Big Social. Big Business.
Business has come to social media in a big way. Companies use social media to gain and market to customers. Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter, YouTube, and LinkedIn are some of the major players in the social media space. Businesses use these platforms every day to reach out to customers and market their products. They do this through a few different methods, and this article will walk you through the major ones.
Best Social Media Platform
There are millions of users between all the major social media platforms, but these users are not evenly distributed across the platforms. While Instagram has 800 million monthly users, it may not be where your customers are. If you have a large group on Facebook, but none on YouTube, don’t focus on YouTube marketing.
If you find most of your customers are grouped on one or two platforms, focus your attention there first. It is not a bad idea to reach out to new audiences on other platforms, but take care of your current fan base first.
To find out where your customers are, there are a few different methods you can use. Services like Flowtown and Rapleaf act as a social anthropologist, you provide customer email addresses and the service does the rest. You can also just ask your customers what social media sites they use. Putting out a simple survey to see what platforms your customers frequent the most is a great way to obtain this information.
Demographics
Not all customers are the same. While many people may have purchased a product, they could each need it for a different reason or situation. Customers come from different locations and backgrounds and therefore have different needs. An ad that appeals to one person might not to another. So rather than grouping all your customers together separate them into smaller groups. Look at demographic data like age, gender, location, income, and more to inform your company on how to market to each group of customers.
Company Voice
It is not enough to throw up an advertisement and expect customers to buy your products. Companies are now expected to have a human element and a company or brand voice. This can be anything from a company statement of values, to what charity causes you support, and more. You don’t need to share every element of your brand, just enough that customers can see you’re more than a business trying to take their money.
A simple way to humanize your brand is to add a human face to it. Whether it be the CEO, the owner of the company, or a division leader, have a face to your brand. There are other ways to get the face of your company out there; guest blogging, podcasting, and social events are a good way to show off the face of your company. Have the face of your company post on Twitter or do a stream on Instagram where they answer questions or do a giveaway.
Customer Interaction
Customers frequently reach out to brands on social media; this is a perfect opportunity to talk with your customers. They are asking for your company to reply, so reply. Whether customers send questions, reviews, or ask for help with an issue, respond back. This is a simple way to tell customers you are listening and you care about what they have to say.
Schedule Content
If your social media strategy is going to be successful, you need to post frequently and regularly. It is difficult to post all the time, so don’t. Find a schedule that works for you and stick to it. Be careful not to be over-aggressive with your posting schedule, you don’t want to be trapped in a schedule you know you can’t sustain long term. Systems like Sprinklr can schedule and post content for you. You simply add the content into the app and it will post on your designated social media platform when you tell it to.
Social media is a huge part of marketing and advertising. Companies market to customers every single day on social media. By choosing the right platform, focusing on the right demographics, and posting the right content for your brand, you can master social media marketing. Also, be sure to interact with your customers and make them feel listened to. With these tips and tricks, you too can be a social media marketing master.
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