Social Media Marketing Best Practices

Forward

The Social Shift

Social media has evolved far beyond its roots as a digital meeting place. Today, it's where consumers discover products, engage with brands, and even complete purchases, all without leaving their social feeds. This shift has redefined how businesses connect with audiences and underscores the importance of well-executed social media strategies.

But social media is anything but static. Platforms come into and fall out of favor. Algorithms shift, and audience behaviors change with remarkable speed. 

To help brands keep pace, the Orange 142 Emerging Channels Council has developed this Social Media Marketing Best Practices Guide. Our goal is to provide practical insights, proven strategies, and actionable recommendations to help you build stronger connections, drive engagement, and achieve your business goals in an evolving landscape.

About the Orange 142 Emerging Channels Council

​​The Emerging Channels Council is a thought leadership body within Orange 142, dedicated to helping independent brands and agencies succeed in rapidly changing digital environments. Through research, collaboration, and data-driven guidance, the council provides resources that empower clients to test, adapt, and grow within emerging channels like social media.

To access all of the Emerging Channels Council resources, please visit: https://orange142.com/emerging-channels-hub

Table of Contents

1. The Social Media Opportunity
2. What is social media advertising?
3. What is social commerce?
4. Benefits of social media advertising
5. Challenges of social media advertising
6. Emerging technology and trends
7. Data & Privacy Considerations
8. Best Practices for Social Media Marketing Campaigns
9. About Orange 142

1. The Opportunity

Is Your Brand the Connector Consumers Expect It to Be?

These days, the press often frames social media as a divisive force—a digital battleground of opinions, trends, and attention-seeking algorithms. But consumers have a different take. According to Sprout Social, 91% of people believe in social media’s power to unite people.

For brands, this is more than an interesting stat; it’s a call to action. Social media is more than another marketing channel; it’s a shared space where people seek connection, common ground, and a sense of belonging. Social media allows brands to create moments of cultural relevance.

This isn’t a new phenomenon. Brands have always been part of the cultural conversation. From “Plop, plop, fizz, fizz” to “Just Do It”, marketing has long shaped the national zeitgeist, turning products into pop culture and advertising into shared language. The real difference is how social media has transformed that influence from a one-way message into an ongoing, real-time conversation.

The brands that thrive in this environment aren’t just selling -- they’re listening, engaging, and helping consumers connect over shared experiences. Whether nostalgia-driven campaigns, viral challenges, or meaningful conversations around values, social media allows brands to be part of something bigger. 

Scale Like Never Before

When appointment TV dominated, a single ad could spark a cultural moment. However, that influence is harder to achieve in today’s fragmented media landscape. Social media changes that. With 5 billion people using social media in 2024, these platforms provide unparalleled scale and reach, allowing brands to engage with consumers in ways that traditional media never could.

And the impact isn’t just cultural, it’s also financial. Consider:

• Social media advertising is expected to hit $219.8 billion in 2024, reinforcing its role as a primary channel for brand growth.
• Social commerce sales will account for 17% of global e-commerce transactions by 2025.
• 61% of brands engaged in social selling report revenue growth, proving that connection and commerce go hand in hand.

What Success Looks Like 

Social media success comes from knowing how to capture attention, earn trust, and build relevance in the spaces where consumers already gather. When it works, it works big:

• Mid-Day Squares has nailed the art of storytelling and humorous Reels on Instagram and Facebook, leading to $30 million in revenue and 40-50% year-over-year growth.
• Ghia, a non-alcoholic aperitif brand, built its reputation on brand advocacy through Instagram-first storytelling, turning loyal followers into passionate customers.
• Biscoff leveraged collaborations with McDonald's, Tiger Sugar, and Krispy Kreme to generate social media buzz and position itself as a premium ingredient in viral menu items.
• Nutter Butter and Lay’s have achieved strong engagement rates on Instagram, with 8.43% and 7.53%, demonstrating how snack brands can drive meaningful interactions.
• Nature Valley and Cheez-It are excelling on TikTok, with engagement rates of 9.82% and 7.54%, respectively. This shows the effectiveness of snackable, shareable content on the platform.

Source: Pear Commerce

Creating meaningful connections through social media doesn’t happen by accident. Platforms change, algorithms evolve, and consumer behavior shifts, but the core principles of effective social media marketing remain consistent. These best practices will help your brand stay visible, relevant, and valuable to the most critical audiences.

