A Guide to Effective Social Media Marketing
Social Media Marketing mainly comprises of undertakings that involve social sharing of pictures, content, and videos for marketing one’s products and services, with the intent to increasing traffic or attention of the targeted demographic through effective social media channels like Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, etc.
Marketing channels over time have evolved tremendously, and marketing through social media can aid any business since customers usually interact with brands through these channels. It is hence imperative that your company have a robust plan for effective social media marketing, and if this plan is executed properly then the results could be remarkable.
To ensure your plan is effective and attracts numerous viewers and customers, here are some infallible stratagems which I have listed for you in this guide to effective Social Media Marketing:
1. Webinars
All that is required for a webinar is a headset and a good internet connection. Many experts readily agree to share their know-how and proficiency through webinars, which is a great way to learn directly from the professionals while seated at your workstation.
There are three types of webinars which could be arranged:
• Customer Webinar: There are thousands of customers who use and love your products. Having them speak about their experience will definitely have a good impact on your business as this act would be purely educational and will not appear as a sales exercise to the viewers. It will additionally help you reach out to a larger audience.
• Industry Leader Webinar: The leaders of any given industry almost always provide an impartial opinion and view which the masses are actually eager to hear. A webinar as such with the current topic connected to your company’s product or service will definitely be a bonus to your marketing plan.
• Product Webinar: Organising product webinars will help your customers to clearly understand how a product/service works, while also providing you with an opportunity to clarify their doubts and answer their questions if any. A product webinar can be planned and should be organised keeping in mind the different time zones and industries so that a larger audience can be reached.
2. Podcasts
For those who prefer to listen in rather than see images or videos, podcasts are the best way to connect. Podcasts are nothing but theme-based audio bytes and are usually about 40 minutes long, but the shorter ones for 15 minutes are largely what most of the audio lovers like to listen to. Some of the advantages of Podcasts are:
- Your company gets a prospect to get in touch with influencers of your industry and institute a connection with them.
- You get to share important content with the target demographic. This content used for the podcast can be reused via email campaigns, newsletters or blogs, and can be a continuous process.
- You get an opportunity to take an imperative place in the trade as someone who puts in an effort to aid the community by sharing knowledge.
3. Influencer Marketing
It is easy to connect to people using social media, and if done properly and evocatively, one can connect to the influencers of the trade, involve them with your company and then take the conversation forward. Influencer marketing has often been misunderstood as celebrity endorsement, but this is a shallow way of looking at it. What influencer marketing really means is recognising a list of influencers from your business, mapping their social existence, and interacting with them on the platform they prefer.
4. Different Platforms
Having a profile on various social media platforms does not mean it will attract customers to your company automatically. You will need to plan and have different techniques to craft a unique strategy for every social media channel.
• Facebook: Marketing on Facebook starts with creating a Facebook business fan page. It is crucial to pay utmost attention to the designing of the page as this visual component will garner a larger impact on the viewers. Your page can be made interesting by posting images, videos, products with discounts, interesting articles, etc.
• Pinterest: Although Pinterest is a platform largely for the retail industry, several leading businesses showcase their products and use this image-based social media platform for brand promotions. Pinterest is really all about creating unique pinboards where customers or viewers re-pin them on their boards.
• Twitter: Twitter has become one of the most sought after social media marketing platforms, and with the right tweets you are sure to gain a lot of followers. You can combine your official tweets of product information and discounts with witty one-liners or an important news update. Twitter is dialogue-based, so ensure you always keep your followers engaged.
• LinkedIn: This is undoubtedly one of the strongest and most influential business platforms today. LinkedIn groups are a great way to connect to professionals who belong to the same industry as you, and garner deals and contracts. You can also recommend profiles and encourage people in your circle to recommend yours so that your business is seen as reliable and trustworthy.
• YouTube: There is nothing better than a powerful video to attract more customers for your business and what better platform than YouTube. A video sends an important message and people connect to it easily as it has all the essential words, pictures, actions, content etc. Once your video goes viral you can be rest assured you will significantly increase your customer base.
To conclude: Social Media Marketing Platforms are the most effective and powerful ways to reach out to your customers, new leads, as well as potential clients; it is hence imperative in our competitive world to have a great social media strategy. Utilise the power of ‘Social Media’ for your business and personal goals, and to reach out to your target audience by engaging more through your social media channels, especially since your brand is as good as your ‘Social Media’ presence. If you are consistent with your social media strategy and plans, your brand building and reach are bound to increase and pay off in the long run.
Use this step-by-step guide to effective Social Media Marketing to help you identify your social goals, engage audiences, and optimise your results! And, of course, I’d love to have you share your thoughts in the comments below!
Thank you for this informative post, Vikram! I’d like to add that marketers love talking about your niche. Let’s be clear: niching isn’t excluding; it’s ensuring your language, your messaging and your brand feel as INCLUSIVE to your dream clients as possible.
You are welcome, Ronit.
Thank you for this, Vikram! You certainly have some good value and learnings to share with the world… I would like to see a lot more articles of this nature on Urban Diaries.
I will certainly keep that in mind, Tanu.
As always, this is great advice for those wanting to succeed. It doesn’t seem as daunting as one would think either. xx
Thank you, Shirish.
