Prior to the invention of social media platforms, if someone wanted to market their new product or business, they had to pay tons of money to get them in front of people. The medium of advertising was limited to TV, billboards and print. However, due to the power of the Internet and social media, today anybody can get their product in front of thousands of people; practically free of cost. To put it simply, social media is a boon for those who wish to promote their products and services.
Social Media is a precious tool for entrepreneurs and businesses when used in the right way. It helps entrepreneurs promote themselves along with their business. By following a social media strategy, entrepreneurs and companies can reach a wider audience whilst increasing their brand reach and boosting engagement. But as an entrepreneur or business owner, your time and attention are spread in zillion directions. In this case, you must first make sure that social media can benefit your business and not merely waste your time and money.
If you have created a social media account just because of the fear of being left behind, stop right there! There are many examples of business people or entrepreneurs who create their social media account for mere presence and never share any valuable content; which is futile. Rather, follow these social media strategy tips to get a head-start with social media marketing.
- Know your audience
It can be tempting to create a social media channel on every platform out there and start posting on it. But in the end, this will burn you out before you attain traction. Instead, you must gauge the social media platforms your audience uses the most. For instance, there is no use in posting on Pinterest if most of your audience are C level executives.
To help you out, here are the demographics of popular social media channels.
- Facebook: Nearly 86% of FB users fall in the age group of 18-29 years, out of which, 56% are females, and 46% are males.
- Instagram: 67% of IG users fall in the age bracket of 18-29 years and nearly 47% fall in the 30-49 age bracket. 51% are females while 49% are male.
- YouTube: With 2 billion monthly active viewers, YouTube is quickly surpassing other platforms. Almost 81% of total users fall in the 18-29 age bracket.
As you see from the above statistics, each social media platform has unique demographics and usage. You must focus on the most suitable one for your target audience and industry.
- Quality and not quantity
There is no denying that there’s too much noise on social media. Don’t be a part of that noise, rather cut through it. Instead of creating posts in bulk just for the sake of sharing, focus on quality. Ask yourself “How does this post help my audience?” or ‘Is this post adding value to their life?”
- Get personal
People do not like faceless brands that do nothing but sell their products. Get yourself in front of your audience by engaging with them, asking questions, and sharing your opinions. Add a personality to your brand. As most social media algorithms work on the engagement factor, try to create engaging and fun content for your audience. Social media platforms want to keep people on the site, and hence if your content is dull, boring and has no engagement, the algorithm will not distribute it to a wider audience.
- Provide some incentives
Everybody likes to receive gifts! So why not use this as an opportunity to grow your brand? Distribute freebies in exchange for a small favour like gift cards (in case they refer people to your brand). Freebies can range from eBooks and gift cards to free credits and videos.
- Have a strong CTA
CTA (call to action) tells people what action you want them to take. This is a crucial aspect which many people forget to include. If you are not using CTA in your posts, you are losing quite a chunk of opportunity to convert your audience. One example of CTA is ‘Let me know about your opinion in the comment section’. This is a strong CTA which urges people to comment on your post.
- Analyze and Refine
It might sound boring, but Analytics matters. There are many free analytics tools like Buffer and Hootsuite to calculate KPI of your social media marketing strategy. Look through the numbers and analyze what is working and what is not. Refine your plan to improve the ROI and make changes to things that are not working as planned.
Do’s and Don’ts of social media marketing for entrepreneurs
Do:
- Post at the correct time! Posting time is critical for engagement. Posting when your audience is not online will make you lose traction. Posting at the right time will get you more engagement such as likes, comments, and share. This will, in turn, reach a wider audience. No engagement equates to no reach.
- Experiment with paid social media! There are two ways to get engagement- organic (free) and social media ads (paid). Paid social ads are a cost-effective way of getting yourself in front of a larger audience. They are cheaper than traditional advertising methods (like billboard advertisements) and give you additional exposure to drive conversions as well as sales.
- Post consistently! Posting regularly for one month and then not posting anything for the next five month will not provide you with a positive result.
Don’t:
- Don’t expect results in a short time! If you want to create a long-lasting brand, it will take time.
- Don’t just broadcast! You are not a selling machine. Users will most likely block you, or worse, report your profile if you continuously spam them with sponsored posts of brands and companies.
- Don’t seek just a large fan following! Instead, try to get quality followers who are interested in your journey and your business. After all, having a hundred loyal followers is more valuable than having millions of followers who are not even interested in your business or you.
Wrapping it up: Social Media can be overwhelming for many entrepreneurs only due to lack of time or fear. But by following a simple social media strategy and being consistent in your approach, social media can transform your life and business.
