Social media has increasingly become an important part of everyday life. The fact that a large percentage of the world’s population is engaging with social media in some form or another means that businesses need to adapt to this new way of marketing if they are to maintain an advantage.
Social media marketing can be powerful and effective, but in most cases it requires an entirely different approach to the traditional methods of marketing. This can be a scary prospect for many business owners who are uncertain as to what it takes to achieve success with these relatively new mediums.
The truth is that in most cases it takes nothing more than time, patience, and some valuable contribution. Many businesses, especially large ones who are not entirely in touch with modern changes, may be inclined to try the direct advertising methods of old in social media circles. This is largely ineffective because users can easily block these out, as opposed to advertisements on television, radio, and in print.
New Strategies For A New Medium
New strategies are needed in order to get the full benefit of social media marketing, and if these are implemented correctly the business will be greatly rewarded with an abundance of fresh new leads.
An industry report compiled back in 2011 showed that around 78% of marketers who invested in social media and got the strategies correct saw an increase in their website traffic in under 6 hours. Here are a few of the basics that every strategy should start with.
1. The blog or website that represents your business should reflect your business’s image. Will you be targeting the young and trendy crowd, the health and fitness enthusiasts, or the internet professionals? These are some of the basic questions to be asked during your websites design phase and before you start to target social media.
2. Select a front person that can suitably represent your company in the social media platform that you intend to target. Not all social media platforms are equal and each will require a different tack. Facebook and Twitter may require a more relaxed and laid back approach, while a more professional approach would be beneficial on LinkedIn.
3. Pick the social media platforms that match your businesses image. This will make it a lot easier for you to integrate, build relationships, and provide valuable content to users.
Social media marketing is not as daunting as it may seem at first and can actually be much more enjoyable than the traditional forms of marketing when you get the hang of it. It is a great way to interact directly with your market and build good business brand awareness. This is certainly not something that can be ignored because it can mean that your business is missing out immensely.