Putting Social Media to Work
Much more than a way for people to stay connected, social media has become the focal point of most Internet users’ go-to for everything; from lively conversation to news to interacting with trusted companies, brands and other business entities. Social media has also evolved into a powerful and effective marketing tool, allowing businesses to gain exposure in ways that traditional marketing and media simply cannot match.
With its ever-increasing influence over the web-surfing public, you should be paying close attention to and focusing at least some of your more strategic marketing initiatives on social media. More and more people by the day are seeking out businesses, products, and services similar to yours via social media. If you aren’t there (or not making your mark there), how will they find you?
In today’s market, social media marketing is every bit as important as search engine marketing and SEO, so if you have been neglecting or putting off using social media in your marketing efforts, the time to get with it is now. Here are some effective ways you can put social media to work and see results from your efforts.
1) Define Your Audience
Platforms like Facebook and Twitter make it easy to aim sharply-targeted content at the precise audience you wish to reach. Be sure to use all the tools at your disposal and deliver your brand message directly to the people who are most likely to respond favorably to it.
If you have had difficulty defining who your ideal customer is, it is recommended that you develop an ideal avatar (aka “buyer persona”) that represents who you think would reap the highest benefit from and have the most likely chance of wanting to do business with you. Once you establish that, you can generate content that appeals directly to that type of customer. This brings us to the next step in the process.
2) Produce Great Content
Success in social media marketing begins with producing a steady stream of high-quality, shareable content. No matter what business you are in, you have the ability to produce and procure rich, well-branded content. Doing so will help you build a reputation and increase recognition of your brand.
3) Be Consistent With Your Content Delivery
Have enough content developed and ready to go prior to embarking on a new marketing initiative? This will help you easily schedule delivery while continuing to develop more new content behind the scenes. Do not grow lax in this part of the process. Consistency is one of the keys to building trust in your brand and it helps keep even casual fans engaged long-term.
4) Be Visible and Personable
People develop relationships with brands online in much the same way they do with people. That said, they appreciate brands who keep the concept of being people-driven in the forefront of their marketing efforts. Start and engage in conversations often. Encourage discussion, liking, and sharing of content. Make it abundantly clear that there are people behind your brand who like and want to interact with their customers and people will respond.
Final Takeaway
Social media is the most powerful and effective way you have to market your brand, so make good use of it. The more engagement you get on social media, the more it will help your SEO efforts.
By directing more people to your content, delivering good, original, engaging content, and being a presence on your own channels, your site will rank higher in the search engines and your customer base will grow steadily over time. The compensation and benefits you will reap as a result of your efforts have the potential to far surpass any traditional online or offline marketing strategy you may have tried before.
