Is social media a good option for your business?
What platform(s) should you use?
Is Instagram or Facebook better? Twitter or LinkedIn? Different platforms attract different kinds of traffic, and the type of business you’re in will generally decide which one is best for you.
If your business can offer visual content, typically like Fashion brands or businesses that sell a product, then you’ll want to stick with a visual-heavy social media platform like Instagram or Pinterest.
If you’re primarily content drive and are in the B2C (business to consumer) space, then chances are Facebook will become your primary social media channel.
B2B brands tend to do best on LinkedIn as this is considered a more ‘professional’ network and have the audience that fit in well with the B2B crowd.
Are your target audience using social media?
Not only do you need to figure out if your target audience use social media, but also how they interact with the specific platform.
In today’s world, most people use one or more of the top social media platforms, so the chances of your ideal customer not being there are slim.
Look for groups and community pages where you think your ideal customer would frequent. Use this as validation that they are active on social media platform.
You can also join these groups and participate in active conversations they might be having, with the intent of directing those people back to your business page or website.
Do you have the resources to maintain it?
Social media isn’t a passive tool and requires active monitoring to ensure you consistently post new content, grow your following and respond to messages and comments.
Tasked with all the above, keeping on top of everything can easily consume half of your day. Do you or a member of your team have the time to consistently manage your social media profiles?
Do you have quality content to share?
Social media isn’t worth your time if you just create a profile and leaving it to gather dust. Social media profiles that grow are the ones that are consistently sharing content that their followers are excited to see, engage with and share.
Even if you post one piece of content a week, do you have enough highly engaging content to share with your audience?
If you don’t, do you have the time or resources to create one piece of shareable content weekly and post it to your social media accounts?
What platform(s) should you use?
While it’s true that most businesses can benefit from having social media accounts, it’s not enough that they’re just created. Being active and engaged on social media can have a range of benefits for your business.
- Connecting with your customers.
Social media gives your business a platform to spread its message. It allows for an open dialogue between you and your customers and helps you form stronger relationships with them.
When you share content on your social platforms, whether that be news about new products, services or anything related to the business, you open up an opportunity to engage and get feedback from your community. - Shows off your work
Social media is a great place to showcase your products and services. It allows you to ‘brag’ about the results your customers receive when they engage in business with you.
Case studies and testimonials are only two content ideas that can be displayed on your social media accounts. They act as a form of social proof and can effectively pre-sell your potential customers on your offerings. - Drives traffic
Social media is also great for driving traffic. Whether you use paid social advertising or are looking to build up an audience using organic (free) methods, social media platforms like Facebook have millions of active users on their platform daily.
It’s highly likely your customers use social media and developing a strategy to syphon this traffic back to your website should be your primary focus.
Social media is an excellent addition to any marketing plan, and it doesn’t have to be stressful to maintain. Create your profile today and start engaging with your audience. For more information on social media or to discuss your digital marketing strategy, contact practiceedge.
Also read: 7 Ways To Boost Facebook Engagement
