While traditional marketing methods, such as television and print ads, may have worked many years ago, they are not as useful now. Sure, they still have a place in marketing, but they are not as effective as they used to be, especially when compared to digital marketing.
The internet has allowed businesses to reach customers worldwide with ease through the use of various digital marketing methods. If you wonder what digital marketing effort you should focus on to make the most out of this potential, you might want to consider social media marketing.
Millions of people are on social media every day, which means that a strong presence there lets you reach countless potential customers, increasing your chances of making a sale. If you have not ventured into social media marketing before, here is how you can start doing so properly.
1. Identify your goals
The first thing you ever do is set a goal (or goals) for your social media marketing efforts. This is true for any venture you may undertake, as the lack of a goal means you are blindly putting effort into something without knowing the results that you will get.
That said, your goals can be anything from increasing sales to boosting website traffic. However, the most crucial aspect of setting goals is that it is specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-based (SMART). With SMART goals, you will ensure that every goal you set is attainable, allowing your social media marketing efforts to be a huge success.
2. Select a social media platform
There are many social media platforms out there, each with unique features and quirks. For example, on Instagram, stories are shared through short clips, pictures, and the like. Meanwhile, on YouTube, the majority of all content is video-based. Besides that, the most critical aspect of choosing a social media platform is choosing the one your audience is in.
With that in mind, make sure to research your audience thoroughly. Look at their social media habits and choose the platform that they are mostly using. Remember to learn more about the platform you plan to use to ensure that your content is relevant to the audience.
3. Research your competition
You are going to face competition, whether you like it or not. For you to have the upper hand, you will need to research your competitors.
One aspect of competitor research involves the keywords they use. For example, if you sell water bottles, you can type down water bottles on a search engine and see who pops up. Once you list down your competitors, you can look at what kind of content they are posting about. This can give you an excellent idea of what type of keywords you should target.
Conclusion
Once you have completed the steps above, you can start posting content! Remember, you can post all sorts of content out there, depending on the platform and your goals. However, what is most important is that your content is highly relevant to your target audience and that you post consistently.
That said, if you are having trouble getting your social media marketing efforts started, do not hesitate to hire a digital marketing agency to help you out. They have plenty of experience under their belts, and they will know exactly how to make the most out of social media platforms to grow your business.
Akby is a full-service marketing agency, providing various services from content creation and website development to paid ads and graphic design. If you are looking for social media marketing services in the US, work with us today!
