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Analyze competitors’ social media platforms to identify successful marketing methods, common practices, and what’s driving engagement.
Social Media
Service Design
Lifetime Products
PROJECT INTENT
During my time at Lifetime Products, I recognized an opportunity to enhance their social media presence by refining the brand’s online communication. I aimed to create stronger connections with audiences
and help the brand stand out in an increasingly competitive digital space.
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KEY QUESTIONS:
What types of content are brands posting?
How often do
brands post?
Do brands engage with their audience? How do they engage?
What call-to-action methods do brands use?
Are competitors following trends? If so which ones?
Do competitors maintain consistent aesthetics?
TOP REASONS FOR SOCIAL MEDIA USAGE INCLUDE:
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Keeping in touch with family & friends (48.7%)
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Filling spare time (37.5%)
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Reading news stories (34.1%)
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Finding content (30.2%)
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Seeing what’s being talking about (28.4%)
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Finding inspiration for things to do and buy (26.6%)
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Finding products to purchase (25.9%)
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Content= Inspiration & Adventure, Questions/Polls
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Strategies= Ecommerce, Organic, Influencer
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Cons= High ad costs
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Content= News, Discussion, Humor
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Strategies= Customer Service, Ads
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Cons= Small Ad Audience
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Content= Entertainment, Humor, Challenges
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Strategies= Influencer Marketing, Series Content
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Cons= Relationship Building
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Content= Photos & Links, Information
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Strategies= Local Marketing, Advertising
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Cons= Weak Organic Reach
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Content= How-tos, Webinars, Explainers
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Strategies= Organic, SEO, Advertising
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Cons= Videos are Resource Heavy
(Exploding Topics)
2025 PREDICTED SOCIAL MEDIA TRENDS
EPHEMERAL CONTENT
Temporary posts that disappear after a short period of time engage users by creating urgency to interact before they vanish.
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Encourages immediate action for updates and exclusive offers.
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Creates a sense of community with your audience, building loyalty and exclusivity.
BEHIND THE
SCENES GLIMPLES
PRODUCT LAUNCHES
LIMITED TIME PROMOTIONS
FLASH SALES
SNEAK PEAKS
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SOCIAL COMMERCE
Social commerce allows users to purchase products directly through social media profiles, targeting impulse buying to increase conversions and sales.
Impulse Buys Through
Social Media
(Exploding Topics)
55%
45%
46%
22%
OTHER APPS
SOCIAL COMMERCE TOOLS
Brands utilize social commerce tools like Like2Buy and LikeShop to create landing pages that direct followers to checkout quickly.
SHORT-FORM VIDEO
As attention spans shrink, short-form videos have become essential for delivering quick, impactful content that captures user interest.
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The average human attention span in 2025 is 8.25 seconds, up from 12 seconds in 2000.
(THE TREETOP)
GOAL
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Convey a message or story in under 30 seconds.
FOCUS POINT
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Authenticity and clarity.
FORMATS
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Product demos, customer testimonials, and more.
BENEFITS
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Easily sharable.
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Increased reach.
The Most Engaging Types of Content
66%
(Sprout Social)
Other
24%
Short-Form Video
Long-Form Video
SOCIAL MEDIA CALENDAR
A social media calendar is a planning tool that schedules content in advance to ensure consistency, save time, and align posts with marketing goals.
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INCLUDES...
Content themes, post timing, visuals, and social copy (captions, hashtags, links).
TRACKS...
Performance, engagement, and team responsibilities.
ORGANIZES...
Posts by day, week, or month for better planning.
HELPS...
Maintain a consistent brand voice and style.
STREAMLINES...
Collaboration with feedback and approval processes.
CAN USE...
Digital calendar apps, google spreadsheet, project management tools, or social media tools (Sprinklr, Loomly, etc.).
COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS
The following brands underwent an assessment and analysis of their social media accounts to evaluate their effectiveness.
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HIGHLIGHT COVERS
CUSTOM VISUALS
High quality images tailored to each specific highlight category.
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Draws more attention to specific content.
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More flexibility in representing the variety of content.
COHESIVE DESIGN
A visually consistent design for all highlight covers across the profile.
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Encourages brand consistency.
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Creates a unified, professional look.
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Most common among brands.
HIGHLIGHT CONTENT
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PRODUCT SPECIFIC
Product or collection highlight with feature breakdowns and quality images.
INTERACTIVE FEATURES
Q&A, polls, links, and stickers to boost engagement.
