Social media marketing (SMM) refers to the use of social media platforms to promote products, services, or brands. It involves creating and sharing content on social media networks, engaging with users, and running targeted advertising campaigns to achieve marketing goals. Here are some key aspects of social media marketing:
- Setting Objectives: Define clear and measurable objectives for your social media marketing efforts, such as increasing brand awareness, driving website traffic, generating leads, or boosting sales.
- Audience Research: Understand your target audience’s demographics, interests, preferences, and behavior on social media platforms. This knowledge helps tailor your content and messaging to resonate with your audience.
- Platform Selection: Choose the right social media platforms based on where your target audience is most active. Popular platforms include Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, TikTok, and Snapchat.
- Content Strategy: Develop a content strategy that aligns with your brand identity and resonates with your target audience. Create a variety of content formats, including text posts, images, videos, infographics, polls, and stories.
- Engagement and Community Building: Engage with your audience by responding to comments, messages, and mentions promptly. Foster a sense of community by encouraging user-generated content, running contests or giveaways, and featuring customer testimonials.
- Paid Advertising: Utilize paid advertising options offered by social media platforms to reach a wider audience and achieve specific marketing objectives. This could include sponsored posts, display ads, video ads, and influencer partnerships.
- Analytics and Measurement: Monitor key performance metrics such as reach, engagement, clicks, conversions, and return on investment (ROI). Use analytics tools provided by social media platforms to track the effectiveness of your campaigns and make data-driven decisions.
- Consistency and Frequency: Maintain a consistent posting schedule to keep your audience engaged and interested. Experiment with posting frequency and timing to determine what works best for your audience.
- Stay Updated on Trends: Stay informed about the latest trends, features, and best practices in social media marketing. Adapt your strategy to capitalize on emerging trends and stay ahead of the competition.
- Experiment and Iterate: Don’t be afraid to experiment with different types of content, messaging, and advertising strategies. Analyze the results of your experiments and iterate on your approach based on what resonates best with your audience.
By implementing these strategies effectively, businesses can leverage social media platforms to build brand awareness, engage with their audience, drive traffic and conversions, and ultimately achieve their marketing objectives.
Social Media Marketing II Certification Exam Answers
Question 1: Which of the following should NOT be considered when setting a social media budget?
- The number of your current social followers
- The platforms and tools you plan to use
- The people you need for content creation and response to customer comments
- The cost of content creation and production
- The business goals your company has set
Question 2: How much does the average organization spend on social media marketing per month (in US dollars)?
- $200 – $350
- $500 – $1,000
- $6,000 – $10,500
- $10,000 – $15,000
Question 3: True or false? When budgeting for social media advertising, you shouldn’t run the same ad across all platforms.
- True
- False
Question 4: How much of your advertising budget should go towards ad spend?
- 10%
- 30%
- 40%
- 50%
Question 5: Which of the following is a primary advantage of using social media in omnichannel marketing?
- It allows for one-way communication.
- It targets a very specific and limited audience.
- It bypasses the need for any other marketing channels.
- It facilitates two-way communication and customer interaction.
Question 6: How does omnichannel marketing impact a customer’s experience with a brand?
- It makes the experience feel disconnected across different channels.
- It creates a consistent and similar experience across various channels and platforms.
- It decreases the reach of a brand’s marketing efforts.
- It is limited to online interactions only.
Question 7: True or false? In omnichannel marketing, it’s best to post the exact same content across all social media platforms.
- True
- False
Question 8: When integrating social media into your broader omnichannel strategy, it’s crucial to do which of the following?
- Ignore the analytics provided by social media platforms.
- Overuse boilerplate content across all channels.
- Use insights from social media platforms to understand customer interests, preferences, and behaviors.
- Focus on a single social media platform, neglecting all others.
Question 9: Which of the following is an unethical use of social media automation and AI tools?
- Scheduling posts
- Monitoring brand mentions
- Analyzing sentiment of social media posts Buying followers
- Buying followers
Question 10: What benefit does AI bring to scheduling social media posts?