2. What is Social Media Marketing?

What is Social Media Marketing?

Social media marketing uses platforms to promote a brand, product, or service, engage with audiences, and achieve business objectives. It encompasses a range of activities, including content creation, community engagement, and organic and paid strategies to connect with current and potential customers and fans of the brand.

Marketers also use social media platforms as a direct sales channel, offering products, handling customer inquiries, and completing transactions without customers needing to leave the app. Social commerce features like Instagram Shops, TikTok Shop, and Facebook Marketplace allow brands to create product catalogs, shoppable posts, and streamlined checkout experiences. These tools make it easier for consumers to discover, purchase, and receive support in one place, turning social media engagement into measurable sales.

Successful social media marketing requires a clear understanding of the target audience, a consistent brand voice, and regular performance analysis to refine strategies and maximize results across platforms like Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, etc.

Three Components to Social Media Marketing

Social media marketing is a broad term that encompasses a wide variety of brand awareness and product sales on social media:

These components give marketers the flexibility to reach specific goals through channels that feel authentic and familiar to consumers—places where people go to connect, discover, and, increasingly, shop. When used strategically, social media marketing becomes less like advertising and more like a natural part of online conversations.

3. Social Commerce

What is Social Commerce? A Sales Channel Built for the Social Media Era

Social commerce is a sales channel that enables brands to sell products and services directly through social media platforms [source: Sprout Social]. It extends social media's role in the consumer journey, allowing users to discover, evaluate, and purchase products straight from their feeds or a brand’s page -- without ever leaving the platform.

For consumers, social commerce brings the shopping experience into familiar territory. It allows them to go beyond polished product descriptions to seek authentic customer opinions. Comments, reviews, and tagged posts offer a wealth of unvarnished feedback, making social commerce feel less like traditional retail and more like a community-driven shopping experience. 

Influencers also play a significant role here, as their opinions often carry more weight than corporate messaging. The influencer marketing industry reflects this growing influence, with brands investing billions to have trusted creators showcase products to their engaged audiences.

The Infrastructure That Supports Social Commerce

Social media platforms have partnered with significant e-commerce providers to simplify the entire purchasing cycle for both shoppers and merchants. By integrating with platforms such as Shopify and BigCommerce, social apps now support seamless, end-to-end transactions within the social feed.

Headless commerce is a key innovation driving this shift, which separates the front-end shopping interface from the back-end infrastructure. The benefit of this technology is that it allows brands to move the point of sale directly into a social media post. For instance, Instagram will enable businesses to set up digital storefronts, while features like Checkout on Instagram let consumers complete their purchases without leaving the app. The convenience of skipping extra steps -- navigating to a website or pulling out a credit card -- reduces friction and makes social commerce an increasingly popular buying method.

Key Features of Social Commerce

• Shoppable Posts. These posts and stories let users click on a product and purchase it instantly. What started as an experimental feature has become a key driver of online sales, turning casual browsing into seamless transactions.
• Live Shopping Events. Interactive live streams where hosts showcase products, answer questions in real time, and engage directly with viewers. By blending entertainment, education, and commerce, live shopping creates an experience that feels as engaging as in-store shopping with the ease of digital purchasing.
• Personalized Shopping Experiences. Social platforms use AI to recommend products based on individual preferences, past interactions, and browsing behavior. This customization helps brands deliver more relevant content, increasing the likelihood of discovery and purchase.

Social commerce works because it feels natural within the social media environment. Instead of disrupting the user experience, it enhances it, turning a casual scroll into a potential sale with the ease of a single tap.

4. Benefits of Social Media Marketing

Social media marketing lets you engage audiences where they naturally gather, combining organic content, paid campaigns, and commerce tools to build relationships and drive sales. 

Here are the key benefits that make it essential to modern marketing:

5. Challenges of Social Media Marketing

While social media marketing offers unique opportunities for brand growth and engagement, it also presents distinct challenges. Social media marketing rewards agility. As platforms shift their algorithms, launch new features, and reshape user behaviors, you must evolve your approach and messaging. 

Here are the key challenges marketers face and strategies to tackle them.

Algorithmic Updates

Social media platforms constantly adjust their algorithms, impacting how and when users see content. These updates often prioritize specific post formats or engagement behaviors, forcing marketers to adapt their content strategies regularly.

