What Is Social Media Marketing?
Everybody knows what social media is – online platforms where people interact, share content and connect. But what exactly is social media marketing? A crucial part of modern communication and marketing strategy, social media marketing utilizes those media platforms to promote a product or service.
Businesses can use social media marketing to share information about their services, engage with current customers, and attract new ones! In a world where a customer’s attention span is short and information moves quickly, social media marketing effectively provides a platform for real-time interaction, building brand awareness, and driving consumer engagement.
Benefits of Marketing on Social Media
There are several benefits of social media marketing to take advantage of! Advertising on social media platforms can help businesses increase brand visibility and awareness, reach a larger audience, and specifically target interested consumers.
Effectively marketing on social media can also have significant financial benefits, including increasing sales and driving website traffic. Not to mention, social media marketing itself can be relatively inexpensive compared to traditional forms of marketing like print or commercial advertising. Creating a social media account costs nothing, allowing businesses to reach a large audience at a fraction of the cost of other advertising options.
Marketing Your Businesses on Social Media
Social media marketing is essential and unavoidable for businesses that want to be successful. Everyone, from consumers to competitors, is present on social media, so utilizing different platforms is crucial to any good marketing strategy. Promoting one’s business through social media ensures a broad audience reach, the opportunity to build customer loyalty through interaction and engagement, and the assurance that competitors don’t have an advantage when it comes to marketing.
Local social media marketing can be an added advantage to the many benefits social media already provides for businesses. Using social media to advertise locally can provide a stronger connection with the community a company serves, an advanced understanding of the target audience, and help build local brand authority and recognition.
Types of Social Media Marketing
Social media marketing can be overwhelming when deciding which strategies are best for a business. Organic content posting refers to free content shared on social media – that is, there was no additional money spent to increase reach or promote the content. On the other hand, paid advertising utilizes paid media to promote a business’s content on a social media channel.
Influencer marketing has always existed, but social media has made this type of marketing more prevalent and accessible. Through influencer marketing, a business will pay a social media user with a large following or influence in their field to promote a particular product or service. When done correctly, influencer marketing can increase brand exposure and build authority for the business.
Social Media Marketing Tools
Yes, social media is intimidating, but tools are available to help businesses get the best results from their advertising efforts.
- Scheduling Apps – One of the most effective tactics for social media marketing is to post content regularly, following a general set schedule. Scheduling apps can help you establish and follow a social media posting schedule that will guarantee more reach, visibility, and interaction on content.
- Analytics Platforms – Once you establish a posting schedule, analytics platforms can assist with analyzing and evaluating your content to determine what post specifications gain the best results. Receiving feedback on your content can help with anything - from learning what time of the day is best to post, to evaluating how many people shared or saved your content.
- Content Creation Software – Need help coming up with ideas? Content creation software can help develop and design cohesive social media campaigns for your business.
How To Create a Marketing Plan for Social Media
So, you’re on board with social media marketing. Now, it’s time to make a plan. Creating a social media marketing plan tailored to your business will guarantee the best results. While this plan will look different for each company, there are a few common objectives to keep in mind.
- Set goals for your social media that align with your business objectives. Having a plan to work toward will help direct your efforts and measure your success.
- Identifying your target audience allows you to focus your content and marketing directives on the demographic most likely to be interested in your product or service. Don’t waste time or money trying to market to consumers who don’t need what you offer!
- Creating a content schedule will help keep you on track and accountable for maintaining your brand’s social media presence. Regular posting will boost your visibility and reach on social media platforms and give your audience more opportunities to engage and interact with your brand.
Hiring a Social Media Marketing Agency
Social media marketing can be overwhelming, especially as new trends emerge and technology develops. That’s why working with a social media marketing agency can be a huge advantage for your business! A social media marketing agency will provide you with the expertise, specialized tools, understanding, and guaranteed strategies to help boost your business – not to mention all the time you’ll save by letting the experts take care of your online image.
At Cork Tree Creative, our team of professional social media strategists have unparalleled knowledge regarding which tactics work best for each client we serve. Our job is to create content, spot trends to capitalize on, develop and evaluate communications strategies, and cultivate success in social media marketing. If you’re ready to watch your business thrive in the world of social media, contact us today and let Cork Tree set you up for success!