic video content. There are two formats: standard and max width video. Below are the dimensions for standard width video ads and standard Pins.

Video Guidelines

• Aspect ratio: 1:1, 2:3, 4:5, 9:16
• Max file size: 2GB
• Recommended video formats: MP4, MOV or M4V
• Video length: 4 seconds to 15 minutes

Character Limits

• Title: Up to 100 characters
• Description: Up to 500 characters

Max Width Video Ads

Pinterest allows you to publish standard width and maximum width video ads. Maximum width videos expand across mobile users’ entire screens. These specs apply only to maximum width video ads; standard video ad specs can be found above. Note that maximum width video ads are only paid ads.

Video Guidelines

• Aspect ratio: 1:1
• Max file size: 2GB
• Recommended video formats: MP4, MOV or M4V
• Video length: 4 seconds to 15 minutes

Character Limits

• Title: Up to 100 characters
• Description: Up to 500 characters

For more information on the video specs for Pinterest ads, visit Pinterest Business Help.

Snapchat Video Specs

Snapchat is still an active network for younger generations to share video content. Whether it’s through FOMO-inducing filters, Snapchat is a hotbed for video sharing.

Single Videos and Single Video Ad

This video format is the most common across the channel and is the main way users communicate back and forth through the app. However, your business can post videos to its story so others can see what your business is up to. Just follow these specs:

Video Guidelines

• Resolution: 1080×1920
• Aspect ratio: 9:16
• Max file size: 1GB
• Recommended video formats: MP4 or MOV
• Video length: 3 seconds to 180 seconds

Character Limits

• Brand: 25 characters
• Headline: 34 characters

Long-Form Story Video Ad

Snapchat currently offers one main video format for ads, which is known as the Story Ad. However, the Snapchat Story Video Ad is what users see in between viewing users’ Stories.

Video Guidelines

• Resolution: 1080×1920
• Aspect ratio: 9:16
• Max file size: 1GB
• Recommended video formats: MP4 or MOV
• Video length: 3 seconds to 180 seconds

Character Limits

• Brand: 25 characters
• Headline: 34 characters

For more information on the video specs for Snapchat, visit the Snapchat Ads Help Center.

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The post Always Up-to-Date Guide to Social Media Video Specs appeared first on Sprout Social.

With the ever-changing landscape of social media, it can be difficult to keep up with the latest video specifications for each platform. Whether you’re a professional video creator or just someone who wants to share their latest vacation video, understanding the different video requirements for each platform can help you get the most out of your content. Here is a comprehensive guide to the latest social media video specifications.

Facebook: Facebook supports videos up to 720p resolution and a maximum file size of 4GB. The recommended aspect ratio is 16:9, and the maximum length for videos is 240 minutes. Facebook also supports a variety of video formats, including MP4 and MOV.

Twitter: Twitter supports videos up to 1280×1024 resolution and a maximum file size of 512MB. The recommended aspect ratio is 16:9, and the maximum length for videos is 140 seconds. Twitter also supports a variety of video formats, including MP4 and MOV.

Instagram: Instagram supports videos up to 1080p resolution and a maximum file size of 15MB. The recommended aspect ratio is 4:5 or 1:1, and the maximum length for videos is 60 seconds. Instagram also supports a variety of video formats, including MP4 and MOV.

YouTube: YouTube supports videos up to 8K resolution and a maximum file size of 128GB. The recommended aspect ratio is 16:9, and the maximum length for videos is 12 hours. YouTube also supports a variety of video formats, including MP4, MOV, AVI, and WMV.

Snapchat: Snapchat supports videos up to 720p resolution and a maximum file size of 32MB. The recommended aspect ratio is 9:16, and the maximum length for videos is 10 seconds. Snapchat also supports a variety of video formats, including MP4 and MOV.

Vimeo: Vimeo supports videos up to 8K resolution and a maximum file size of 5GB. The recommended aspect ratio is 16:9, and the maximum length for videos is 30 minutes. Vimeo also supports a variety of video formats, including MP4, MOV, AVI, and WMV.

These are just some of the latest social media video specifications for popular platforms. It’s important to keep in mind that these specifications may change over time, so it’s always best to double check before uploading your content. Additionally, it’s important to remember that not all platforms support the same video formats, so make sure you’re familiar with the requirements for each platform before you upload your content. With this comprehensive guide to the latest social media video specifications, you’ll be able to get the most out of your content no matter what platform you’re using.

Source: sproutsocial.com

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If a company is like a symphony, then each division is akin to a unique musical instrument. When departments operate independently, the outcome is just cacophony. But when all members come together with common objectives, a harmonious melody is produced. The most delightful harmony emerges when customer support and marketing teams collaborate.

Looking for proof? Look no further than Instant Brands. The company is home to an iconic portfolio of seven kitchenware brands including Corelle, Pyrex, Instant Pot and more. Managing customer service for such a diverse range of beloved business units demands continual innovation driven by consumer insights. To achieve this, Instant Brands has embraced a top-notch approach to social media customer service.

Social Media Manager, Camille Pessoa, is the driving force behind Instant Brands’ social customer service initiatives. She partners with Maggie Lowman, who is responsible for managing the content aspect of Instant Brands’ social media strategy. Together, they work to create a consistent feedback loop that empowers each team to deliver on a customer-obsessed strategy.

“The collaboration between our departments is vital for the business,” says Pessoa. “Working this closely together is how we achieve the success and goals that we strive for.”

We spoke with Pessoa and Lowman to get the inside scoop on what makes their approach to collaboration between marketing and customer service work. In this guide, you’ll find tested advice on aligning both teams to support better customer outcomes.

• Why your marketing and customer service departments need to work together
• How to align marketing and customer service teams
• 3 ways marketing and customer service can work together
• How Instant Brands’ customer service and marketing teams stay connected with Sprout Social

Why your marketing and customer service departments need to work together

In a competitive market, the only way to win is to be customer obsessed. When marketers collaborate with customer service teams, they get unparalleled insights into the driving forces behind customer experiences. Grounding marketing strategies in customer feedback elevates initiatives big and small.

But what’s in it for customer service teams?

