Social media is a platform for online communication and interaction. Although the concept has been around since the Internet boom, it was only in the last decade that it became popular. With social media, non-technical Web users can create and publish content. For businesses, the popularity of social media equates to more opportunity and responsibility.
With the amount of readily available customer data, many are diving into social media marketing. But do you really need it? Whether you are a large or small enterprise, it is evident that many individuals are going online to connect with friends and colleagues, to search for information, reviews and more. If your business is not online, your competitor will certainly seize the opportunity. Here are some must-do social media tactics you should consider before jumping head first in the realm of social media.
Create a profile. The most logical way to start your social media endeavor is to create and complete your profile. Don’t just settle for a profile picture and a contact number. Let your customers know more about you. Writing an “About” description is great to establish your brand identity. Ask yourself the fool-proof 4Ws and one H – what, when, where, why and how. Keep it detailed but short. You don’t want to overwhelm your customers with too much information. Plus, you want them to call you up and ask for more information, right?
Have visually-enticing graphics. Now that you have your account set up, the next step is to align your company’s branding with your social media platform. Do you have a company color scheme? What is your approach to customers? Do you prefer formal or informal? Once you've sorted out these questions, you should consider hiring a designer. A professional graphic designer can create visually enticing images that coincides with your brand and business profile.
Tie up with your website. To get more traffic for your social media accounts, let your customers know that they can visit your social media channels. How? Integrate social media buttons to your website. If you have an email marketing campaign, you can also use that to announce your company’s social media launch. If you have a physical office, you can give out flyers or have a sign that you are on Facebook or Twitter. To make it more effective, consider giving out special discounts or incentives.
Share content. Once you have steady followers or likes, the next step is to create interesting content that will generate shares and re-tweets. If you don’t have the resources to produce new content, you can always use what’s already available on the Internet. You can also use trending topics and post poll questions to enable user interaction and communication.
The social media landscape has evolved through the years, allowing them to become a hub for businesses to market products or services. But, social media success won't happen automatically after setting up a page. It needs to be thoroughly and cohesively integrated with branding and other marketing efforts to be successful.
