How to Step Up Your Social Media
When Social Media Marketing became mainstream many said it was a short-term tactic as the value and return on investment was unknown. Social Media is a key marketing business tool, which fits as a piece of the puzzle, amongst other marketing activities to deliver results.
Results are achieved when you create a social media strategy and execute it well. It’s perceived to be as an easy-to-use and an efficient way to find and engage new potential customers through the comfort of a mobile or desktop device.
Businesses assumed that because their competitors were on it meant that they needed to as well, however, the issue was that they didn’t have the correct tools, strategy or understand the full benefits of what social media can really do.
Fast forward to the new age of social media, and we’re approached by businesses asking, “how do we use social media to generate sales, and what can you do to make it happen?”
There has been a pendulum swing in social media, from a support customer service tool to a core marketing platform that requires everlasting content to generate short term and long term outcomes.
As a marketing tool, social media offers a wide range of opportunities to help build your brand or business online. Having social media for your business is a good thing but it’s using it correctly that’s the important part.
Identify first what goals you’re wanting to achieve on social media. Your business should already have defined goals – whether it be increasing sales, product promotions, or branching out worldwide. With social, start small and take your plan along for a ride for the first 3 months. Set goals such as growing your following from 350 to 600, selling 5 more products then the previous month, and creating more conversations and engagement by commenting on 50 other accounts per week.
After 3 months, if you find that there have been an increase or no change, then go back and adjust your strategy.
What can be done to achieve growth?
Creating engaging content and posting pictures is a start. To generate ongoing leads and sales to expand your marketing, there are other considerations that include creating email marketing, managing social advertising and collaborating with others to gain brand awareness for long-term success.
By ignoring a defined social media strategy and brand approach you will miss out on opportunities. Be creative with your thinking and be strategic with decision making. There are endless opportunities and ways of promoting your business and services on social media.
Knowing your audience and market is important and with each platform there is an opportunity to generate an audience, and businesses can use this once the social platform is managed correctly.
But I am a service based business…
Service-based business benefit from a different approach to product based business in social media by thinking outside the square. Consider customer videos and testimonials, conducting competitions, collaborating with other businesses and showing behind-the-scenes footage of what a day at your business looks like. Don’t be afraid to get in front of social media with real time video and talking direct with your customers.
What about restaurants and cafe owners?
The food and beverage industry can drive sales from social media with quality food photography, content that links direct to eCommerce store, connecting with like-minded businesses and creating a product together, or working on a pop-up event with local markets and council events. Being ever present with quality content across these areas to generate leads and sales.
I want to promote my business event on social media
If your business has an event, tour or workshop coming up, expand to different people with a short-term strategy to generate ticket sales and brand awareness. By using social media advertising, it means that you can target specific audiences and demographics that align with those who follow your business or attendees of previous events.
Collaboration is another great way to expand your social media into different audiences, all of which yourself and the person you’re collaborating with have new people to interact with. This can help identify new leads and sales from niche audiences that may have never heard of you before.
When potential customers and followers find you on social media, it’s important to be consistent with your presence. From the start of building your social profile and audience, you will look more authentic once all the bios, username, photographs are in alignment.
Stand out from your competitors by making valuable and interesting content for your customers. Having eye-catching content helps your followers engage, and there is always the ability for your followers to share and grow your audience.
No one knows what I do, how can I get anywhere on social media?!
Aggressive marketing tactics don’t work on social media. Instead, focus on posting valuable, shareable content to build a loyal following and community.
Provide excellent customer service and your followers will notice that you’re going out of your way to secure a customer relationship. The more time and effort you put into building relationships, the easier it will become to promote your products and services without hard selling.
I want quick results!
Setting a social strategy, creating your content, managing your accounts, and collaboration is not something that can be done overnight. It takes time to build. The more authentic you approach social media, the more likely you’ll look back and be proud of the amount of work that has gone into the social content and the growth of your community.
A social media strategy requires time and thought, a long-term strategy will help put every piece together. Think about what attracts your followers and why they followed you in the first place and be consistent with your approach.
Social media is ideal for generating an audience, achieving growth and driving sales in the short and long term.
Want to see what we have achieved for Australian businesses on social media? View our case studies here.
If you’re looking to find out how Fig Tree Digital can help you, contact us.
