Social media and its relevance in today’s society is vastly recognized. So it is not surprising that various brands have started to tap into its marketing potential.
Statistics show how social media networks are integrated into people’s lives all over the world, 24/7. The Verge mentioned that Facebook has more than 1.23 billion active users who log in daily, while Twitter has over 328 million active users, as of February 2017. Meanwhile, LinkedIn has about 500 million members, and Instagram reported that it has about 700 million active users last April. With its wide range of influence, audience reach, and information available, social media is a great tool to cut across boundaries and take advantage of multimedia communication platforms to build your brand and enhance its voice.
Social media marketing can definitely boost your brand’s mileage. However, there are several limitations to be considered, such as budget constraints and number of working hours. Social media requires money and time management, so it helps to be aware of social media tactics that your brand can prioritize.
Another word of warning: social media does not bring immediate results, but rather requires patience, careful planning, and monitoring. As with any other marketing tool, it must be integrated with the overall marketing plan.
Finally, a bad product or service will not benefit from these marketing strategies– in fact, it is much easier nowadays to highlight these issues through social media, where word-of-mouth, recommendations, and criticisms can spread like wildfire. However, we’re not not going to talk about PR crisis management here, but rather simple, yet effective strategies to make social media work for your company.
Here are some tips that will give the best value for your money and generate maximum impact for your brand through social platforms:
Listen to your customers and stay updated with your target audience. Know what they are talking about to get an idea on trends and what potential customers want. Sites like Buzzsumo, Feedly, or Sprout Social give valuable information on market trends and what is happening now. These websites allow you to zero-in on specific topics about any industry. You get an overview of mainstream conversations and at the same time, identify trends concerning your products, services, and even your competitors.
Social media can definitely promote any kind of content or published material. Depending on quality and popularity, it can quickly spread and reach target audiences based on the number of likes, shares, and other forms of communication. Use social media channels to boost public posts, and ensure that your content is catchy, relevant, and consistent with your brand’s persona. By using social media, there is potential to drive traffic to your site, increase visibility, improve SEO, and enhance customer loyalty.
Aside from content distribution, another key factor is the ability to redistribute content. Why? Because the key is consistency- or the ability to stay updated and relevant by maximizing the value of old posts. This leads to a stronger brand recall, increased engagement opportunities, and a better ability to differentiate your brand from competitors. An example of this is to maintain a database of “evergreen” posts or content pieces, which will allow you to repost your content on a rotating basis. This maximizes its long-term value and provides regular updates to your audience for stronger brand relevance. A time frame is important, so be sure to post and repost solid, high quality and compelling content on a well-spaced time frame so that followers will not grow weary or bored.
Manual posting on a regular basis is a tough job and can be time-consuming, so consider marketing tools such as Hootsuite or Social Jukebox. These platforms allow for content creation that can be published later on your chosen social media channel.
Engage your audience – Customer interaction is another important factor. Discussions attract the audience to the brand by allowing them to voice out their opinions and become a part of the community. Easy, simple conversations from newsfeeds can easily become viral, generating more traffic. Customer responsiveness on social media is valuable, particularly when issues or complaints arise. Do not simply delete these comments, but rather use them to address issues in a friendly and professional manner. This makes the customer feel important and recognized. However keep in mind, there should be guidelines on legitimate customer posts. You can and should filter or delete posts that are obscene, irrelevant, or unnecessary.
Use Influencer Marketing – Influencers are key individuals who are very active in social media and blogging. They are usually brand advocates or promoters of niche products or services because of their large follower base and considerable influence on the opinions of the public, particularly millennials. Brands tap on influencers because aside from bringing in their audience, they are also able to include and engage with their audience’s network. Key benefits may include: an enhanced brand message, increased social media exposure, increased web traffic, or simply more sales due to word of mouth, recommendations, and viral posts.
Contests – If you want to engage your audience further, you can do so by offering contests. This is not limited to giving away free products – it can also include good content, webinars, articles, or any other useful information. Aside from making your brand relevant and keeping your customers engaged, it also has the potential to increase inbound leads.
Post Live Updates – Social media users are tuning in more and more to live updates. Real-time experiences seem to be more attractive to consumers, according to the Content Marketing Institute. Given the various social media platforms and the wealth of information available through multiple media channels, real-time interactions with customers can help establish good relationships and enhance interaction. Ensure that content is catchy, engaging, and relevant to your audience.
Social media as a marketing tool can be used in a number of ways- the strategies mentioned here are meant to enhance your brand’s productivity and give maximum impact for your time and investment. For more details and information on social media marketing, please visit Arcalea’s blog today.