8 Tips to MASTER Social Media Marketing
With over 4 billion users, social media marketing has become the best free (AND paid) resource to get your business's name out there. But just being on social media isn't enough anymore. It's hard to be seen in such a saturated market when competition is that stiff, but with a global penetration rate of 57%, you can still be a sensational hit if you apply the right strategy. This is why I compiled a list of 8 tips to master social media marketing, so let's get to it!
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Without having a solid plan, or knowing your objective and goals, you'll never be able to obtain the success you are looking for. What will you aim at if you have no target? Your goal will be the driving force of your social media marketing strategy.
How do you set attainable goals for your business? Simple.
Use numbers (such as reach 1000 followers)
ALWAYS set a deadline
Be specific and make your goals "SMART" (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Timely)
Make your goals align with your ENTIRE marketing strategyDescription text goes here
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If you're wanting to turn a profit, connecting and engaging with your audience is crucial. But, in order to do that effectively, you need to understand your audience-inside and out.
You'll need to be able to effectively pinpoint their needs, wants, and desires in order to create a successful social media strategy.
How can you better understand your audience?
Survey your audience to better understand their needs
Carefully examine their demographics
Join forums and groups filled with your target audience and take part in conversations
Reply to ALL comments or questions on your social media channels to get to know
your clients better
Once you get to know your audience better, you'll be better equipped to help them. They want to deal with businesses who care, not just another company that is just after their money. That makes this a VITAL step in creating any social media marketing strategy.
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You don't need to be on ALL social media platforms to reach your goals. What really matters is to make an impact on the ones you do choose to be present on.
Suppose you get the best results with your facebook page, it would be best to focus your energy there, rather than haphazardly trying to establish your reach on other platforms. It's better to ace one platform, rather than trying to master them all. It's not the quantity that matters- but the quality!
Focus on platforms that are preferred by your target audience-those will be the ones that will provide the best results.
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You know how I keep bringing up this "social media marketing strategy"? Well it's time you make your own! (If you haven't already that is). After all, pinning down a social media marketing strategy is key to turning your vision into a reality.
While you are preparing your strategy, consider the platforms you'll be posting on. This helps ensure your posts will appeal to your posts will appeal to your target audience and align with your goals.
WRITE IT DOWN! Your goals, your audience... all of it. This helps you keep yourself accountable and helps keep you from straying off the path you are carving yourself. Here are a few more things for you to jot down to add to your marketing strategy:
Create content theme (colors, fonts, etc...) to provide your audience with a unified experince
Make a list of upcoming events and special days that would make good content (holidays, upcoming events involving your business... etc)
Prepare a list of hashtags for each platform you plan to use (DON'T get crazy with these though!)
Use social media marketing tools to plan and schedule postsItem description
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Remember how before I mentioned that people want MORE than the typical company that is just after their money? Well, this is a great way to show them that your business IS more than just a business. Show your audience who you guys are. Show them inside your "office" and where all the magic happens, introduce them to your employees (or just yourself you if you don't have employees).
Keep in mind that "brand stories" aren't your typical ads or sale pitches. Your stories tell them not only who you are, but your values and what you stand for.
Another easy way to humanize your brand is with emoticons. Emojis are a quick and easy way to convey the emotions you are trying to convey. Do NOT go overboard with these! It is really easy to get carried away with them, so always try to stick to 1-2 emojis per post. You don't want to overwhelm your audience!
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Every audience utilizes various social media platforms at different times of the day. That's why it is imperative to not only know the platforms you are posting on, but the target audience you are trying to get in front of.
Other things that depend on your target audience and your platform your posting on are:
How often you post per week
What content you post
How often you post per day
We have gone over several studies, and honestly a lot of them say different things. Below are a couple of graphics that may help you decide when, and how frequently to post.
Embrace Your Mistakes
Let's face it, we are ALL human, and we all make mistakes, This is ESPECIALLY important to accept in the rapidly growing world of social media. People
are looking for authenticity. You can't have that if you're pretending to be perfect all the time! If someone leaves a bad review, reply to it and
apologize, showing how you learned from it and how you plan to do better.
Monitor Your Results
How are you going to know if your efforts are effective if you aren't monitoring your results? When you are looking over your social media insights, it's important to look at more than likes. Look into comments and shares, and if you gained any followers after posting. Try sharing posts to local groups to get it seen by more people.