Social Media Marketing Tips: Whether you’re a small business or a large corporation, every marketer has a desire to connect personally with their target audience. If you listen to what your target audience is asking for, you can use social media marketing to steer them in the right direction, usually to your website or blog.
Once a visitor is on your site or blog, you have an opportunity to engage them and turn them into a subscriber, a lead, or even a customer! But first, ask yourself the question: Which social media platforms are best for reaching my target audience?
Do they use Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube, or a combination of these? Here are some generalizations, but using social platforms really depends on your audience. Twitter is great for short posts and for spreading the word for general outreach and impressions. Facebook allows for longer posts, targeting an audience of 20-65 year olds. Pinterest is most useful for images, so if you work in the arts, that’s where you should go. LinkedIn is heavily used by B2B business professionals, so if you sell B2B products or services, that’s where you should go.
Once you’ve decided which channels to choose, here are 5 more tips to keep in mind when posting social media marketing posts:
1. Consider how much time you can spend on social media
Social media marketing can be time-consuming. Use social media tools like HootSuite or HubSpot to link all your accounts together and schedule posts for down time so you don’t have to constantly post during the workday. Also, don’t forget to account for time changes. If you post something at 9 p.m. Eastern time, chances are most of your UK audience will be asleep, missing your marketing message. Determine the best time your audience prefers based on how they interact with your previous posts to find the best time slot for each day.
2. Be unique in your content
What sets you apart from your competitors? Show your uniqueness by linking to blog posts and articles highlighting accomplishments, news and other benefits. Using these elements is the cornerstone of a successful social media marketing strategy. Come up with your own hashtags to use on Twitter and Facebook. Share photos and hold caption contests. Ask questions that only people with expertise in your field can answer. Think outside the box in your content to provide your subscribers with unique content to interact with and share.
3. Be sincere with your interlocutors
Don’t always insist on selling on social media. Use it as an opportunity to get to know people in your industry. Create and develop mutually beneficial relationships with both your potential customers and thought leaders. These are the influencers that can have a significant impact on the success of your social media marketing. One retweet or like from a key authority can put your content in front of hundreds, maybe thousands of eyes!
4. Be passionate about your posts
Have you ever gone to a party and found that you don’t know anyone there, and the few people you do know don’t want to introduce you to anyone? That’s how social media marketing can feel at first, when you probably post almost no one at first. No one likes that feeling, but that’s where we all start. That’s why you have to follow and engage people. Help your subscribers find what they’re looking for online. Answer their questions and interact with them online. Take a few minutes each day to comment on the accounts of key influencers and offer your honest opinions and experiences. If you do this sincerely and intelligently, you’ll start to get people’s attention and build your network quickly.
5. Be real with your subscribers
People want to interact with other people, not bots. They also don’t want to be spammed all the time. Make it fun for people to interact with you. Thank them for following you, posting and sharing your content. Try to thank them whenever possible, and you’ll start to see the social media momentum continue to grow.
As your business grows, you can hire someone to take over your social media marketing efforts, but for now, start thinking about how you can use these tips to help you start mastering your social media strategy. You’ll get into a rhythm and create your own unique social media marketing voice and style.
