'Social media' and 'marketing' - for great business in 2016, they definitely go together. But it's possible to be great at social media without being great at marketing. And great at marketing without having a clue about social media.
Social media can grab attention, but is it the right kind of attention? Does it build trust? Does it keep people engaged? Does it boost your traffic, bring you leads and close the deal?
Here are four principles for getting it right.
1. Have a goal
You have a blog? Great! On Twitter? Fantastic! But do you really know why?
If you aren't doing your online marketing with explicit targets, like expanding your reach, building your brand, cultivating customer loyalty and convincing people to buy, then how on Earth will you wield any marketing tool efficiently, let alone one as broad and free as social media?
2. Do it right
Social media marketing may level the playing field for businesses with smaller budgets, but just because it's cheap doesn't mean you can cut corners.
Social media is savvy, modern and fun, but that doesn't mean you don't need to invest a good amount of time and brain-power into getting it right and producing really great content. If you don't have the time, or don't quite know where to start, you may need outside help that may cost you a few dollars today but could rake in the rewards in the very near future.
3. Give your audience value
Just like the times, marketing has changed - hugely. No longer is selling a product or a brand just about flashing the right colours and language and closing the deal. These days, consumers have so many choices, an incredibly short attention-span and even less disposable time, so when it comes to your social media content, it can't just be about you - it has to be about them.
What does that mean? It means your blog and social media posts don't just serve your business, they serve the customer. Your content informs them, educates them, entertains them, motivates them and inspires them.
4. Be human
Being overly corporate does not gel well with social media. Your followers want to feel like they are making a person-to-person connection with you, while you wield the ability to scale that personal touch to hundreds, thousands and - yes, it's possible - millions of people.
Now that you know the "how", click here to read about the "why"!
Get in touch with us on 1800 776 740 to find out how we can boost your brand's Social Status!
