Social media has become one of the primary distribution channels of marketing material for most businesses today, and with good reason. Businesses in Leesburg Florida are no exception to the rule when it comes to their social media marketing! Many people use social media for practically every aspect of their lives from staying connected with friends and family to checking the latest news headlines to researching products and companies before making purchasing decisions. It offers companies a premier platform for marketing opportunities because the outreach potential is virtually unlimited.
Many businesses, in Lake County Florida, find themselves achieving low returns on their investment in social media marketing, however, and tend to turn the focus of their marketing efforts elsewhere when results are unattained or goals unmet. In most cases, these failures with social media marketing are often due to not fully understanding how to maximize marketing efforts on social media networks. While there are dozens of tips and tactics a Central Florida company can use to make the most of social media, there are 15 top tips that should become essential aspects of any company’s social marketing strategies.
1. Social Media Marketing Plan
Develop a plan for each social media channel you intend to use. The reason there are so many successful social media networks is that each one has a user base that differs from the others in a variety of ways. What this means to you as a marketer is that you cannot use a single social media marketing plan and expect it to work across all social channels. Also, not all channels are best for reaching the local market in Leesburg Florida.
2. Ease In Social Media Marketing
Start with a manageable number of social media networks and gradually branch out to others as you become more successful and adept at maneuvering in the social sphere. Many businesses fail miserably at social media marketing just because they tried to establish a presence on as many social networks as possible right from the start. Rather than spreading yourself thin across numerous networks, start with a small number (two or three). Build a strong foundation first, then add other social channels as you increase the visibility, reputation, and dominance of your online presence.
3. Social Media Marketing Schedule
Devise and implement a posting schedule for your social media channels, and adhere to it diligently. Just like the diverse user base, you will find from network to network, the pace of content is equally varied. Social networks like Twitter have rapid-fire exchanges of information and continually moving content, while networks like Pinterest move along steadily at a much slower speed. Because of these speed differentials, you will need to formulate a schedule for posting your marketing material and other content to each of the different social networks you are using. Also consider the time of day your customers will be using social media. Here is Leesburg Florida, we are on EST. If you are trying to reach people in other states, be mindful of where they are and what time it is there.
4. Post On Purpose
Avoid posting just for the sake of posting. It is true that you should develop an active and visible presence on social media networks, but that does not mean you should publish posts that have no usefulness or value to your audience. Yes, a picture of a basket of kittens is undeniably cute – but it does nothing to further your marketing goals. Your social media content should always be helpful or relevant, with a side dish of cuteness or entertainment to add more flavor (but never as a stand-alone post). Try using relatable content. This should be a little easier when targeting a local audience, since they are right in your backyard, just how we are in Leesburg.
5. Test Social Media Marketing
Employ A/B testing as much as possible to determine which words and phrases are the most effective in getting your social content noticed and shared. A/B testing should not only be used for campaigns on a specific social network, but also for posts and content that you are marketing across multiple channels. You can also test different times of day that your Central Florida audience is most active on that platform.
6. Tools For Social Media Marketing
Begin using a social media management tool, program, or application as soon as possible. There are plenty of tools available to help you manage your social media marketing campaigns, so make sure you find one that offers the features and options you need to help you reach marketing goals. You can even find marketing management tools that integrate social media marketing with other facets of your overall marketing strategy, which can assist in tying everything together and streamlining your marketing efforts.
7. Social Media Communities
Join or create a community that revolves around your market, industry, or primary area of interest, and become active and engaged with community members. Participating in an online community centered around a specific area of interest or industry is an excellent way to network with current and future consumers, professional peers, and other interested persons. You may even be able to find a Facebook Group related to you geographically, like “Lake County Entrepreneurs” for example.
8. Social Media SEO
Keywords are just as important on social media are they are in blogs and on web page content, so don’t neglect them when crafting material for your social media posts. One notable difference between social media keywords and those appearing in content on other marketing channels is that they often take the form of hashtags. Including relevant keywords or phrases as a hashtag can help people find you on social media, but make sure you understand the ins and outs of hashtag use before adding them to your posts.
9. Community Involvement (Social Media, Not Leesburg)
In addition to joining social media communities, you should also spend time involved in constructive engagement with your fans, followers, and visitors. By inviting and participating in conversations with your users, you are letting them know that they are more important to you than just the money they invest in your business.
10. Quality Images
In the world of social media, a picture is worth a thousand shares (or likes, tweets, clicks, or links). Literally. Images are the most shared item on Facebook and Twitter, so make sure your social media posts include plenty of them to ensure your share of sharing. Also, add at least one share-worthy image to your non-social content, such as email newsletters, blogs, articles, and other data, so that you can highlight that content on your social media channels, too.
11. Analyze Everything
Aside from using a social media management tool (see #6), you should also begin using an analytics tool to measure the performance of your social marketing efforts. As with management tools, analytics tools offer a variety of features to keep track of your active content, including where you post it, how well it performs regarding clicks, shares, likes, or other metrics. By monitoring the performance of your social media marketing campaigns, you will be able to stay better informed regarding lead generation, profitability, return on investment, and more. You may find, this is something many other Leesburg businesses aren’t doing with their social media marketing efforts.
12. Is Competition Good Or Bad
Keep an eye on what your competitors are doing on social media, especially if it is working well (or working better than your efforts). By taking a look at competitor activities, you can get ideas for modifications to your own social media marketing efforts that could provide you with a significant boost in traffic, leads, conversions, and reputation. Be careful not to duplicate your competitors, however. Your fans and followers come to you because you give them something they cannot find elsewhere, so make sure you continue to stand out even if you do start adopting some of the strategies of other marketers.
13. Cool Tools
Use the tools provided by the social networks themselves to publish, promote, and monitor your marketing efforts. Many social media networks offer developer and marketer tools to help you manage your marketing campaigns, and these tools are platform-specific. That means they are tailored specifically for a particular social network and will have features or options you might not find in standard social media management, marketing, or performance measurement tool. Again, this is something many Lake County businesses are likely missing out on.
14. “Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook”
Many advice columns for social media marketing will invariably tell you to keep salesmanship out of your social content. For the most part, you should avoid bombarding followers and visitors with a constant stream of “sale, sale, sale” messages, but there is nothing wrong with pitching a unique item, event, or bonus now and then. When you do decide to add a blatant sales pitch in your social media post, then try to tie it in with a holiday, season, event, or another special occasion to maintain relevance.
15. Followers Don’t Equal Money
A considerable number of followers is an impressive statistic for anyone with a presence on social media because social users view a large following as a sign of reputation, authority, and credibility. You don’t want the bulk of your followers to be fabricated out of thin air or forced to “follow” you to access or receive a special perk from your company, however. Organic “follows” are best because the user chose to do so with no influence from you. You can also encourage users to become followers, but you must do so carefully. You want your followers to be engaged, active, and interested, not just following you because they had no other alternative (such as receiving a discount, a download, or another benefit). For example, if your business relies on local business from Leesburg Florida and surrounding areas, it would not be helpful for half of your followers to live in a city in Georgia.
When you start applying these 15 tips to your social media marketing strategies, you will be putting your company in the right position to begin significantly increasing the return on your social marketing efforts. An increase in traffic, higher quality leads, or more likes and shares is just the tip of the iceberg. With commitment, diligence, and time, you can transform your company’s social presence into a dominant, industry-leading force to be reckoned with.