Social media venues have provided small businesses everywhere with the chance to get in the arena with the big guys. Instead of fretting about your marketing budget, social media lets you expand your reach for next to nothing or free. But the time you invest in reaching out to consumers through social media can become costly if you don’t use it well.
The purpose of social media marketing is to engage your audience. Catchy prose and social media savvy are just two components of getting and maintaining your audience’s attention. Once you’ve caught their eye, you want to continue using smart online marketing techniques that will convert followers into customers. Learn more about how to use social media marketing wisely to expand your business and engage your audience.
- Know Your Audience. To engage your audience you first have to know who they are. If you have a brick and mortar store, you’re likely to have an idea of who your average customer is, while those with online businesses must rely on other methods to identify their main audience. While collecting data from customers can help, professional marketing agencies can conduct demographics studies to help you identify your consumer base with the kind of precision and detail to make your marketing plan more effective.
- Maintain Brand Consistency. Your customers identify your products or services with your brand, which includes your logo, website design, what your business stands for and the way your business is perceived. Brand consistency helps consumers quickly identify your business on social media venues. If they already know your logo from your website or brick and mortar, they’ll recognize it on a social media venue. Likewise, using it regularly on social media will also increase recognition.
- Narrow your Focus. There are a lot of social media options available, and trying to choose one can be overwhelming. Stick with two to three to avoid spreading yourself too thin. Once you know your audience, you’ll know which venues they’re likely to use, and these will make your selection easier and more effective.
- Encourage & Participate in Conversations. Engaging your audience is all about connection. Social media venues give you the opportunity to communicate with consumers from around the world that you wouldn’t normally have the chance to converse with. Ask questions to invite conversation, and then take time to respond professionally and positively to their comments. Invite followers to visit your business blog or contact you through your website if they have further questions or comments. Keep communications going as long as you can.
- Reciprocate. Always remember to reciprocate, but do so when it’s appropriate. You don’t have to follow everyone on Twitter or Pinterest, but you should make an effort to follow other users that complement your business or provide a good reciprocal connection. Social media is about give and take, and other users will figure out quickly if you’re participating only as a taker.
If you’re business has just begun incorporating social media marketing into the overall plan, things can seem a little clunky at first. Give yourself time to get into the swing of things. Learn the etiquette of each venue to ensure you don’t turn potential customers off. Plan to post, blog, pin or Tweet at least three times per week to keep your audience engaged as they will quickly lose interest if your efforts are inconsistent. As you go along, make time to learn from other small businesses that have found success with social media marketing by following a few in your field.
Your social media marketing efforts will produce steady results when performed with consistency and with an eye on your audience. Keep your information up-to-date and useful to draw traffic back to your business time and again. Social media marketing comes with a huge learning curve; take advantage of every learning opportunity to enjoy the best possible results for your marketing efforts.
Lucy Harper works for www.touchpointDigital.co.uk. Touchpoint is a full service digital advertising agency that specializes in offering digital marketing services, PPC and social media campaigns.