USER-GENERATED CONTENT
Reposts of customer pictures and videos to build community and authenticity.
PRODUCT STORYTELLING
Stackable storytelling to help users connect with the product on a deeper level.
HIGH-QUALITY VISUALS
Clear, compelling visuals with strong callouts for better product presentation.
DIVERSE CONTENT
Utilize a variety of highlights and strategies to engage users.
REELS
Analyzing 16 reels per brand revealed that reels between 15-40 seconds, posted every 1-3 days, particularly collaborations and outdoor content, achieve the highest reach.
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Reels get 36% more reach than carousels and 125% more reach than single-image posts. (Buffer)
Collaborations and Product Showcases
Often recorded with iPhones. Sometimes recorded with professional cameras.
Every 1-3 days achieves a higher reach than a couple times a month.
Short form video.
16 seconds.
Adventure/Outdoor and Lifestyle.
Most Reached Video Length
Most Successful Video Type
Most Common Visual Style
Most Common Video Quality
Posting Frequency and Reach
Most Common Video Length
AESTHETICS
Brands with cohesive visuals that align with their identity appear more professional and visually appealing, effectively attracting and engaging users.
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Established color scheme.
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Brand colors and fonts in promotional posts.
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High quality imagery that aligns with identities.
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Consistent color schemes and photography styles.
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Diverse content mix.
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Organized highlights with custom covers.
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Engaging captions with brand messaging and calls to action.
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Mixes product showcases with user content.
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Consistent color scheme for cohesive aesthetic.
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Hashtags to increase reach.
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Engagement varies.
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Inconsistent posting schedule.
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Uneven captions, lacking clear messaging or calls to action.
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Highlights used but not always updated or organized.
LEVEL OF EFFECTIVENESS
Analyzing Overall Performances
PRACTICES
CONSISTENT SCHEDULE
Planned, regular posts keep audience engaged.
HASHTAG STRATEGY
Incorporating branded and post-relevant hashtags into captions to boost discoverability.
CAROUSELS
A series of photos generates
2.14 times more engagement than single image posts. (Buffer)
CONSISTENT VISUALS
Unified color scheme, typography, and formats.
DEFINED BRAND VOICE
A singular tone across captions for consistent messaging.
STANDARIZED TYPOGRAPHY
A defined set of fonts across posts maintains unity.
USER-GENERATED CONTENT
Customer photos build a sense of community.
CALLS-TO-ACTION
Prompts like "Shop now" or "Link in bio" and questions in captions boost follower interaction.
MOCKUP│INSTAGRAM REDESIGN
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TIKTOK
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AESTHETICS
While a cohesive aesthetic isn't required on TikTok, high-quality iPhone footage is key for brand success.
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Brands rarely focus on a cohesive aesthetic.
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High-quality iPhone footage is used more often than professional cameras likely for a more authentic feel.
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LEVEL OF EFFECTIVENESS
Analyzing Overall Performances
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Playlists organize content for easy navigation.
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Bios highlight personality and brand identity.
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Multiple links lead to social media and shop pages.
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Vertical videos maximize screen space and showcase products.
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Engages with user reposts, branded hashtags, and clear calls-to-action.
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Concise bio reflects brand identity.
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Multiple links to socials and website (not social commerce).
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Consistently uses branded hashtags.
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Lack clear calls-to-action, user reposts, and playlists.
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No links, playlists, or user reposts.
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Limited posts with low-quality content and horizontal videos
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Does not participate in trends.
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Inactive.
PRACTICES
CONSISTENT SCHEDULE
The TikTok algorithm rewards consistent posting.
HASHTAG STRATEGY
Incorporating branded and post-relevant hashtags into captions to boost discoverability.
CONTENT
Product demos and talking videos with creative editing, varied angles, and trending audio perform well on TikTok.
PERSONABLE BIO
Reflects brand personality and identity.
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PLAYLISTS
Organize videos by category for easy navigation.
MULTIPLE LINKS
Links to Instagram, YouTube, LikeShop/Like2Buy, or website, or a single landing page with redirect links.
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VERTICAL VIDEOS
Maximize screen space.
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USER-ENGAGEMENT
Repost user-generated content, comment on user videos, respond to comments.
CALLS-TO-ACTION
Prompts like "Shop now" or "Link in bio" and questions in captions boost follower interaction.
