Businesses need social media, no matter the size. But we know that.
However, many don’t know that using social media is more than just making noise on the internet and hoping that someone will like your posts or contact you.
In previous blogs, we’ve talked about the importance of different marketing tools and their role in the integrated marketing process. Social media is another component to add to your marketing mix, and it should tie in every marketing activity you do.
To start working on your social media efforts, you need to research and analyze three key pieces of information. Assuming that you know who your target market is, you will need to know:
- Generally, what social media platforms your audience can be found on
- Specifically, the best platform to reach your audience on
- The type of content that your audience is most likely to enjoy and engage with
It may sound easy, but it can be challenging to ensure that you have the right info. Getting one of the above wrong can lead you to leverage social media in ways that deliver little to no results.
Doing the research to find out where your audience “hangs out” online is very important. How are you going to know what social media platforms you should be using? “All of them” is not always the answer.
Once you know where your audience is, you need to keep in mind that each platform is best used for certain things. Some platforms are designed for business-to-business interactions only, whereas others are more flexible. Building awareness on the right platform is one of the most important aspects of any social media strategy.
When your research is done and you feel comfortable with your social media platform choices, make sure that the core messages you based your content around truly interest your audience. A personal trainer in late June should be offering a workout plan guaranteeing customers a beach body in 4 weeks instead of how to make healthy comfort foods for cold weather.
When you’re equipped with these three key pieces of information, you’ll be one step closer to successfully leveraging social media and getting the results you want.
