May 7, 2018
If you’ve put off marketing on social media because you doubted its credibility, you may be losing a serious competitive edge. Social media is here to stay. In fact, 88% of businesses are using social media. They’re using it to sell, address customer concerns, and most importantly, engage with their communities.
Customers also adore video. It’s their favorite media to consume before buying. 64% of online shoppers say that a video on social media helped them decide on a product to purchase. That means you can no longer avoid social media if you want to be seen and heard. Here are a few tips to developing a quick strategy that will put you on the fast track to success:
Proper social media marketing actually takes a considerable amount of planning. Sure, it may seem like you can just wing it as you go, but try that out and you’ll soon find yourself in the weeds. Social media is never predictable, and things can easily pop up that can throw a wrench in your spokes, so it’s best to be prepared.
Set goals that are attainable. Remember, a bunch of smaller goals are easier to reach than one large one. If you’re a new business, gaining a million Twitter followers in a year is probably not realistic. Study your industry and the benchmarks for social media. Set goals accordingly and you won’t feel like you’re spinning your wheels. Here are a few to consider to get the ball rolling:
The list of uses goes on but the important takeaway is to know your goals up front so you have an idea of where to focus your social media efforts.
It doesn’t hurt to write them down, either. Studies show that people who write down simple goals are 30 times more successful.
How will you know where to start if you don’t know who is listening or what you are measuring? It’s important to do thorough research before building a social media strategy. There are a few things you should know about the demographics before jumping in, like the following:
Approximately 79% of adults use Facebook but where is your audience at? Know the gender, age, occupation, and general interests of your people. You’re not being a stalker! Remember, this is so you can best give viewers the content they want.
It’s also important to research your social competitive landscape to get a feel for what you’re up against. Consider some of the following questions:
Answers to these queries will give you deeper insight into what exactly your competition is up to. Then you can base decisions influenced by their successes and failures.
Know the data to collect that tells you when you’re doing a good job. Research and understand the metrics that are best applicable to your goals. It’s an important part of successful social media marketing. Once you understand what you need to measure, use the first few rounds to set the standard for your ongoing analytics.
The key to keeping your audience engaged is to keep it coming. Unfortunately, many businesses find that harder than you think. A recent survey found that 36.7% of marketers said their number one struggle was creating visual content consistently. Although branded content is important, curation can also save you time.
Did you know customers spend 20-40% more money on companies who engage them on social media? Don’t forget, once you put your message out there, do a daily sweep to ensure everyone is happy. Social listening tools can also assist you in looking for brand mentions when you are not available. The important part is that you are talking to people when they need you and are answering questions as quickly as possible.
Social media marketing doesn’t have to be hard. Just remember to be authentic and genuine in your message. Consumers hate salesy jargon. The more you let your true values shine, the more successful your social strategy will be!
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