Social media marketing has become an incredible power in the world of online
marketing. And why not? With an estimated 65% of Americans reporting that
they utilize social media sites, these types of networking hubs have become
the perfect place to reach out to any type of audience you wish to target.
Social media sites also allow businesses, big and small, to show a more
personal side of their brand. These sites open up different avenues to
creatively reach current and potential customers. Many brands put their own
videos, photos, articles and even coupons on their social media sites to
encourage engagement and boost sales.
However, each of these sites feature different ways to reach out to a broad
audience. In order to properly utilize this area of SEO, social media
marketing must be approached in a smart and strategic way. Some of the top
social media sites include Facebook, Twitter, and Google+. Depending on the
type of business you run and the overall goal you have for your social media
campaign, not all of these sites may perfectly help you convey your business
message and overall philosophy. Below are some brief outlines of what types
of marketing campaigns each of these sites works best for, followed by some
helpful tips to boost engagement on each specific social media site.
Facebook is a social networking site that allows companies to create "Pages"
to represent their brand. With the semi-recent transition to the timeline
format, Facebook brand pages read almost like a yearbook of accomplishments
for the company. Facebook is ideal for companies that are looking to create
a more personal and open relationship with their clients. Many companies
post photos and videos of new products, employee events and updates to their
page. Facebook also allows brands to host contests and conduct polls.
Tips for Engagement
1. Post at the Right Time of Day - Studies have shown that more people are
active on Facebook during the weekdays. Many studies have also shown that
posting between 11am-4pm EST is the most effective.
2. Ask a Question - Status updates that ask for the opinion of your fans
typically illicit more likes and comments. People like to share their
thoughts and feel that they have an influence on the brands they love.
3. Utilize Visuals, but Keep it Simple - It's important to not just make
posts that are purely words. Relevant photos, videos, and other graphics
have been shown to increase fan engagement. But it is important to keep
these posts simple. Fans tend to become less engaged if you post multiple
photos in a row, so choose wisely, and give your fans time to enjoy each
unique post.
Twitter is a 140-character playroom for celebrities, brands, politicians and
many others to express their thoughts and promote ideas in a quick and
simple way. Twitter gives you the ability to design a personal page with a
photo, 140-character biography and complete control over the background
wallpaper. Twitter's simplicity is why so many people use it to quickly
catch up on news from friends, their favorite companies and even their
horoscope. Twitter is ideal for companies that wish to share quick links
back to their website or blog, promotions, and reach particular groups or
people through the use of hashtags and direct messaging.
Tips for Engagement
1. Pay Attention to Hashtag Trends - When you are exploring your Twitter
homepage, pay special attention to the lower left hand corner of the page.
There you will see a small list of terms marked with a "#" and labeled
"Trending Now." These terms are called "hashtags" and they are used to group
together tweets sent out on the same topic. Be sure to pay attention to
these and when you see any that pertain to your business, include them in a
Tweet with a link back to your website.
2. "RT to Support!" - The "Retweet" is a great way to increase engagement
and gain more followers. When someone "retweets" something you post, it
becomes visible to all of his or her followers, and it can continue to move
from there. Adding "RT to Support" or some other variation like #RT or
#Retweet will help encourage others to retweet your post and therefore lead
to more retweets and visibility for your brand.
Google+
Google+ is an interesting combination of professional and playful. In some
ways, it works like Facebook, allowing you to provide status updates and
post on your friends' pages. However, it has some other features unique to
Google+ that allow it to be used as a purely professional resource as well.
With Google+ you can separate people into different groups making it easy to
create targeted messages based on who you want to see them. Google+ is best
for companies that wish to target different types of people and also for
those looking for a social networking site that combines playful and
professional.
Tips for Engagement
1. Use the "Circle" Feature - This feature allows you to group people on
your friends list and send specific marketing messages to them.
2. Comment Often - Be sure to engage with others. When someone shares an
article pertinent to your industry, thank him or her and share the link on
your own page. Hopefully they will return the favor.
3. Be Sure to Checkout Hangouts - Different brands will host video chats or
"live-streaming hangouts" to help connect better with fans. Attend often and
consider hosting your own.
By utilizing these social media sites for the correct purpose and in the
right way, you can significantly impact your online marketing goals. Knowing
the direction to go in will help you work smarter, not harder and put you
far ahead of the competition.
my motto is "Keep it simple" and "don't leave anything for tomorrow that can
be done today."
If you have any questions or comments please contact me.
Regards Gerald
Website: http://www.webcraft.ws
E-mail: gerald@webcraft.ws
Twitter: WebcraftGuru
Facebook: Webcraft Guru
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