“If you are not using social media to communicate and connect, you might as well live in a cave, or the grounded shell of a space shuttle.”– Online Business Strategist
What is Social Media?
- “Social media is an umbrella term that defines the various activities that integrate technology, social interaction and the construction of words and pictures.”–Wikipedia
- “It’s media (content that is published) with a social (anyone can add to it) component.”–Mike Volpe
Key benefits of social media
- Social media can encourage participation, conversation, and community
– all of which can help spread key messages, influence decision making, and promote behavior change. - It helps to reach people when, where, and how it is convenient for them, which improves the availability of content and might influence satisfaction and trust in messages delivered.
- It is also a key tool in building awareness and credibility
Which Social Media to choose?
- Know your target audience!
- Know your capabilities of communicating through that media!
- Use appropriate social media for audience segmentation.
Where to Start?
Social Media Platforms:
- Google Plus
- YouTube
- Blogs
- NextDoor
Importance Social Media Marketing
- Finds you customers and builds clientele
- It gives businesses the ability to find out what people are saying about them (and others) in their industries and introduces your brand
- It gives you feedback about your brand
- Provides a test audience (vs. focus groups)
- Solidifies your reputation as a valuable and knowledgeable resource
Goals for Social Media Marketing:
- Increase customer base
- Generate leads
- Drive sales
- Build awareness
- Make money from your content
- Establish thought leadership
- Educate customers
- Customer-source part of your product development
- Reach internal communication
Social Media Marketing Strategy
-
Identify your goals
-
Identify your target audience
- Who are your customers?
- What characteristics do they have and age group do they come from?
- What are their spending or shopping habits?
- Do they shop online?
- What social media applications are they using?
-
Create a profile or brand
-
Find the social media that’s right for you
- Which ones are your customers using?
- Start with one – Understand it, utilize it effectively and then expand your online presence
- Write good and appropriate content
- Build relationships; listen and engage with your followers
-
Plan a time frame
- Map out a schedule for updating content
- This should be accomplished on a regular basis
- Follow the schedule
-
Include Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
- Focus on Good Phrases
- Avoid “Vanity” keywords
- Use Google’s AdWords
- Keyword Tool
- Remember the value of repetition
- Guide your content strategy
-
Measure progress toward goals
- Did we learn something about our customers that we didn’t know before?
- Did our customers learn something about us?
- Were we able to engage our customers in new conversations?
Are you looking for digital marketing agency? Get the your quotation for free.