Insightful post. Social media is truly more about the science behind technology. And, this is a time for opportunity – to be proactive, innovative and agile.
Thank you, Tanvi. Very well said!
Why not use all the tools in the figurative box! That said, I can’t wait to have you and Tanya post more frequently on the ‘Blogging Tips’ section!
That’s nice of you, Chandrani.
I could not resist commenting. Exceptionally well written!
Thank you, Lyle.
Excellent post. This is an example of how you should utilise the digital space in an engaging way. As it’s rightly said, “Brands who ignore social media will die, as simple as that.”
Absolutely right you are, Tanisha.
Thanks for this great post, Vikram ~ I genuinely enjoyed reading it! And, your first paragraph resonates so hard! Continue your great work, and have a nice evening!
Thank you very much, Sanvi.
Excellent post! Insights that are of value to me… And, right now is a great time to build systems to attract new followers.
Yes, it is, Suman.
A lot of useful information here. Any of these either take time, or money to get started — but every individual/business should be thinking about how they can pivot their brand for the future. Thank you on your efforts, Vikram!
My pleasure entirely, Vibha.
Great advice, as always! Improvise, adapt and overcome. Thank you for this amazing post ~ loved it!
You are welcome, Kajol.
Such clever work and coverage! Like they say ~ be optimistic, exhibit patience, shut your mouth, and execute. Keep up the wonderful work!
Thank you, Shreya.
Execute… word of the day! The best thing you can do as a business account on social media right now is to make shareable content. Keep up the good work!
Thank you, Neha.
I simply love Urban Diaries! You & Tanya come out with outstanding articles! By the way, this is the perfect time for you to grow your page while everyone is spending their time on their phones and on the internet. Plus, unique content is very much needed right now…
Thank you for that perspective, Bilal.
I do agree with all the ideas you have offered on your post. They’re very convincing and can definitely work. Thanks for sharing, Vikram.
Thanks for reading, Neeru.
Don’t wait for convenience to start going for your dreams. PUSH. FIGHT. Try different ways to HACK your situation and make it work for you! It’s really all about ‘Perspective’…
Thank you for sharing, Bhaskar.
Fantastic points altogether, you just won a new reader! I would also like to add that Google ranks your content based on the actions of others. So, it doesn’t reward you simply because you are just using popular keywords. It is much more interested in seeing that users read, share, and engage with your content.
How nicely you’ve expressed this… Thank you for sharing, Sudarsanam.
Thanks for sharing, much appreciated!
p.s. Hootsuite and Buffer are both social media scheduling and management tools at their most basic level.
You are most welcome, Swastika.
I definitely enjoyed every little bit of this post, Vikram! That being said, I would advise people to repurpose their old social media posts. They are just lying there gathering dust and getting very little engagement. Find them and get the nuggets of information in them and put them over the top of pics/images. 🙂
Thank you for sharing, Priya.
Valuable information. Content writing is the process of planning, writing and editing web content, typically for digital marketing purposes. It can include writing blog posts and articles, scripts for videos and podcasts, as well as content for specific platforms, such as tweetstorms on Twitter or text posts on Reddit. 🙂
Thank you for sharing, Adarsh.
Thank you for the effort you’ve invested in scripting this blog post, Vikram! Actually, your and Tanya’s creative writing abilities have motivated me to get my own personal blog! 🙂
Go for it! 🙂
Fastidious article with real arguments and descriptions. Learn, plan and grow!
Thank you, Rajesh. Glad you enjoyed it!
I love your authored material so much, Vikram!
Here’s my take: A mountain is composed of tiny grains of earth, the ocean is made up of tiny drops of water. Even so, life is but an endless series of little details, thoughts and actions. Promote your brand right with Strategic Planning & Brand Positioning!
Thank you for those wise words, Chhavi.
Such a great post! You’ve hit the ball outta the park! And to that end, I say ~ you don’t have to follow the bandwagon. Stand out!!
Thank you, Shivantika.
Developing a well-designed, professional looking website will get your foot in the door of the online market, and give you a base from which to build your clientele. Great post btw, very inspiring!
Glad to hear it, Nishanth.
Absolutely great content! Keep hustling, the sky’s the limit! If you’re interested in content creation, video production or social media marketing, check out my blog, I think you’ll love it!
Thank you, Kunal. Will do.
Awesome article! Keeping your processes simple makes it easy to stay engaged with readers/followers/clients and helps to drive efficiency…
Thank you for sharing, Shreya.
Love your writing style! And yes, make yourself valuable by improving your skills and gaining knowledge… You can get improved by reading books, attending various courses… In short – keep learning, it will benefit you!
Thank you for sharing, Somya.
Your post is wonderfully informative, Vikram.
May I share here a few pointers for Instagram…
Your bio is your chance to attract your target audience in just a couple of seconds! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
1. Include your name so that your account is discoverable.
2. Highlight your strengths/service/product in one simple sentence – try to be catchy here so they know what you do!⠀
3. Include a CTA. For example, send a message for a free quote, check out our website, etc.
4. Include your (brand) hashtag and if you don’t have one, create one.
Thank you for adding to my post, Prarthana. Nice of you.