The last few years have been a whirlwind for social media marketing. Facebook changed its algorithm, while Instagram hit one billion users and rolled out a slew of business features. Twitter, too, relaxed its 140-character limit, allowing businesses to express themselves better. Customers, on the other hand, want brands to get real.
People want brands to take a stand on political and social issues, and they want it done on social media. But with all these changes, one can’t help but wonder where to go from here. We have broken down the steps to help your brand make the most of these changes.
Understand Your Biggest Challenges and Set Goals That Address Them
As digital marketing experts in Phoenix AZ will tell you, you first need to figure out what you want from social media. Is it to drive in-person sales or are you looking to improve the ROI? Do you want to create a loyal fanbase or are you in it to increase brand awareness? It is not until you narrow down what you want that you can design an impactful strategy. Finally, remember that this is a marathon and not a sprint. Set smaller, realistic goals.
Learn to Track Meaningful Metrics
To augment your business goals, you have to learn to track meaningful metrics. Unlike vanity metrics, which are easy to follow, useful metrics will be a bit challenging, but they have real value.
If you are on social media to increase brand awareness, focus on followers and shares. If your goal is to turn customers into advocates, pay close attention to the comments, mentions, and likes. Finally, if you are looking to convert and drives sales, focus on website clicks and email signups.
Understand Your Target Audience
Thanks to the wealth of demographic data and social media analytic tools, you don’t have to make dangerous assumptions. Know who your ideal customer is and what they want to see, as this is key to creating content they want to click and share. Create a buyer persona if you want to convert fans and followers to customers.
In conclusion, you have to understand the platforms. Facebook and YouTube are great for ads thanks to their high earning user bases. Instagram is for eye-popping content as the majority of users are below 30, while LinkedIn is for in-depth, industry-specific content, seeing as the users are well educated.
Dig into Your Competitors
Once you know your audience, it is time to understand your competitors. Your competitors are most likely already using social media, but this is not necessarily a bad thing as you can learn from them. Conduct a competitive analysis to know who they are and what they are doing well. The review will also help you spot opportunities and gaps.
Thanks to digital marketing experts, we know the benefits of social media marketing and the strategies to follow for business success. Remember that social media marketing is a marathon and that it is only a part of the more extensive digital marketing mix.