If you run your own business, then social media marketing should be one of your top priorities in terms of promoting your brand and reaching out to new customers. While it might seem like an easy way to drum up some attention, there are specific strategies you need to follow in order to ensure that your efforts will be successful. Below are 10 tips for successful social media marketing that will help you reach and connect with new customers and grow your business.
1) Don’t ignore the basics
When it comes to social media marketing, some of your competitors may have a seemingly unfair advantage. They can afford to spend large sums on advertising and see a return for their efforts. However, that doesn’t mean you need to spend big bucks to achieve success in social media marketing. Remember: It’s not about who has more money; it’s about who knows what they are doing and what they want out of their marketing dollars.
2) Target Your Audience
Put yourself in your customer’s shoes and look at social media from their perspective. Are you reaching out to them where they spend their time, or are you only communicating with them on your terms? Asking yourself these questions can help guide you as you build your social media profiles and will help cultivate an audience that is genuinely interested in what you have to say. Remember that every conversation, photo, video or comment is an opportunity to make a connection with new customers.
3) Choose the right platform
Choosing a social network isn’t just about where your customers hang out. Instead, consider how well each platform aligns with your goals and target audience. With so many social networks to choose from, you need to find out which one is going to work best for you and your business.
4) Post consistently
The best way to get new followers on social media is to create high-quality content that’s interesting and useful. Posting consistently will give you an opportunity to show people what you have to offer, and if your posts are worth sharing, your audience will let you know through likes, shares, retweets, and comments. A good rule of thumb is to post 2-3 times per day.
5) Know your content
There are so many different types of social media marketing out there that it’s easy to be overwhelmed. It’s important to think about what your goal is and which platforms will help you achieve that goal. Once you have an idea of what your goals are, make sure to know who your target audience is. Knowing who you’re marketing towards will make creating content for them easier and more effective.
6) Determine where you want to go with your account
Before you get started, make sure you know where you want to go with your account. Do you want to create a professional presence for your company? Are you trying to drive brand awareness and traffic to your website? Maybe lead generation is more important for your company. Maybe you just want to network with others in your industry. Know what it is that you’re trying to achieve so that as part of your social media marketing efforts, each social media platform becomes a valuable tool in achieving those goals.
7) Get the most out of collaboration
If you’re running a campaign, or are trying to get a message out there, your best bet is to coordinate with your other social media friends. Reach out to fellow bloggers and influencers who have a large following on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn. Ask if they’d be willing to share or post about something in return for letting them know about it first. Not only will you benefit from exposure by association, but your fellow bloggers can help get your message in front of a whole new audience.
8) Make sure it converts
Your social media marketing campaign should target a specific goal. What do you want your followers to do when they see your content? Do you want them to click on an ad or visit a website? Are you trying to reach potential customers or connect with them? To ensure your efforts are successful, be sure your strategy includes clear goals and calls-to-action. Just pushing out content isn’t going to get results; make sure that content is supported by effective strategies and calls-to-action.
9) Use good hashtags
Hashtags are not just for teens to broadcast their love of a new boy band. Hashtags are a valuable tool to discover information on social media. A hashtag is simply an # followed by words, phrases or abbreviations, which allows you to connect with other users that share your interests and engage in conversations about topics you care about. So what hashtags should you use?
10) Build yourself a following
Before you start growing your social media presence, it’s a good idea to spend time getting to know your target audience. If you already have an existing audience, think about how they consume content—for example, are they keen on images or videos? What type of content is best suited for each network? How often should you post? To succeed in social media marketing, you need an audience that trusts and values your opinion.
