The digital revolution has transformed the way we interact with each other and conduct business. Social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or LinkedIn are indispensable for billions worldwide, including entrepreneurs who leverage their power to reach prospects and customers while building a strong brand online. With such immense potential it’s no wonder companies are investing heavily to capture a share of this huge market.
Social Media Marketing – A Beginner’s Guide
Social media marketing is now essential. Since the Covid-19 pandemic, the business landscape has changed dramatically, especially in the level and value of business done wholly or substantially online.
The challenges involved on promoting products and services while engaging with customers on a personal level are significant. You not only need to deliver value added content that resonates with your audience, you also need to do it over and over again, several times a day and day after day.
The mayfly has a long life compared to any piece of social media content!
However, creating and posting good content consistently will help establish you as an authority in your field and make your brand visible.
Why Building a Strong Brand on Social Platforms is Important
In todays highly competitive business landscape building a strong brand on social platforms is critical for any company looking to succeed. Your brand should differentiate you from your competitors, foster trust in the marketplace and be meaningful to your customers.
Particularly on social media, this requires careful planning around messaging, tone, voice and consistency while also ensuring your activities align with your overall brand identity.
And OK, I get it – who really likes social media anyway? Facebook is full of old codgers like me and it feels like everyone is selling some third rate trash for $7. If you have the attention span of a gnat, then Instagram’s the place to be. My kids use SnapChat because there are very few fossils on it. Twitter is [thankfully] on it last legs and will, no doubt, be replaced by something even worse. LinkedIn is a pitch-fest and the highest growth areas seem to be in spam messages and fake reviews.
HOWEVER….with so much competition for consumers’ attention, standing out has never been more difficult, or more important. Businesses that value and promote their online image are far more likely to experience long term success than those who don’t bother.
The 7 Rules of successful Social Media Marketing
Creating an effective social media marketing campaign requires careful consideration of several key components.
1. Identify your goals.
2. Identify who you want to reach.
3. Determine which platform(s) are best suited for reaching them effectively.
4. Create & publish content that is meaningful to your target audience
5. Invite, encourage and reward quality engagement.
6. Use your results to improve
7. Rinse & repeat.
Posts that entertain may get much higher rates of engagement that those that inform or teach. This is where your goals are so important. You can’t eat likes or follows and it’s almost impossible to measure the relationship between likes and sales (if any).
So aim for posts that deliver meaning and engage your audience emotionally – if they can be entertaining, all the better.
How to Measure Your Social Media Marketing results
Peter Drucker said “What gets measured gets improved.”
Pearson’s Law teaches that “What gets measured, improves. That which gets measured and reported, improves exponentially.”
So measure, then report. Measure impressions, likes, shares, engagements, reach, click-through rates, conversion rates and ROI. Use the data to refine your strategy and tactics. Then optimize your campaigns to improve you overall performance significantly without wasting time or money.
Conclusion
Social media can be a potent tool for businesses looking to grow and expand their reach. Following the 7 simple rules above will dramatically increase your chances of success.
While the medium has changed and is fast moving, human nature hasn’t. Focus on creating meaningful value and getting that in front of your audience.
Measure your results and use the data to improve. Report it to someone, or publish it.
Then do it all again.
