Social media is becoming essential for organizations; everyday more and more companies are creating Facebook, Twitter, Google+, etc. pages. Social media can help any organization reach out to a much wider audiences that they did not have access to before. Although many companies just create social media pages because they believe they have to, they may not be utilizing them to their full extent.
Marketing through social media is a simple process once you understand how to use it. When learning about all the different social media platforms, you may find yourself overwhelmed thinking that is going to take up too much of your time creating all the different avenues of content for each site. First, you do not necessarily have to change your content from one platform to another, your content may vary from site to site but you should keep a consistent theme. Consistency throughout all different platforms keeps your followers aware and involved with your organizations campaigns.
Support from your target audience is key to advancing your organizations campaign. Social media allows you to get instant feed from your target audience; your followers can now tell you how they feel about your campaigns through comments and posts. By knowing exactly what your audience is thinking almost instantaneously, you are able to tailor your marketing strategies to best suit their needs.
Social media is also a cost effective way of advertising your brand. You can now post videos, pictures, graphics, etc., across all different platforms; with the click of a mouse users can view new, exciting and different advertisements that could never be placed on television or in print ads, such as: animations and links to articles, pages or products directly on your site. Consumers who use e-Commerce websites to buy products are 9x more likely to share what they purchase on social media sites. With your followers sharing your content, you can spread your advertisements, products and services to new audiences.
Including your social media pages on your website is an excellent way to grow your business. Users who are able to post your content (products, articles, etc.) to their social pages directly from your organization’s site are 50% more likely to stay on a site twice as long and view twice as much content compared to sites that do not allow them to share. Linking your site to your social pages and back will increase traffic and becomes a faster way for new audiences to learn about your organization.
Using multiple social sites will open your organization up to a diverse group of audiences. Users belong to certain social media sites that fit their needs and interests. When establishing content for each social page you should always keep the same theme but tailor the content to the specific audience for each site. A follower on Facebook might be interested in a particular aspect of your campaign that is different from your followers on LinkedIn, which has a more professional tone. Tailoring your content to your target audience on each site will help you gain more traffic and follows; with a consistent theme throughout your social pages you will be able to run a successful campaign.
Social media marketing can be planned and executed in many different ways. Knowing your target audience and what they want from you will help your organization grow and prosper.