MOCKUP│TIKTOK REDESIGN
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LEVEL OF EFFECTIVENESS
Analyzing Overall Performances
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Intro section with a sentence that clearly reflects brand identity.
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Banner aligns with brand aesthetic.
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Featured section highlights new products, promotions, and events.
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Consistent vertical reels with relevant branded hashtags.
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Engages with comments and includes calls to action in posts.
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Intro section reflects brand identity.
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Banner aligns with brand aesthetic.
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Well-organized playlists.
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Official Facebook group.
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Posts a few times a month.
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No playlists, featured section, groups, or events.
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Lacks calls-to-action.
PRACTICES
CONSISTENT SCHEDULE
Planned, regular posts keep audience engaged.
HASHTAG STRATEGY
Incorporating branded and post-relevant hashtags into captions to boost discoverability.
FEATURED SECTION
Highlighting new products, promotions, and events at the top of the page to grab attention.
VERTICAL REELS
Keeping all reels in vertical format; Post horizontal videos under the videos section.
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AESTHETIC BANNER
A banner that aligns with the brand aesthetic.
REELS STRATEGY
Post reels consistently, as they achieve a higher reach than posts.
BRAND IDENTITY
An sentence that communicates the brand’s core values and identity in the intro section.
ENGAGEMENT
Engaging with comments and concerns to build community and connection.
CALLS-TO-ACTION
Prompts like "Shop now" or "Link in bio" and questions in captions boost follower interaction.
MOCKUP│FACEBOOK REDESIGN
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X (FORMERLY TWITTER)
LEVEL OF EFFECTIVENESS
Analyzing Overall Performances
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Did not post after 2022 but resumed posting in 2024.
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Shares content from other socials every month.
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Uses branded hashtags.
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Experiences low engagement rates.
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Has not posted since October 2024.
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Decline in posting began in 2022.
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Occasionally respond to customer concerns.
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Inactive (many since 2022).
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Occasionally respond to customer concerns.
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X is not the primary focus of these companies.
BRAND PRESENSE ON X
Several brands abandoned X by the end of 2022 due to dissatisfaction with changes under new leadership, citing a lack of innovation and trustworthiness as key reasons for their departure.
X’s trust score dropped from
28% in 2021 to 12% in 2024.
(Kantar Group)
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Advertisers are concerned about the safety and appropriateness of content alongside their ads.
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X targets niche audiences, primarily in politics and sports.
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Marketers are shifting budgets to platforms with better safety, innovation, and trust (TikTok, Amazon, Netflix, etc.).
26% of marketers plan to reduce ad spending on X in 2025.
(Kantar Group)
BRANDS WITH INACTIVE X ACCOUNTS:
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LIFETIME
Lifetime’s last posts were just two in 2024, and given current trends on X, investing time in the platform no longer seems worthwhile.
27
Estimated Users in 2023:
77 Million
2023
19
X (TWITTER) USAGE
(Edison Research)
2024
Estimated Users in 2024:
55 Million
Estimated Decline:
22 Million Users
YOUTUBE
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YOUTUBE SHOPPING
YouTube Shopping offers a convenient way to directly click on product links, leading to brand websites.
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Speeds up access to the website by eliminating extra steps.
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Without this, website links are in the about section, which can be hard to find.
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Example of social commerce.
LEVEL OF EFFECTIVENESS
Analyzing Overall Performances
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Detailed and informative bio that represents brand.
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Links to all social platforms.
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Variety of video content and consistent posting schedule. Multiple playlists, well-organized by category for easy navigation.
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Effective use of branded hashtags to boost visibility and recognition.
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Limited social media links provided.
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Well-organized playlists for easy navigation.
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Moderate video quality and diverse content.
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Inconsistent use of branded hashtags.
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Limited social media links, playlists, and featured content.
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Vertical videos, no custom thumbnails, and low-quality shorts.
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Inconsistent use of hashtags and lack of content variety.
PRACTICES
CONSISTENT SCHEDULE
Establish a consistent posting schedule with at least a couple of posts per month.
HASHTAG STRATEGY
Incorporating branded and post-relevant hashtags into captions to boost discoverability.
VARIETY OF POSTS
Expanded content for increased variety and engagement.
YOUTUBE SHOPPING
Users enjoy a seamless click-and-shop experience.
PLAYLISTS
Each content category has its own playlist for easy access.
MULTIPLE LINKS
List all socials in links for easy access by users.
MOCKUP│YOUTUBE REDESIGN
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