Most business’s already have their own social media channels. So, they realise the importance and benefits social media marketing can have for their business. If used correctly social media marketing can drive traffic to your company’s website, improve search engine rankings, and help to increase conversion rates.
Effective social media strategy
Before you develop your social media strategy you need to decide which channels to focus on. This can seem overwhelming to any business, with new social media channels launching regularly. Do you choose to focus on LinkedIn, Facebook, TikTok or one of the other platforms? To help your business make the right decision about platforms. Here are some questions to answer.
Factors for choosing social media channels
What are your social media strategy objectives?
What is your business looking to achieve from its social media marketing? It is good practice to ensure that your social media strategy objectives align to your business objectives. If you cannot confirm how a particular social media channel will contribute then your business should not be using it. You need to use channels that contribute to achieving your business’s goals. If you want to increase brand awareness then you choose established platforms that have a large following. If your business works in a Business to Consumer (B2C) market then Facebook is good option. Plus, the channel offers an advertising platform which has a good reputation for its ROI.
What channels are your target audience using?
To interact with your target audience online you need to be on the channels your audience uses. For example, using Snapchat would not be appropriate if your audience are aged 60 plus. To support your business to make an informed decision about channels review their social media demographics. To ensure that your strategy, and the channels you choose are relevant. Offer your business a targeted approach to increase your chances of conversion. There are several software packages available online that can help you to do that, such as Social Sprout.
Find out what channels are your competitors using?
It is just as important to identify which social media channels your competitors use. What content they upload. Do your target audience engage with it? This will provide valuable insight to feed into your social media strategy. It could identify some gaps that could be opportunities for your business.
Decide what type of content you want to share
This will be determined by whether your business is in a Business to Business (B2B) or B2C market. If its B2B then you are likely to want to share company news, industry updates and white papers. Using LinkedIn, Twitter and SlideShare are ideal. If your audience is younger and you are looking to share video content. Then you should consider YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok. YouTube is the world’s second largest search engine. Image based content for B2C market where you are looking to sell a product. Consider Pinterest or Instagram which both lend themselves to imagery-based content. For sharing editorial content to establish your business as a thought leader or an industry expert. Then using LinkedIn to post your content including publishing articles would be ideal.
To maximise the effectiveness of your business’s social media marketing activity. Take time to identify these key components to feed in to your business’s social media strategy. If you have any questions about social media marketing or any other marketing please get in touch.
Good advice and information!