For instance, Instagram has shifted its focus toward Reels. Data shows that Reels receive 1.36x (36%) more reach than carousel posts and 2.25x (125%) more than single-photo posts. This emphasis on short-form, engaging video content means brands must continually test new formats to stay visible.

How to Respond:

• Stay informed on platform updates and algorithm changes.
• Monitor performance metrics to identify which content types and posting schedules perform best.
• Maintain flexibility to adjust content plans when platforms shift their priorities.

Unpredictable Organic Engagement

Organic reach on social media has become increasingly difficult to predict and sustain, especially without paid support. Estimates place organic reach on platforms such as Facebook and Instagram at somewhere between 2-4% (on Facebook, that continues to decline each year).

Additionally, trends shift rapidly. What’s popular one day may fade into irrelevance the next, leaving some brands struggling to maintain consistent engagement.

How to Respond:

• Balance organic content with strategic paid efforts.
• Experiment with different content types to see what resonates, while staying true to your brand identity.
• Avoid trend-chasing unless it aligns naturally with your audience; research from Sprout Social shows that one-third of consumers find viral trend-chasing "embarrassing" for a brand.

Content Experimentation

The push for creativity in social media marketing means that teams are increasingly stepping outside rigid brand guidelines to test new formats, styles, and themes. Micro-trends, often driven by niche communities, can create opportunities for quick engagement.

However, pursuing every trend isn't always productive. "Micro-virality" may deliver short-term gains but can dilute brand consistency if overused,

How to Respond:

• Use social listening tools like Sprout Social to track relevant, brand-aligned trends.
• Experiment with new formats, but maintain core messaging.
• Prioritize content that offers long-term value, not just short-term attention. According to new research from Sprout Social, a third of consumers think jumping on viral trends is embarrassing for brands.

Fragmented Performance Metrics

Social media platforms each use distinct performance metrics, making cross-platform comparisons challenging. For example, Facebook and Instagram focus on metrics such as engagement rate, which measures the number of engagements (likes, comments, and shares) as a percentage of your audience.

Meanwhile, Twitter (now X) emphasizes metrics such as retweets and mentions, platform-specific engagement forms. LinkedIn prioritizes metrics such as CTR and impressions created for content performance. TikTok has unique metrics such as video view time and completion rate.

To complicate matters, platforms define similar metrics differently; a "view" on Facebook is counted after 3 seconds, while YouTube requires 30 seconds.

How to Respond:

• Invest in analytics tools that provide unified reporting across platforms.
• Focus on metrics tied to core business goals rather than surface-level engagement.
• Tools like HubSpot, Sprout Social, and Hootsuite offer dashboards that simplify cross-platform performance tracking.

Platform Nuances & Audience Expectations

Each social platform attracts different audiences with distinct preferences and behaviors. To succeed, tailor your content strategy to align with these differences rather than applying a one-size-fits-all approach.

For example:

How to Respond

• Identify the platforms where your target audience is most active and tailor content accordingly.
• Experiment with platform-native features such as Reels, Stories, and TikTok Sounds.
• Revisit performance data regularly to ensure each platform’s content strategy remains effective.

At the end of the day, social media marketing requires more than great content—it demands adaptability. By understanding the challenges of algorithm shifts, engagement unpredictability, and platform differences, you can build a presence that stands the test of time while keeping your audiences engaged.

6. Emerging Technology & Trends

The social media landscape is evolving faster than ever, driven by shifts in content consumption, technological advancements, and platform-specific changes. Let’s examine some of them.

Platform Diversification

While established networks maintain dominance, plenty of emerging ones attract users, sometimes luring them away from Facebook, X, and others. Some of these new players include:

• BlueSky. Attracting early adopters and thought leaders with its decentralized approach to social networking
• Threads. Gaining traction for text-based conversations among Instagram's established user base
• Lemon8.  Building a dedicated community around lifestyle content with a strong visual emphasis
• BeReal. Pioneering authenticity-focused engagement with its simultaneous photo-sharing model

For brands serious about social media marketing, flexibility is a requirement.

Shifting Content Formats

Video remains a dominant force in social media marketing, with long-form and short-form formats proving essential for engaging audiences with varying preferences. However, recent developments have made the landscape more fluid.

