Today, social media is a very important part of digital marketing, which companies must definitely include in their marketing strategy. The fact is that today it is no longer a question of whether you and your company will be present on these new-age communication channels, but rather of how you can most effectively use them to promote your company.
It doesn't matter if you own a small business or run a large national corporation. Social media is a very important part of the sales process today, and it shouldn't be neglected when creating a marketing strategy.
Now that we know the importance of using social media for business, let's take a look at the steps to consider when creating an effective social media marketing strategy.
1. Set clear strategic goals
When it comes to strategic marketing planning, it’s essential to have a clear plan that aligns with your company’s and your brand’s values. A clear plan with appropriate goals will allow you to track the success of your marketing campaign. It’s crucial to make sure your plans are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. This is the only way to measure your success on social media.
2. Find your ideal customer and target market
At the beginning, it is mandatory to research who your ideal customer is. You need to know, first of all, what your target group is interested in and, above all, what problems they face. Your task is to offer them a solution or. educate, inform and inspire them through social networks with your content.
3. Good content is key
Gone are the days when we all built on a follower base. Today, the focus is on quality content, with which you build your community on social media. Due to the crowding on social media, social media users will notice you for quality content with added value in today's times. With inspiring video content, informative blog posts or useful practical advice, success is not out of your reach.
Now let's look at the largest social networks and their characteristics.
FACEBOOK
Facebook is the largest social network in the world. Facebook's origins date back to 2003, when it was still called FaceMask, then renamed The Facebook in 2004. It was initially intended for students at Harvard, but over the years it has developed into a great platform for business.
Facebook now has more than 2.2 billion users. Analysts predict that the number of users between the ages of 25 and 44 will remain unchanged. This is also the most common age group, while the number of users over 55 will increase significantly.
Why use Facebook for business?
It is considered one of the cheapest social networks for promoting your business.
It allows you to present your company on business Facebook pages for free.
You can share your photos and video content related to your business with your followers for free (video tips, infographics, informative video content, presentation of your team, etc.)
You can communicate with your potential customers and nurture relationships with existing ones.
It is an excellent channel for your company's visibility.
It helps increase traffic to your website or online store.
It allows you to precisely target your target audience using Facebook advertising.
Types of Facebook profiles
On Facebook, we can create personal and business profiles , as well as public and private Facebook groups. It is very important that all these profiles are organized with as much information about you or your business as possible. Remember africa business email database that social networks are also your marketing and that your potential customers follow them.
Personal profiles are designed for socializing with your friends and acquaintances. On this profile, you mainly share things from your private life, but you can also use it to promote your personal brand. You can only accept 5,000 friends on a personal profile.
WARNING: Many businesses still use personal profiles to promote their business, but this is not in accordance with Facebook's terms and conditions. If your profile name is not a person (with first and last name), you will sooner or later receive a notification that these profiles are not intended to promote your business. If you do not change your profile name to a person, your account will be closed.
Facebook business pages are for your business. You can create a Facebook business page for your business or your brand, as well as for a community or public figure.
Here you can have an unlimited number of followers. The disadvantage of a Facebook business page is that it is difficult to gain followers without serious advertising. Namely, in 2018, the Facebook algorithm changed and now only 2% of your followers see your content. You can increase this percentage by:
- quality content (inspirational and informative video content, ...),
- interact with your followers by including them in posts (ask them a question),
Avoid words like: like, if,… share the post,… tag a friend,… This is especially true for competitions, so avoid these words because they greatly reduce the reach of the post. This is called "click bait", which was introduced in 2019.
Private and public Facebook groups are incredibly useful and can have a huge impact on your business if you use them as part of your marketing strategy. Businesses can open groups for their existing customers and nurture relationships within the group. Or you can build a community of potential customers who will get to know you through useful content and, as a result, buy from you later.
Facebook wants like-minded people to socialize, so they encourage socializing in groups. Namely, people join a group because they are interested in a certain topic in the group. After the change in the algorithm on Facebook business pages, more and more entrepreneurs are using groups, which are also the future.
What is the difference between a Facebook group and a business page?
Today, many entrepreneurs are wondering whether they should have just a Facebook business page or just a group.
Both are recommended.
Like a business Facebook page and group, they are a very important part of the sales funnel
You need a business page for paid advertising and it is very important that people who are not in groups can find you. Nowadays, users often search for businesses on social networks, only then go to Google. That is why it is important to have a Facebook business page equipped with all the necessary information (contact, opening hours, location, your services and products, etc.).
