8 Social Media Marketing Strategies

Social media is a powerful tool that when honed skillfully could help launch your business into an online success. Most business owners will agree that positive word-of-mouth marketing can do more to boost their revenue than spending money on advertising. In today’s digital world, reviews and social media are as powerful as word-of-mouth referrals. Let’s look at the most effective social media marketing strategies that you can leverage to build more loyal and active brand ambassadors.

How to Engage Customers On Social Media Platforms

According to AdWeek, a study by Ogilvy, Google and TNS showed that the highest point of influence for consumers was “word of mouth (74%).” Most people are willing to share a good product or experience, and you can motivate them to do so.

1. Be human on your social media accounts, and do not come across as a corporate machine.

The success of a modern company is going to be proven by its ability to create an experience for its customers. Marketers have noticed this shift in consumer behavior and have made adjustments to their tactics. Small business owners would be wise to do the same. Many small businesses will have an advantage in this category due to the fact that creating a personal experience with customers can be achieved quite easily with a little effort.

2. When someone communicates with your business on social media, always respond.

Whether a customer reaches out in a positive tone or a negative one, a business should always respond. Many times a simple thank you will suffice. But you should always acknowledge an adoring fan. They took the time to speak up about your company, so you should take the time to respond appropriately. Negative feedback will not only provide you with an opportunity to make your product or company better but also will give you an opportunity to show off your company’s customer service skills with a quick and helpful reply.

3. Be consistent with your social media communication and scheduling of content.

Social media channels profit from content that people want to interact with. It is in their best interest to have active users. Being inconsistent, or going silent, on social media can cause your content not to be served to as many followers as it may have once been served to. Plan a social media strategy and stick with it.

4. Create content that is unique to your product’s culture that your followers care about.

Customers want value added to their lives by the content and products that they consume. For example, if you are a shoe company, summertime is a great time to write about shoes to wear when going to the beach or when going on a camping trip with your friends. Be sure to keep track of which content your followers respond to the most, and focus more attention on those topics.

5. Get to know your audience, and reward them for being a fan.

Find out who your biggest fans are. Interact with them on social media. Do some research, and find out what kind of content motivates them. If you have an Instagram account, try these steps to get some traction:

1. Make a spreadsheet of your followers.
2. Sort by which accounts have the most followers.
3. By reviewing their content, determine if they would benefit from sharing your product.
4. Ask them if they would like to promote your product on their account in exchange for a free product.

6. Reach out to social media experts who have a large following.

Many times you can move the needle just by asking someone to share your product. Look for up-and-coming YouTube Sensations that will be willing to promote your product. Look for influencers that produce content in the same category that your business is in and ask them if they would be willing to share your product on their account in exchange for the product or a discount on the product. If they come back with a no, politely ask them if they know of 3 people who would be willing to share the product on their social media account. For example, a business that sells makeup could do a hashtag search for #eyelinertutorial on Twitter, Vine, or Instagram. They could see which accounts are getting the most amount of “buzz” around that topic. Finally, they could reach out to that user and request that they promote the company’s line of eyeliners on their account.

7. Use promotions strategically.

Show your customers that your business adds value to their lives; show them what is in your customer/business relationship for them. Customers who see that content that a company does share is often a promotion will grow to expect that from a business. If that is a business strategy that you want to continue, then, by all means, do it with purpose. A company that does not want its strategy to come off as a gimmick at a time of a sale or discount will want to plan their promotions carefully. We all know the story of “The Boy Who Cried Wolf.”

8. Find out which channel of social media works best for your business.

Knowing your customer base is going to provide your business with invaluable information on where to focus your growth efforts. Analyze your business social media accounts, and see which platform is used most by your customer base. Once you know where your followers congregate, hone your content to reflect what resonates with your audience.

Final Word on Social Media Marketing Tactics

People want to feel socially approved. We have a desire to be affirmed and liked. Your customers want their friends to like what they are sharing. You need to put your customer first and think about how this will affect his image, not your company’s image or the number of products you sell. The customer is giving you publicity, but they will only do this if they can get societal acceptance out of it. This is a privilege from which your business gets to benefit. If a customer has a positive experience with a company and its product and shares the experience on social media, the business should keep this in mind: The customer most likely shared the experience, not because they want people to love that product, but because they want people to like them for sharing a positive experience. Here’s how you can help your customers feel like they matter to your business:

1. Provide a product that people will be happy to share
2. Provide an experience along with that product that people will be happy to share
3. Ask customers to give you a review
4. Give simple instructions on how to give your business a review; write a sample review for customers
5. Ask your customers for a referral; ask if they know 3 people that would like, want, or need the product
6. Offer customers a discount, swag, or rewards when they share the product
7. Make a big deal, and make your customer feel special when they do share the product
8. Create an atmosphere of excitement around sharing on social media
9. Build and maintain relationships with your customers

The most effective way to motivate people to grow your business is by making their lives better.

Tags: Ecommerce