Social media can be a confusing topic these days, especially for small business marketers. With so many websites, platforms and avenues for social media it’s hard to know where to focus your efforts.
Aside from your regular marketing efforts, you’re trying to manage multiple accounts on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, etc... as best you can. And how do you determine what’s working and what’s not?
That’s why we’re here to tell you what every single manager should know about social media marketing. By following some of these social media marketing best practices, you’ll be able to better understand how to market on social media and use it to your advantage.
1. Social Media Is Essential for All Businesses Today
Whether you like it or not, the fact is that social media is here to stay and is no longer optional for all businesses. You need to maintain a strong social presence in some way, shape, or form. Years ago, businesses could get away with hiding or shying away from social media, but that’s just not the case anymore. In fact, businesses plan to increase their social media budgets from the current number of around 10% of total marketing spend to upwards of 25% over the next five years.
2. You Don't Have to Be Everywhere All of the Time
It’s important not to get overwhelmed by the number of options and channels that exist in today’s social media marketing landscape. What’s essential is that you pick the social channels that will yield the best results in terms of ROI. This will also prevent you from spreading yourself too thin. Begin to think about which channels align best with your business and target audience. For example, if your business is food-related, focusing on Instagram by showcasing pictures of your dishes might be the best way to thrive on social media. On the other hand, avenues like LinkedIn are more appropriate for professional businesses and those who are looking to share business insights and build thought leadership.
3. Social Media Is Mobile
The smartphone revolution has affected almost every aspect of our lives, and social media is no exception. Facebook, for example, now has users spending a majority of their time (68%) accessing the platform via mobiles devices. Numbers like this are only set to increase over the next few years as mobile penetration increases globally. The point is, customers are constantly using their mobile devices to engage on social media and you’ll want to meet them there with your marketing.
4. Social Media Is a Great Tool for Reputation Management
One of the great things social media has brought to the table is that it now allows customers to have a voice. This also means that they can air their grievances or complaints on your social media profile. However, this presents a great opportunity to manage your business reputation and remedy any issues that may arise right away. These interactions will also be visible for the world to see, so make sure to follow best practices when handling these situations. By handling disputes effectively and professionally, you’ll be able to show that even when something goes wrong, you’re doing everything possible to correct the problem.
5. Utilize Social Media Automation Tools and a Content Calendar
Social media has come a long way since its inception, and has evolved into a constant stream of content and information. To make things easier for marketers, there are social scheduling tools that can help schedule content to be posted over a specified period of time. In addition, use a content calendar to help organize your content and schedule them to be posted at optimal intervals. You’ll be able to ensure that you’re not missing any special events or occasions that would benefit your business from participating in.
So there you have it, what every single manager should know about social media marketing and how to make sure you’re focusing your social media marketing efforts in the right direction.
