No matter what your business looks like, whether you run a large business or a web shop, or maybe something in between, you’ve probably been told that you need to be featured in social media to find your customers.
It sounds good, and so it is, at least in theory. But in practice, it is often too many, and you may be one of them, that social media marketing is a great frustration. Many people spend a lot of time on it, but do not get the results they want. But it doesn’t have to be that way!
Using social media for marketing requires skill and that is something that can be learned. So don’t worry, there is help to be had. Once you have learned the most important keys to marketing on social media, you will be able to achieve the results you want and which you have probably already read a lot about. Let’s start with the first important steps.
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The right platform
Think about your target audience – who are they and in what social media they are today? Choosing the right platforms will make your marketing campaign more effective.
Let’s take an example. If your offer is a business-to-business product, LinkedIn is probably the right platform for you. Also, based on what kind of product or service you offer and choose the platform that best suits it. For example, a photographer focuses favorably on Instagram, as it is a visual medium that is better suited for that type of service.
Finding and focusing on the right platform does not mean that you should completely ignore all the other platforms. But you need to spend most of your time on the platforms that produce the most results.
Optimize your profiles
When you start a marketing campaign, it is easy for you to start by putting all the energy into the message you want to send out. But A and O in social media is to start with creating your profile.
Make sure it contains the right contact information, such as a link to the website (s) you want your leads to visit. It also needs to include a concrete invitation to the visitor to take the next step. Properly designed, your profile can generate many leads!
Remember that social media is a conversation
It is important to be aware that social media is based on conversations and dialogues. Therefore, the best way to engage your target audience is to start listening to them.
Be sure to monitor and follow up all the times when your company or brand is mentioned on social media. Notice the keywords and hashtags used in the context.
Also, study how your competitors use each platform. When you’re up to date on what’s going on, it’s easier to design your message to live up to your target audience’s expectations. The very idea of social media is not to trump a message for potential leads, but to become part of ongoing conversations.
You may need a tool for “social media management”, ie managing your social media. Many of them can be used to schedule your messages so that they are sent and received at an optimal time.
Use protected material
Sharing information that contains added value with others is good, but any conversation on social media should also give you something in return. An easy and good way to generate more leads is to ask for your contacts’ e-mail address so that they can, for example, access an e-book, a movie or some other information that gives them added value.
The important thing here is to make sure that all the material you offer is part of a steady stream of quality information, at no extra cost to your target audience. Be active in conversations and then ask for the reward.
Purchased, targeted ads
The design of your ads may vary slightly depending on which platform you choose to work with.
But most media, such as Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram and others, have advanced tools that allow you to target your purchased ads to the ones you really want to reach.
This makes ads on social media a cost-effective way to reach out. Many marketers, therefore, find that purchased ads are more effective than other messages shared on social media.
To get the maximum benefit from your targeted ads, you need to have good knowledge of your target audience. Today, filters can be targeted to specific search terms such as job titles, and then your knowledge of your target group becomes your key to a successful campaign.
When you use purchased, targeted ads, you also need to think about creating unique messages that are targeted to your target audience. A personal speech and message is a great way to generate more leads.
Give your contacts an offer
To generate more leads, you need to offer them something as a reward for getting their contact information. There are several ways to do this and you can use them all one by one over a longer period of time.
Contests or Lotteries: Participating in a competition at no cost is a great way to get your leads to give you their contact information. The reward can be your product or service, or something else related to it.
A free trial period: If it is possible to solve in a practical way, for example if your offer is a digital product, you can offer your followers a free trial period for a limited time. This is an effective way to convert your leads into paying customers, but also a great way to expand your list of contact information.
Analyze Purchasing Behaviors: Ask your contacts and followers to answer questions related to your product or service. You market it as a way to shape your future offers. Just don’t forget to ask for contact information somewhere in the questionnaire. There are good tools for this, such as SurveyMonkey.
Follow up
The key to knowing which marketing strategies you should focus on is follow-up. Many marketing executives spend a lot of time on strategies that do not deliver, simply because they do not have enough business data and decision-making evidence to detect what is not working.
A well-thought-out follow-up allows you to see where your leads come from, what works and what doesn’t. Then you can fine-tune your strategies to suit your target audience
Conclusion
Social media marketing works, and when designed properly, it also works very well. Do not end up in this area.
Customize your strategies and promote your product or service in multiple channels. For example, your followers on Twitter are not the same as your Facebook contacts. Plan, monitor your results and offer your target audience added value. Your lead generation will skyrocket.
