How to start using social media to market your business
If you’re eager to get the benefits of social media marketing for your business but you don’t know how to start, we’ve got some tips that can help. Companies of all types and sizes are finding great success using social media to market their business. It doesn’t matter if you have a B2B or a B2C company – with the right approach, social media can be a terrific tool to engage your customers’ interest and keep your business top of mind. Simply starting a Facebook page for your business isn’t going to get you the results you want, though. In order to gain the most benefit from your social marketing efforts, you’re going to need to develop a coordinated approach that takes into consideration your company’s strengths as well as your customers’ social media habits. We’ve got some social media marketing tips that will help you get off to a successful start:
Tip #1: Develop a specific social marketing strategy
If you just start randomly posting on various social media sites, you can end up with a very mixed message and a social brand so muddled it barely makes an impression. Before you begin your social marketing, you should decide how you want customers to perceive your company. Consider your company culture, the products and services you provide, and the sensibility of the customers you are trying to reach. Use that information to set the tone of your social media communications. Are you a B2B company dealing with large financial institutions? If you offer financial advice or business services, you’re going to want to establish a more serious presence that fits into the corporate world while showcasing your competence. If you market real estate, a more personable social presence will garner better results. Tailor your social presence as carefully as you would your personal appearance if you were meeting with your customers in the flesh.
Tip #2: Choose the right social media sites to market your business
The best social media sites to market your business are not necessarily going to be the ones that have the largest group of users; they are going to be the ones where the most potential customers are. Choose social media sites that match up with your company’s goals and provide the best access to your target demographic. Ideally, you should establish a presence on a social media platform that is particularly relevant to your industry as well as two or three of these top social sites:
- Facebook – If you’re a B2C company trying to build brand recognition or increase general engagement with your brand, Facebook is a good choice. Facebook is still the most popular social site, with an extremely high level of social engagement. Its main strength lies in family and friend connections, making it a natural choice for businesses that rely on referrals.
- Twitter – Twitter’s micro-blogging format of 140 characters is perfect for busy owners looking for a fast, easy way to interact with young, savvy customers. Twitter works for well for B2C businesses that lend themselves to topic-based commentary and customer updates.
- LinkedIn – LinkedIn is the site of choice for motivated business professionals looking to increase their knowledge and network with other engaged professionals. The social site is the best choice for B2B companies interested in peer to peer networking and developing industry authority.
- Pinterest and Instagram – These highly visual social sites are a great fit for businesses with products or services that translate well to visual media. Travel agencies, businesses in the hospitality segment (hotels, restaurants, etc.), and certain retail businesses are a great fit. Pinterest and Instagram rely heavily on user interaction, so they work best for B2C companies trying to build customer engagement.
Tip #3: Establish a strict posting schedule
Once your social media marketing strategies start attracting a following, you’re going to need to deliver content on a regular schedule to keep customers engaged. Trying to remember when and where to post on top of running your business can be difficult, so it’s best to set up a social media posting schedule. You may want to use a social media management program like Hootsuite. These helpful services allow you to upload all your social media posts at one time; the program automatically publishes your posts at optimum times throughout the day.
If you decide that social media marketing takes too much time away from running your business, Blue Interactive Agency can help. As a leading Fort Lauderdale social marketing agency, we have years of social media marketing experience and a full roster of satisfied clients. Our marketing team can provide you with a full range of social media marketing support services including social marketing strategy development, paid social marketing services, monthly social media marketing packages, and more.
Contact us at Blue Interactive Agency today at 954-779-2801 for more social media marketing tips expert support services to help ensure your company’s success!
