Hi!
Today, social media marketing is like a power line connecting your businesses to your audience. Social media marketing promotes your products and services, and drives traffic to your business. In this guide, I’ll explain what social media marketing is, its benefits, and how to create your social media strategy.
Social Media Marketing Quick Start Guide
Kepios analysis shows that active social media user identities have passed the 5 billion mark, with the latest user figure equivalent to 62.3 percent of the world’s population [note: social media user identities may not represent unique individuals]. The global total has increased by 266 million over the past year, resulting in annual growth of 5.6 percent.
datareportal.com
Compare those 5 billion social media users with the fact that the world population is 8.08 billion. Social media is huge and is getting bigger as more of the world’s population gets connected. These numbers mean that social media is too big to ignore in your business marketing plan.
What is Social Media Marketing?
Now that you know how much of the world is using social media, you may be wondering: what is social media marketing?
Social media marketing involves creating content for social media platforms to achieve certain specific goals. These goals can include promoting products or services, building community with your target audience, and driving traffic to your business. Social media marketing continues to grow as new features and platforms become known.
Promoting Products and Services
Businesses use social media to showcase their offerings, share updates, and drive sales.
Building Community
Engaging with your audience develops and supports a sense of community around your brand.
Driving Traffic to Your Door
Social media platforms can direct users to your website or other online resources related to your business.
Benefits of Social Media Marketing to Your Audience.
We discussed three major business goals of social media marketing. But what are the benefits of social media marketing to your audience? Let’s get in their shoes and look at the benefits of social media marketing from a user’s point of view.
Imagine scrolling through your Instagram feed and consistently noticing engaging posts from a brand you love. For example, Pizza Hut shares beautiful, mouth-watering photos that makes their profile look professional and artistic. As a visitor, you appreciate the food photos and you are more likely to engage with their content by clicking, scanning a code or ordering pizza.
7 Key Benefits of Social Media Marketing
- Increased Engagement
- Increased Awareness of Your Brand
- Attract Leads and Gain Customers
- Increased Website Traffic
- Use Customer Insights
- Make Targeted Advertising
- Social Media Marketing is Cost-Effective
1. Increased Engagement
Social media lets you engage with your audience directly. By sharing your valuable content, responding to user comments, and participating in conversations, you can build strong relationships with your audience.
2. Increased Awareness of Your Brand.
Social media helps get your name out there. Consumers follow brands on social media to stay informed about new products or services. Genuine content that emphasizes your brand’s voice and story is important for building brand awareness.
3. Attract Leads and Gain Customers
By sharing valuable content, you can attract potential customers and generate leads. Social media platforms provide opportunities for users to express interest in your products or services.
4. Increased Website Traffic.
Sharing links to your website or blog posts on social media platforms drives traffic back to your site. Link sharing can improve your search engine rankings and website visibility making it easier for new users to discover your business.
5. Use Customer Insights
Social media gives you insights into customer preferences, behaviors, interests and opinions. You can use this data to refine your marketing plans and better serve your customers.
6. Make Targeted Advertising
The customer insights you receive from social media let you accurately target ads to specific audience groups or interests.
7. Social Media Marketing is Cost-Effective.
Compared to traditional advertising like billboards, TV and newspapers, social media marketing is cost-effective and accessible for businesses of all sizes. You can reach a large audience without breaking the bank.
6 Steps to Creating a Social Media Marketing Strategy
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- Know Your Audience
- Set Clear Goals
- Create Amazing Content on Schedule
- Have a Consistent Visual Look
- Be a Genuine Person
- Review the Performance of Your Social Media Plan
1. Know Your Audience
Research where your target audience spends time online and focus your strategies on those platforms.
2. Set Clear Goals
Decide what you want to achieve with social media. Whether your goal is brand awareness, community building, or lead generation, your goals will shape your strategy.
3. Create Amazing Content on Schedule
Share genuine content that resonates with your audience. Strike a balance between sales messages and informational content. Plan posts in advance and make a content calendar that outlines what type of content (videos, images and articles) you’ll share and when. Consistency is the key.
4. Have a Consistent Visual Look
Use consistent brand graphics, colors and filters in all your posts for a unified, professional look. A picture says a thousand words.
5. Be a Genuine Person
Respond to your audience comments promptly and engage genuinely and consistently with them.
6. Review the Performance of Your Social Media Plan
Regularly review your key performance indicators (KPIs) such as engagement rates, click-through rates (CTR), conversion rates, likes and shares. These measurements will help fine-tune your social media strategy.
In Conclusion
Social media marketing is an essential part of any modern business strategy. It’s an on-going process that requires adaptability and creativity. Learn about social media trends, and continuously refine your approach to achieve the best results. By understanding that each platform has its unique features and best practices, you can adapt your strategy and meet your online customers where they are.
I hope this post helps you understand social media marketing better.
Cheers!
Leo
PS – Need help with your social media plan? Book a call now.