The popularity of short-form video, fueled by TikTok's explosive growth, prompted every major platform to introduce similar features, such as Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, and Facebook Stories. 

Key Takeaways:

• Short-form video continues to perform well across platforms, offering quick, engaging content for audiences on the go.
• Long-form video, especially on YouTube, appeals to audiences seeking in-depth information, particularly in sectors like travel, education, and product demonstrations.
• Stay flexible and ready to shift resources across platforms if market dynamics change. TikTok was banned, but the ban was lifted.

Consumers want authenticity when engaging with brands, making UGC and influencer collaborations powerful tools for building trust and extending reach. However, these strategies also introduce risks that require ongoing management.

• UGC. UGC provides cost-effective, authentic content that resonates with audiences who value peer recommendations over corporate messaging. However, brands have limited creative control, which can lead to content that doesn't align with the brand's identity or messaging.
• Influencer Partnerships. Influencers offer access to niche communities and lend credibility to brand messaging. However, selecting the right influencers is critical, as their behavior and reputation directly reflect on the brands they represent.

Generative AI and Social Media Content

Generative AI changes how brands create, optimize, and manage social media content. Far from being a passing trend, AI has become an integral part of marketing strategies, helping teams work smarter and deliver more personalized experiences.

Key areas where AI is making a significant impact include:

Preparing for What’s Next

As social media platforms continue to evolve, marketers need to remain adaptable. Trends such as AI-driven content, video innovation, and the growing reliance on authentic, user-generated material aren't fads; they represent the future of how brands will engage with audiences in an increasingly social-first world.

7. Data and Privacy Concerns

Social media marketing relies heavily on data to personalize content, target audiences, and measure performance. However, the scale of data collection and growing public concern over privacy have made data security a critical consideration for marketers. As regulations tighten and consumers become more privacy-conscious, brands must adapt their strategies to maintain trust while staying compliant.

Extensive Data Collection

Social media platforms collect vast amounts of personal information to fuel their algorithms and deliver targeted content. Meta’s platforms—including Facebook, Instagram, and Threads—collect 86% of a user's personal data, tracking behaviors across devices and websites. TikTok has come under scrutiny for its use of tracking pixels that gather information about users and non-users, even those who have deleted the app.

Implications for marketers:

• Increased consumer skepticism toward social media marketing practices.
• Heightened regulatory scrutiny and potential restrictions on data use.
• There is a need for more transparent communication about how and why data is collected.

Public Outcry Over Privacy

Consumers are increasingly wary of how social media platforms handle their personal information. Surveys indicate that 76% of Americans fear social media companies will sell their data without consent, and 89% are concerned about platforms collecting data on children.

These fears reflect broader anxieties about digital privacy, especially as new platforms and technologies gather even more granular insights into user behavior.

What you can do:

• Clearly communicate data collection practices in user-friendly terms.
• Highlight privacy protections and options available to customers.
• Support industry initiatives that promote ethical data practices and child privacy protection.

Expanding Privacy Regulations

The regulatory landscape around social media data collection is becoming more complex. In 2025, 16 states will have comprehensive privacy laws in place, many of which cover social media data. These laws build upon frameworks like the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and the Virginia Consumer Data Protection Act (VCDPA), which grant users more control over how their personal data is collected, stored, and used.

Key trends in privacy regulations:

• Expanded rights for consumers to access, correct, or delete their personal data.
• Stricter requirements for obtaining user consent for data collection.
• Increased penalties for non-compliance, making privacy adherence a business imperative.

Steps you can take to protect your social media followers:

• Audit data collection practices to ensure compliance with new regulations.
• Collaborate with legal teams to stay updated on changing state and federal laws.
• Invest in tools that offer privacy-first analytics without compromising user trust.

Data Breaches & Security Risks

Social media platforms manage enormous volumes of sensitive user information, from location data and browsing history to private messages and personal photos. This makes them prime targets for hackers and malicious actors. Data breaches can expose:

• Location history
• Health-related data
• Religious and political affiliations
• Private messages and personal images
• Facial recognition profiles

The risks are not theoretical, as we’ve seen high-profile breaches on Facebook [source] and LinkedIn [source], which exposed millions of user records, and scraping incidents on sites like X (formerly Twitter) have revealed personal details initially considered private [source].

