Social media marketing is a form of digital marketing that involves using social networks to market products and services. It’s one of the most affordable and accessible ways to reach potential customers. Social media has been proven to be effective again and again for companies when used correctly, so it’s no surprise that many rely on it as their primary source of advertising.
This blog article is going to explore what exactly is social media, and how you can build a strategy of your own.
What is Social Media Marketing?
Social media marketing is a way to use social networks to promote your business. It’s also a great way to connect with your customers, who are likely spending more time on social media than anywhere else on the web. Social media marketing can be used as part of an overall marketing strategy or as the backbone of your entire campaign.
It lets you reach more people because it gives you access to more channels (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn) as well as tools that let you easily share content across multiple platforms at once and track how many people view each post or video.
Here are some simple steps to follow when creating a social media strategy;
1. Define your Goals
Before you start, it’s important to define your goals. What do you want to accomplish with your social media marketing?
The answer should be different for every business and campaign.
Some things that could be on the table:
- Increasing brand awareness
- Generating leads and sales
- Driving traffic back to a website or landing page
As you brainstorm, be as ambitious as possible in what you could achieve with social media marketing. But also be realistic—don’t set your sights too high if it seems unlikely that they’ll happen within a short amount of time. Following the SMART objective rule can be helpful when you’re determining your social media goals.
2. Choose the Right Social Networks for You
Before you can build a strategy, you need to decide where your audience is and how they’re using social media. The good news is that there are plenty of options out there. The bad news? Trying to be everywhere at once won’t work.
If you’re not sure which networks will work best for your business, ask yourself the following questions:
- What’s my budget?
- How many people am I trying to reach?
- What kind of content do my customers like?
- Where does my target audience already hang out online?
Once you’ve answered these questions, then it’s time to figure out which networks would be the best fit for what type of content that aligns with their needs and interests—and then build a plan accordingly!
3. Create a Strategy
If you want to do social media well, you need to have a strategy. A strategy is more than simply posting things on Facebook and Twitter. It’s about how you’re going to use social media in your business and what’s important enough for you to share with your audience.
To do this, start by looking at the goals of your business and its marketing message. Then ask yourself: what are we trying to achieve? What are our strengths? How can we best leverage these strengths through social media?
Other elements to include in your social media strategy include messaging, competitor research and setting up analytical tools.
- Create Content
When you’re creating content, it’s important to keep these tips in mind:
Regularly Post:
Posting once a week is better than not posting at all, but the more frequently you do so, the better. Ideally, you should be posting at least once or twice per day—but not more than three times per day.
Make Sure your Posts are Relevant:
For example, if your audience looking for information on how to apply for a mortgage with poor credit, then that would be something worth posting about because it will help them find what they need quickly and easily!
4. Measure your Performance
Measure your performance by tracking the number of shares and likes you get, as well as the number of comments.
Also, don’t forget to measure your ROI by keeping track of how many new followers you have gained through social media marketing.
Keeping track of performance online will help your organisation to alter strategies going forward based on what your audience responds to, and what they don’t. For example, using Google Analytics is a great way to assess traction on your website through social media. Check out some top tips here.
Conclusion
Social media marketing can be tough at first if you don’t know where to start or what strategy works best for your business. But by following the tips above, we hope that you will be on your way towards success.
If you would like experts to help you get your marketing strategy strong, then count on us to lead you through the process of becoming a social media master. Contact us today to get started on creating great connections and sales through social media.