According to Lowman, it’s rich social insights. “Social media is a direct line to your consumer. One of our main goals is obviously to provide consumer value, and they’re telling us what they want on social every day. By the way that they interact with us, by the comments and complaints that they leave—it’s really valuable information.”

If that doesn’t make the case, don’t worry—we’re just scratching the surface. Here are three more benefits businesses gain from close collaboration between customer service and marketing teams.

It’s what consumers expect

What it takes to meet consumer expectations is changing. In the past, providing superior customer service was a speed issue. But, as customer experience standards continue to rise, so does the need for high quality, personalized care on social.

The latest Sprout Social Index™ found that 76% of consumers notice and appreciate when companies prioritize social customer support, and the same percentage of consumers value how quickly a brand can respond to their needs. To do both of these things well, marketing and customer service teams need to stay in constant contact.

It helps each team reach their respective goals

Increasing the flow of customer feedback and insights between customer service and marketing teams elevates the performance of both functions.

When a support channel as critical as social lives solely in the hands of marketing, customer service teams are forced to take a more reactive, inefficient approach to providing customer care. Maintaining service level agreements across channels starts with removing data silos with shared tools and resources.

Marketing teams stand to benefit along the same lines. “Our social customer service team catches content issues quickly,” says Lowman. “For example, if a link isn’t working or there’s an error in the copy, they’re able to alert us quickly so that we can make the changes that are necessary to ensure a better customer experience.”

It surfaces opportunities for surprise and delight

More than half (51%) of consumers say the most memorable thing a brand can do on social is respond to customers. By involving your customer service team in social engagements, you have the opportunity to elevate this even further.

When customer service and marketing teams work together, they can better identify and act on opportunities for surprise and delight. For example, when a member of the Instant Pot Facebook Group shared that her beloved appliance had been destroyed after a hurricane, the Instant Brands team was able to get to work quickly to send her replacement, along with their well wishes.

“This person said that they had been using their Instant Pot almost every night for years,” says Lowman. “Our Facebook Group is over three million strong. If we weren’t taking the time to go through all the comments and conversations we get daily, we wouldn’t have gotten to have that very sentimental and important engagement with our customer.”

How to align marketing and customer service teams

Making the most of every customer care opportunity begins by strengthening the bond between your marketing and customer service teams. As your working relationship deepens, it will become easier for both parties to identify new ways to wow customers.

If you want to make cross-functional collaboration a well-worn reflex for all your team members, we’ve got four tips to help you along the way.

1. Align on shared goals

When you’re just beginning to build connections with colleagues from other teams, it can feel like they’re speaking a different language. Everything—timelines, rituals, commonly used phrases and acronyms—can feel utterly foreign, even though you all work at the same company.

Aligning on goals is the fastest way to break down the barrier. Once teams are looking at a shared goal, all the work that goes into getting there makes a lot more sense.

For Perssoa’s team, social media response time is the top priority. “I work with a team of six moderators that rotate in for 24/7 service. We try to maintain an average first response time of four hours for general engagements, and one business day for reviews.”

There’s also quite a bit of quality assurance work that goes into ensuring all conversations meet the Instant Brands standard. “I usually pick three conversations at random, then analyze them against our customer service rubric,” says Pessoa.

These goals enhance outcomes for both teams, giving everyone something to rally around. When customer service teams are able to meet and exceed their service delivery standards, marketers reap the benefits of heightened customer satisfaction.

2. Assign roles and responsibilities

Businesses without dedicated social customer service teams often face bottlenecks when it comes to managing social media engagement. Marketers are typically equipped to handle standard issues and frequently asked questions, but more complicated inquiries can gum up processes for both teams.

To successfully navigate these complex issues, you’ll need to outline clear, cross-functional roles and responsibilities for the channel. By 2024, the majority of companies anticipate social customer care becoming a shared responsibility. Adopting a responsibility assignment matrix—like the Responsible Accountable Consulted Informed (RACI) model, for example—can put your team ahead of the curve.

Of course, there’s no one size fits all approach to defining these roles and responsibilities. For maximum efficacy, they need to be tailored to your business. If you’re having trouble determining what that might look like, here are some thought starters to guide your approach:

• On average, how many messages do you receive across your social profiles per month? Does your social team have the capacity to handle those messages? If not, what percentage are they able to resolve on their own?
• What are the most common types of questions, complaints or comments your team receives on social?
• What situations often call for case escalations on social? In your current processes, when do you tap in your customer service team for help?

Once you’ve answered these questions, you can outline how you’ll approach customer service tiers on social. For instance, if you get a large amount of tier zero requests through social channels, it may be time to make the case for a customer service chatbot tool. This empowers customers to resolve issues independently, aligning with their preferred time for outreach.

3. Eliminate data silos

Now that you have your roles and responsibilities outlined, it’s time to ask the tough questions. How will your social team pass cases over to their colleagues in customer service?

Findings from a Q3 Sprout Social Pulse Survey reveal the biggest challenges customer care professionals face when providing service on social media are largely related to routing. These hurdles revolve around the significant time invested in manual tasks and the insufficient access to comprehensive customer information for agents.

To address these challenges, the same Pulse Survey found 45% of customer care leaders intend to invest in integrated technology that enables their teams to collaborate within unified systems. It’s a solution that Instant Brands has relied on to limit confusion when working between teams.

“We use Sprout Social to manage our social customer service strategy,” says Pessoa. “It allows us to address issues in a single platform, rather than having to switch between email or Microsoft Teams to resolve a case.”

4. Create spaces for collaboration and information sharing

A refined approach to social customer care is achieved through ongoing two-way feedback between customer service and marketing teams. As team members become more familiar with their roles in the process, it’s crucial to provide them with spaces to surface opportunities for improvement.

At Instant Brands, that looks like a shared channel on their business communication tool, along with a weekly 30 minute meeting. “Our Microsoft Team’s chat is crucial,” says Lowman “It keeps Camille and I, along with a few others on our team, connected. We use it daily to bring up questions, concerns and other items our teams need to work together on to address.”

It also gives Pessoa and her team a chance to provide direct feedback on Instant Brand’s social media content strategy.

“We tailor our strategy based on consumer demand,” says Pessoa. “If we see there’s an opportunity to educate our consumers on a common product-related question, we pass the opportunity over to marketing so they can create content around that specific question. It creates a strategy that’s more aligned with consumer needs.”

