For my strategy, I have decided to create a social media plan for a video game content creator Melissa, AKA NuFo. The goal of this strategy is to help Melissa establish her brand, NuFo, on YouTube, which will also increase awareness of her brand as whole. I felt moving Melissa to YouTube was a necessary implementation because most content creators in the gaming industry do. This is where they upload their content, such as streams, reviews, discussions, and other videos that give their followers insight into who they are as a person. This helps to strengthen their brand and their followers’ brand loyalty.
For my strategy, I have decided to do fully organic growth, and to not pay to promote posts. I chose this approach because Melissa, a college student that makes minimal money off of her social media and gaming, cannot afford to promote posts and advertise. All of Melissa’s growth so far has been organic, so switching to paid advertising or promotion would not only go against her brand, but is unneeded. Part of what makes NuFo effective as a brand is her ability to attract interest and followers. By promoting her posts, that would almost show a sort of contradiction to, or lack of faith in her brand.
Also, Melissa has a large following on her social media platforms, so the focus would first be transferring those followers, so paid posts would be redundant since the audience can be reached organically. To reach these audiences and transition those followers to her YouTube channel, I felt promotions through her Instagram, Twitter, SnapChat, and Twitch would be the most effective. Although I will not have paid posts, my strategy will include giveaways, following sprees, and other posts that with get a higher engagement. I have included an example of this in my content examples.
I felt that establishing a NuFo YouTube channel was important because it would create a deeper level of engagement with her followers and help enhance her reach. As Blanchard discusses in chapter 2, these are the two ways to increase net new customers and sales (Blanchard 19). YouTube is a place where Melissa can engage her followers in more depth than any other platform. While her current followers can engage with her on Twitch and her other social media, they only read her thoughts or watch her play. But for those who are willing to pay monthly to have a deeper ability to engage with Melissa, there needs to be more. YouTube opens up the possibility for Melissa to share her thoughts and personality and content she would maybe never get the chance to on her other platforms. Her current engagement and brand has already garnered a large amount of sales through subscriptions, merchandise, and sponsorships. By creating a way to engage with her on a deeper level, it could lead to more sales.
Additionally, this also helps enhance her reach. I have found most of the streamers I frequent through YouTube, which led me to their social media and their streaming platforms. Being present on this platform increases her possible exposure.
With the creation and growth of YouTube Gaming, a competitor to Amazon-owed Twitch, joining this platform has become even more important and influential. Last year, YouTube Gaming’s active monthly streamer base grew by 343%, while Twitch only grew by 197% (Perez). While Twitch still reigns as the top streaming platform, this growth on behalf of YouTube is not something to be overlooked. In order to keep up with the growing trends of the industry and have the maximum reach to increase the possible number of followers, making the transition to YouTube is a must.
Professional Uses of Social Media 