Mitigating Risks:

• Partner with platforms that prioritize data security and compliance.
• Educate teams on safe data-handling practices.
• Use aggregated, anonymized data whenever possible to avoid collecting identifiable information.

Consumers expect brands to respect privacy while delivering personalized, engaging content. Striking that balance requires transparency, ethical data practices, and ongoing adaptation to new regulations. 

8. Best Practices for Successful Social Media Marketing Campaigns

Social media marketing is more than just posting content; it’s about creating meaningful interactions, delivering value to your audience, and achieving measurable business results. These best practices will help you build stronger campaigns, deeper community engagement, and smarter use of platform-specific tools.

1. Define Clear Goals. Start every campaign with clearly defined objectives. Whether aiming to boost brand awareness, increase traffic, or drive conversions, having specific goals keeps your efforts focused and measurable. Use SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound) to guide your planning and evaluate success.
   
   
2. Understand Your Audience. Tailor your content to your audience’s preferences, behaviors, and expectations. Different platforms attract different demographics—what works on TikTok may not work on LinkedIn. Use audience insights and social listening tools to align with your followers' interests.
   
   
3. Test, Analyze, Optimize. Social media success is built on iteration. A/B test headlines, visuals, and calls to action to determine what performs best. Review performance metrics regularly to identify top-performing content and refine your strategy accordingly.
   
   
4. Invest in Community Management. Social media is a two-way street. Engage with your followers by responding to comments, addressing questions, and participating in relevant conversations. This builds trust and strengthens your brand’s voice. Establish clear protocols to ensure timely and consistent responses across platforms.
   
   
5. Lean Into Event-Centric Content. Events offer great opportunities for behind-the-scenes content, real-time engagement, and storytelling. Whether virtual or in-person, showcase highlights, host live streams, and create interactive content to boost visibility and drive excitement.
   
   Develop a content calendar to coordinate pre-event teasers, live coverage, and post-event recaps to maximize your events. Assign a dedicated social media team to capture real-time content and respond to event-related engagement.
   
   
6. Tailor Content to Platform. A post that goes viral on Instagram may flop on LinkedIn. Customize your content for each platform based on format, tone, and audience expectations. Leverage unique features—e.g., Reels on Instagram or polls on LinkedIn—to increase reach and engagement. Stay updated on new platform features and experiment with tools like interactive polls, stickers, and live streams.
   
   
7. Balance Consistency with Flexibility. Maintain a consistent posting schedule to build recognition and reliability. At the same time, stay agile—ready to jump on trends, respond to news, or shift gears if performance data points to a better approach. Leave room in your calendar for timely content that keeps your brand relevant.
   
   
8. Embrace Privacy-First Marketing. Data privacy is now a table stakes. Be transparent about what data you collect and how it’s used. Use consent-based targeting, respect data minimization principles, and work with platforms prioritizing user privacy. Staying compliant with regulations such as CCPA and GDPR isn’t just a legal obligation; it builds trust.

Social media marketing success lies in striking the right balance between creativity and strategy. By setting clear goals, understanding audiences, and continuously optimizing content, brands can build authentic connections that translate into measurable results.

9. About Orange 142

Orange 142 is a digital marketing and advertising company with offices across the US. We help marketers of all sizes grow their reach and revenue through data-driven media strategies. We also partner with agencies and execute campaigns on behalf of their clients.

Our team of experts deeply understands the digital landscape and the latest advertising and marketing technologies. We work closely with our clients to develop and execute custom advertising and marketing campaigns that meet specific goals.

We are committed to providing our clients with the highest service and transparency. Open communication and collaboration are essential to the success of every advertising and marketing initiative.

Orange 142 Social Media Marketing Services

Orange 142 provides end-to-end social media marketing solutions that help brands increase awareness, engagement, and conversions through strategic content, influencer partnerships, and community management.

Our services include:

Check out our work:

• Visit Rutherford’s Instagram Account Gains 500 Followers in Five Days
• Pigeon Forge’s Extreme Adventure Campaign Packs a Bunch
• WilCo Drives Tourism with Homegrown Influencer Campaign

Want to learn how this can work for you? Orange 142 helps SMBs navigate and maximize your social media with strategic guidance and best practices. Let’s connect to explore the right approach for your goals.

Download the best practices guide.