Social media marketing can be the best way to promote your business, but it can also be the easiest to fail at. If you don’t follow these simple rules, then you’ll find yourself wasting time on social media with little return on investment, or worse, getting into trouble by posting something that could damage your brand.
Use these seven (7) tips to improve your social media strategy and grow your business with social media marketing today!
1) Pick One Platform and Focus on it
There are many social media platforms out there, but not all of them will be right for your business. By picking one and focusing on it, you can grow your following and get valuable insights about your target audience. You’ll also find a marketing strategy that works best with the platform you choose.
Take a look at Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram as examples. If these four sound like good choices for your company and you’re having trouble deciding between two or three of them, pick the one where your target customer is most likely to engage with content - which could make all the difference in how well this strategy turns out for your business.
2) Choose your Audience
Choosing your audience is one of the most important aspects of social media marketing. You need to decide what platforms you want to use and what will be most effective in reaching your target market. For example, if you are a small business owner just starting out and you're trying to reach Generation Z, it may not make sense for you to spend all your time on Snapchat.
Instead, try Facebook or Instagram and YouTube channels. Find out where your customers hang out online and then tailor your content accordingly. The goal with social media marketing is to attract people who would never see your brand otherwise, so don't limit yourself to niche communities.
3) Create Original Content
Posting memes and quotes from other people will not grow your business. If you want to use social media marketing as a tool for growth, then you have to post relevant, interesting information about your business, product or service.
You can do this by posting pictures and videos of your products in action, blogging about the benefits of using your product or service, running giveaways and more. But be careful with what you share.
There are no set rules for what works best on social media, but there are some guidelines to follow. The most successful brands on social media rely heavily on video content (check out Coca-Cola's YouTube channel), which is proven to attract attention and increase engagement
4) Build Brand Advocates
If you want to grow your business, you need the help of people who are passionate about your brand. These people are called Brand Advocates and they will do anything and everything they can to support what you do. How do you find these supporters? Encourage them!
Give them freebies, discounts, or just a thank-you in return. Share their photos on social media platforms. Ask them questions and engage with them as much as possible. By engaging with your audience, you'll build trust and generate interest.
When someone is excited about something, they'll share it with others. Make sure that people know how awesome your company is by inviting them to events (like a party), posting pictures of employees doing cool things (giving back) and highlighting customers' success stories on social media.
You might also consider using incentives like exclusive deals or early access to new products if someone shares a post from your page.
5) Join Influencer Programs
Joining Influencer Programs can be a great way to build your audience and increase your exposure. There are a number of influencer programs on social media that you can join, such as Twitter Influencers, YouTube Influencers, Facebook Influencers and Instagram Influencers.
You should research the best Influencer Program for your niche or business before joining one in order to get the most out of it. Some Influencer Programs offer free memberships, but others require payment or other participation requirements like following back.
6) Engage with Influencers and Bloggers
Engaging with influencers and bloggers can be one of the most cost-effective ways to grow your business. This is because they have a proven track record of attracting readers who are likely interested in what you're offering.
Influencers and bloggers may also be more likely than your average person on social media sites to share something with their followers if it's something they endorse or use themselves. So, before looking into other marketing strategies, take some time to find relevant influencers and engage them on social media.
If you don't know where to start, try searching Twitter, Instagram or Pinterest by typing in keywords like fashion blogger or productivity blog. Once you find an influencer that might be a good fit for your product or service, reach out! The worst thing that can happen is they say no, so why not give it a shot?
7) Post Consistently, but Not Too Often
Post Consistently, but Not Too Often. This is a delicate balance and something that needs to be considered on a case-by-case basis. The idea is that you want your followers to feel excited about the content they see when they log in, but you don't want them feeling bombarded with posts that often.
In addition, some social media platforms limit how often you can post or update. Instagram has limits of three (3) per hour while Facebook caps it at two (2) per day.