- It allows for posts to be scheduled in bulk and can recommend optimal posting times based on historical metrics.
- It ensures that all posts are identical across platforms.
- It replaces the need for creative content generation.
- It prevents the need for any human input.
Question 11: True or false? AI can be used to tailor advertising content and target specific users based on their interests, demographics, and other data points.
- True
- False
Question 12: What is a potential benefit of keeping social media management in-house?
- It requires less financial commitment.
- It allows for more personalized communication with customers and prospects via social platforms.
- It doesn’t require any expertise in the field.
- All tasks can be delegated to internal teams.
Question 13: When hiring a social media agency, what is one of the important questions you should ask?
- How many followers do they have on social media?
- Do they work in the office or remotely?
- Do they have experience in your industry or with a similar business?
- Are they willing to work for free initially?
Question 14: True or false? Christina Garnett, a HubSpot principal marketing manager, suggests that outsourced social media managers need the same type of resources and knowledge as an in-house social media manager.
- True
- False
Question 15: What are the two types of online communities?
- Interest-driven and influencer-driven
- Product-focused and service-focused
- Shared-interest and information
- Public and private
Question 16: You’re part of a team at your company that’s responsible for setting up an online community. While creating the strategy, one of your colleagues argues that considering an exit plan is unnecessary and a waste of time. How do you respond?
- Agree with them, focusing energy on building the community instead.
- Suggest that an exit plan isn’t necessary if the community remains small and easily manageable.
- Argue that an exit plan is a critical part of the strategy, as it helps prepare for potential changes in the future, including dissolution of the community if necessary.
- Suggest that while it’s not urgent in the beginning phase of developing a community, it might be worth considering at a later stage.
Question 17: What is one of the key performance indicators (KPIs) for measuring the success of an online community?
- Number of community moderators
- Geographical location of most members
- Number of non-active members
- Number of members
Question 18: You’re in a meeting with your marketing team discussing the performance of your company’s social media community. A new team member suggests tracking the company’s profit margin as a key performance indicator (KPI) for the social media community. How do you respond?
- Agree, detailing a plan to correlate profit margins directly with social media activities.
- Explain that while company profit margin is important, it’s not a direct KPI for a social media community. Instead, focus should be on indicators like number of members, engagement metrics, and referral traffic.
- Suggest that a one-track approach is best, proposing that only engagement metrics should serve as the primary KPI.
- Advocate for the complete disregard of KPIs, as social media communities can’t be quantitatively evaluated.
Question 19: Which of the following is NOT a reason why a business might build a social media community?
- Supporting existing business or marketing efforts
- Counteracting negative reviews
- Increasing the owner’s social media following
- Identifying passionate fans
Question 20: Fill in the blank: If you’re not prepared to invest time and energy into regular engagement with your community, you won’t be able to reap the benefits of ______________.
- content conversation
- user-generated content
- community autonomy
- brand promotion
Question 21: What should a brand consider if it’s unsure whether to create a community or if it lacks the resources for a community team?
- Abandoning the community idea altogether
- Reducing the scale of the community
- Aligning with or partnering with existing communities
- Paying influencers to run the community
Question 22: In the context of digital advertising, what are third-party cookies?
- Cookies set by the website owner to track user activity
- Cookies used to enhance the user experience on a website
- Essential cookies necessary for websites to operate
- Tracking codes placed on a web visitor’s computer by another website other than your own
Question 23: As a digital marketing manager, you’re in a meeting discussing user data and privacy on your company’s website. A colleague voices concern that first-party cookies are often seen as non-essential and a breach of privacy. How do you respond?
- Clarify that first-party cookies, while they do collect user data, are essential for a functional, personalized user experience and are generally seen as more privacy-friendly than third-party cookies.
- Suggest a strategy to enhance user trust, advocating for a complete halt on using cookies of any kind and emphasizing the promise of user privacy over website personalization.
