How do you select the best social media marketing strategies?
Conventional wisdom says that the more marketing you do, the better your sales will be. So, it follows that the more social media channels you use, the better. Or is it? Do you know what results your social media presence is producing? Could your social media strategies be improved? How could you do this? Before we answer these questions, let’s remind ourselves why businesses need a social media presence today.
Reach equals sales
When it comes to selling products and services, you must first reach out to your audience. The more you reach, the better. Social media is today’s meeting place. It allows a business to get its message out, and has the power to reach people like no other form of advertising. You can target specific buyers based on a range of criteria. You can build audiences (followers), and they can share your message. Once you kick off your social media efforts, the results can snowball.
Yep, you need social media. The more the better, obviously. Or not, perhaps.
Different social media channels do different jobs
Each social media channel offers something different for its users. For example:
- Facebook is the biggest, of course. It has a reach to billions of people around the world. It connects them with wall posts, statuses, pictures, videos, and so on. It enables high-level interaction, and businesses can build a follower base of millions.
- Twitter offers the opportunity to fire off short, bite-sized opinions and news. It’s fast and current. You don’t need to compose 1,000-word pieces to be noticed on Twitter, but you do need to post meaningful messages.
- LinkedIn is often quoted as the Facebook for professionals. It is used to build networks, share thought leadership, and connect and engage with well-connected audiences.
- Instagram has a user base of more than 500 million. It’s very easy to use when you’re mobile, and caters to the visual nature of online engagement. It’s got a fantastic following among younger audiences, but also attracts people from all demographics.
I could go on (Google+, Pinterest, Tumblr, YouTube, etc.), but comparing these four major social media channels is enough to answer the question posed at the head of this article: are you using too many social media channels?
You must market to the right people online
There is no doubt that social media is a must-have route to market for businesses. It allows you to share your blog posts, engage customers, increase your standing as an authority in your market, disseminate press releases, reveal five-star reviews, etc. etc.
Social media campaigns can transform a business’s results. By integrating social media strategies with online content and other marketing efforts, a business can explode its reach. BUT, as we saw above, not all social media channels attract the same audience. Therefore, your social media marketing strategies should be created to use appropriate social media markets based upon your target audience.
Which social media platforms should your business use?
If your business is based in NJ and targeting NJ residents, you wouldn’t waste time and effort posing weekly adverts in the ‘South California Herald’. The same principal holds true with social media marketing. To achieve the sales and revenue potential of social media marketing, you must use the right social media channels. To do this, you must:
- Understand your audience
- Understand which social media channels do what, and which are relevant to your target audience
You must ask questions such as:
- How does your target audience interact on social media?
- What is your target audience searching for?
- What is the demographic of your target audience?
- Which social media channels does your target audience use?
So, are you using too many social media platforms?
If you are currently employing a social media marketing strategy, you should analyse its ROI. Decide what your goals are, create metrics to measure them, and consider whether your strategy is achieving its business objectives. Do this for each of your social media platforms. Then ask yourself if the time, effort, and resources you are committing to each social media channel is producing the ROI expected. If it isn’t, it may be that you should review whether that social media channel is of value to your business, or if it is your strategic content and messages that are failing.
For the help you need to take your online presence and social media marketing strategies to the next level, contact SSI Design today.