Social media can greatly impact your marketing efforts. It allows your business to engage in a shared, interactive conversation. By using social platforms, businesses can target their niche markets and reach specific demographics. Every business has an ideal client (if you haven't defined yours, we need to talk). Depending on the demographic you're targeting, you need to decide which platforms are appropriate for your business. Your target audience may be using Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, LinkedIn, or others, but the starting point is always determining if your ideal clients are there. Using social media effectively is a great idea if it makes sense for your business, but don't fall into some of these common traps. 

MYTH #1 - SOCIAL MEDIA IS THE ONLY MARKETING MY BUSINESS NEEDS

Your social media efforts will be much stronger in conjunction with other marketing activities. An integrated marketing plan can leverage multiple marketing methods and create numerous touch points with your customers and prospects. We recommend having a website as your central hub, and using social media to lead visitors to the site. While some businesses use a Facebook page in place of a website, they can miss opportunities to provide important information that is easy to find. The dynamic and fluid aspects of social media are great for staying current and engaging people, but information can get lost in the chronological feed. The key takeaway is to provide links to all your social media on your website, and provide your website link on your social media.

Having an overall social media strategy in place before launching posts is wise, versus posting whatever and whenever the mood strikes (remember how we DON'T like random acts of marketing?). Social media posts, just like all other marketing, should have a purpose. Whether promoting a new product, having a huge clearance sale, teaching something, entertaining, or sharing relevant information; think about your objectives before planning and implementing social media activity. Check your statistics for email, web visits, social media shares, etc. to help you see where you get the best impact and engagement.

MYTH #2 - IT'S FREE!

Social media marketing is an investment. Creating relevant, useful, share-worthy content takes time and effort. Remember that time is money, whether you are paying staff, doing it yourself, or outsourcing. Consistency is key in social media, so pre-planning enough time is crucial in implementing a successful social media strategy. Having a social media budget helps you stay on track and find the best way to allocate resources (time, money, people, training) to get things done. 

Being aware of social advertising offerings and principles is important, too. Knowing when to boost a post or pay for an ad can maximize your reach and help you gain new followers. You can produce great content, but it won't help you if nobody sees it. Social media advertising provides great opportunities to target narrow audiences, such as geo-targeting and targeting specific interests. Growing your following is a critical part of social media marketing.

MYTH #3 - I CAN SKIP FACE-TO-FACE NETWORKING

Even though we live in a world where everyone seems glued to their cell phones, a screen is a poor substitution for a face to face interaction. To be a successful business owner, you are probably going to have to be willing to get out there and meet real people and have real conversations. No, you can't reach as many people with a one at a time approach, and you definitely need to have virtual relationships as well as in person ones, but try looking at social media as a supplement to your in person contacts. You know your business better than anyone else, so optimize opportunities to talk to people in person, and insert more of yourself and your personality into your social media. Video is a great way to share on social media where people can feel like they are getting to know you.

THE BOTTOM LINE

According to Pew Research Center, 74% of online adults use social networking sites. It is highly likely that your marketing could benefit from being active on social media. By integrating your social media plan into your overall marketing, committing to the necessary resources, and using it to enhance your customer relationships, you are on the way to an efficient, effective, and fun way to get the word out about your wonderful business!

As always, if you need help, please  contact us. That's why we are here!