Whether you operate a new start-up or a multinational corporation, there are numerous marketing paths available. You can battle for the first page on Google with SEO; you can go traditional with physical marketing; or you can get creative with guerrilla marketing.
Alongside these routes, one of the most effective options is social media marketing. By harnessing the likes of Twitter and Instagram, it is possible for a company to massively boost its visibility and reach. It’s also an area where small outlets can go toe to toe with the big boys of business.
If you’re not sure where to start, this quick starter guide will spotlight the areas to focus on with your social media strategy.
Set goals
First of all, you need to have a clear understanding of what you want to gain from social media. As with any type of plan, it’s important to have clear goals to aim for that define your entire social media strategy.
One goal could be to increase brand awareness for your business. Another might be to boost community engagement, while generating extra sales may be your target.
Pick your platforms
Not only are there several popular social media platforms already – think Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube – but new ones seem to pop up on a semi-regular basis. Picking which ones to use is vital in putting together a successful social media marketing plan.
Which platforms are used by your audience? This is the big question you need to answer, as you want to be in the same place as your target market. Knowing your limitations is also necessary – you don’t want to stretch your resources across multiple platforms, leading to infrequent updates on each one.
Focus on engaging content
Simply creating posts with little thought or effort will do nothing for your business. It’s pivotal you supply your audience with engaging, high-quality content – the type they want to consume and share with others.
Visual content such as infographics and videos is always a strong starting point. Then it’s a case of crafting something which is original, eye-catching, and appeals to your target market.
For these initiatives, remember that quality is always more important than quantity. If you’re generating an infographic, make it visually stunning. If you’re shooting a video, make sure it’s high definition and that it complies with the social media ad dimensions of various platforms so it can be used for promotions.
Tap into the power of influencers
Regardless of your thoughts on influencers, there’s no denying they can be a powerful weapon to add to your marketing repertoire. By sharing your products and services on their social media accounts, your business can receive an instant boost in brand awareness and sales.
The bad news: finding the right influencers can be a difficult and time-consuming process. The good news: you can simply enlist the help of a specialist influencer marketing agency to do the work for you.
Measure and remain consistent
As you progress with your social media marketing, ensure you are constantly measuring performance. See what’s working and what isn’t. This will help in planning out your future content.
Speaking of planning out content, consistency is key. You need to maintain a regular presence on your social media channels. To do this, try and aim for at least one post each day for each channel.