According to Lowman, this approach creates a measurable win-win for both teams. “Say we have 300 customers asking how to do a water test with their Instant Pot. We can make a how-to video and put that out on social media. We typically see really strong engagement from this type of content because it’s informed by our customer care team.”

3 ways marketing and customer service can work together

Building a strong partnership between two teams is an ongoing commitment that requires routine checkpoints. If you set it and forget it, chances are your teams will too. Avoid this fate by nurturing collaboration between your marketing and customer service teams using these three field tested methods, courtesy of Instant Brands.

Shared reports

Lowman had always shared social media performance updates during a monthly meeting. However, these updates were specific to the marketing end of the channel. Without the customer service perspective, stakeholders only got a fraction of the story. Combining reports told a bigger picture—one that allowed them to capitalize on new opportunities.

“Combining reports helped us a lot early on in our relationship,” says Lowman. “When we pulled in Camille, she was able to add a new layer that explained what our consumers are talking about, where their frustrations are, what common pain points are coming online—things like that. It brought a new layer of value into our monthly meeting.”

Shared resources

Brand guidelines, promotional calendars, strategy briefs—the resources that keep marketing team members on the same page can also do the same for your teammates in customer service.

“Simple things, like getting an advanced look at the marketing content calendar, can make a world of a difference,” says Pessoa. “It gives my team time to identify opportunities or flag issues. We get so much value from that proactive exchange of information.”

This holds particularly true for social media. Think about it: the content you share can significantly impact the number of service inquiries you receive on the platform.

For example, this TikTok on the do’s and don’ts of owning an Instant Pot received over 505,000 views.

It’s an incredibly helpful piece of content that was bound to generate quite a bit of engagement. Without a proper heads up on when and where it would be published, the Instant Brands social customer service team wouldn’t have been prepared to address the 100+ comments received on the video.

By collaborating with your customer service team, you provide them with an opportunity to review scheduled content for clarity. Leveraging their firsthand knowledge of customers, they can proactively address potential issues before they arise.

Shared tools

While eliminating data silos may seem like an obvious choice, the reality is that investing in new shared tools takes a lot of work. It involves the challenge of aligning stakeholders on priorities and the complex task of integrating new and existing systems—no easy feat, indeed.

However, it’s important to remember that connected tools lead to reduced operational hassles for teams and result in superior customer experiences. You simply can’t argue with those results. Just ask the team at Instant Brands.

“Customers talk about us on social media all the time, and that can be positive or negative,” says Pessoa. “What matters is that we address them as fast as we can. That’s why Sprout’s integration with Salesforce is so crucial for us. It keeps us connected with the service agents that handle escalations so we can extinguish fires with minimal risk.”

By investing in a social media management platform that integrates with Salesforce Service Cloud, the Instant Brands team is able to get the most out of both tools. It’s an investment that benefits everyone—leaders, agents and customers.

How Instant Brands’ customer service and marketing teams stay connected with Sprout Social

Social media operates at the intersection of brand marketing and customer service, serving as the thread that weaves these two disciplines together. The channel’s role in connecting both teams underscores the importance of a unified social media management tool.

For this purpose, Instant Brands chose Sprout Social. Here are the tools that drove their decision:

Cases foster in-platform collaboration

Some customer questions are best suited for tenured agents who have a better understanding of the nuances of your business. Others may require additional context from another team—like brand or legal. Cases allow agents to delegate messages to a specific team member along with all the helpful context needed to set them up for success.

“We use Cases all the time,” says Pessoa. “Not just for interacting with marketing, but also for interactions between our moderation team as well.”

With Cases, team members across Instant Brands can resolve issues without having to navigate between disparate platforms. Team leads can also measure the number of cases being assigned and completed, along with other critical customer service metrics, from the Case Performance Report.

Tags break down the trends in common social media support requests

Tags are a Sprout feature that act as labels you can attach to any piece of content you plan to publish, or any inbound messages received in the Smart Inbox. Using Tags allows you to filter social media reports to identify themes across your outbound publishing and inbound messages, enhancing your social media insights.

“We divide our Tags into three categories: information, support and sentiment,” says Pessoa. “Then, under those umbrellas, we have all sorts of specific Tags. For example, we have an information Tag for influencers that reach out, a support Tag for potential damage claims, a sentiment Tag for customer advocacy. We get very granular.”

“This helps us zero in on what consumers are asking and what we need to address—either internally with customer service or through content with marketing.”

Social Listening extracts actionable insights from conversations across social

Teams across Instant Brands use Sprout’s Social Listening tool to extract insights from across social. This simplifies and expedites the process of analyzing the conversations and trends related to their full portfolio of brands and within their industry.

“It’s so important for us to know what consumers are saying about each specific brand,” explains Pessoa. “We use listening to automatically generate reports that are shared with our leadership team so we can all share an understanding of what consumers are talking—or complaining—about.”

Social media listening also surfaces interesting product use cases from across the social-sphere, which helps the Instant Brand marketing team come up with new content ideas. “We see so many interesting use cases for the Instant Pot,” says Lowman. “It gives us a birds-eye view of the general customer landscape.”

Sprout’s Salesforce Service Cloud integration supports superior care for high touch issues

You can only take social customer care issues so far in a public forum before you need to escalate things to a private channel. Without an escalation management strategy in place, you risk customers sharing sensitive information—like home addresses, phone numbers and account information—in a non-secure environment.

Sprout empowers teams to provide seamless, omnichannel care through our global partnership with Salesforce. As Salesforce’s preferred social media management solution, we offer deep out-of-box integrations that allow Salesforce customers to do more with their social media data.

“We’re always generating cases with Sprout for Salesforce. We get quite a few requests for Instant Pot and Pyrex—usually things like requests for replacements or product defects. To solve those issues, we need to be able to ask for consumer information which has to be done in Salesforce.”

Customer service and marketing teams do better together

When marketing and customer service teams join forces, they create a positive impact that can benefit an entire business, from sales to product and beyond. But the biggest winner in this partnership is the customer, which makes it even better.

For additional insights into the consumer preferences shaping the future of social media, check out the latest Sprout Social Index™. Inside, you’ll discover valuable data to enhance your approach to social customer care.

