In this 6 part course we are going to go over the basic building blocks of social media marketing so that you will be better able to communicate with your audience and convert followers into customers.
Unless you are a social media marketing company (chances are, you're not), don't get carried away. You don't need to try to be on every single social media platform right away. By picking one or two social media platforms to focus your attention on you will learn the intricacies of that platform and keep fro m spreading yourself too thin.
There's something very important to understand - you can sell your product, or service, on any social media site. What you can't do is use the same strategy on every platform and think it's going to work.
A post on Instagram won't work if it's just recycled fro m Facebook. Each platform speaks to its user in a different way, and you need to learn the language.
In order to position your offering effectively, you need a deep understanding of the psychology of the platform you're using.
Today I will review three of the most popular social media platforms and how you can best utilize them.
With about 1.65 billion monthly active users, Facebook is one of the most popular platforms, not only for personal use but business as well. For businesses, Facebook is a place to share photos, updates, and general news with those who follow or “like” you. Fans of your business come to your Facebook page to find out what’s going on with your company, see pictures of what’s going on, or explore events.
It’s important to keep in mind that many use Facebook as a personal network to connect with their friends or loved ones. Your brand needs to fit into this atmosphere naturally in order to keep people interested in what you’re posting. So don’t make it solely about selling.
Facebook Advertising is really picking up speed in the business world. It uses social graph and activities to pinpoint those who fall into your buyer demographics, making Facebook Ads incredibly effective. Facebook ads are more likely to bring in strong leads that are actually looking for your services.
Twitter is fast-paced, concise, and easy way to connect with your audience. With over 310 million registered users (and growing), Twitter is a sea of information of 140 character or less content waiting to be read, clicked, followed, and re-tweeted.
When marketing on Twitter, you need to have content that is enticing enough for people to stop and click through. People are normally scrolling through quickly so it takes more than just simple text to stop them in their tracks. Make sure when you're constructing your tweets, you’re making people want to click through.
Try using quotes, statistics, or questions related to the link you’re tweeting as a way to people wanting to read more. Incorporate photos, polls, gifs, or even short videos.
Hashtags (#) are you key tool on Twitter. These tags allow you to reach a wider audience than just your followers by getting involved in existing conversations. People searching for specific information will often check hashtags to see what’s out there. Do some research what your buyer persona is hashtagging to make sure your posts are going to be found by the right people.
Instagram is a visual social media platform based entirely on photo and video posts. The Facebook-owned network has more than 700 million active users, many of whom post about food, art, travel, fashion and similar subjects. Instagram is distinguished by its unique filters and photo- and video-editing options.
It's important that the person running your account have a good eye for detail and at least basic photography skills so the photos and videos posted to your account are high-quality.
Instagram Stories are a fantastic way to interact with your audience. When you add a post to your story it is only available for 24 hours so it is a great way to offer exclusive content or promotions. You can also use it to provide a behind-the-scenes look into what is happening right now and connect with your audience on another level. Since Instagram doesn't allow links in their posts, you can utilize stories to link out to your website or other content.
Respond to other users' comments. When people comment on your posts, reply to them. Interacting with your customers and followers will show them that you are paying attention and that you care about whether they see your posts and what they have to say. They'll be more likely to continue following you and interacting with your posts if they feel like they matter.
Show off your products or services. Take pictures of cool new products as you get them in, or share pictures of your most popular products. Or, if you run a service business, like a hair salon or a restaurant, take the time to take photos of your work. This will not only provide interesting content for your audience, but will also show your customers and followers exactly what goes on in the background.
How to capture your audiences attention. In part 2 of this series we will go over tactics to get , and keep, your users attention on crowded social media platforms.
We will walk through your current website and discuss the vision for your new website, as well as any other digital marketing needs you may have.