Social media marketing is not all about selling. Although, social media will lead to sales. Social media marketing is about connecting with people in your niche who might be interested in what your business does. It’s about connecting with existing customers and potential customers. The main objectives of social media marketing are networking and building relationships. To use social media for marketing, you will need to apply a different mindset then you would for conventional marketing. Here are some tips on how to use social media for marketing effectively.
Be Generous with Your Expertise
Social media provides the opportunity to demonstrate that you are an authority in your field. That boosts the credibility of your business. You can engage with the public and boost your credibility by publishing niche relevant tips, speaking at industry events, and writing articles for the media. It all helps the public associate you and your business with expertise in your field.
Many niche communities now have online forums and bulletin boards. Sign up for these and engage in the debates. Some forums also allow paid advertising. It’s an ideal way to advertise to a focussed target audience. Every time you leave a comment, you also get a link back to your website. That will help drive more traffic to your site, and it will boost your search engine ranking.
Keep on Growing Your Network
In social media, you can never have too many friends. Never stop trying to grow your network of business contacts and potential customers. You could ask friends and associates to introduce you to five people who might be interested in your business. Reach out to new contacts and engage with them. Discuss your plans for the business and share business news. You’ll be surprised at just how fast you can expand your network with just a little bit of effort every day.
Use Social Media to Listen
You can use social media to approach potential customers. For example, you could find people that would make ideal customers and then follow them. Spend some time reading to what they have to say. You will be surprised what you can learn about their needs and their current frustrations. It’s a great way to do your market research and it’s a means of connecting with new prospects.
Make Use of Giveaways
You can use competitions and giveaways on social media to create interest in your products and to grow your contacts list. You could pose a question on your website or on Twitter. Anyone who answers correctly goes into a prize draw to win one of your products. Remember to publicize the winner and ask the winner to share the news too. That will be bring you more publicity and bring you more followers.
Make the Most of LinkedIn
LinkedIn is a powerful social media platform that many businesses neglect. Join LinkedIn groups that are relevant to your industry. Post to both questions and tips regularly. Use LinkedIn to publicize your latest company news and your latest blog posts. When you use LinkedIn to the full, you can reach thousands of people who may be interested in your business.
Make Twitter Fun
People generally use social media for fun or a bit of light reading at lunchtimes or on the way home. This is especially the case with Twitter, so keep your Tweets upbeat and fun. Twitter is the perfect platform for sharing photos of corporate events. You can also post competitions on Twitter, give customers shutouts, or promote fundraisers.
Don’t Forget Facebook
Every one of your Facebook friends has the potential to be a free marketing tool, so don’t be afraid to ask your friends for help. The power of social media lies in sharing, so encourage people who visit your Facebook page to share your content. You could create a special friends and family special offer, for example, with a discount coupon. Then, encourage your Facebook followers to share the coupon with their own flowers. You’ll be surprised at just how many more likes and shares you get, if you ask for them.