Social Media Marketing Strategies

According to a study by Oberlo, social media statistics from 2019 show that there are 3.5 billion social media users worldwide. This number equates to approximately 45% of the current population, and is growing rapidly. Since users spend an average of 3 hours per day on social media networks, it's important nowadays to reach customers and followers on these platforms.

"73% of marketers believe that their efforts through social media marketing have been 'somewhat effective' or 'very effective' for their business." (Buffer, 2019)

To take advantage of these platforms for your business marketing, we are sharing with you below some best practices and strategies for social media marketing. These tips will help you to reach and attract more targeted customers, create an engaging online community, and ultimately grow your online business.

1. Create Business Accounts

Create business accounts for all social media networks, so that your business is separate from your personal accounts, for example Facebook Business Manager, Instagram Business Page, YouTube Channel connected to a Google Brand Account, and Google My Business Page.

2. Create a Consistent Brand

Create a consistent brand across all your social media channels, with consistent logo, header image, graphics, business description, services, products, mission etc.

Create your own unique hashtag, such as #yourbusinessname or a tagline for your business or brand.

Update your website URL, hours of service, contact info and other important business information on all your business social media pages.

3. Build Your Audience

Build your Likes, Followers and Connections.

Invite your friends and customers to Like or Follow your business page.

Follow other related businesses and individuals in your industry or niche.

4. Know Your Customer

Focus on the social media platform(s) where your customers spend most time. This can vary by demographic.

Tailor your posts and content to that audience and platform as appropriate.

5. Share Value Regularly

Post helpful, relevant, valuable and engaging content.

Post minimum of once per day, ideally multiple times per day.

Ask questions in your posts to encourage comments and engagement.

Post information about your services, your approach, your why, your story etc, to help customers connect with you.

Post links to your website to help drive traffic to your website.

Post links to articles you have written on your website.

Post links to your YouTube videos.

Post related articles on other sites and tag the business.

Post articles you've written on other sites and tag the business.

Include rich content such as images and videos.

Use emoticons as appropriate, depending on your industry and niche.

Use hashtags as appropriate.

Use bold, italics, underline as appropriate, using our favorite social media editor software, SociSnap.

Include your personal commentary or opinion in posts, even when sharing an article or a link.

Create stories (available on Facebook, Instagram).

6. Engage With Your Audience

Reply to comments on your posts promptly.

Reply to messages in your inbox promptly.

Thank people that share your posts.

Tag your followers on a post that might be interested in it.

Create live videos (available on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube).

Create a Facebook Group and build a community.

7. Join Groups and Communities

Join relevant groups in your industry (available on Facebook and LinkedIn).

Comment on posts in the group so that others in the group get to know you.

Post your own content and helpful articles in the group to share value.

Become a leader and an expert in your niche.

8. Run Paid Ads to Targeted Audiences

Create Custom Audiences for the demographic of customers you wish to target.

Run paid Ads to these audiences.

Create Ads to promote your business page.

Create Retargeting Ads to retarget users who have visited your website.

Optimize your Ads with keyword-rich content, images, videos and slideshows.

Hire an expert to help you create, track and optimize your Ads according to your advertising budget.