The post Field tested tips for aligning customer service and marketing appeared first on Sprout Social.

Customer service and marketing are two of the most important components of any successful business. When these two departments are working in sync, they can create a powerful combination that can help a business reach its goals. However, if customer service and marketing are not properly aligned, it can lead to confusion and inefficiency. To ensure maximum effectiveness, it is important to have strategies in place to synchronize customer service and marketing.

One of the most effective strategies for synchronizing customer service and marketing is to ensure that both departments have a clear understanding of the company’s goals and objectives. This will ensure that both departments are working towards the same end goal. Additionally, it is important to ensure that both departments have access to the same data and information. This will allow them to make informed decisions and provide consistent messaging.

Another key strategy for synchronizing customer service and marketing is to ensure that both departments are working together on projects. This will help to ensure that both departments are on the same page and that their efforts are complementary. Additionally, it is important to ensure that both departments are regularly communicating with one another. This will help to ensure that everyone is aware of any changes or updates that need to be made.

Finally, it is important to ensure that customer service and marketing are using the same tools and technologies. This will help to ensure that both departments have access to the same data and information. Additionally, it will help to streamline processes and make it easier for both departments to collaborate.

By implementing these strategies, businesses can ensure that customer service and marketing are working in sync for maximum effectiveness. By having a clear understanding of the company’s goals and objectives, having access to the same data and information, working together on projects, and using the same tools and technologies, businesses can ensure that customer service and marketing are working together to reach their goals.

Source: sproutsocial.com

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As more companies adopt an omnichannel approach to engage with customers, keeping up with competitors can be challenging.

• What are they posting on social media
• What’s their email marketing strategy?
• What kind of content are they publishing on their blog?
• Where are they getting most of their traffic from?

You need to know it all.

Competitive monitoring helps you stay on top of this data at all times.

It’s the first step of competitive analysis that involves gathering the intelligence you need to make informed business decisions.

In this article, we’ll walk you through the benefits of competitive monitoring and how to keep an eye on the competition using top strategies, tips and tools.

What is competitive monitoring?

Competitive monitoring is the process of continuously tracking your competitors’ activities and strategies. This includes keeping tabs on your competitors’ social media activity, pricing changes, marketing campaigns, product launches and more.

The goal of competitive monitoring is to understand where (and how) your competitors are outperforming your brand and where there’s an opportunity for you to swoop in.

Competitive monitoring also involves collecting data on market trends and other key aspects of your industry landscape. Businesses can then analyze this data to derive actionable insights and develop long-term strategies to gain competitive advantage.

Why is competitive monitoring important?

Competitive monitoring forms the backbone of competitive intelligence. It deals with collecting insights that help your business stay ahead, adapt and grow.

Here are five key benefits of competitive monitoring:

Get ahead of the competition

The biggest advantage of competitive monitoring is it provides you with the insight you need to gain the upper hand.

By keeping an eye on your competitors’ activities, you can learn from their wins and losses, develop foolproof strategies, better position your products and differentiate your brand.

For example, you might anticipate a new product launch or business merger before it actually happens. This information can help you move quickly to launch a better product or develop strategies to prevent the merger from stealing your brand’s market share.

Identify untapped markets

Tracking competitor weaknesses, shifts in customer demand, market trends and potential threats allows your brand to capitalize on new opportunities before others do.

For instance, you might spot some niche market segments your competitors might be neglecting, like a different age group or interest.

Or, you might find their customers are asking for a new feature. You could add that feature into your product before they do to steal their subscriptions.

Stay on top of industry trends

Things are always changing in business. There might be a new automation software slashing marketing costs in half. Customers might be demanding more eco-friendly products. Or there might be a new viral trend your competitors are all hopping on.

Competitive monitoring helps you stay updated with all the buzz. You’re able to adopt new technologies earlier, align your offerings with customer preferences, pivot your strategies and sidestep missing out on short-term but potentially lucrative marketing trends.

Explore potential gaps in your strategy

Competitive monitoring isn’t just about looking at what others are doing. It’s also about understanding your own strengths and weaknesses.

For example, analyzing your competitor’s social media might reveal gaps in your own strategy. Maybe you need to share more engaging content. Maybe you’re using outdated formats or posting at the wrong times.

Studying your competitors can also highlight weaknesses in your products, services, business model and other areas that could use innovation and improvement.

Set benchmarks for future performance

Monitoring the competition helps you set realistic goals for your business. This could be sales targets, customer satisfaction scores, the number of sign-ups or engagement rates.

For example, you might find your competitor gets consistently get good reviews on Google about their customer service. This could help you set benchmarks for your customer service team so they can try to snag as many or more positive reviews by the end of the quarter.

Or, competitive monitoring could reveal your competitor is ranking on search engines for several high-volume keywords related to your niche. Your goal could be to outrank them by creating quality content around those specific topics.

How to monitor competitors

Competitive monitoring is more than just watching what your competitors are doing. You need to actively collect, analyze and use that data to your advantage.

This means you need a smart, organized strategy combined with the right competitor analysis tools. Here’s a step-by-step guide to monitoring your competition and extracting insights:

Step 1: Identify the top competitors

The first step is to find out who you’re competing with. This may sound simple but it can get messy if you don’t start out in a systematic, organized way.

Before you make a list, divide your competitors into three distinct categories:

• Direct competitors: These are businesses that target the same audience and offer similar products or services to yours (e.g. two accounting software for small businesses.)
• Indirect competitors: These businesses have similar offerings to yours but target a different audience or market segment (e.g. accounting software for small businesses and accounting software for enterprises.)
• Replacement competitors: These businesses offer alternatives to your products or services (e.g. accounting software for small businesses and virtual accounting services.)

Once you’ve got that down, it’s time to do your research.

Find competitors that fall into each category by searching for relevant keywords on Google, scouring social media platforms and forums, using local search on Google Maps and even leveraging market research professionals if you have the budget for it.

Remember to prioritize the competitors that require more attention, such as direct competitors and local businesses operating in your niche.

Step 2: Scope out priorities with SWOT analysis

After identifying your competitors, the next step is to conduct a SWOT analysis for each. This involves breaking down their strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats.

