The What, Why, and How of Social Media Marketing

Social media has become more than a buzzword; it is now an primary part of modern life, both personal and business. For this reason, marketing on social media channels is now integral for any business, large or small. Engaging in social media marketing can mean a stronger brand, increased interaction with existing customers, and faster sales. Thankfully, social media marketing can also be much cheaper and simpler than traditional marketing strategies.

The What

Social media marketing may sound like a compelling catchphrase, but what does it actually mean for businesses? The answer to this is more simple than one would think. Simply put, social media covers all sites that engage in social networking, including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, and more. Social media marketing entails utilizing these platforms for marketing campaigns, the capturing of leads, and engagement with existing customers and clients. This can take many different forms depending on the platform, but can include content strategies such as videos and blog posts, as well as engagement strategies, such as retweets and comments.

The Why

It’s now quite clear that social media is not a passing fad; it is here to stay, and businesses have every incentive to stay up to date. Businesses can engage social media marketing to promote their brand by connecting directly with existing and potential customers regarding specific services and offers. The specific advantages of utilizing social media marketing over other methods are not to be sneezed at. For instance, advertising through social media platforms allows businesses to target specific groups of people – by demographic, interest, or location. Even this form of paid advertising is low-cost when compared to alternatives, and most forms of content marketing on these platforms are free. Finally, actively engaging in social media marketing can actually help your business’ page ranking on search engines.

The How

Getting started in marketing on social media platforms may seem overwhelming at first. It is important when beginning to create a specific plan for how you plan to engage on a social media platform. This includes defining the target leads, the goal of engagement, the type of content you will focus on, how the social media platform will engage with your other channels, and what the end-goal is. After creating a specific plan of action and initiating social media engagement, it is equally important to maintain consistency in your engagement by posting regularly and with the same high-quality content. You can also set your social media presence apart by serving as a resource to your customers, rather than just a promotion page. This involves sharing relevant information, responding to questions and comments, and connecting customers to each other.