- Agree, arguing that a website experience can be tailored and personalized without the invasive use of any form of cookies, thereby respecting user privacy.
- Disagree, arguing that privacy concerns are outdated, and that data collection through cookies is an integral and accepted part of the modern digital landscape.
Question 24: What is one of the changes happening in the field of digital advertising with respect to third-party cookies?
- More browsers are supporting third-party cookies.
- Major browsers are phasing out or blocking third-party cookies by default.
- Third-party cookies are being used more frequently for essential website functionality.
- There is an increasing reliance on third-party cookies for digital advertising.
Question 25: Select all that apply. What are some of the new ways that marketers will need to adapt in a future without third-party cookies?
- Focus on first-party and second-party cookie data
- Increase the usage of third-party cookies
- Use AI and machine learning
- Use non-digital forms of advertising
Question 26: In the context of digital marketing, what is zero-party data?
- Data collected by third-party companies
- Data gathered through cookies while a user visits a website
- Data voluntarily shared by a customer with a brand
- Information you didn’t collect yourself, but are using second hand
Question 27: What is one of the potential benefits of using second-party data in advertising?
- It can give a new perspective on customers.
- It allows tracking user behavior across different websites.
- It provides data without the need for customer involvement.
- It helps target based on location.
Question 28: Which type of marketing is characterized by targeting ads based on current events that customers may be interested in?
- Audience targeting
- Geotargeting
- Contextual advertising
- Real-time marketing
Question 29: What does Meta’s Conversions API aim to do?
- It connects marketing data directly with the Meta platform.
- It helps optimize ad targeting.
- It decreases cost-per-action.
- It measures results across Meta platforms.
- All of the above.
Question 30: True or false? The Meta Conversions API only works effectively when used in conjunction with a browser pixel.
- True
- False
Question 31: How can you connect your website or server to the Meta Conversions API?
- Working with one of Meta’s 50+ partners that support the Conversions API
- Developing a Conversions API integration on your own
- Using the Conversions API gateway provided by Meta that runs on AWS
- All of the above
Question 32: According to Lately’s Kate Bradley Chernis, where should you start when thinking about the structure of a story?
- The end
- The beginning
- The middle
- Anywhere, as it doesn’t really matter
Question 33: Which storytelling framework would be best suited to showcase the company’s history, mission, and vision?
- The Brand Story Framework
- The Hero’s Journey Framework
- The Before-During-After Framework
- The Story Arc Framework
Question 34: What is the purpose of using the underdog archetype in a social media storytelling campaign?
- To showcase the transformative power of a product or service
- To establish the company as an expert in its field
- To highlight the company’s financial success
- To provide an overview of the company’s history
Question 35: Nicole O’Donnell suggests using what type of individuals to act as inspiration in storytelling for brands?
- Celebrities
- Influencers
- Role models or community members
- Company founders
Question 36: Fill in the blank: In short-form video, editing styles should vary depending on the _________.
- video length
- intended audience
- music selection
- platform
Question 37: Which of the following is NOT a potential benefit of using AI in social media content creation?
- Improved personalization
- Improved facilitation of social planning meetings
- Increased understanding of customer needs
- Increased efficiency and productivity
Question 38: Select all that apply. What is a potential downside of relying on AI for social media content creation?
- Lack of emotional understanding
- Reduced social media usage
- Dependence on algorithms leading to generic content
- Potential for biased results
- Increased advertising costs
Question 39: How can you maintain authenticity while using AI to generate social media content?
- Only use AI for analytics, not for content generation
- Regularly review and edit the AI-generated content
- Avoid any human interaction in the content
- Focus solely on promoting products/services
Question 40: What is the projected value of global sales USD via social media platforms by 2026?
- $500 billion
- $1 trillion
- $2 trillion
- $3 trillion
Question 41: Fill in the blank: The connection between social and commerce essentially involves driving ______ and providing the immediate opportunity to buy.