Here’s what to look out for:

• Strengths: Start by identifying what your competitors do well. Analyze their product quality, brand reputation, customer service and online presence. For example, if a competitor is known for excellent customer service, note this as a strength.
• Weaknesses: Look for areas where your competitors are lacking. This could be anything from pricing, limited product range to weak engagement. For instance, if a competitor has a poorly designed website, this is a weakness you can capitalize on.
• Opportunities: Identify external factors that could be advantageous for your competitors. This might include market trends, regulatory changes or new technology. For example, if there’s a growing trend for organic products and your competitor offers these, it’s an opportunity for them.
• Threats: Assess external challenges your competitors might face. These could include new market entrants, changing consumer preferences or economic downturns. For instance, if a new competitor enters the market with a disruptive technology, this could be a threat to your existing competitors.

This information can help shape your own strategy. Look for ways to leverage your competitors’ weaknesses and guard against their strengths.

Also, consider how you can position your business, products and services to take advantage of the same opportunities and mitigate similar threats.

Step 3: Benchmark the sources and metrics

Now, it’s time to measure and compare key metrics to understand where your business stands against the competition. Competitor benchmarking can help you set standards and evaluate performance more effectively.

First, determine which metrics are important for your business. These could include social media engagement rates, website traffic, conversion rates or customer satisfaction levels.

With Sprout Social, you can track your competitors’ social media performance on a visual dashboard. Compare metrics like engagement rates, impressions and share of voice across multiple sources, like Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram and more.

Sprout’s sentiment analysis tool can also provide insights into how customers perceive your competitors. Dig deeper and analyze sentiment in comments, reviews and social media posts to understand how customers think and feel about specific brands—including yours.

Continuously monitor these metrics and compare them with your competitors. Look for trends, spikes or declines in performance to study the impact of recent strategies and campaigns.

Step 4: Plot the timelines for reporting

Finally, establish a reporting schedule for your competitive monitoring efforts. Decide whether you need weekly, monthly or quarterly reports based on your industry’s pace, stakeholder preferences and the intensity of competition.

Your reports should include updates on competitors’ activities, performance benchmarks, and any shifts in consumer sentiment or market trends. This continual flow of information will help you adjust your strategy quickly in response to any changes in the competitive landscape.

Use Sprout’s competitor reports to put together metrics like engagement, follower growth, publishing behavior and top-performing content. Present everything visually with charts, graphs and tables to make sense of the data and identify new opportunities.

Top competitive monitoring tools

You don’t have to track all your competitors manually—thankfully, we have tools for that.

Here are the top three competitive monitoring tools to help you keep an eye on your rivals and make strategic, data-driven decisions for your company.

Sprout Social

Sprout Social is a powerful tool for monitoring competitors on social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram and X (formerly Twitter.)

Benchmark metrics and compare performance with tailored competitor reports. Want to dive deeper? Use Premium Analytics to access more insights with interactive charts and graphs.

Finally, leverage Sprout’s listening tools to monitor public conversations about your competitors and your own brand, understand customer sentiment and identify trends.

Ahrefs

Ahrefs is an SEO competitor monitoring tool that helps you track and understand your competitors’ online performance.

The platform’s site explorer lets you check any URL’s top organic keywords and content. Additionally, Ahrefs can pinpoint the source of your competitors’ backlinks and detail the keywords driving most traffic to their sites.

Crayon

Crayon uses AI to streamline competitor analysis and intelligence. It automatically collects competitor updates and organizes them into a visual dashboard so brands can stay updated.

The tool also supports team collaboration so you can easily share these insights with stakeholders. Additionally, create sales battlecards and newsletters with competitive intelligence to empower your team, and customize dashboards to simplify reporting.

Monitoring competition with Sprout Social

Watching your competitors’ every move can help you in dozens of ways. You can not just outperform them with this intelligence but also identify your own weaknesses, set realistic benchmarks and hop on new trends before they do.

Use Sprout Social to monitor competitors, create engaging, in-depth reports, assess customer sentiment and compare their social media performance metrics with your own. Ready to check it out for yourself? Sign up for a free trial today.

The post Competitive monitoring: tracking the competition to stay ahead appeared first on Sprout Social.

In today’s business world, it is essential for companies to stay ahead of their competitors in order to remain competitive. One way to do this is to track what your competitors are doing. By tracking your competitors, you can gain valuable insights into their strategies, products, and services, and use this information to your advantage. Here are some tips on how to track your competitors and maintain a competitive edge.

First, it is important to identify who your competitors are. This can be done by researching the market and looking at who is offering similar products and services. Once you have identified your competitors, you can start tracking their activities. This can include monitoring their websites, social media accounts, and press releases. This will give you an idea of what products and services they are offering, as well as any new initiatives they may be taking.

Another way to track your competitors is to attend industry events and conferences. These events can provide valuable insights into what your competitors are doing, as well as any new trends or technologies that may be emerging in the market. Additionally, attending these events can help you network with other industry professionals and gain valuable contacts.

Finally, it is important to stay up-to-date on the latest industry news. This can be done by subscribing to industry newsletters and magazines, as well as following industry experts on social media. By staying informed about the latest developments in the industry, you can gain an understanding of what your competitors are doing and how they are positioning themselves in the market.

By tracking your competitors, you can gain valuable insights into their strategies and products, as well as stay informed about the latest industry trends. This will help you stay ahead of the competition and maintain a competitive edge. Additionally, attending industry events and staying up-to-date on the latest news can help you gain valuable contacts and insights into the market. With these tips, you can ensure that your company remains competitive in today’s business world.

Source: sproutsocial.com

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If you want to increase your online visibility in an innovative and genuine manner, using influencer marketing could be a great option. This marketing strategy involves collaborating with well-known individuals on social media platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube, allowing their followers to learn about your company and what it offers.

However, creating a successful influencer marketing program involves a lot of work. Finding the right influencers, getting in touch with them (or their manager/agent), putting together a content plan and more.

This is where influencer marketing platforms come in. Different software can help you find influencers, create successful campaigns and monitor their performance. They can be a big help in putting together the best influencer marketing campaign possible. And to help you get said campaign started, we’ve put together 16 influencer marketing platforms to choose from.

Table of contents

• What are influencer marketing platforms?
• 16 Influencer marketing platforms and software for your brand
• Tips for finding the best influencer marketing software
• Find the best influencer marketing platform for your business

What are influencer marketing platforms?

