5 Tips for Getting the Most Out of Your Social Media Marketing Strategy

If done right, a sound social media marketing strategy allows any business to serve its target audience with content that they are interested in engaging with. By selecting the right social media platforms, companies can bypass gatekeepers like publishers and media correspondents that used to determine how and where users could interact with content. As a result, any business is now able to boost organic interactions between their brand and potential customers.

Although there’s a lot more that can be done do to get the most out of a company’s social media marketing efforts, hopefully, you’ll find the following five tips useful:

1. Take Advantage of Data Provided by Social Media Platforms

Social media has thrown the print media industry into an uphill struggle. Have you been in business for more than 20 years? If so, you surely remember the days when your print advertising budget was one of your most significant marketing expenses. Over the last two decades, the way we advertise has changed completely. So understanding the impact of social media is becoming increasingly important as traditional advertising is on it’s way out.

In a world where content continually bombards users, it can be hard to stand out. So only making the switch to online advertising platforms is not the solution. People have already become numb to traditional pop-up advertisements online, and are even beginning to evolve to recognize more stealth promotions like sponsored influencer posts. That said, keeping up with algorithm updates and ever-evolving user preferences is vital for success. So make sure to take advantage of the data provided by the social media platform.

It truly is mind-blowing by how much data social media platforms now collect daily. With more than two billion Facebook users, the social media giant generates several petabytes of data per day. Much of this data is available in the Facebook Insights section of a company page. Having access to this data allows brands to slice and dice the information to effectively target their audience in cost-effective ways.

Social media platforms have learned that their users want to have more say in how they consume media and advertisements. As businesses are now able to take advantage of the data provided by these platforms, more relevant content can be shown to users. YouTube, for example, lets users list their age, interests, and preferences so they can deliver more relevant ads. I personally watch content on YouTube daily, and I’m pleasantly surprised by how relevant the ads shown to me have become lately. In return, this dramatically increases the chance that I may interact with an ad and potentially end up buying a product or service.

So make sure to take advantage of the data available to you as you can do a lot more with less these days.

2. Keep Up With the Algorithm Changes

Algorithm changes can make it hard for businesses to keep up. For example, Instagram’s algorithm is test running posts so that about 10% of followers interact with it like a tryout to see if it will be successful. While this can be helpful for big-name brands with millions of followers, it is stifling smaller businesses who are competing for the same space in everyday users feeds. Because users often follow a mix of both big and small brands, it is difficult to gain exposure in this way. Some brands have managed to use the new algorithm to their advantage. Quip, an oral hygiene company, saw a 118% increase in organic likes per post. Brands like Quip are an example of how algorithm changes aren’t all bad news for emerging businesses.

3. Quality Content is King

Although the new changes can be hard to keep up with, the key to generating more engagements is quality content. So make sure always to post relevant, eye-catching, and trendy content. Is the best way to rank higher in feeds, and it will genuinely intrigue users like, share, and click through to your website. Hiring a professional photographer, or generally increasing photo quality, can also help get more engagement. Another quick tip is investing in story content. Instagram stories allow brands to live stream content to users, and with additional options to poll followers to gauge interest immediately. The experience has become even more interactive, and it isn’t just helpful for users.

4. Educate Yourself and Take Advantage of Social Media Marketing Courses

Keeping up with all the changes can be daunting and time-consuming. Our popular social media marketing training courses are designed to help anyone implement a clearly defined strategy that resonates with their target audience(s).

Attendees will learn:

• Why is SMM Important? – Discover the key factors that make social media a valuable marketing tactic
• 6 Step Social Media Strategy – Leave knowing how to implement a basic social media strategy plan and start driving results
• SMM & Search Engine Optimization (SEO) – Learn how to combine these strategies to capture your customer’s attention better
• Content Best Practices – You have the tools, now it’s time to implement. Learn best practices when it comes to developing and posting content on social media
• Advertising – Learn how to utilize social media advertising best to reach future and existing customers

5. Have a Plan

As the old saying goes: The only constant is change. Our social media marketing services team members need to stay on top of all the things that change all the time. Not an easy task but certainly required to succeed with social media these days. If you keep social media marketing in-house, you’ll want to make sure to at least include the following tasks in your ongoing efforts:

• Buyer-persona based social media platform selection
• Profile optimization and maintenance
• Content calendar, scheduling, and posting
• Keywords and hashtags strategy
• Competitor research and monitoring
• Brand and online reputation management
• Social media marketing advertising management
• Reporting and analysis
• Strategy adjustments

PS: We’re excited to announce that this post was selected as one of the top digital marketing articles of the week by UpCity, a B2B ratings and review company for digital marketing agencies and other marketing service providers.