If Business is a piece of fine stone, Social Media Marketing is the chisel that sculpts in such a way that the stone gets the language to express its inner self.
There you are left to behold a beautiful sculpture that is capable of doing much more than merely existing. Know how to use Social Media Marketing to grow your business and stay as mighty as the masterpieces.
Social media, being the one unbiased mode that almost every living person could access, is the ideal platform for your business, for it to go beyond being a static information base.
With the leverage of language and freedom of dialogue, Social Media Marketing could let your business witness everything from high-end recognition and quality leads until the user-friendly customer assistance that brings unseen betterment over time.
All this might seem like a huge encrypted code language cloaked behind an LED display screen. Here we are, to decrypt the codes.
Try scanning our cracks!
Know how to use Social Media Marketing to grow your business.
Use Social Media Marketing to Grow your Business
#1 Improve Ranking.
Search engines are almost like a hall of fame for every business that has stepped into the digital era. And this fame doesn’t stop with the awe-striking name of your business, it comes with the SEO factor. Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) has your business name stand atop, literally.
For the minds that are wondering how to use Social Media Marketing to grow business, the question might be “How ranking comes with the subject of Social Media Marketing?”
It does. Your ranking on Social Media too matters. This millennial generation that doesn’t lift its head to divert from mobile social media is the ideal audience for Social Media Marketing!
Imagine a person is searching on the Facebook tab, would he have a patience level to go till the end of the page? He wouldn’t. That’s where optimization matters. When there is an entire World of Words that lies before us, it would be a sin to skip that and stay ordinary.
Get out of the ordinary and use the TRENDING hashtags to fly with the rockets called social media marketing tools.
The hashtags are the keywords for you.
#DigiketersMarketingMantra
#INSTAGOOD is one of the most popular hashtags.
Being an exclusively created one for Instagram, you could use it on any post!
It helps in optimizing your business’ page with the most powerful words that are referred to by all. Though communication style is a great boon, it gets the true power with the blend of the simplest terms such as keywords and hashtags that are used by the majority during the search on the subject.
Here, a fair share of research and understanding is included- both of the client and the competitors that assure you RECOGNITION!
Brands that DID IT-
Some major brands such as LushCosmetics, TheEveryGirl, etc. have a great record of user-generated content with hashtags.
Lush cosmetics has the tagging style mentioned in their bio – “Share your #LushLife with us!”
#2 Get offers on place and share.
We understand that the entire idea of the marketing revolves around the fact that ‘it’s the offers that sell’. But it is also the place where the offers are put, that sell. The active generation of today that does multitasking over social media has gone beyond merely looking at people’s lives on social media.
We’re at a point where even the Facebook Jobs section is getting hot because every small business can actually put it up for free!
It is not just the option of free or paid marketing that is the question, it is the reach. With facebook having 2.4 billion users and Instagram having 1 billion users, the audience is huge and literally boundless. Advertising on such a diverse platform puts your business in the unseen spotlight.
With Facebook having a 2.4 billion users and Instagram having a 1 billion users, the audience is huge and literally boundless.
#DigiketersMarketing Mantra
Imagine your offers striking every eye browsing the Facebook timeline or Instagram feed with paid advertising or an unpaid post on your business page that just appears while scrolling the feed!
Moreover, the Instagram story springs up as an active reminder of your activity to your followers. Just a click and they know your communication. In these cases, having more followers on Instagram would help.
Getting Social Media ads on various channels could also aid multi-channel promotion that might prove effective along with creating the right buzz! This will ensure reach to a considerably large audience, in addition to the target audience.
This audience falling outside the target audience prove significant in creating the buzz.
#DigiketersMarketingMantra
BRANDS that DID IT-
The brand Casper has successful Cross Channel Marketing with the music content based on some channels on the other channels being promoted in the other channels for the sole reason of creating buzz.
#3 Increase leads. Gain Customers.
With a wide reach comes a wider onlooker group. But how many of these could be the actual customers?
Here, the target becomes the key. With marketing strategies getting a new face over Social Media Marketing, the entire idea actually gets more ‘Social’, where the interested group not just stops with itself, but also shares the interests to the others with the “Share” options.
This is one prime reason for the desirability of Social Media Marketing when the question of gaining customers comes by.
With marketing strategies getting a new face over Social Media Marketing, the entire idea actually gets more ‘Social’, where the interested group not just stops with itself, but also shares the interests to the others with the “Share” options. This is one prime reason for the desirability of Social Media Marketing when the question of gaining customers comes by.
When using a desktop computer, people spend just 6% of their time sharing content.
Imagine the mobile sharing in addition to this!
Increasing leads is one of the major marketing goals, has to have its focus on larger user groups. With the specified Social Media Strategies that give special focus to your target audience, lead generation gets more efficient than ever.