Influencer marketing platforms are software or companies built to help brands create an influencer marketing strategy. These can be marketplaces meant to connect brands with influencers in their niche. They can also help brands and influencer communicate or track campaign analytics. And they can even be agencies where real specialists help brands put together an influencer partnership.

Platforms like these can help businesses who are new to influencer marketing, brands with small teams who need additional support or even large corporations who simply want to hand their strategy off to the experts.

16 Influencer marketing platforms and software for your brand

Whether you’re looking to start your first influencer marketing campaign or simply want to make certain steps easier on your team, here are 16 influencer marketing platforms that can help.

1. Tagger by Sprout Social

Tagger is a tool that was recently acquired by Sprout Social to help us offer even more assistance to our users when it comes to influencer marketing. We already have a full-suite social media management software—all we needed to wrap up our software was to help even more with influencer marketing.

Features:

• Access Tagger’s proprietary social intelligence engine to monitor trends, analyze data and build a comprehensive strategy
• Use the profile discovery tool to find the right influencers for your campaign
• Manage and optimize your campaigns with labels, tracking, workflows and more
• Get access to a team of experts that can help you every step of the way

2. Brandwatch

Brandwatch is a social media and consumer intelligence tool that helps brands keep an eye on online trends and conversations surrounding their industries. However, Brandwatch also has an influencer marketing offering to help its customers find and manage influencer relationships.

Features:

• Search through a list of 30+ creators to find the best influencers for your brand
• House all influencer partners in a single dashboard for seamless communication
• Measure campaign results and build reports to share with your team

3. Upfluence

Upfluence is an influencer and affiliate marketing platform that works with AI to help your company improve its influencer marketing strategy. The platform is designed to help teams save time when working with influencers, making it a great option for companies with smaller teams.

Features:

• AI-powered chatbot to auto-generate messages to influencers you’re interested in working with
• Creator matching tools that help you find influencers more likely to work with you
• Streamlined influencer invoicing, product seeding, promo code generation and more

4. Afluencer

Afluencer is one of the leading influencer marketplaces, helping brands and influencers find each other for partnerships and sponsored content. Set criteria, like number of followers, interest, channels and more, as you search so you only find influencers that match the type of campaign you’re running.

Features:

• Create a listing for your brand so potential influencers can learn more about you
• Search for the best influencers for your project using specific criteria and filters
• Manage all influencer conversations in one easy-to-navigate dashboard

5. Grin

Grin is an AI-powered influencer management platform that works to make influencer partnerships as seamless as possible. Grin has tools to help support your influencer marketing strategy every step of the way, from discovery to campaign launch to reporting and analyzing results.

Features:

• Website extension while you browse social media to get even more key data about influencers
• Manage influencer gifting and product seeding directly in one single dashboard
• Manage relationships and influencer payments seamlessly with Grin

6. LTK

LTK, previously known as LIKEtoKNOW.it, started as a linking platform for Instagram influencers to share product and affiliate links easily with their viewers. LTK has since merged with rewardStyle, grown and rebranded, keeping its roots to influencer marketing, but building on it so that it’s a perfect platform for both brands and influencers alike.

Features:

• Get access to an exclusive, invite-only list of influencers who have been vetted and shown proven results
• Take advantage of historical data to help you put together the best influencer campaign for your industry
• Create tracking tags that help you keep an eye on how each campaign is performing

7. Influencity

Influencity is a collaborative influencer marketing platform whose goal is to make communication and partnership between brands and influencers as seamless as possible. With an easy-to-use dashboard and access to over 170 million content creators, Influencity can be a great option for your team.

Features:

• Filter and sort as you search for influencers based on your brand and campaign needs
• Curate lists of influencers and manage your relationships on the platform
• Integrate your ecommerce store for easy product seeding and gifting

8. Mavrck

Mavrck is another full-service influencer marketing software created to help brands work with creators to better reach and sell to their customers. Brands like Disney, Crocs, Express and Netflix have all used Mavrck’s influencer marketing tools, helping the software build a credible client list

Features:

• Survey influencers to build out your market research studies and launch better products
• Build out referral programs or ambassador programs to further boost your sales
• Use the Mavrck Influencer Index to find the best influencers for your needs

9. CLEVER

CLEVER is an influencer marketing agency with a team of experts that can help brands run end-to-end influencer marketing strategies. If you want a fully hands-off approach to your influencer marketing, CLEVER might be the perfect solution for your team and its needs.

Features:

• Get a competitive strategy built that’s fully customized to your team and its KPIs
• Sit back and relax—well, work on other projects—while a trusted team manages your influencers
• Get reports and updates throughout the entire campaign process

10. Shopify Collabs

Shopify Collabs is the perfect solution for businesses, small and large, that run on Shopify. Easily access Shopify Collabs right in your Shopify Admin dashboard and find the best influencers for your needs, industry and products. The platform is completely free for Shopify users, making it an ideal option for ecommerce businesses using this as their website builder.

Features:

• Work with influencers on a number of platforms, including Instagram, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook and Twitch
• Create an affiliate program and seamlessly send out products for influencers to test and review
• Pay creators automatically through the Shopify Billing system you’re already used to

11. YouTube BrandConnect

YouTube BrandConnect is an influencer marketing platform that is obviously run by and affiliated with YouTube and Google. There are nearly 500,000 YouTube influencers in the U.S. alone, so it’s no wonder the company has taken advantage of that and created its own platform to help its users connect and work together.

Features:

• Get connected with the perfect YouTube influencers for your brand
• See unique insights and analytics that only Google can provide
• Work directly with a Google ads representative to make the most of your YouTube influencer marketing

12. Klear

Klear is another full-service influencer marketing platform available to help your brand discover, work with and monitor influencer partnerships. Klear is owned by Meltwater, making this a great option for brands already using that software.

Features:

• Get help sifting through 30+ million influencers with filters and smart AI tools
• Analyze influencer presences across a number of platforms, including Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Twitter, Pinterest and even blogs
• Use a single portal for all influencer communication and campaign management, making the process as easy as possible

13. Creator.co

Creator.co is a platform that can assist brands with both influencer marketing and affiliate marketing. Creator.co offers services and tools for both brands and creators, working to create the perfect software where the two can meet in harmony.

