Modern business and social media go hand-in-hand. Regardless of your industry, location, or size of the business, you can and will find your audience online with the right social media marketing strategy. But how do you take your social media efforts to the next level? Here at Beyond Blue Media, we have honed in on what works and what doesn’t work online. Stick around to learn more about how to tackle social media marketing like a pro!
Getting Started
We all start somewhere! But getting the ball rolling on social media can feel like a monstrous undertaking. Don’t get too stressed! Launching your social media accounts doesn’t need to be an all-consuming task. Let’s break the process down into a few easy steps.
Decide on Your Direction and Goals
First things first, identify your audience. You likely already have an idea of who your ideal customer is. You may be tempted to cast a wide net when you start posting online but this isn’t the proper approach for all businesses. Ask yourself, who will your product or service resonate with most? Note their attributes such as age, gender, location, or interests.
It’s also important to get clear on your metrics and key performance indicators (KPIs) in this stage of the process. Here are some examples of specific areas to set goals and define KPIs.
Reach. This metric points to the number of unique users who come across a given post. It’s a good figure to know and track to see how many feeds you’re actually landing on.
Clicks. Just as the name suggests, this is the number of clicks a link receives. You can hone in on what your audience resonates with by tracking what they click on and what they pass up. You can also use this to track your conversion rate.
Engagement. This is the number of comments, likes, and other interactions a given post garners compared to the reach. You can find this number by dividing the number of social interactions you receive by your reach. This will give you a better idea of how much of the audience that sees your content actually engages.
There are plenty of other metrics and KPIs to track such as web traffic, follower count, weekly activity, and more. The figures you choose to focus on may shift as you hone in on your social media presence. If you want to stay in the loop on the latest social media trends and advice, Facebook communities such as Meta for Business are a great resource for finding more information.
But Which Platform Should I Be On?
You don’t need to be on every single platform. What a relief, right? It’s much better to focus on the ideal platform for your business consistently than to sporadically post on all the available social media channels.
“Your time should be spent on the platforms that you thrive on,” Bryanna Wooley, our resident social media savant, advised. When walking our clients through the beginning of their social media journeys, she helps them hone in on where they may have better luck finding their audience. She offered this simple guide for you to draw from.
- If you have space to be fun and less corporate and you’re looking for a younger audience, try TikTok or Instagram.
- If your company is hoping to capture more of an air of professionalism and to connect with an older crowd or more established audience, try Facebook or LinkedIn.
- If you have a stylized product you want to market to women, try posting on Pinterest.
Bry emphasized that you truly don’t need to be everywhere. Pick the best two or three social media platforms for your business and stay consistent. Understandably, this is easier said than done when you have a business to run. This is where having an excellent social media manager can really come in handy.
What to Do When You First Launch Your Account
Starting a new social media account is an opportunity to introduce yourself and the personality of your business. This is a chance to tell your story. Don’t be afraid to insert the real humans behind your company on your page. This type of genuine bid for connection really resonates with an online audience.
“There are real people behind social media,” Bry said, “People like seeing real people.”
You will also want to introduce your product or service as well as highlight why it’s unique compared to the competition.
How to Build Your Platform Efficiently
“Invest in good photography and video. Point blank period,” Bry encouraged.
If you want to tackle social media like a pro, you have to recognize where the internet as a whole is heading. Quality photos will always be a huge advantage. But if you want to push ahead of the competition, you should consider investing time and money into video creation as well.
TikTok is ruling the day. Platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest are taking note and moving towards more video-driven platforms. If you want to stay up-to-date with the latest trends online, you’re doing yourself a disservice if you don’t make an effort to insert videos into your social media marketing.
Another way to build your platform effectively is to check out other successful companies in your industry and see what they’re up to on social media. Draw inspiration with the content that seems to resonate with their audience.
Content creation is just one piece of the puzzle. To launch and maintain a successful social media channel, actively garnering engagement is key. Bry advised that you tap into the communities you already have around you. Start out by getting willing employees to follow your pages and interact with your posts. Then ask your loyal customers, family members, and others in your network. Frequent, consistent engagement will help push your content to new people.
One great way to build up more engagement is to create a niche Facebook group. Remember, you’re an expert in your field as a business owner. Share your expertise. This is a great way to leverage your knowledge and gain a loyal following. Again, ask those in your community to join your group and engage.
Lean on other businesses and their networks to grow your social media channels. Cross promotion is a great way to build brand awareness for both you and the business you team up with. You can gain the attention of other companies by tagging them in your content or engaging with their posts. You can then post about each other, conduct a giveaway to gain a following, and take advantage of your collective reach.
“Don’t take yourself too seriously,” Bry said as her final piece of advice. Remember, you don’t always need to be polished and pristine if that doesn’t feel authentic to your brand. Take risks, tap into a sense of humor, and talk about stuff outside of just your business too.
In Summary: Own Your Socials
Social media is a powerful tool. It’s a direct line to your ideal customer. You don’t need to be everywhere all at once – pick a manageable amount of social media channels that work best with your brand. Insert your unique personality and don’t be afraid to show the human aspect of the business. Keep in mind that video is popular at the moment. Be sure to invest in quality photos and videos to connect with your audience effectively.
There’s a lot that goes into social media marketing. But as long as you stay dedicated to nurturing two or three channels and continue to keep your finger on the pulse, you’ll be a pro in no time! And, of course, if it gets to be too much, pass it off to a top-tier social media manager.