Consider you have a diverse business with many products, the ad for one specified product will have a defined target group that might not be the same as the target audience for your comprehensive products.
TG for 100 products ≠ TG for one specific product
Social Media Ads such as Facebook ads come with the target audience definition that goes by Job titles, Common interests, etc. For instance, an Ad focused on Corporate products focus on Facebook profiles with Job titles in MNCs and other prominent companies, making it easier to reach to “the people who might actually be interested”. The factors such as Job title, location, etc. that are in common between various profiles simplify the entire process.
How “BRANDS” DO IT:
Along with leads comes the quality. The quality could be enhanced with the use of various Social Media Strategies that bring clarity along with marketing. This could be ensured with
- Use of a prominent Call-To-Action
- Content that could be easily comprehended by everyone.
- Strategically designed graphics/visuals.
- Responsive communication for the queries.
In-Depth work on proven techniques for lead generation could take the subject of Social Media Marketing to grow your business to a whole new level.
#4 Establish your niche.
Conventional and classy never goes out of style, but we also need to focus on what is ‘in the style’.
Social Media Presence for your business is one way that could help it gain transitional user preferences. Also, it’s a great place to boast!
Create the most value out of your social media presence and make your business’s every tiny valuable feature take the spotlight and reach the millions.
Even if your business is in its growing stages, the Social Media Marketing ways could actually let you stay close to your customer and slowly establish your niche by knowing the mindsets of the modern population.
Setting standards in Social Media is like slow poison.
A slow poison that is contrastingly significant. #DigiketersMarketingBeliefs
With the use of various Social Media tools, you could have a unique style and standard that bring out the image of your business. You brand image and Communication could help your business stay not just in the eyesight, but also in the heart of the people. This is the evergreen route that is taken by social media to grow your business.
How “BRANDS” DO IT:
The emotional route in marketing proves successful. When users relate to the subject and achieve a connection, they are more likely to become a potential customer.
B2B brands fare better with customers when they use emotive rather than rational marketing messages.
#5 Go Slow. Engage more.
Slow and Steady Wins the race might sound very cliche, but that actually wins! Going slow with the strategies along with a dose of strong communication & engagement could build trust among the audience.
A study from Trinity Mirror Solutions found that more than half of adults do not trust a brand until they see “real-world proof” that the brand is keeping its promises.
But being very direct and marketing-kind about your values by going bang on with the list of values wouldn’t help. This is when Social Media Marketing comes into play. Strategic planning of the information to be publicized on Social Media would help in utilizing the significance of time in building the image.
The above set of posts by #Everlane has had a notable format that could be traced.
Along with posts comes the power of engagement.
With digital advancement, human communication has found a new dimension. Though it might be familiar with the millennial generation, the others might find the information difficult to comprehend. That is where engagement comes as a savior.
78 percent of people who complain to a brand via Twitter expect a response within an hour
When your business solves the queries and addresses the customer in the best approaches, the brand values automatically get reflected in the communication.
“Build brand loyalty on shared values with your consumers. It is not the number of interactions a buyer has with your brand, but the quality and relatability of the interaction.”
Harvard Business Review
Note: These slow approaches could bring in better reviews over time, that ultimately become the face of your business’ quality. This way you could grow your business seamlessly with Social Media Marketing.
#6 Trial and Error is the best method.
Though conventional methods are a safe play in Social Media Marketing to grow your business, they do not get the right welcome!
Remember the quote “Be a Roman when you are in Rome”?
Let’s paraphrase it as “Be a Digital Mind when you are in the Digital World”.
But the entire idea of coming up with new strategies to grow your business is as scary as challenging. But did you know that Social Media could help with this? Because here, you actually have people to respond to your research. This is the key trial and error platform.
Imagine you have an idea to bring a new seasonal menu in your cafe. Let’s take the Mango season for illustration. Are you confused if people would like the idea of mango puddings in your traditional cafe? Slide-in some thoughts on Social Media. Even better, ask suggestions from the people.
How “BRANDS” DO IT:
Popular brands stick to a traditional way of going about things. They,
- Take a poll for suggestions
- Ask people through post or graphical communication.
- Have a series of posts as a teaser post, before launching the actual menu. (You could even take in suggestions from that)
The way of approach differs across Social Media Platforms. And so do the marketing tools. Choose which platform will prove the best for your choice of interaction and get set with Social Media Marketing to grow your business!
The ‘Polls’ on Facebook or the ‘Ask a question’ on Instagram? You choose.
#7 Understand and Study the trends.
With YouTube ruling the world, the word “Trend” #Trending has this new-found fame that is hard to ignore. It is not just the indirect drive but also a core subject for the digital marketers to focus on.
Social Media is an open book. Explore the chapters.
