There are now over 3.5 billion active social media users online. As a result, over 50 million small businesses are already using Facebook Pages to connect with customers. About 80% of marketers say their strategy is to increase engagement across all channels.
With a strong social media marketing campaign, you can reach and engage with customers, too.
Not sure where to start? Here are a few tips that can help you develop a social media marketing strategy. With these tips, you can expand your reach and help your business grow.
Develop the best social media marketing strategy possible with these tips today.
Research Your Customers
One of the biggest mistakes you can make when planning your social media marketing strategy is making assumptions. Instead, take the time to gather customer research. Researching your customers can help you reach and appeal to those customers.
Otherwise, the content you create for social media might not align with their needs and interests. Your would-be followers will turn to other brands instead.
First, define who your customers are based on demographic research. For example, you might consider age, gender, location, or career groups.
Consider their psychographics, too. Psychographics can include buying behaviors, pain points, interests, hobbies, or online behaviors. For example, you might consider how consumers find products or brands online.
If you’re trying to appeal to multiple consumer groups, create buyer personas.
Next, gather keyword research. What keywords do your customers use to find content online? Consider the questions they’re asking, too.
Your keyword research can improve your content creation strategy. You can start creating content your followers want to see online.
Next, look at how they already behave on social media. What post formats do they prefer? For example, they might like videos over still images.
Maybe they prefer Stories or Reels instead.
Consider which posts they engage with (likes, comments, shares) the most often as well.
You can use this data to better inform your strategy.
Check Out Competitors
You can also gather helpful information by checking out the competition.
First, determine which brands within your niche your target audience already follows online. Consider which social media platforms they use the most often, too. Then, look at the posts they engage with most.
What topics are your competitors covering? Look at the type of content they’re creating as well. Then, check the hashtags they’re using.
Which posts generate the most engagement? Look at the type of content, hashtags, and captions for those posts.
Don’t copy what your competitors have done in the past. Instead, use this information as you develop your own creative social media marketing strategy. If you copy the competition, you won’t stand out from the crowd.
Outline Goals
Don’t rush to develop your content yet. Instead, take a moment to consider your goals. Establishing goals can help you develop a stronger social media marketing campaign.
For example, maybe you want to:
- Generate brand awareness and recognition
- Gain followers on specific platforms
- Generate more website traffic
- Gain new leads and sales
- Become a thought leader
For each goal you create, consider the key performance indicators you’ll track. For example, you might track followers, comments, or website visitors.
Then, determine which tactics will help you accomplish each goal.
For example, maybe you want to generate more brand awareness. You can start posting pay-per-click (PPC) ads to expand your reach online. Working with influencers can help you generate awareness, too.
Review Your Branding
Before you begin creating content, take a look at your brand guidelines. Make sure you maintain brand consistency across all platforms. Your branding includes your:
- Logo
- Color palette
- Voice
- Tone
- Personality
- Font styles
- Imagery styles
Maintaining brand consistency across all platforms can help brand awareness turn into brand recognition.
Choose Platforms
You don’t have to start marketing on every single social media platform. Instead, begin with the platform your customers use the most.
If you’re trying to reach younger consumers, focus on TikTok and Snapchat. To reach millennials, use Instagram. For older consumers, focus on Facebook.
If you’re struggling, you can buy TikTok views to give your strategy a boost.
If you’re developing a B2B marketing campaign, use LinkedIn instead.
Create Content
Start creating eye-catching, branded content based on the platform you’re using.
For example, you can create IGTV, Reels, Stories, or still images for Instagram. For LinkedIn, consider posting blog posts instead.
Make sure your content appeals to your target audience’s interests.
Experiment with different formats to determine what your customers prefer.
Select Hashtags
Make sure you’re not using generic hashtags. Otherwise, your posts could get lost in a sea of content from your competitors.
Instead, use hashtags that are relevant to each individual post you’re sharing.
Make sure to create a branded hashtag for your business as well.
Work on Your Captions
Make sure your captions are engaging and informative. They should add to the visual content you’re creating.
Consider adding a call to action to your captions. Otherwise, post an open-ended question to encourage people to interact with the post.
Cross-Promote
If you’re creating content on one platform, try sharing it on another. Cross-promoting content can help you move followers from one platform to another with ease.
For example, you can share a TikTok video in your Instagram Stories.
Track Trends
As you develop your social media marketing campaign, make sure to track the latest trends. Tracking trends can help you remain relevant online.
For example, you might decide to post more Challenges on TikTok. Maybe you want to share live videos on Instagram. As you begin tracking these trends, make sure you keep your audience in mind.
Make Adjustments
Once you begin using these social media marketing tips, review your analytics. Which posts help you accomplish your goals? Track your KPIs to determine your success.
Then, make adjustments to optimize your strategy!
Develop Your First Social Media Marketing Campaign Today
Don’t miss the chance to reach and engage with your audience online. Instead, use these tips to develop your social media marketing campaign. With these tips, you’ll have an easier time generating followers, likes, and comments.
Then, you can start building a following to help your business grow.
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