Social media is one of the most popular tools for Internet marketing today. Not only does it require little to no effort to set up, but it also brings many advantages to your business that you simply can’t find anywhere else. It’s like a one-stop shop for everything that you need to market your business online.
Here’s how you can use social media for your business’ Internet marketing strategy.
Brand awareness
By using the popular social media sites today like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Pinterest, you can market to up to millions of people you wouldn’t be able to reach otherwise.
Sixty percent of Instagram users say they’ve discovered new products from the site itself. Who’s to say your brand isn’t the next big discovery they’ll make?
Here are some ways you can increase brand awareness using social media:
- Find your target market. If you have a specific niche for your business, it’s a matter of finding that niche’s communities and getting people to notice your product. One way of doing this is to use hashtags on Twitter and Instagram or join communities on Facebook and Reddit so you can communicate with people who are already interested in what you have to offer.
- Create posts that matter. When you know your target market inside out, it’s easy to give them what they want. Regularly update your social media websites with engaging photos and videos as well as links to relevant articles. The more active you are on social media, the more visible you become to your audience. Just don’t overdo it—posting once to twice a day should be enough.
- Establish your brand voice. Does your brand sound like a wise, old sage giving life advice? Or a fun, young professional who’s always up for an adventure? Does your brand use emojis and GIFs? Whatever your brand voice is, social media is the perfect platform for establishing your brand’s personality. Use your brand voice in every post you make, every customer question you answer, and every complaint you address. Your brand will be recognizable to your market in no time.
Content sourcing
When you’re knees deep in your niche’s community, it’s not difficult to find new content you can use. Here are two effective ways to do it:
- Be in the loop. If you’re in the beauty industry, for instance, keeping track of new beauty trends is easy. If your target market is showing interest in Kylie Jenner’s lip fillers, then write an article about Kylie Jenner’s lip fillers!
- Ask your target market what they want to see. Creating posts along the lines of “We want to hear from you! What would you like to see in our next beauty review?” not only increases brand engagement but also gives you loads of ideas for your next content.
Community engagement
Asking your favorite coffee shop if they’re open on Sundays no longer has to take phone calls or in-person visits. Just look up their Facebook page and send them a message. Many brands hire social media managers in shifts, so there’s always someone online to answer customer inquiries. They’ll likely reply to you within the day (if not in a few minutes).
Here are a few tips to increase community engagement:
- Identify frequently asked questions. You probably already have a FAQs section on your website. That’s good—it means your social media manager already has a template they can use when answering questions. If not, take the time to identify FAQs and create template answers for them. It can be overwhelming to talk to several customers at once. Make sure your social media manager has all the help they can get.
- Customers want answers ASAP. Some brands use customer inquiries as an opportunity to increase website traffic. When a customer poses a question, they might answer with, “Check our website’s About page for information regarding this request.” Your customer will likely be put off—why do they have to skim through your website to get a simple question answered? Always answer questions directly. Don’t waste their time by asking them to research for you.
Showing customers that you care about their concerns is also a tried-and-tested way of building brand loyalty.
Website traffic
Use your social media accounts to drive traffic to your website by doing the following:
- Share blog articles. Well-written and informative blogs are a great way to establish that your business is a leader in your niche.
- Post discount coupons. Take advantage of holiday seasons by posting links to coupon codes on your store. Who doesn’t like a good discount?
- Use call-to-action buttons. Different social media sites have different CTA features. Facebook lets you have a Contact us button on your page, which you can use to redirect to your website.
Social media marketing is a low-investment, high-reward Internet marketing tool. All you need is the dedication and a firm grasp on your target market. If you’re still not feeling confident, don’t hesitate to seek help from the social media experts, such as SEO Toronto, for quick results. The most important thing is to take advantage of social media to maximize your digital marketing efforts.