- sales
- awareness
- costs
- distribution
Question 42: Which of the following is a crucial factor to consider when developing a social commerce strategy?
- Partnering with influencers
- A strong radio presence
- Ignoring user-generated content
- Minimizing mobile optimization
Question 43: What kind of influencer often has a smaller following, but a highly engaged audience that trusts their opinions?
- Macro-influencer
- Micro-influencer
- Celebrity influencer
- Nano-influencer
Question 44: True or false? AI can be a powerful tool for improving your social commerce strategy by developing content and automating customer support.
- True
- False
Question 45: Which of the following is NOT a technique you can use in your social commerce strategy?
- Influencer takeovers
- Live stream sales
- Ignoring user-generated content
- Collaborating with micro-influencers
Question 46: Which of the following statements best describes the benefits of short-form videos?
- They’re less popular among consumers.
- They’re less expensive to produce.
- They’re more time-consuming to produce.
- They aren’t suitable for showcasing a brand’s personality.
Question 47: Select all that apply. What is a benefit of filming videos with a smartphone for social media content?
- The videos appear less professional.
- It’s more difficult for transferring and editing videos.
- Filming can only be done in a studio setting.
- The videos appear more authentic.
- They can be easily transferred and edited on the same device.
Question 48: When creating videos for social media, how should you hold your phone when recording?
- Horizontally
- Vertically
- At a 45-degree angle
- It doesn’t matter
Question 49: If you don’t have access to natural light when filming indoors, which affordable equipment could help create a well-lit environment?
- A ring light or softbox
- An ultraviolet light
- A mirror
- A colorful backdrop
Question 50: True or false? An engaging story that connects with your audience is more important than having high-quality lighting and expensive equipment.
- True
- False
Question 51: True or false? Most short-form videos are filmed horizontally.
- True
- False
Question 52: Which of the following is NOT recommended when creating short-form videos?
- Telling a story
- Capturing authentic moments
- Ignoring the platform’s features
- Experimenting with speed
Question 53: You are advising a team of video content creators who are targeting a Gen Z audience. One of the creators mentions incorporating a technique they heard about called the ‘millennial pause’ into their editing style. How do you respond?
- Advise them that it’s a brief pause considered “uncool” by Gen Z, and hence might not be the best approach for their target audience.
- Explain that the “millennial pause” is a technique where creators purposefully create content that caters specifically to millennial interests, which might not resonate with a Gen Z audience.
- Note that although the “millennial pause” can add suspense to videos, Gen Z viewers are more attracted to authenticity and less to artificially created tension.
- Define it as a thoughtful pause that allows viewers to better understand the content, often appreciated by more often by a Gen Y audience.
Question 54: Fill in the blank: _________ is a recommended strategy to keep viewers engaged throughout a video.
- Use of multimedia
- A lengthy introduction
- Use of complex jargon
- Using single static shots for the entire video
Question 55: What is NOT considered a best practice while creating short-form videos?
- Incorporating quizzes or interactive elements
- Using a mixture of visual aids and face-to-camera interaction
- Including viewer comments in the video
- Using a single, static shot for the entire video
Question 56: What’s the benefit of having a script for your videos?
- It eliminates the need for editing.
- It ensures the content stays focused and organized.
- It removes the need for visual aids.
- It allows for more spontaneity in the delivery.
Question 57: The SPACES model helps businesses determine the value of a community. What does the ‘A’ in SPACES stand for?
- Advocacy
- Acquisition
- Analysis
- Affiliation
Question 58: Which statement best describes the concept of Web3?
- A vision of a more centralized web that’s controlled by large tech companies
- A version of the internet that restricts user accessibility and security
- A vision of a more decentralized web that empowers users
- A theoretical concept without any tangible infrastructure
Question 59: True or false? The success of an agency’s efforts should be measured by how many posts they can generate for your social media platforms.
- True
- False
Question 60: As the new social media strategist for a small American tech startup, you are tasked with expanding the company’s user base to Europe and Asia. You suggest to your manager that you want to use geotargeted ads on Meta and LinkedIn. You explain that this strategy would entail which of the following?