Features:

• Browse over 200 million profiles across social media platforms like Instagram, TikTok and YouTube
• Manage influencer conversations, campaign details, payment information and more in a single dashboard
• Get access to an industry expert who can work alongside you to create a successful influencer campaign

14. Skeepers

Skeepers is a platform dedicated to helping brands get user-generated content (UGC) for their online presences. It does this by offering software to help brands collect ratings and reviews, create live shopping experiences, create consumer videos and, of course, manage influencer marketing campaigns.

Features:

• Search for the right parts in a community of vetted nano and micro-influencers
• Get help automating a collection of user-generated content you can share on your own social profiles
• Analyze your campaign results in real time with Skeepers’ dashboard

15. Heepsy

Heepsy is a global influencer search engine that allows brands to search for influencers all over the world based on demographics like niche, location, platform and more. Easily find the best influencers for your brand with Heepsy.

Features:

• Browse through millions of available influencers and creators on platforms like Instagram, YouTube and TikTok
• Analyze influencer audiences to find the perfect match for your target customer
• Create influencer lists so you can easily start contacting potential partners

16. Webfluential

Webfluential is a performance influencer marketing platform dedicated to helping brands drive sales due to influencer marketing in the social ecommerce space. With platforms like TikTok and Instagram making it so easy to create online shops, this platform is perfect for ecommerce businesses wanting to make more sales on social media.

Features:

• Create a brief based on what you’re looking for and wait for influencers to pitch to your brand
• Get access to analytics and engagement data to determine which influencers are best for your needs
• Choose between a self-service approach or working with a team of dedicated account managers

Tips for finding the best influencer marketing software for your business

Not sure how to find the best influencer marketing software for your brand’s needs? Here are a few tips to help you out.

Consider the size of your team

The size of your team and your company’s resources will have a major impact on the type of influencer marketing software you decide to use. If you have a small team with just one or two social media managers, you might choose to work with an agency rather than managing this process in house. If you have a full social media team, a self-service tool could be the best solution.

Keep your budget in mind

You have to pay the influencers you work with. How much of the social media budget was allocated for working with influencers? How much budget does this leave you for a platform to help manage your campaign? The software you select may largely depend on how much you have to spend.

Think about your existing tech stack

Many platforms integrate well with some software but may not work so well with others. Think about the platforms you already use and love. For example, Tagger is now owned by Sprout Social. Sprout users may now discover Tagger is the best platforms for them to use due to how well it fits in with our other social media management tools.

Find the best influencer marketing platform for your business

Influencer marketing is a key social media strategy in generating brand awareness, improving your reputation and growing sales. And Tagger by Sprout Social can help streamline your social media management and influencer marketing platform needs. Try us out for 30 days free and see how we can help with all parts of your social media and influencer marketing efforts.

The post 16 influencer marketing platforms to boost your campaigns in 2024 appeared first on Sprout Social.

As businesses continue to look for new and innovative ways to reach their target audiences, influencer marketing is becoming increasingly popular. Influencer marketing is a form of social media marketing that involves leveraging the influence of influential people to promote a product or service. By partnering with influencers, businesses can reach a larger audience and create more meaningful connections with their customers. In 2024, there are a variety of influencer marketing platforms available that can help businesses enhance their campaigns. Here are 16 of the best influencer marketing platforms to consider in 2024:

1. BuzzSumo: BuzzSumo is an influencer marketing platform that helps businesses identify and connect with influencers who have the potential to reach their target audience. It also provides detailed analytics so businesses can track the success of their campaigns.

2. Klear: Klear is an influencer marketing platform that helps businesses identify and connect with influencers who have the potential to reach their target audience. It also provides detailed analytics so businesses can track the success of their campaigns.

3. Upfluence: Upfluence is an influencer marketing platform that helps businesses identify and connect with influencers who have the potential to reach their target audience. It also provides detailed analytics so businesses can track the success of their campaigns.

4. NeoReach: NeoReach is an influencer marketing platform that helps businesses identify and connect with influencers who have the potential to reach their target audience. It also provides detailed analytics so businesses can track the success of their campaigns.

5. IZEA: IZEA is an influencer marketing platform that helps businesses identify and connect with influencers who have the potential to reach their target audience. It also provides detailed analytics so businesses can track the success of their campaigns.

6. TapInfluence: TapInfluence is an influencer marketing platform that helps businesses identify and connect with influencers who have the potential to reach their target audience. It also provides detailed analytics so businesses can track the success of their campaigns.

7. Traackr: Traackr is an influencer marketing platform that helps businesses identify and connect with influencers who have the potential to reach their target audience. It also provides detailed analytics so businesses can track the success of their campaigns.

8. HYPR: HYPR is an influencer marketing platform that helps businesses identify and connect with influencers who have the potential to reach their target audience. It also provides detailed analytics so businesses can track the success of their campaigns.

9. FameBit: FameBit is an influencer marketing platform that helps businesses identify and connect with influencers who have the potential to reach their target audience. It also provides detailed analytics so businesses can track the success of their campaigns.

10. Influicity: Influicity is an influencer marketing platform that helps businesses identify and connect with influencers who have the potential to reach their target audience. It also provides detailed analytics so businesses can track the success of their campaigns.

11. AspireIQ: AspireIQ is an influencer marketing platform that helps businesses identify and connect with influencers who have the potential to reach their target audience. It also provides detailed analytics so businesses can track the success of their campaigns.

12. SocialPubli: SocialPubli is an influencer marketing platform that helps businesses identify and connect with influencers who have the potential to reach their target audience. It also provides detailed analytics so businesses can track the success of their campaigns.

13. BrandSnob: BrandSnob is an influencer marketing platform that helps businesses identify and connect with influencers who have the potential to reach their target audience. It also provides detailed analytics so businesses can track the success of their campaigns.

14. Influenster: Influenster is an influencer marketing platform that helps businesses identify and connect with influencers who have the potential to reach their target audience. It also provides detailed analytics so businesses can track the success of their campaigns.

15. InflueNex: InflueNex is an influencer marketing platform that helps businesses identify and connect with influencers who have the potential to reach their target audience. It also provides detailed analytics so businesses can track the success of their campaigns.

