Social media marketing has become such an integral part of today’s businesses that it’s hard to imagine the concept ever going away. Here’s what you need to know about social media, including its definition, history, and much more. By the end of this article, you’ll be able to confidently answer the question What is social media? and have a strong grasp on how it can benefit your business in 2018 and beyond.
Social media helps you connect with your audience
It’s a great way to let people know what you’re up to and how they can help you grow your business. This may sound complicated, but it can be easy if you use social media correctly! Read on for some tips.
What are the social networks?
Facebook (1.23 billion users), Twitter (400 million users), LinkedIn (300 million users) and Instagram (200 million users). YouTube, Pinterest, Google+ and Tumblr add a few hundred million more to get over 2 billion.
How do I use social media as a business owner
Understanding how to use social media for business can be tricky, but it’s a process worth knowing. Here are five steps that will help you leverage social media for your company.
Why should I use social media?
The answer to why in social media isn’t necessarily what you think. It can be easy to assume that your reason for using social media will be similar to everyone else, but remember: there are no two businesses exactly alike. Your main goal should be getting a better understanding of how and why you should use it in your own marketing strategy—not following someone else’s. This can help ensure that you actually use social media—and not just get caught up in all of its hype.
How do I measure success using social media
The beauty of social media is that it doesn’t just connect you to your audience, but it also gives you feedback on how effective you are at communicating. To measure success using social media, determine what your end goals are. Are you trying to connect with customers, promote brand awareness or build a community around a certain topic? Depending on what your goals are, there are different ways to measure success in these areas.
Do I need to be on every platform
It seems that everyone has a view on whether or not you should be on every social media platform. The truth is, social media integration for your business doesn’t need to be as complicated as it sounds. Do I need to be on each platform? No, but there are some rules to follow so you can keep up with trends and connect with your customers. Below are three tips for staying relevant in a world of social media integration.
If you have time, should you automate it all?
As you’re setting up your social media presence and deciding which platforms to use, you’ll probably have questions about how much time you should spend on each one. Should it take hours a day? What if someone calls me out on Twitter in front of thousands of followers for being an idiot—am I supposed to respond instantly? If you have any doubt about whether or not you can handle spending X amount of time responding to people, we suggest that you automate some or all of your profiles.
Should you pay for advertising or not?
Paying for advertising seems scary at first, but it shouldn’t be. While you shouldn’t expect to see immediate success, there are a few different ways to pay for ads on social media that make paying for your social media advertising a worthwhile venture. Here’s how to decide whether or not you should pay for ads on any given platform.
Understanding analytics and the data it provides
Sure, you may have a fancy new Facebook page with hundreds of thousands of fans and dozens of loyal followers on Twitter, but if you’re not getting results (in other words, if no one is clicking), what’s it all worth? Analytics tell us which posts are popular and why they’re popular—so we can replicate our success.
How many platforms should I be on then!?
It’s not about being on every single platform, but about being where your customers are. Only after figuring out which social networks your customers frequent should you consider expanding to other platforms. For example, if one of your target demographics mostly uses Facebook and Twitter, then it makes sense to start there. If they’re very active on Instagram, however, you may want to reconsider limiting yourself solely to Facebook and Twitter. Whatever choices you make though, be sure that there’s a reason behind them!