To the uninitiated, social media is just a tool to connect with people around the world, stay in touch with the ones you know, and keep tabs on global events. However, marketers and business owners view social media as the greatest opportunity to create brand recognition and eventually, sales!
With ever-evolving digital platforms and their infamous algorithms, how does one go about reaping the benefits from social media?
In this listicle, we uncover the top ways you can use social media to your advertising advantage.
Choose the Right Platform
Although your brand should be present on all major platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, the foremost question you need to ask yourself is, ’Where do most of my customers spend time?’.
For instance, if you are a photography company, most of your users would be active on Instagram, because it is primarily a photo-sharing platform. This gives you the answer on where your paid advertisements and other efforts should be focussed. This is not to say that you leave incoming messages on other platforms unseen for weeks on end, it simply stresses the importance of one over the other to complement your target market and business niche.
The demographics of your customers are also pivotal in this choice. Facebook, for instance, has dropped off the radar of young folks lately. While it was all the rage a few years ago, platforms like Twitter and Instagram have taken over.
Powerful Content
Do not make mediocre content. Period. Millions of companies and influencers are fighting for the coveted 10-second attention span of customers, despite creating captivating content. Anything sub-par would be outright rejected by the audience and would not even give you a fighting chance, let alone growth.
Poor content also gets punished by search engine algorithms through low rankings and distrust – it gets recommended in lesser searches until it is reduced to the corners of the web.
The Call to Action (CTA), if needed, has to be subtle – anything too salesy is already on its way to failure.
Ease of Purchase
Too many complications make people lose interest. Advertising on any social media channel should be accompanied by an easy and quick way to purchase.
This does not only mean payment gateway integrations for smooth transactions, but also refers to a clear placement of the product options, shopping cart, and other functionalities. For instance, Pinterest makes this process exceptional for its users through its ‘Buyable Pins’ feature.
Utilization of Features
Now and then, social media platforms come up with new and exciting features to keep the users hooked. A few years ago, Instagram added the Stories and later, Carousels. Business profiles that use the latest features automatically reach more users, even organically.
This is because the algorithm favors the usage of features and showcases their benefits through users already utilizing them. Instagram posts, user-bio, and stories can have tags and links to help users buy your product in a few clicks.
Groups
A widely underestimated tool within any social media marketing arsenal is groups. Groups do an excellent job of warming up leads, without pushing. Even with paid advertisements, people from your groups are likely to buy your products easier than direct customers.
LinkedIn does a great job in providing a platform for mastermind groups where industry experts can share information – the groups are a great way to establish your industry expertise and brand authority. On the other hand, Facebook groups can get you leads in the form of members looking for help and information.
If the group provides value to members through answers to common issues, troubleshooting guides, brand connections, and other communications, they develop a high level of trust in your brand.
When an advertisement is rolled out, these members can relate to the value proposition much faster and purchase from you.
Consistency
Stick to a schedule for posting. When the audience gets a new post on a regular day and time, they feel good and in turn, engage with your content. High engagement makes the algorithms recommend your posts in search feeds and voila, you get more visitors!
Haphazard scheduling hits you negatively – you lose a loyal audience who genuinely believe in your cause, but do not see you around, and the low movement causes the algorithm to recommend your competition instead of you.
Influencer Marketing
You can save thousands of dollars and gain much better ROI by tapping into the influencers’ market. If an influencer has good engagement despite the size of their audience and you can work with them, it is often a great idea to leverage their platform for your brand’s product or services.
In contrast to traditional, platform-based promotions, influencers can bring in much better results at a much lower cost. However, it is important to work with influencers that your brand has similarities with. If a brand selling healthy living, meditation, or yoga equipment worked with an influencer known to be an avid smoker, they might be perceived as a great fit by the audience.
Social Proof
Showcase some evidence of your brand’s success through customer testimonials and Subject-matter-expertise. Building trust through timely engagement with customers via live videos, replies to comments, and videos help gain traction.
Profiles with verified accounts, recommendations, and credible partnerships get a better response from customers.
Paid Ads
This may be the oldest trick in the book, but paid advertisement is one of the fastest and most effective ways of getting results. Make sure you understand the platform’s ad management system, your target audience’s demographics, and have a budget in mind before venturing into the world of paid ads.
The algorithms of major social media platforms are notorious for updates now and then. This makes it difficult for newbies to hit the bull’s eye with their targeting and retargeting. It is often a good idea to go with a professional ad management company if you want to delve into paid ads.
This way, you can be sure of getting high-quality leads and good ROI on your paid ads, despite the algorithm changes happening in the background.
Sounds too much to handle? Let our industry-hardened professional account managers handle your social media. We are backed by years of experience in the trade and hundreds of delighted clients attest to our capabilities in generating life-changing results. Click here to schedule an appointment.
