Social Media

The Ultimate Social Media Marketing Guide for Beginners

June 30, 2021

About seven in 10 Americans already use social media to connect with others, share information, and remain entertained. As social media becomes a bigger part of our lives, more companies use social media marketing to reach customers. It’s not enough to start posting photos online, though. Instead, you need a strong social marketing strategy with your distinct customers in mind. Creating eye-catching, compelling content can help you boost brand awareness and recognition. You can draw more people to your website and start boosting your business. Your ROI could begin to rise as a result. Not sure where to start? Here are 10 tips that can help you add social media to your digital media marketing strategy. Start getting social with these 10 easy tips today.

1. Research Your Customers

Before developing your social media marketing strategy, it’s important to consider your target audience. If you don’t know who your customers are, you won’t appeal to their interests. They won’t give your social media posts a second glance. Instead, take the time to learn as much as you can about your target audience. If you’re focusing on a broad audience, segment it into smaller groups. For example, you can create distinct buyer personas based on demographics and psychographics. Consider:

• Age
• Gender
• Household income
• Marital status
• Buying behaviors
• Location
• Pain points
• Interests
• Hobbies
• Education

Different audience groups will have different interests and needs. For example, you might want to create different content for Gen Z than for Boomers. Gathering this research can help you customize your social media marketing content. Personalization could prove essential to your success. In fact, 45% of consumers won’t spend time with content that doesn’t match their interests. Over 60% expect personalization as a standard of service. Personalization could benefit your ROI, too. About 80% of consumers are more likely to make a purchase when brands offer personalized experiences. Personalization can offer up to eight times the ROI on marketing spend. Keep that in mind before you start creating content for your customers.

2. Set Your Goals

Once you have a better understanding of your customers, take a moment to consider your goals. Your goals can better inform your social media marketing campaigns. You can craft content with each goal in mind. Make sure your goals align with your overall business objectives. Create specific, measurable goals to keep yourself on track. These goals can include:

• Generating brand awareness
• Increasing social media followers
• Boosting traffic to your website
• Increasing online leads and sales
• Improving your ROI
• Establishing yourself as a thought leader

Segment each large goal into smaller pieces. Set a deadline for each benchmark. If you’re not meeting your benchmarks, you’ll know it’s time to make a change to your digital media marketing strategy.

3. Peek at Your Competitors

Take the time to research what your competitors are up to as well. Look at the content they’re creating for social media. Which posts are helping them generate the most engagement? Which posts are failing to gain any attention or traction? Look at when they post, the post format, and the hashtags they use, too.

4. Create Compelling Content

Determine what kind of content to create based on your SMART goals. For example, you can use company culture videos to boost brand awareness. You might consider creating infographics and case studies to build your credibility. Experiment with different forms of content, including:

• Still images
• Carousels
• Stories
• Reels
• Infographics
• Polls
• Quizzes
• Videos

Make sure to create branded content. Branding your content can boost awareness and recognition.

5. Use Your Tools

As you start developing your social media marketing strategy, remember to use your tools. For example, you can use a post scheduler to remain organized. You can schedule posts for the month ahead of time to boost your efficiency, too. Otherwise, consider working with a digital media marketing agency. They can save you time and effort in the long run. They can build, manage, and optimize your campaigns for success.

6. Find Ways to Boost Engagement

Once you start posting on social media, look for ways to generate more engagement. For example, you can use interactive content like polls and quizzes. Try hosting a contest, too. Encourage people to tag their friends in your posts as well. Boosting engagement can help you draw more people to your account.

7. Work With Influencers

Consider finding an influencer with your industry. Influencers can boost your brand awareness and credibility. You can leverage their existing audience to reach more potential followers online. Make sure to find an influencer who already has a strong following.

8. Adjust Your Hashtags

The hashtags you use in a post can also impact your ability to reach consumers online. Don’t stuff your posts with hashtags. Instead, make sure the hashtags you use are relevant to your industries and content. Choose different hashtags for each post. Create a branded hashtag, too. You can encourage people to use your hashtag when posting photos of your products or services. Then, use user-generated content (UGC) on your account!

9. Track the Trends

New social media marketing trends pop up all the time. Keeping up with the latest trends will help you remain relevant. Otherwise, consumers might think you’re falling behind the times. They might look to another company that’s more in the know instead. Don’t follow every trend. Instead, create content that’s most likely to appeal to your target audience.

10. Analyze and Adjust

Once you start using these digital marketing tips, make sure to analyze your data. Which posts are helping you boost engagement? Which posts seem to fall flat? Look at your data to determine the best time to post each day, too. Then, start analyzing your campaigns. You can use your data to make more informed marketing decisions in the future.

Start Getting Social: 10 Tips for Effective Social Media Marketing

Using social media marketing doesn’t have to feel stressful. Instead, keep these 10 tips in mind. With these tips, you can build an effective online marketing strategy. You can boost brand awareness, draw more people to your business, and set yourself up for success. Searching for more tips? We’re here to help. Contact us today to develop your customized social media marketing strategy.