3 Steps to Successfully Market Your Business Using Social Media

COVID-19 has made sure that everyone is engaging with social media. People from all walks of life have hopped on board, whether it’s to stay up to date on current news or merely as a way to kill boredom during the lockdown. And with 70% of the U.S. population owning at least one social media profile, business owners know that this is a good time as any to build relationships with consumers and boost brand awareness.

Moreover, there is an undeniable power in numbers. With a whopping 3.8 billion social media users around the world, you know there is a considerable potential behind social media marketing (SMM). Unfortunately, merely throwing a few things together and hoping that your social media profile will magically connect with your customers is asking far too much.

People are pickier than ever. They won’t settle for anything but the best. And if you want to get ahead of the competition, you’ll have to do more than you already are.

So are you ready to discover some great ways to market your brand on social media effectively?

Let’s dive right in.

1. Write a plan

The world of digital marketing continues to develop and grow. And there are multiple aspects that you need to take care of; social media is just one of them. Akin to all aspects of life, you need a well thought out marketing plan in order to be successful. And social media marketing is no different. By doing so, you will have covered an essential part of digital marketing. 

You’ve probably already read this piece of advice a dozen times, but I’ll repeat it. You need to start by writing down your plans. Whether it’s on paper or your laptop, stating your goals and objectives can make them feel relatable and realistic. 

So make sure that you cover the main points, which may include the following:

What do you want to achieve by being on social media? 

A list of objectives can keep you on track. Knowing what you want to achieve can help align your team members’ efforts.

Who is the target audience?

You need a clear understanding of who you want to reach. If you aim to target everyone, your message won’t reach anyone.

Which platforms do you intend to use?

The list of social media platforms is lengthy. Knowing where your customers are and identifying a budget helps make it easier to choose how many social media accounts are actually beneficial for the brand.

What content do you plan on sharing?

There’s a variety of content you can use, including blogs, videos, images, memes, GIFs, infographics, webinars, and podcasts. What do your consumers prefer? What can be effectively promoted on your selected social media platform? 

When are you going to share?

There is no one-size-fits-all solution. The best time to post depends significantly on your audience. Studying the behavior patterns of your target audience can help you devise a posting schedule that has the most engagement.

How are your competitors driving engagement?

From keyword research to competitor analysis, you need to be on top of your game 100%. Being aware of what’s going on in the industry and keeping track of current trends can get you ahead of the competition. 

As always it’s best to start this process by creating or reviewing your business plan to help determine what works for your business. For an in-depth guide on how to leverage your business plan, check out this guide on Lean Planning.

2. Create high-quality content

This is one of my favorite topics. What you post on social media creates an image of your brand. And we all know that bold, eye-catching visuals define the world of social media. So depending upon the platform, you intend to use, create content that attracts and engages your target audience. Therefore, posts must be:

• Relevant 
• Valuable
• Unique
• Shareable across multiple platforms

But one of the crucial aspects of your content, no matter which types you create, should be to build a consistent visual brand image across all networks. To help you achieve this, consider the following points:

• Ensure you use colors and fonts in your images, graphics, and videos that reflect on your brand.

• Logos, banners, bios, social handles, etc. should be consistent on all channels.
• Post regularly.
• The content should align with audience preferences as well as your brand.

The key to creating exceptional content, however, comes from knowing how to use different social media platforms for marketing. Honing in on the unique features that each platform has to offer can make your campaign that much more effective.

3. Establish and measure KPIs

Every action has an equal and opposite reaction. This law holds true for SMM as well. The only way to identify whether your campaign is bringing in positive results is by monitoring and analyzing the right metrics. With accurate insights, you can refine your strategy and target the audience better.

But because each social network has a different audience demographics, brands need to identify the right KPIs. Once again, the metrics you choose will depend on what your business and social media goals are.

There are thousands of daily interactions across social media platforms. But in order to develop a relationship with consumers, increase brand awareness, and improve ROI, you will need to be active and responsive. Keeping track of key metrics such as shares, impressions, CTRs, conversion rates, traffic from social channels, etc. will allow you to get the most out of your social media marketing campaign. 

It takes time to develop a strong presence on social media. Even renowned brands like Nike are where they are today because of consistently being aware of their audience. Implementing the right strategies will help you improve your brand online.

Final thoughts

This may seem like a basic plan, but it’s often the simplest things in life that have the greatest impact. So if you want viewers to latch onto your brand, working on the essentials is the perfect way to build a strong base for future growth.

Sometimes, even with extensive planning, things don’t go as we want to. But that’s okay because it is from these very mistakes that we learn the most. All you need to do is take a step back and evaluate the situation. Assess and adjust your current strategy and dive back in. Giving up on your brand is not an option.  

Ready to give your social media your best shot?