5 ways to improve your social media marketing

If you want to engage with your customers on social media, where do you begin? Social media is a great place to hook some new leads or lure new audiences, but before you jump in, we would always recommend you first have a strategy in place.

We asked our marketing team for their tips on how to improve your social media marketing and we’ve collected our top five below. Before delving into social media though, we would strongly advise you to think about your marketing plan and then undertake an audit of your current marketing activities.

Tip 1: Fish where the fishes are

The first thing you should do when creating a social media strategy is to identify your customer groups and think about how they use social media. You don’t need to be on every channel, just the ones that make sense for your business, your audience and your resources. Once you’ve highlighted these channels, look at how your customers already engage on these channels, and how they communicate among themselves and with similar brands.

Tip 2: Be consistent

Consistency is key in branding and marketing, and that includes social media. Be consistent in everything you do, from using the same social media handles (if possible) to creating content using the same tone and similar imagery. This will allow your customers to familiarise themselves with your content and take notice when they see it in their social feed.

Tip 3: Vary your content to start a conversation

Social media is named ‘social’ for a reason. It’s not just about promoting your products, it’s about engaging with your customers. Create content that is relevant to them and get them talking by asking questions. You might highlight your knowledge of your industry with helpful tips or tricks, introduce yourself or your staff, or use inspirational posts that showcase your product in use. Don’t completely neglect to post about your products, but don’t overdo it either - it’s all about striking the right balance.

Tip 4: Quality over quantity

There is no absolute science for how often a company should post on social media. Industries vary, as do customers' needs and all platforms are used differently - for example, what works on Twitter might not work on LinkedIn. You will have to be mindful of your resources and ability to create posts - there’s no point creating loads of content just for the sake of it. Instead, by having a plan or content calendar, you can think ahead and gain a better idea of what you can reasonably achieve. Setting these goals can also make sure that you have a steady stream of monthly content that has impact and will resonate with the customer.

Tip 5: Use paid advertising

If you’re not using social media ads already then you should look at putting aside some of your marketing budget for it. Paid social media advertising, sometimes categorised as pay-per-click (PPC), is one of the best ways to reach your target audience. You can target specific demographics and people based on categories such as their interests, job titles and hobbies. As of 2017, Facebook’s algorithm will only show an organic business post to a small percentage of page followers, meaning that PPC is now more important than ever if you want your posts to be seen by your customers. Whether it’s boosting a post for increased engagement, highlighting your staff and what they do or creating a campaign to drive conversion-ready traffic to your website, paid online advertising is an absolute must.

Do you need help?

Social media is continually evolving and new platforms are emerging all of the time. Navigating the world of social media can seem daunting if you haven’t done it before, but it doesn’t have to be if you take the time to carry out research, and have understood how the platforms benefit both you and your customers. If you have any questions about social media or would like help with future campaigns then you can contact us here. We also host workshops, and training sessions, and are on hand to help you develop your marketing strategy if needed.