The year is 2020 and social media has absolutely invaded our everyday lives. For most people, it is impossible to go more than a few days without checking their profiles on their selected social media websites. Many use this social media keeping up with their friends, their favorite celebrities, for getting local and national news, as well as for entertainment. There are many different social media websites out there and each can fulfill a different purpose with different kinds of content. But, even if it is unknowingly, they are a part of something that all companies should be taking advantage of: social media marketing.
What is social media marketing?
At its most basic definition, social media marketing is the use of social media platforms to help promote a product or a service. In reality it is much more complicated than that, but that is the gist of it. Social media marketing has been around for as long as social media has, but it has really picked up steam as the different websites continue to grow in popularity. Marketers and business owners are becoming even more creative as social media networks roll out useful engagement and analytics features quite often.
One huge benefit of social media is that people from all generations use the platforms at varying rates. You could have an elderly person over the age of 70 using Facebook or Twitter while also having a preteen use Instagram and Snapchat. With these different age groups, you have the ability to incorporate different social media marketing strategies that work for each group that you are pursuing. This social media marketing introduction will get into that a bit more in the next section of this post.
How can it help a local business?
For a local business, social media marketing can be a very powerful tool. With so many people on each of these sites every day, there are plenty of ways that this social media marketing introduction can help a local business. There are a few things that you should consider as you are looking into using social media websites. Here are some things to consider as well as ways that social media marketing can help a local business.
Decide which websites to use
One of the biggest things you need to consider when you are thinking about your social media marketing plan is which websites you want to use. The websites that you should use will heavily depend on the industry you work in and how you want your business to be viewed by customers and potential customers.
Some social media websites that we recommend for all businesses are Facebook and YouTube. Each of these websites has nearly 2 billion users and are fairly easy to use for anyone. Facebook is great for interactive content as well as promotion for your new or existing products/services. YouTube is great for showcasing your business features, products/services, employees, culture, and anything else you can think of. These websites are a great starter and will definitely help put your business out there more.
Find your target audience(s)
While you are deciding which social media websites to use for your local business, you should consider who you want to target. For example, a mattress and furniture store would have a hard time targeting teenagers who usually are not in the market for their products. This type of store would likely do great targeting middle aged adults that are looking for a high-quality nightly sleep. You can learn more about which audience(s) you should target by looking at your analytics and seeing who engages with your website. This step may be a bit harder if you are a brand-new business, but it is incredibly important and worth your time to complete.
Create unique content
After you figure out which websites you want to use and who you want to direct your social media marketing to, it is time to create your content. While it is okay to post articles from other sources, we highly recommend you start your own blog section and write posts from the knowledge that you have. If you are truly passionate about whatever your local business is, there should be no issue coming up with numerous blog post ideas. You can also create videos showcasing your products, Q&A sessions with fan questions, podcasts, and much more. This content will add value to your local business and make people want to visit you. Always look for ways to keep your business fresh and entertaining.
Social media marketing helps raise engagement and bring in business
The whole purpose of social media marketing is for people to engage and interact with your business, whether they are already customers or potential customers. You can raise your engagement by creating unique and engaging content that they will enjoy. Another idea is to create weekly polls or debate posts that allow customers to spend more time thinking about your business. As long as you play your cards right, users will love to engage with you and hopefully purchase from you.
Social media marketing helps build relationships
Similar to how our social media marketing introduction will help you raise engagement, these websites also helps you build relationships with users and other businesses. Many people, in fact over 40%, use social media sites to look for new businesses, products, and services. This also allows them to simply message your page and get a quick answer from you rather than having to call a customer service line. You can keep a constant conversation with people and raise their trust with you. Once someone trusts your business, it is more likely that they will purchase from you and recommend you to their friends.
How we do social media marketing
At Focused Engagement, we are experts in the social media marketing game. Our staff has years of experience crafting unique content, engaging posts, and effective campaigns that will take your local business to the next level. Visit our social media marketing webpage today to learn more about our services and contact us for a local business marketing audit.