One of the reasons many small businesses hesitate to push forward with social media marketing is the fact that change is a constant where social media is concerned. New venues and new uses for existing venues are always in the works. Read on to gain familiarity and expand your comfort zone so social media marketing can become a regular part of your business-building plan.
Social Media Trends to Try
- Facebook Events. To hold a Facebook event, you have to first have a Facebook fan page for your business. It’s worth it to include Facebook in your social media marketing plan since this venue reaches the most consumers worldwide. Facebook events allow you to promote a single occasion, such as a sale or the introduction of a new product or service. After setting up the event, invite Facebook friends and the public.
- Facebook Offers. Facebook Offers also work in conjunction with your business’s Facebook fan page. Use them as you would coupons or print offers to attract consumers to your business or entice repeat buyers. Unlike regular coupons and offers, you can target your Facebook Offers to reach consumers who’ve already expressed an interest in the type of service or product you’re offering.
- Google+. Although it has some stiff competition, Google+ is gaining ground as a worthwhile social media venue. You can use Google+ to connect with others by adding them to your circles. But more importantly, sharing your blog posts and other worthwhile content through your Google+ account will help build credibility and expertise.
- Tumblr. Tumblr is a social media venue that’s like a blog with a bit of Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter thrown in. If you want to write long, thorough blog posts, Tumblr isn’t the place to do it. But you can effectively share short posts, noteworthy images and videos via Tumblr and develop a well-defined following.
Benefits of a Well-Planned Social Media Marketing Campaign
- Reach the Right Consumers. Flying by the seat of your pants isn’t an effective strategy for social media marketing. When in doubt, it’s beneficial to have a professional help you build a marketing plan for your small business so you can reach consumers who will be interested in what you have to offer. Although there’s little monetary cost involved with social media marketing, you will invest time, so it’s best to streamline your efforts for the highest return on your time investment.
- Share Content People Want to Read. Planning your social media marketing approach will help you create content that engages people. It’s important to strike a balance between quantity and quality. Three to five posts per week will build consistency, and well-written content will get people to recognize the value in what you have to say.
- Boost Your Bottom Line. Let’s face it, the ultimate reason for marketing is to build business and bring in more profit. If a current social media venue isn’t producing results after three to six months of consistent use, it’s probably time to remove it from your marketing plan and replace it with something else.
- Expand Your Customer Base. Social media users are inundated with words and images. When you take the time to create valuable content for your followers, you’ll find that your customer base naturally expands as a result. If lack of time or experience keeps you from producing the best quality of social media content possible, hiring a professional to take care of it for you can prove to be a smart investment.
Getting Started
An effective social media marketing plan includes the use of three to five different venues. A business blog makes an excellent addition to a well-designed website, and provides you with a foundation to build the rest of your social media marketing upon. From there, add a couple of the venues mentioned above. Don’t hesitate to discard what doesn’t suit your business so you can focus on using the social media that does. Consistency is important, but so is flexibility. As social media continues to change and grow, business owners must be willing to change and grow along with it.
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To find out more about social media marketing, and how it can help your business, feel free to contact us at Touchpoint Digital.