Are you a beginner in the online marketing industry or a small business owner looking out for a solution to cut the social media noises, and stand out in this era of Digital Marketing?
Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, Pinterest, Quora, ClubHouse etc. Is it too much to handle and take up in the first place?
Let’s be honest; in this digital age, social media is the key component and is all over the place. Being a newbie in the town, you might feel lost and that is okay.
I feel you and I am here to help you. In this article I would share some effective Social Media Marketing tips for you to take your initial steps in the journey.
Source: pixabay.com(1) It is about GREAT story-telling:
While being on the user end, don’t you feel like being bombarded with loads of information every time you scroll through social media apps on your phone? I’m sure you sideline most of them which don’t make sense at the moment. Anything that does not seem valuable at the first look is usually ignored.
This is what gives rise to the first tip for taking care of social media marketing – Tell a story. Any sorts of content – image, video, reel, IGTV video, etc. that you create for your brand or product or service, ensure that you have a story behind it. A story could be the rawest form of how you actually came up with the business idea, what is the problem that you are trying to solve through your product and services, or simply the “Why” behind it. Since our childhood days, we tend to remember things effectively when taught through storytelling and that is exactly what you need to leverage for social media.
While time being the precious element here, only a GREAT story would evoke a reaction from the user. Hence, it is important for you to upskill in this area to be an expert at marketing. Marketing is about storytelling – sending the right message to the right person at the right time, and there is no other way to do it.
(2) Communication is a two-way street:
Communication in its basic sense means effectively passing on your thoughts to the other end. In the area of Social Media Marketing it means being social, and this brings us to the second tip. Your work does not end after creating content and posting it on your social accounts. You have to interact, listen and join conversations with your audience. This is termed as Social listening.
Social listening is the process of digging in the social media platforms and websites for conversation about your brand, products, services etc. and using those insights to decide the next steps of your marketing strategy. It is the best way to hear directly from your users and cater to their wants, ultimately bridging the gap in an effective manner.
That said, do not forget to respond to the comments on your social media posts, blogs, etc. or simply read through the ones on other discussion portals like Quora. This shall help up your marketing game and also build trust in your audience for your brand. Let your audience know that you care!
(3) Embrace Diversity and Authenticity:
Just like you dress differently at an office meeting and a party, it is important to respect each and every social platform. Given the diversity of such platforms, their audience and algorithm is also different. If you have just stepped into this noisy social world, the best way to cut its noises is to understand it.
Now you might have a question – How to understand it? The only rule is to EXPERIMENT. Until and unless you put your content out there, you won’t know what your audience prefers and neither would you get as to what works on Facebook and not on Instagram. So put an end to your endless trail of perfection thoughts, and enter the world of Social media marketing.
While respecting diversity is vital, do not compromise on the authenticity of your brand. With such advancement in the internet world, it is pretty easy for people to figure out a fake one. Be real – real with your product or service, your brand, your story and your content. Be that you are a small business owner, or a freelancer who is looking forward to increasing your client’s online presence, you’ve got the third tip to effective Social Media Marketing.
(4) Planning and Intent Matters:
Does the noisy puzzle of social media seem to be resolving to some extent now? Awesome! You now know the tips to understand the working of it, what is left is to know how to pursue it. It might be a lot of work from what I mentioned above. I’ll be honest, yes it is. However, there’s always a way out, and in this case it is planning.
With the mentioned factors involved, planning and scheduling things beforehand will keep the stress off your mind. Also, it will keep you consistent with your efforts and efficient with your creativity. Hence, ALWAYS have a Content Management Calendar. There is no particular format for it, keep anything and everything to manage the content on your tips.
Additionally, just be clear of the intent while creating your content. It does not always have to be financial, it can be entertainment, informational, educational or simply a surprise for your users. All you need to do is always keep the intent clear in your mind, and it shall automatically reflect in what you are producing for the end customer. After all, the human brain is magical! 😀
(5) Consistency is the key:
Now that you know how to enter the social media world, your efforts shall pay off when you do it all consistently. If you want to broaden your brand’s online presence, consistency is the key. You have to ensure that your brand is always in front of your audience’s eyes. Be that you post one article in a week, just keep at it.
That is it! You are now ready to step into this noisy socially amazing world and be on the path of your successful journey of Digital Marketing. Let me know if you found these tips helpful. Also, feel free to share any add-ons to my learning journey.
P.S.- Here is another wonderful article to know about Instagram marketing. Do check it out!