When you’re busy focusing on your business objectives it is difficult to be on every social media platform. It is harder to stay consistent on these platforms. So, how are you going to tackle this? For well-established brands, it is easier to do so but if you run an SME then it can get tricky. What most brands don’t understand is that to have a successful social media presence you don’t necessarily have to be on all platforms out there. Assess the functionality of each platform and then align them with your business objectives. This will help you pick the right social media platform for your business.
This article will guide you through selecting the platform that will help you make the best of your social media marketing strategy.
# Know your audience/ ideal customer
One of the key aspects while choosing the right social media platform is, you need to know where your ideal customer is. Clearly list down parameters that define your customers like age, interests, gender, education level, income and so on. If your service is ideal for youngsters in their early twenties you don’t want to be wasting your time on platforms like LinkedIn. Similarly, there may not be a particularly persuasive argument for establishing your brand on Pinterest if you’re only targeting men. If you’re B2B, go to LinkedIn; if you’re e-commerce, then head towards Instagram. Wherever your audience is when choosing your social media channels, make sure to back up your decisions with data, rather than being led by current trends.
# Define your social media goals
Although the end goal of every business is to drive sales and generate revenue for your online profile you have to be more specific. While some brands use social media for brand awareness, some others use it to engage with their customer base online or understand customer behavior. Brands like Netflix and H&M use the social media platform Twitter to provide customer service. Your objectives will help determine not only the social platform to choose but also the kind of content you will create.
# Know your competitors
Social media competitive analysis is as important as knowing your audience. Research your major competitors. Know what content they post, how often they post, on what platform they post, take pointers from their user-generated content. See what is working for them and what is not. This information will provide you with valuable insights that you can then replicate for your own strategy. You can draw a baseline against which you can gauge industry activity, and determine what you should be doing.
# How many channels can you manage ?
91% of retail brands today use 2 or more social media channels. Just because everyone is tech-savvy these days does not mean you need to put your brand up on multiple social media channels. However, it is also true that simply sticking to one channel will not suffice. Maybe your business does need to be on multiple channels but if you cannot consistently deliver then you need to pick your battles. Too many and you’ll dilute the impact of your efforts or too few and your brand recognition may take a hit. Striking that balance is tricky.
One way to help you with handling multiple accounts would be through automation. You can use tools like Hootsuite, that help you schedule and track your multiple social media activities on one page. It is a great tool to keep a tab on customer engagement or even analyze your user behavior. No matter how many channels you work with your content marketing strategies must be aligned with each other. Deliver quality and relevant content. Only after you have found stalwart channels that work, should you add more to your social media strategy. This way you can save time and budget.
Conclusion
Social media is one of the easiest marketing tools one can get their hands on. It is packed with widespread advantages, but achieving those benefits can be daunting. Understanding the types of social media marketing is essential, as each platform comes with its own set of challenges and nuances that need to be factored in. Get in touch with Luxeveda Branding Services, and we can help you navigate your social media struggles effectively.
