Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past ten years, by now you know the value of social media marketing for your business. But just how effectively are you leveraging it?
Unlike other digital marketing strategies, social media marketing develops at a much faster pace—and more dynamically. With 3.48 billion users estimated in 2019 alone, it can’t help but develop more rapidly. And with the increased amount of users comes an increasing need for your business to reach them more effectively.
But perhaps you’re a small business who isn’t prepared for massive growth just yet. But you can’t rely on Facebook as the sole focus of your social media strategy anymore. And not all strategies are applicable to all platforms. Networks demand elasticity. They demand focus. They demand specialization. And above all, they demand a flexible mindset. Here are 5 of the best social media marketing tips for your small business to develop today.
Social Media Marketing Tip # 1 : Clarify Your Goals
All too often, business owners jump into social media marketing without any distinct objective. After all, your competitors seem successful with their campaigns. So the ROI will eventually justify itself.
But how successful are their campaigns? How many people are they actually reaching? And how many users are actually engaging with them as a result? More importantly, ask yourself: how can social media help me market my business and how can it help me to succeed? Social media is a means, not an end. And means are only as good as your end goal.
Social Media Marketing Tip # 2 : Engage With Your Customers
Visibility on most social media algorithms is based on interaction. Yes, you might have thousands of followers. But if they’re not responding to your message, you’re not going to gain any traction.
Engagement with users is something most larger businesses have neither the time nor patience to do effectively—which puts you at an advantage. It lets customers know there’s a human voice behind your campaign. Engagement doesn’t have to be intensive. Sometimes it can be as simple as asking a random question in a post. But it gives your audience a chance to respond in time. It lets them feel like their opinion is valued, one of the easiest ways to help build customer loyalty.
Social Media Marketing Tip # 3 : Let Your Content Be Your Voice
One of the great things about content as a social media tool is that it’s infinitely flexible. It could be a poll. A streaming video. A long form blog post. Over time, it develops your voice as an authority.
But only if generated consistently. How often are you updating your networks with new information? Letting users know about new offers? A handful of blog posts from 2016 is not going to drive sales in 2019. And what you generate today won’t always be relevant tomorrow. Don’t let your content go silent. Without it, your marketing strategy as well as your business will fall on deaf ears.
Social Media Marketing Tip # 4 : Don’t Confuse Your Audience With Trends
It’s natural to assume a company like Instagram—which currently has an estimated 1 billion users—is going to be an ideal platform to launch your social media campaign. And it just might be, unless you’re a company focusing on B2B commercial financing.
Know who your audience is. What their habits are. The networks they use. And more importantly, their relevance to your business. Frequent auditing of your social media strategies may seem time consuming. It frequently is. But it’s still the best way to gain insight into the efficacy of your marketing campaigns.
Social Media Marketing Tip # 5 : Don’t Spread Yourself Thin
Yes, there’s cross pollination between social media platforms. But do you really think your customers are going to be more inclined to purchase from you with the same advertisement across multiple networks?
That’s what large retailers do, with the result being oversaturation. But you’re a small business and you can’t afford to lose credibility that way. Your authority is at stake. Pick one or two platforms and use them well. This not only gives you a higher rate of engagement, but allows you an opportunity to know more about your customer base, up close and personal. Dare to be a big fish in a small pond.
But when it comes to the larger pool of social media?
Dare to be a smarter fish.
Need more tips on how to better market your business with social media? At No Joke Marketing, we’re only as serious as you are. Find out more today at nojokemarketing.com or call (800) 397-2599
