Why Social Media Marketing is Important
Social media continues to have heavy influence on the way people do business. Developing a strategy that integrates your efforts with various social media networks into one targeted approach is a great way to generate leads that will last. Since so many consumers start online to inform their decision making process, it’s important to make sure you’ve established a balanced social media presence across the board. You can’t go wrong when your priority is using social media to maintain valuable personal relationships with your customers. All of your accounts should support and feed into one another, helping you establish a strong and consistent online presence that gives your customers an ongoing reason to stay connected to your business.
Which Networks Should I Be Using And How?
Finding which networks are most relevant to your business can require a bit of research and a lot of old fashioned trial and error. Platforms to consider might include (but are not limited to):
All of these networks offer basic tutorials on how to use and engage your desired audience with their accompanying features. Take the time to figure out how to use them appropriately.
The Value Is In The Content
When you publish good content (meaning the posts you write, the videos you share, and the pictures you take,) people are more likely to share with their friends and engage in a conversation with you. The more your content is shared, the more opportunities search engines like Google have to pick up on your message, and the more potential customers will be sent your way. When you publish good, interesting content for your customers, you’re building relationships and your opportunities will only grow. Your content needs to be relevant to the services you provide and useful to the audience you are trying to reach in order to be effective. Consider the social network you are using when it comes to actually generating that content, as each network brings something different to the table (for example, YouTube videos can be posted to Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and shared in emails, but you can’t share Facebook statuses on your YouTube account.) The more helpful and informative you can be in the content you publish, the more your customers will want to read and share what you have to say with their own friends.
Quality Over Quantity
Success in social media isn’t about the total number of followers you can collect, it’s how many followers you can keep, which can be a difficult task if you have hundreds or thousands of competitors who are online as well. You can use social media networks as an opportunity to differentiate yourself from your competition and to communicate with your target audience on a personal level. Customers who develop a personal relationship to your business through your social media efforts are often willing to refer their friends or family to you, building your success. 100 loyal followers are far more valuable than 1000 superficial ones who don’t engage with you past your initial connection. Quality engagement is important to building the value of your social media marketing. Share the best, most helpful information and then make it a priority to follow-up with a meaningful conversation. Nobody likes one way advertising and promotion. You can’t go wrong by remembering why people come to you in the first place: you’re the expert and you can help.
Your Quick Summary
- Find and become familiar with the social media networks that are most valuable to you
- Publish good content that speaks to your customers across all those networks
- Make it a priority to engage with your followers on social media
- Pay attention to the people who keep you in business and earn the business of those who are then sent your way.
For more insights on marketing strategy that actually works for small business, subscribe to the FreshLime Newsletter here. Connect with Jay Bean, Founder of FreshLime and Small Business Marketing Expert on LinkedIn and Twitter. And last of all, if any of these tips have helped you or if you have anything to add please comment below. We’d love to hear from you!