#DigiketersMarketingBeliefs
With the users being the key focus, the mass mindset and their transition over time play a major role in designing the user experience. With the time where the 80s and 90s styles are back on track, we digital marketers need to dive into the research and marketing goals that framed the marketing strategies of the old times. Molding the essence of the idea with the current mindset of a 21st-century man is what will create the ultimate social media strategy.
How “BRANDS” DO IT:
A study, Wave X Remix Culture, has revealed that this current era has seen a new boost of cultural connectivity and relatability to the native ties. This study was done by UMWW surprisingly puts the similarity of such a marketing drive in places across the world, on a global perspective.
Taking such proven methods into account, the right reference on your social media posts could receive universal acceptance, ultimately increasing the interested audience’s scale. Ultimately, your business gets to grow with this newfound curation to the evolving audience.
ASK YOURSELF: Are your graphic designs on track with the trend? Re-evaluate your year’s activity in comparison with Shutterstock’s Graphic Design Trends 2019.
Check out the Instagram page of Digiketers to get the grid collection of facts that help you study the trend.
#8 Know & Connect with even the Introverts.
Though its hard to believe, there are a certain group of people who aren’t prone to talking in person or are phone-phobic. With such types in the target audience, marketing goals need to be tuned in a way that the message could reach in a way comfortable for them.
What mode of communication would introverts prefer? Digital mode.
When the messenger box lets any customer post their query without worrying about their identity (specifical gender) reveal or the language of communication, he/she finally finds a way to connect with the right people and share the opinion.
At this point, when such a person receives a response in a way, that trust could be built or a good rapport could be formed, it helps the brands understand the audience. This, in turn, helps them bring up ideas that could help ALL.
“Building an audience is more valuable than direct sales for over 70% of brand managers.”
OnBrand
Social Media being a place where even the busiest people could express their comments at least through “Reactions”, is ideal for a higher response generation. This is also the form-work for brand research.
#9 Every next move matters.
Did you know that average reaction time for us humans is 0.25 seconds to a visual stimulus?
So, how well would the engagement work when you could make use of that reaction or response time and get back to them? That too with information that induces yet another response from them? This would be an actual conversation with your customer.
Messenger Responses = New-age Customer Communication
This online mode of engagement goes beyond the restrictions of distance, location, availability/schedule and more, opening up more chances to connect. Imagine how well your brand could stay in the memory of people when your display icon pops up with every response you make on messenger.
“Brands that are consistently presented are 3 to 4 times more likely to experience brand visibility.”
Lucidpress
The second stage of engagement is the focus of the communication style. Where it is a “Hello” or “Hola” or “Morning Folks” is going to matter. This also stays as a reflection of your brand’s persona with the same color scheme etc.
How “BRANDS” DO IT:
Brands have their own way of conveying the typical matters. Even a “Hi” matters.
Obviously you would not want to put a “Hi there” on a corporate brand’s online platform because that would be a disaster. Check out a few suggestions below.
- Hello there! -A generic way of addressing a casual audience
- Hello, munchkins! or Hi Honeybunch! -A very connecting approach
- Hello Sunshine! -Greeting mostly to a feminine group
- Howdy doody! -Urban greeting
- What’s crackin’? -A sign of concern where you ask your audience first.
- Yo! -Addressing the young bunch
- Hola! -Hi with some Spanish flavor
- Aloha! -Hi with a Hawaiian twist
Starting your communication is the most important and noticeable part. So, you could keep it standard and frame the message below, with respect to the queries.
“A brand does not exist within a company or organization. It exists in the minds of your customers.
A brand is the sum total of impressions a customer has, based on every interaction they have had with you, your company, and your products.”
Lucidpress
Get the right brand communication and get your social media marketing to grow your business in a snap of a finger.
Reach out to the right people in the digital marketing world.
#10 Don’t let time be the decision-maker.
We all know that
MARKETING ∝ TIME
When marketing in itself is bound by the time factor, Digital marketing, the time-crunched subject would have a high influence over time. This comes into play especially when the trends pass by.
When a special day or a trending subject occurs, Social Media Marketing in connection with that subject has to hit right when it is all hyped up. By missing the right timing, the interest of the audience drops and it would have become a time when your competitors have already made the topic a ‘used subject’ close to a cliche.
Being on time at times like these, makes your brand utilize the hype and draw the interest of the audience towards itself.
Did you see the sprawling digital campaigns that crowded the market during the screening of Game of Thrones season 8? It was all about timing! There was a set of strategies framed by major marketing agencies during that period.
Just as you have to act on time with Social Media Strategies to grow your business, act quickly in implementing these strategies to grow your business at this point in the digital age.
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Akshaya Muralikumar
Akshaya Muralikumar, A graduate architect turned writer, specialises writing in Architecture, Construction, Digital Marketing and allied subjects, with an eye for essence in the words. Being "An Architect of Thoughts", she has had her vibrant thoughts transform into words, across multiple blog and magazine platforms.
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