How do I create an effective Social Media Strategy?
As you are probably aware, people are spending more and more time on social media. Whether they are old or young- SnapChat, Instagram, and Facebook are becoming increasingly popular. For this reason, it is a great way to get in front of a new audience so that you can attract, convert and delight. The best way to do this is by repurposing content you have already developed for your site or email campaign. Converting information to infographics and videos is easy and sharing links to the sources you used is even more so. By simply being consistent, engaging with your audience, and providing useful information you can grow your followers with a little bit of effort. Sure, you might be thinking that you don’t want to dedicate even more time to do doing this. I am confident that the benefits outweigh the negatives and automation softwares remove the hassle. Utilize a program like HootSuite and set it and forget it. Monitor the engagement of your rivals and emulate their approach if it is more effective than yours.
Why do I need to do this in addition to my website and email?
As stated above, because it is so easy you might as well utilize the exposure and reputation a large following can bring you. Content is far more likely to be shared on social media platforms because it is often in a quick and consumable form. People are for more likely to “like” your post than they are to share your blog via email. Regarding reputation, if your company has a lot of followers it looks far more legit. If you are supported by a large group of individuals you appear more credible and as a leader in the space. This reputation boost will help you convert leads even if the effect is subconscious for your leads.
7 Benefits of Social Media Marketing
1) You can learn about your audience
You will be able to see what your audience is talking about, what they like, and how you can better cater your business to them
2) You can improve your customer service
Social Media users are more vocal and you will be able to handle their comments, questions, and concerns.
3) You can easily distribute content
Now that you’ve repurposed your content you’ll be able to share it in a more direct and personal fashion.
4) You can become an influencer in your industry
The more followers that you have, the more you will be perceived as an influencer and people will be more likely to talk about you and your brand
5) You can increase your site traffic
The more active that you are, the more paths you will create to your site. More traffic, means more views, and more chances to achieve your goal
6) You can positively impact your SEO
When you populate your site with your social media content you’ll be updating the site more regularly and the search engine will notice and rank you up
7) You can increase brand awareness for free
Social media is free, utilizing this cost effective platform will attract more eyeballs.
What are the Pros and Cons of each Social Platform?
Facebook is the most popular social media brand and thus a necessity. Their advanced analytics make it easy to track success and there are a variety of options for paid advertising. Negatives are that it is very difficult to stand out given the large number of brands on the site. Furthermore to utilize advertising and expand your reach you will need to shell out a lot of money.
Twitter allows you to reach a large audience while providing a highly interactive interface and allowing you to gather information and feedback from your audience. The drawbacks are that you are limited to a 280 characters and becoming influential will take time.
Instagram is the most visual platform and most popular with millennials. It allows you to target mobile users the best and provides opportunities to leverage influencers to promote your brand. Given that it is predominantly image based promoting a service opposed to a product will be more difficult.
Snapchat is most tailored towards a young audience and gives the ability to share content to mobile users. The drawback is that you will need to be very creative and creative engaged posts or people will pass you by.
LinkedIn allows you to recruit individuals, establish your brand as an industry leader, and grow your reach amongst business professionals. Great fit for finance and private consulting. Drawbacks are that users aren’t very active and that isn’t really built for selling.
Pinterest is best for reaching a female audience and allows you to showcase any visuals or infographics you have put together. Negatives are that it isn’t that large and doesn’t really fit most brands.