Social media marketing is now an integral part of marketing for a majority of companies. Digital marketers have realized the importance of social media and recommend its inclusion in main stream marketing strategies. Managing social media, however, is not an easy task. A well thought out tweet can make your content go viral, while a careless post can cost you significant sales. Presented in this article are 11 principles of social media marketing that must be followed to ensure success.
Aim for high quality content
The old adage quality trumps quantity still holds true. A single good quality post is much, much better than a dozen low quality articles. An important factor in SERP, according to Google's algorithm, is backlinks from authority sites such as Facebook and Twitter. If you want to reach the top of the search results organically, you need to make your content share-worthy. People will only share the content they like, so it is important to cater to your audience. Also, quality content helps create a brand image for your business.
Engage with your audience
Take an active part in community discussions, as it helps create trust among your customers and builds a strong reputation. Your audience will find you more accountable, and a healthy engagement of your brand with the community reflects positively on your image.
Try following other successful people , or influencers, in your niche on social platforms. Retweet, like and share others' posts, and they'll most probably return the gesture.
Check your analytics
Analytics help you pin-point major points of success and failure in your strategies. The amount of likes or retweets on individual posts are an indicator of what your audience wants from you. Analysing traffic from different social media channels helps you understand where you need more focus.
The customer is always right
Do not be negative when dealing with a customer online. Keep your social channels clean and positive. A rant by an angry customer in some comments section can cause potential clients to look for other options. Deal with such instances by providing helpful customer support.
Give something back to your loyal audience
You need to appreciate your loyal customer/fan base as it is partly because of them that your business is still running. Give away freebies, coupons, expert courses or tutorials and your customers will love you. Offer something of value to your followers on a regular basis, and watch your business grow.
Spread the good vibes through your content
Try to avoid negative content or marketing as much as possible. Do not bash your competitors. It will make your brand look desperate for attention and digital brand wars do not always end well for those who initiate them.
Create a content schedule
Plan your content delivery in advance. Use analytics to find out when is the best time to post an update, at what time is most of your audience online, etc. Send out 8-10 tweets throughout the day, post a Facebook update daily. This also helps your audience know when they can expect new post updates.
Regularly post fresh content
Churn out new content for your audience on a regular basis. Do not recycle old posts frequently, although it is allowed if you have something new to add on to them. Be consistent with your post timings. Don't spam your channels so people or people will start unfollowing you. Avoid leaving wide time gaps between posts if your brand isn't dead.
Stay up-to-date with the latest social media marketing trends
Social media is constantly evolving. Every year various platforms, including Google (search) announce changes to their algorithms and how it can affect digital marketers. Be ready to adapt to the latest trends in the industry, and use them to your advantage.
Channelize your efforts into fewer social media platforms
Unless you have a large marketing team capable of handling hundreds of social platforms, it is best to focus on 3-4 major channels that you think are the most relevant to your business and target audience. More is not necessarily better, as your investments would be scattered across several platforms, with poor ROI (return on investment).
Advertise your brand smartly
Your business cannot thrive only on organic leads. To maximize exposure of your content, or to get direct sales, you have to start spending more on social media advertising. Try experimenting with sponsored ads on Facebook and Twitter, and see how they fare in comparison to Google Ads.
If you are looking for ways to supplement your current marketing program with some social media posts but are unsure where to start, contact a Merit Mile specialist.