- Translating all existing ads into every European and Asian language to cater to a diverse audience
- Running ads only during business hours in the target geographies to ensure maximum visibility
- Increasing the frequency of ads across all platforms and regions to boost visibility
- Implementing a feature that allows you to target your ads to users in specific locations (Europe and Asia), thereby increasing their relevance and effectiveness
Question 61: A company has recently launched a new product and is curious about public sentiment. They’ve received a significant amount of social media comments about the product. Which of the following strategies would be the most effective way to better understand general public perception?
- Adding each comment into a spreadsheet to evaluate the sentiment
- Ignoring the comments as they don’t provide substantial data
- Using an AI tool to analyze the sentiment of posts and comments
- Responding to each comment asking for clarification on sentiment
Question 62: True or false? AI can be used to generate content and create platform-specific messages and images in your brand voice.
- True
- False
Question 63: What is one of the benefits of AI in social media content creation as explained by Kate Bradley Chernis?
- AI can replace all human efforts in content creation.
- AI ensures that all content is generic.
- AI prevents the need for understanding your target audience.
- AI can be paired with human intervention for better results.
Question 64: Which of the following was identified as a significant change in the social media landscape?
- The shift towards long-form content
- The rise of Facebook and Instagram
- The lack of social and political consciousness
- The decline of the attention span
Question 65: Your company’s marketing team is aiming to enhance its tracking capabilities to better understand user behavior across the web. A team member suggests that recent changes in privacy laws and data protection would make this easier. As an expert in the field, how do you respond?
- Agree wholeheartedly and propose investing more in tracking technology.
- Caution them that recent changes in privacy laws and data protection have made tracking individuals across the web more challenging, not easier, and suggest that other methods should also be explored.
- Propose that they ignore these laws as they aren’t likely to be enforced and focus entirely on tracking users.
Question 66: Select all that apply. According to the lesson, how can a community help businesses?
- Communities provide a platform for personal recommendations.
- Communities help members band together to make decisions.
- Communities can reduce support costs.
- Communities offer insight into consumer behavior.
- Communities make the workload easier for the business.
Question 67: What is one tactic to ensure success in community building?
- Focusing exclusively on high-value members
- Limiting discussions to the brand’s products or services only
- Encouraging trolls to stimulate debates
- Responding quickly to first-time posters
Question 68: You’re the new social media manager at a start-up company. During your first strategy meeting, an enthusiastic team member suggests choosing the platform for your social media community because it’s the most popular. How do you respond?
- Agree, emphasizing the importance of aligning with popular trends and starting on a platform with the largest audience base.
- Disagree, proposing to choose a platform with the least competition instead.
- Suggest a balanced approach, considering both popularity and relevance to your target audience.
- Insist on using the newest, least established platform to be ahead of the curve.
Question 69: Select all that apply. Which element(s) are important to consider when developing your community strategy?
- The type of community (shared interest or information)
- Potential issues like spam or trolling
- Visual design of the community
- Similar communities members belong to
Question 70: How does LinkedIn’s ‘Group Identity for B2B’ work?
- It tracks individuals across different websites.
- It groups members together based on shared professional identity attributes.
- It relies on third-party cookies for effective functioning.
- It gives individual-level tracking across sites.
Question 71: In storytelling, what does the ‘logic of emotion’ mean?
- It means that stories should only evoke logical thinking.
- It refers to stories that are devoid of any emotional elements.
- It is the understanding that the human brain responds to emotions before logic.
- It implies that emotional stories are less impactful.
Question 72: Select all that apply. For what reason(s) do we tell stories?
- To solidify abstract concepts.
- To foster brand loyalty.
- To increase website traffic.
- To promote and shape ideas.
- To boost email subscription rates.
- To inspire and motivate.
Question 73: Fill in the blank: Visual information is cognitively processed ___ times faster than text-based information.