Groups can help you get closer to people and build trust
Since groups are mostly made up of like-minded people, users feel safer. Especially for groups that are private. In groups, everyone also receives a notification when something new is posted. They are also great for surveys, which can help you gain important information for your business.
Strategy for a successful Facebook presence
Follow the 80/20 rule, which means that 80% of the content should be informative, useful, and inspiring, and only 20% should be intended for direct sales.
Keep as much of your content in video format as possible, as this content reaches the most people and is also the cheapest type of publication.
Combine different posts (photo, Instagram post, video, live video, cover photo, profile picture replacement, shared post, ...)
Posts that end with a question get 162% more engagement than the average Facebook post. So include your followers in your posts.
Share your posts in relevant closed groups that might be interested in your content ( not self-promotion, but something useful and valuable )
The most common mistakes users make on Facebook
The posts are only in the form of product promotions.
They write too professionally or in slang and jargon, so the audience doesn't understand them.
They also don't add their personality to their posts, but hide behind logos.
They want to be someone else or funny and they're not.
They don't respond to messages from their followers.
They are not interactive.
We will cover everything about Facebook in an online Facebook workshop , after which you will know all the rules of this largest social network.
INSTAGRAM
Instagram is a social network that was originally intended for sharing photo moments, today it is a great tool that you can use to promote your business. It is a mobile application that now also allows you to share videos. Its beginnings date back to 2010, and in 2012, Facebook became the owner of Instagram. Since then, this network is considered the fastest growing social network, where 90% of users are under 35 years old.
Instagram represents one of the largest platforms for mobile advertising.
Why use Instagram for business?
Instagram is a visual platform that helps you connect more personally with your followers.
It helps you increase sales by regularly informing you about your promotions and new products.
With the help of Stories (disappearing content), followers can get to know you even better, where you can show how your business works.
Helps you get quick feedback on your products
You can use Instagram to increase traffic to your website or store.
It is the second largest social network in Slovenia by number of users.
As many as 60% of them first heard about a product/service through Instagram!
As many as 30% of users purchased a product because they first saw it on Instagram!
Types of Facebook profiles
There are personal, business, and creator accounts available on Instagram.
A personal Instagram account is primarily intended for personal matters, where you socialize with your friends and acquaintances. A personal profile can be public or private, which means that only those followers you approve can see your posts.
A business Instagram account is primarily intended for anyone who wants to increase the reach and visibility of their business. That is, you use Instagram for business. This account allows you to add basic information to your profile, such as your email, phone number, and business location. You can also track statistics for your entire account, individual posts, and Stories (disappearing content).
You can also use a business account to advertise or promote posts for a fee. However, it is important that you also have a business Facebook page, which is a prerequisite for opening a business account and then advertising.
The Instagram Creator account is a new feature that is primarily intended for influencers who have more than 10,000 followers. It is recommended for public figures, artists, content creators, and influencers. It has slightly different features that are more suitable for content creation.
It also allows:
- in-depth statistics (daily statistics, advanced demographic statistics),
- better overview of messages (messages are classified into 3 segments, primary, general and requests)
you can further define your niche (more detailed category),
- flexible contact information , which influencers can turn off if they have too many inquiries.
Strategy for a successful Instagram presence
Make sure you have a well-organized profile with all the important information (your profile topic, contact information, link to your website or store, etc.)
Publish at least one post per day , preferably in the morning or evening when followers are more likely to be on Instagram (it's best to monitor your statistics to show you the right direction).
Add as many hashtags as possible to the description, a maximum of 30, as this will increase the reach of the post.
Choose keywords that are not very common and are part of your niche.
Look at keywords from your competitors or people who have similar content to help you find the right keywords.
Add a long and interesting description, as the amount of time a user spends on a post also helps with the reach of the post.
Also tag people and location in the picture and in Stories because this will help you reach more people.
Be interactive and like and comment on other posts, that way people will notice you.
The most common mistakes users make on Instagram
They don't post regularly and expect a good response.
They do not include keywords in the post that help increase the reach of the post.
They don't have a business account that allows them to view statistics.
Unequipped profile with basic information.
They don't publish at the right time, which is key.
They are not interactive.
A guide to social networks that are right for your business
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