With more than 2 billion people with active social media accounts, social media marketing for business is no longer a luxury, it’s a necessity.
And yet, there are brands that doubt the value of social media for their business. They question the need for a social marketing strategy because they struggle to determine how it benefits their bottom line.
The truth is, quantifiable results on social media are difficult to measure.
But that doesn’t mean it’s not worth doing. It just means you have to adjust your expectations. Remember, it’s called social media marketing. Rather than expecting to make sales on social media, anticipate building a lasting, loyal relationship with your audience.
Brands have the most success selling themselves on social media when they stop selling.
Steps to Social Media Marketing Success
1. Use social media the way it was intended.
Social media is meant, by definition, to be social. The majority of active social media users see each of their social properties as an opportunity to connect, to communicate and to be entertained. Which means, as a marketer on social media, you are crashing the party. To be successful, you have to join in the fun. Be sociable, creative, engaging and interesting. Speak your audience’s language, and make your message stand out because it’s valuable and appealing, not because it’s an interruption to their otherwise satisfying social media experience.
2. Take care not to underestimate your audience.
Social media users have gotten quite savvy, and most can smell self-promotion from several posts away. A sales pitch dressed up with an alluring image and a provocative headline is still a sales pitch, and your audience will recognize it as such. Blatant selling on social media can actually be counterproductive–not only will this approach fail to earn you the sale you are hoping for but there’s a good chance it will alienate that audience you’ve worked so hard to capture. With the fierce competition that exists for social consumers’ attention–and for real estate on their social feeds–there’s little margin for error.
3. Produce amazing content.
We’ve said it before, but it’s worth repeating. The road to success on social media is paved with a solid content marketing plan. Deliver value to your following by sharing well-written content that is interesting, engaging, informative or funny. Impart knowledge that will benefit your audience or fulfill a need they may not even know they have. Give them a reason to interact with your content—something to think about, comment on or share with their ‘friends.’
There are so many engaging ways to package and deliver content in today’s social landscape—take advantage by experimenting with blogs, video, live streaming and imagery. If this sounds like something your team doesn’t have the time or wherewithal to take on, consider hiring a team that does.
Start Building Your Social Media Brand
The idea of social media marketing for business is not to convert a follower to a sale but to turn someone who likes your page into someone who loves your brand. It’s to capture and keep your audience’s attention. It’s to build recognition for your brand and to develop authentic connections with your audience. This ROI might be a bit more difficult to measure, but it’s no less valuable to your business.
Need help shifting your social media marketing mindset? Contact CMDS, a full service digital marketing agency in Colts Neck, NJ. Our social media professionals can help steer your social strategy in the right direction.