- Six
- 6,000
- 60,000
- 600,000
Question 74: What is NOT a way to collaborate with micro-influencers for social commerce campaigns?
- Offer exclusive discounts to their audience
- Request they create sponsored posts
- Invite them to take over your social media channels
- Encouraging them to create content outside of brand guidelines
Question 75: How can live stream sales be made more engaging and interactive?
- Offer live polls and Q&A sessions
- Showcase products in real-time
- Offer exclusive deals and discounts
- Cross-sell and upsell products
Question 76: Select all that apply. Why is user-generated content (UGC) important for social commerce?
- It helps build trust and credibility.
- It carries a risk of negative or misleading content.
- It comes with a lack of control over content quality.
- It increases customer engagement.
- It drives conversions and generates buzz.
Question 77: Fill in the blank: _________ shopping is a trend where companies showcase their products in real-time, providing an engaging and interactive experience for customers.
- Virtual reality
- Online
- Live stream
- In-store
Question 78: According to Jamal Meneide, which part of a short-form video is the most important?
- The buildup
- The climax
- The hook
- The call-to-action
Question 79: You’re collaborating with a video editing team on a social media campaign targeting a diverse, international audience. A team member suggests that text overlays or captions aren’t needed since the video’s audio is clear. How do you respond?
- Recommend the inclusion of background music instead of text overlays or captions, as it can set the mood and keep viewers engaged regardless of the clarity of the audio.
- Suggest they focus on enhancing the video’s visual elements, instead, arguing that if the visuals are compelling, viewers won’t need text overlays or captions.
- Agree with the team member, emphasizing that clear audio eliminates the need for text overlays or captions.
- Object, explaining that text overlays and captions can increase accessibility and comprehension, especially for non-native speakers or viewers in noisy environments.
Question 80: What purpose does a call-to-action serve in a short-form video?
- It encourages viewers to interact in some way.
- It provides a break in the content.
- It signals the end of the video.
- It provides a summary of the video’s content.
Question 81: True or false? First-party cookies allow businesses to analyze actions taken on other websites that were visited by a user.
- True
- False
Question 82: Select all that apply. Under what condition(s) might a company consider outsourcing their social media tasks?
- The team members are handling multiple social marketing tasks and are consistently missing deadlines.
- When the company wants to maintain total control over their social media strategies.
- The current social media strategy isn’t generating any ROI.
- The company’s social media accounts have recently gained a large following and engagement.
Question 83: What is one of the reasons brands are moving towards community-led growth?
- Customers enjoy the exclusivity of a community
- The social media industry has become more complex
- To stay up-to-date with the latest technology
- To avoid dealing with customer service
Question 84: Fill in the blank: One of the primary considerations when planning short-form video content is the ___________.
- color scheme of the video
- use of special effects
- purpose of the videos
- celebrity endorsements
Question 85: True or false? Short-form videos are typically watched for less than 40% of their length.
- True
- False
Question 86: Fill in the blank: Jamal Meneide mentions three pillars for video editing and post-production. They are concision, clarity, and _____.
- creativity
- color grading
- communication
- captivation
Question 87: Which of the following is a recommended practice in video creation?
- Maintain a monotone voice to avoid distractions
- Use flashy transitions to keep viewers entertained
- Divide the video content into smaller segments
- Avoid any kind of interaction with the viewers
Question 88: True or false? The Problem-Solution Framework involves showcasing the journey of a customer, from the initial awareness of the company’s product or service, through the decision-making process, and ultimately to the post-purchase experience.
- True
- False
Question 89: Which of these is NOT a good practice when repurposing long-form content into short-form videos?
- Using the most engaging, relevant clips from the long video
- Keeping the short videos between 20 and 60 seconds
- Running them as a series or part of a video carousel
- Using copyrighted music
Question 90: Which of the following storytelling techniques is considered effective for social media?
- Using jargon and business-speak
- Highly detailed stories
- Short and impactful stories
- Focusing solely on your brand