Even the most amazing products will fail if they aren’t marketed successfully. One marketing tool that all aspiring and established entrepreneurs should utilize is social media.
Gone are the days where social media was primarily used for sharing photos of cats and silly memes. Social media is a great way to communicate with your customers, grow brand awareness, and increase traffic to your website. Ideally, customers will find you on social media and then click over to your website. Utilizing social media effectively is a key part of capturing leads to your main landing page.
If you’re ready to begin using social media to grow your business, here is what you need to know.
Know your social networks
Not all social media networks are the same. Each platform targets a different audience. Some businesses feel like they need to be on every single social media platform that is available, but that is not the case. You should spend your time on the platforms that will best engage your target audience.
Facebook is a popular platform for most businesses because you can create a business account that will provide you with analytics of who is visiting your page. You can customize your page with info about your business and then post regularly to engage your audience.
Other social media platforms may not meet the needs of every business. Instagram, Snapchat, and YouTube are popular, but only if you love to create videos and have an eye for photography. Pinterest is still popular with those that are running niche businesses. And LinkedIn is great for those that are actively recruiting professionals within the industry.
Further research of all available platforms will help you narrow down which platform will best meet your needs. Remember, it is better to focus on producing high-quality content on one or two specific platforms instead of trying to manage every network out there.
Connect with your customers
After you find the right platforms for your business, remember that you do need to regularly engage with your customers. Simply posting new content every day isn’t enough. Social media allows you to interact with your customers and really get to know them. And the more familiar you are to them, the more likely they will be to buy your products or services.
One of the best ways to connect with your customers is to quickly respond to any questions or comments they might have. If they comment on your posts, get back to them as soon as possible. Even if there isn’t much to respond to, simply thanking them for visiting your page or liking their comments can make a huge difference.
Another way to engage customers is by asking for feedback. Share new product ideas with them and see what they think. Ask them what services they want you to provide. This is a great way to show them you’re listening to their wants and needs.
Create relationships with influencers
Not only do you need to focus on creating relationships with your customers, but you should also focus on creating relationships with influencers within your field. Connecting with other influencers is a great way to learn more about your industry. Plus, most influencers will reshare content, so there is a chance that your posts will be featured on their social media platforms. Having your content featured could mean that their followers become your followers.
If you’re struggling to find other influencers, consider joining an online community within your industry. This allows you to connect with others, ask questions, and potentially find the right people to partner with.
Share your blog posts
If you already have a website, there is a chance that you’re writing blog posts to increase your SEO. Keywords and meaningful content within blog posts are a great way to increase traffic on your website. Focus on creating blog posts that are well-written and relevant to your business to help establish yourself as an expert within the field.
Another great way to increase traffic on your website is to share a link to those posts on your social media platforms. If you have a following on social media, they’re likely to click on the links to your blog posts. And then once they’re on your website, they’ll likely check out your other content, including any products or services you’re trying to sell.
Conclusion
Some entrepreneurs might wonder if it is worth the time to invest in social media marketing. The answer is yes. All businesses, no matter how small, will benefit from utilizing social media effectively.
