Social Media Marketing in Six Easy Steps

In the 21st century, it’s almost impossible to talk about marketing without mentioning social media. The digital marketing landscape has become intrinsically tied to social media given the way it has changed the game for businesses. To make sure our Introduction to Digital Marketing series wasn’t lacking, we’re here to dedicate a chapter to this form of marketing!

Social media marketing is a kind of content creation that focuses on promoting your business to your target audience and potential customers through different platforms like Instagram and Facebook. 

Why should you use it though? And can’t you just stick with one website and social media platform if it’s so necessary? 

Well, here are a few reasons why social media this marketing is so useful and why you should be on multiple platforms too.

• Increase Brand Awareness – Brand awareness uses social media to direct traffic by linking your website every time you update and inform audiences about your products and services. You can do this on different platforms in different ways to different audiences – for example, maybe using hashtags on your Instagram photos, or through Facebook ads, or TikTok videos, all of which give you the creativity to showcase your brand in various ways.
• Leads and Conversions – This redirection to your website through social media is a super simple and powerful marketing tool, especially on platforms like Instagram or Facebook which have sections and tabs dedicated to shopping. Even something as simple as linking in bios or holding contests can also be a great way to increase sales.
• Relationship Building – You can strengthen your relationship with your target audience and potential customers by interacting with them in the comments section, receiving and responding to their feedback, and even by expressing your brand’s tone during events like giveaways.
• Competitor Watching – An added benefit is that you can keep an eye on what your industry competitors are doing. For example, looking at the products they’re selling, the marketing campaigns they’re holding, anything and everything that can help you decide how to distinguish yourself from others.

 

Now that you know why you should use social media marketing, here’s how you can get started

1. Identify Goals 

What are you trying to achieve at the end of this campaign? An increase in followers and shares? Driving up website traffic and leads? Knowing what message you’re trying to send is the first step to creating your social media strategy.

2.  Audience Research 

Learn what your target audience demographic is and their interests too so you can understand how they use social media and adjust your campaign accordingly. If they’re millennials, maybe you’ll focus on Instagram and TikTok to promote yourself in a photo and video-heavy campaign. If they’re an older demographic, maybe focusing on Facebook posts is the best way to go.

3. Pick your Platforms

Know that each platform draws in different audiences, so it’s important to choose which ones are the most manageable and valuable to your business. Then you can understand how to create content for them. If you plan on using ads, knowing specific platform benefits can help you decide which platforms are best for you like knowing Facebook can direct ads to your target audience or that Instagram influencers can share links to your product and website on their profile.

4. Content Creation and Curation 

Each platform has strengths and weaknesses that you can tailor your content to and creatively demonstrate., like For example, TikTok thriving with videos or Instagram being visual-centric, etc., so that they all convey your tone and message effectively.

5. Organize Schedule

The best time to post? You’ll know by studying when your audience is most active, like when the most likes and shares are showing up. Having a consistent schedule can also help your audience stay engaged and active.

6. Metrics, Analytics, and Reviews 

Using metrics goes beyond seeing the engagement, reach and sales of your business; it also helps determine what’s working and what needs improvement, as well as compare what you and your competitors are doing differently or similarly. Additionally, seeing what conversations are happening around your business and the responses to them can provide insight that analytics might not be able to explain.

There’s a famous Chinese proverb that goes, “The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now.” Similarly, you might wish that you got ahead of the social media marketing trend ten years ago, but that doesn’t mean you can’t join the fun! 

But how about the best time to work with Katch Media? Well, that’s easy – it’s now!

We’re one of Toronto’s premier digital marketing agencies, so you can trust that our experience and expertise can guide you to easily stay on top of the social media marketing game.