Last Updated on November 6, 2022
If you own a company, you probably spend a lot of time trying to get the most recent social media marketing advice. And with good cause.
More than 4.62 billion people use social media regularly, which is near twice as many as there were just five years ago. These people log onto social media every day for an average of 2 hours and 27 minutes.
Businesses have a fantastic opportunity to increase brand recognition, forge client relationships, and even close purchases using social media platforms during those close to 2.5 hours.
To sum up, social media marketing should be a significant part of your brand’s success and strategy. Here are a few strategies for leveraging social media marketing to expand your business.
For our comprehensive guide on what social media marketing is, click here.
1. Have a plan
Making a Facebook page for your company, beginning to post on Instagram, or establishing a Twitter presence are all free to do.
But before you get in headfirst, keep in mind that any successful business strategy begins with a solid plan. Yes, social media tools are free to use. However, the time and effort spent still count as investments in your company.
You cannot reach your objectives without a plan in place. Therefore, there is no way to determine whether you are receiving a return on your investment.
Spend some time in advance developing a social media strategy. This guarantees that all of your social media efforts serve specific corporate objectives.
Establish objectives that adhere to the SMART framework. Set goals based on metrics that will actually affect your company. Instead of just collecting likes, you may, for instance, try to increase your conversion rate or gain more clients.
Examine the opposition. Learning from what others have done is a terrific approach to shorten your learning curve, even though you don’t want to duplicate them. You may understand what’s working and what’s not for organizations similar to yours by conducting a competitive analysis.
Create a social media calendar. It enables you to timely post the appropriate content to the appropriate social media channels. A strategy for your content mix ought to be part of it. Try starting with the 80-20 rule.
2. Choose the right platforms for your business
You should be aware that not all social media platforms are created alike if you’re interested in using social media marketing to expand your company. Each one has a specific function and distinct strengths and weaknesses. Additionally, avoid assuming where your audience spends their internet time. Your industry and audience should guide the social media platforms you pick.
Your gut could be telling you to ignore Facebook and concentrate on Instagram and TikTok if you’re marketing to Gen Z. However, the research reveals that about 25% of Facebook users are between the ages of 18 and 24.
The two most popular social networks for baby boomers are Facebook and Pinterest. The audience segment on Facebook with the fastest growth rate in those over 65.
You must carry out your own study to ensure that you’re using social media for business properly. This will enable you to better comprehend how your particular target audience uses the internet.
There is no need to take an all-or-nothing stance when selecting your platforms. You can use various social media platforms to connect with various audiences or to accomplish various business objectives.
3. Learn best practices for the platforms you choose
Time is the most important factor in learning the finest social media tactics for each platform. It won’t happen overnight when you use social media marketing to expand your small business. Each platform has its own set of guidelines (both explicit and implicit) and ways to interact with users. The best approach to understanding these guidelines is to keep an eye on what your rival brands and businesses in related industries are doing. Give yourself some time to think things out.
Remember that what appeals to one audience may not be appropriate for another. Make a plan, assess your progress, and make changes as needed. Remember that the world of social media marketing is constantly evolving, so it could take some trial and error to identify your niche.
4. Know your audience
The ability to micro-target your audience is one of the key benefits of using social media for business. However, you must first recognize your target audience.
Gather information about your existing consumers first. Utilize social media analytics to then delve deeper. Soon, you’ll begin to recognize the internet contacts and customers you have.
Once your target market has been identified, you may develop buyer personas to better understand how to communicate with them.
5. Track and measure progress
Depending on your aim, you can choose how to gauge your progress. As we’ve already discussed, social media marketing is a very personal strategy for expanding your brand.
The number of followers is not the only indicator that matters, as we have highlighted. Other metrics including mentions, saves, impressions, clicks, comments, shares, engagement, and direct messages should also be monitored.
You can choose one of these measures and establish a goal for growth, or you can monitor them all to see whether your business is on the right track. Make sure to check in frequently, no matter what your aim is.
6. Create engaging content
The most crucial and time-consuming job for using social media marketing to expand your small business is this one. You must comprehend the preferences of your audience. After that, you must invest time in creating, sharing, and promoting that content.
According to research by Demand Metric, content marketing produces 3x more leads than conventional marketing while still costing 62% less. On the other hand, if your company offers irrelevant or boring information, customers will be irritated. We advise adhering to the 80/20 rule when selecting what to post because irrelevant frequently refers to too much self-promotion. Whatever way you look at it, the writing and sharing of content have a significant impact on your company. Remember, Content is King!
7. Don’t just post—participate
Don’t simply log in once a month to schedule all your postings, in other words. Communities can be found on social media sites. You must be aware of who is interacting with your content and reciprocate by doing the same. You should reply to comments, like, share, and comment on other people’s posts, host live streams, post polls and prompt debates with real-time questions, and repost other people’s stuff.
The first step is making a place where they can locate each other; how you do that is up to you. Your target market may include auto enthusiasts seeking help from industry professionals on how to modify their vehicles or first-time homebuyers in need of mortgage guidance.
Regardless of who they are, make sure you take the time to get to know them as people.
8. Be consistent
Possibly even more significant than quality is consistency. Even if you produce excellent material, it will be useless if you can’t produce enough of it to keep up with algorithms and your fans.
Your company can present your brand image across a number of various social media channels by using social media for marketing. While each platform has its own distinct atmosphere and voice, your company’s essential identity, whether it be amiable, enjoyable, or reliable, should remain constant.
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