It’s important to say a few words about social media, primarily for businesses without prior experience. Social media is huge in the 21st century, and everyone has to have an account on at least one social network. Some people only post pictures on Instagram, while others prefer creating elaborate stories or liking photos and commenting on other users’ ones.
Therefore, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Linkedin are considered some of the most used networking sites that can help you market your business despite whether you’re still starting out or already have an existing one. With each network showing different potentials due to the number of users and brand awareness, picking one or several will be helpful when promoting your business online. Another thing is that these networks are straightforward to use and understand; thus, reaching more audiences won’t be a problem for you if you know how to utilize them properly.
I can’t talk about the basics without first giving you a definition of social media marketing, so let’s start there.
What is social media marketing?
“Social media marketing” mainly refers to utilizing social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to connect with your targeted audience. By providing your audience with engaging content, they’re likely to engage back with you via likes, comments, and shares on your posts. This way, you can nurture leads and turn them into customers by following up on their engagement with you.
The cost of social media
When you run your social media accounts, you can choose from various tools that make it possible to set up and manage accounts regardless of your spending budget. The thing is: promotions on existing platforms can be expensive, whereas organic social media strategies don’t necessarily have a set price unless you pay someone else to run them for you. Other than that, you have to factor in other elements that could add to the cost of your business, such as tools or sharing your time with customers via posts or comments.
Keeping up with social media changes
It’s not easy to teach social media marketing basics. Things change so quickly. One minute you might be teaching your readers about Twitter, then all of a sudden, you may have an article talking about Snapchat because that seems to be the newest big thing right now. It’s a tough job, but someone has to keep up with all these changes in the ever-changing world of social media marketing, and we at Encyphers handle it as often as we can, so please feel free to check out our more recent articles on this subject if you’re interested in learning more!
Today, you’re going to get an introduction to social media management. You’re probably surprised by how overwhelming it can be (believe me, I know from experience). One way that you could get a jump start on things is when you begin tagging family or friends in your posts like I was doing with my niece and nephews for the past couple of years. Of course, some have been working nonstop to share information and content with everyone on their realms, as I did in my “So here’s what happened since I last posted…” blog post that went viral a while back.
Posting on social media without a plan can be compared to walking into a new house with the lights off and no one to guide you. It is certainly not ideal, and you will likely bump into some obstacles that you didn’t anticipate.
Before you post content on social media
Three social marketing basics you should map out before you share content with your audience are:
- Who do you want to reach
- What goals you have
- Your business’s tone and style
Social marketing basic: Your audience
If someone likes something, they want it; that is the case with online marketing. If you perform proper marketing, you can make your targeted audience appreciate your brand as much as non-marketing people do. The point of such a manipulative approach is not to manipulate one’s mind but to provide him with what he wants.
Social marketing basic: Your goals
Think of your road as the goal and your path as the strategy that leads to it. If you travel off course for too long, you may never reach it. Think about how things will fit together. Do they mesh well together, or will they pull you into different directions? How can you maximize everything good and minimize the potential pitfalls? Look at your strengths to reach the destination quicker than before.
Social marketing basic: Your tone and style
Wendy’s is known for roasting its fans and competitors on Twitter. While this approach works for Wendy’s, it may not be in your best interest to burn members of your audience. Before engaging in a social media dialogue with whomever, consider the consequences first. Who are these people? Are they old enough that you don’t want to get them back for something immature (or inappropriate)? Getting attention on social media shouldn’t have to mean getting eyes from strangers who would otherwise never know you exist!
In addition to practicing the three social media basics above, research your competitors on social media and see what makes them unique. Look into trending hashtags or topics your audience is talking about. If platforms like Pinterest and Youtube are part of your strategy, research any keywords you should include in your video descriptions or pins. See if you can one-up your competition with something new. Consider tagging your location using Google tools if you’re focusing on a specific area, too.
