Most, if not all of us use internet to some extent – for entertainment, communication, and perhaps to learn something new. On average, of the total time spent online, 30% of it is spend on social media platforms.
Proper utilization of social media to market your business can go a long way when people spend so much time on it. You need to be seen.
Let’s figure out how to best optimize our time and money on social media that can generate revenue for our small business.
Hone In
There are a lot, and I mean A LOT of social media platforms that if utilized properly, can increase your customer base.
Look at your key demographic, see what social media they are most likely to use. For example, is your key demographic women? Pinterest is primarily used by women, maybe that will be one of your key platforms.
You need to learn to utilize few social media channels that are most likely to be used by your key demographic – you want to reach the most likely buyers without over-exerting yourself.
Stay Active
Staying active is essential to make people aware of your presence. Sporadic and inconsistent use of social media can negatively impact your digital marketing efforts. Consumers need to be aware that you are constantly interacting with the community.
Not a lot of time needs to be allocated to this. Make sure that you post something, or retweet something that’s relevant to your target demographic to keep your customer engaged.
I suggest you create a calendar aimed at allocating social media time. Plan a timetable for which social media platforms will be targeting when, and stick to the schedule.
This will make it easier to track social media time allocation. It will create consistency, and you will be more aware of how much time of yours is being spent there.
Use Data Tracking Tools
Trying to save time and money, you need to be aware of what works and what has got to go or be altered. Using appropriate tracking software and tools allows you to get better insight on what social media that you use actually works.
For example, try implementing Google Analytics into your web page if you already haven’t done it. It will help you better understand the web traffic you receive to your landing pages.
Imagine spending time and effort on marketing without having the knowledge of it actually working. In a sense you are throwing time and money in the wind if you don’t know something works. You need to actively track and analyze data about which social media channels work and those that don’t.
Use Call to Action
Sometimes asking for your customer to do something may not always work. Tell them what to do! Implement a ‘call to action’ when posting to social media platforms..
When utilizing social media, such as blogs or Facebook, tell your customers to like, share, follow. It’s proven to work in persuading people to take action.
Use Influencers to Enhance Social Media Marketing
There are many people out there with an extensive social media presence. Many companies choose to incorporate influencers to save time and money on social media.
With influencers, you essentially skip a step of building up a follower base and go straight to the individuals that are already well established.
Some of those influencers have more than 100,000 followers and some may even have more than 1,000,000 followers. That is a quite the large audience that they have the power to reach out to.
Investigate which potential influencers would have the ability to target your key demographic. Don’t be afraid to contact you influencer and see how the two of you could work together to generate a winning social media marketing strategy.
You Will Get Used to It
Don’t be afraid to experiment with social media. Try out different things at see what works for you and your business.
Many of us already utilize social media for personal communication; using it to promote a business can also generate a lot of traffic.
Keep your eyes on your goal and stay committed when implementing these strategies. It will pay off in the long run with better exposure and free time to continue developing your business.