16. Tribe: Tribe is an influencer marketing platform that helps businesses identify and connect with influencers who have the potential to reach their target audience. It also provides detailed analytics so businesses can track the success of their campaigns.

By leveraging these 16 top-notch influencer marketing platforms in 2024, businesses will be able to enhance their campaigns and create more meaningful connections with

Source: sproutsocial.com

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I wasn’t always a social media manager. I started my career as a TV reporter, then worked for a company’s in-house public affairs department, before managing social media professionally. So, I know first-hand how interactions with coworkers and leadership within a company differ when you’re not a social media manager versus when you are one. It’s fascinating really.

When I was TV reporter, no one ever confidently presumed they could do my job, or gave me tips on how I could do my job better. When I worked in the public affairs department, there was absolutely no chance of a vice president or the president’s team emailing me directly about something at work, and certainly not on a weekend. Being a social media manager can sometimes feel like no one knows who you are or cares about what you’re doing until something happens—and then all of a sudden everyone knows who you are and are deeply invested in what you’re doing.

After years of having some of the same encounters with people repeatedly, I’m going to share some of the skills you might not realize you need as a social media manager and could help you experience career longevity in this profession.

1. Build trust across generational gaps

This is certainly not an absolute, but social media strategists and managers tend to skew younger than their supervisors and leadership within the organization. It’s safe to guess the supervisors and leadership also didn’t grow up with social media, and many of them are not avid users. While social media has been with us for more than 20 years and has become a sophisticated revenue generating industry, some still hold the belief that social media is primarily for kids.

Any skepticism held against the position will naturally spill over to skepticism of the person in the role, creating a more challenging environment to build trust. But like all relationship building, it takes time and effort, and one of the most effective ways to do this as a social media manager is through data.

Share data early and often with your superiors. This not only gives you an opportunity to demonstrate that you know what you’re doing, it gives them a chance to see your name in their inboxes and become familiar with who you are. This might be in the form of monthly reports, or weekly updates, or a quick follow up on a particular post or campaign of interest. Even better if you can work out monthly or quarterly in-person or virtual meetings with your department leaders (the most effective way to share metrics with leadership, according to The 2023 Sprout Social Index™). Share good new first, then they’re more likely to listen or seek your recommendations when the news is not good or when the company is in the midst of a social media crisis.

2. Embrace the revolving door of explanations

I can’t remember the countless number of times I’ve had to explain why a flyer or a PDF is not acceptable content for social media (and sometimes to the same person). Lately people have been asking me the same questions about X. “What’s your strategy?,” “What do you think about the latest changes?” etc.

You will find yourself having the same conversations over and over again as a social media manager. But remember, you’re the expert, and they value your opinion, or at least the channel you manage, which is why they’re coming to you in the first place.

Educating others is a huge part of being a social media manager, and one I take very seriously. While you’ve heard yourself explaining the same thing time and again it’s most likely the first time they’ve heard it. For some folks, social media is very unfamiliar and how you respond to basic questions could make them have an adverse reaction toward social media as a whole. Remember, we want to be strong ambassadors for the profession.

3. Capitalize on teachable moments

As the keeper of the “keys” to a brand’s social media accounts, social media managers are inundated with requests to posts things. Sometimes, people will make helpful suggestions and offer great content. Other times, not so much. Each of the “not so much” examples are teachable moments. Instead of responding with “No, sorry…,” and coming across like a gatekeeper, lead with “Thank you for sharing, but this is not a fit…” and communicate why. The next time they make a request, it might be the exact thing you’re looking for and you’ve gained a content partner in the process.

Another frequent request (often demand) many social media managers have to navigate is to establish a presence on yet another new channel. Those who don’t directly manage the brand’s social media channels often see the latest emerging platform as something that must be jumped on rather than thinking it through, assuming more is better when it comes to social. But it’s your responsibility to be strategic about the platforms your brand chooses to be active on. Ask specific questions of your colleagues and leadership to facilitate this reoccurring discussion.

Continuing the conversation

In my upcoming book, “Organic Social Media, How to Build Flourishing Online Communities,” you’ll find more conversational guides on how to approach these situations, and more tips on building trust and managing up. I also have an entire chapter on choosing the right platforms. My goal is to help you enjoy a long and successful career in this profession.

Looking for more guidance to elevate your social media career? Join The Arboretum, Sprout’s member-driven virtual community built by social media and marketing professionals.

The post 3 analog skills every social media manager needs, from one who’s been in the field 12+ years appeared first on Sprout Social.

Social media managers with 12+ years of experience have a wealth of knowledge and experience that can be invaluable to any organization. They understand the nuances of the digital landscape and can provide invaluable insights into how to effectively leverage social media for maximum impact. However, it’s important to remember that social media management is not just about understanding the latest trends and technologies; it’s also about having the right analog skills to ensure success. Here are some essential analog skills for social media managers with 12+ years of experience.

1. Communication: Communication is key for any successful social media manager. They must be able to effectively communicate with their team, clients, and followers in order to ensure that everyone is on the same page. This means having excellent verbal and written communication skills, as well as being able to effectively listen and understand what others are saying.

2. Organization: Social media managers must be able to keep track of multiple projects at once and stay organized in order to ensure that all tasks are completed on time and within budget. This means having excellent organizational skills, including the ability to prioritize tasks and manage time efficiently.

3. Creativity: Social media managers must be able to come up with creative solutions to problems and think outside the box when it comes to content creation. This means having a good eye for design, an understanding of how to create compelling visuals, and the ability to come up with unique ideas that will engage followers.

4. Adaptability: Social media managers must be able to quickly adapt to changes in the digital landscape. This means being able to stay up-to-date on the latest trends and technologies, as well as being able to adjust strategies and tactics in order to meet the needs of their clients.

5. Analytical Thinking: Social media managers must be able to analyze data in order to make informed decisions about their strategies and tactics. This means having excellent analytical skills, including the ability to interpret data and draw meaningful conclusions from it.

These are just some of the essential analog skills that social media managers with 12+ years of experience must possess in order to be successful. Having these skills will enable them to effectively manage social media accounts, create compelling content, and drive results for their clients.

Source: sproutsocial.com

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