If you are an entrepreneur, you might have been told that you need to set up a Facebook and Twitter account, create a LinkedIn profile, and engage with your audience. There are several websites and blogs claiming they can guide you through the process of creating a successful social media campaign and learning to utilize technology. The truth is that the majority of new business owners do not succeed in engaging with their audience through Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Find out below why social media means so much more than likes.
Facebook marketing is more than likes
Most people visit Facebook to stay in touch with their colleagues, friends and family members. They are not looking for a particular product or service to buy. If you start sending out requests for your friends, you might get more likes, but they won't be from your target audience. You need to look at Facebook marketing as a part of your overall promotion strategy. You must find the groups and people who are interested in your services or products. This takes a lot of research, and you need to learn how to spot opportunities.
Twitter marketing guide
While some people might tell you that following people who might be interested in your business is a sure way of getting mentions, likes and retweets, this approach simply does not work. You need a strategy that results in you sending out valuable messages and engaging with your target market. Simply posting that you are the best at something will not convince Twitter users who come across the same posts dozens of times every day. You need to personalize your messages and connect with people at the individual level.
How to master social media marketing
If you want to become an expert in social media, you need to learn about your audience. Do you know what your potential customers are looking for? What are the questions they are asking on social media, forums, blogs, and networking sites? Do you have a solution to solve their urgent problems? If the answer is no to any of the above questions, you might be sending out the wrong messages.
Do you know what the unique selling proposition of your business is and what makes your company stand out from the crowd? Can you give your prospects a strong reason to buy from you and not from another seller or service provider? Once you have figured out what makes you different and unique, you can create a branding strategy on social media.
Create a social media marketing plan
When you know where your customers are, what their greatest problem is, and how you can solve it, you can start creating targeted advertising messages on social media. You could try offering free information, discounts or advice in exchange for their likes and engagement. You might want to take targeting one step further and create surveys to learn more about your market and the people who are interested in your services. Thanks to the technological advancements of recent years, you can easily create surveys and questionnaires on Twitter and Facebook.