Cheat Sheet: Social Media Marketing
What is Social Media Marketing?
The practice of using social media to connect your company to people and the larger community.
What can it do for my business?
- Help provide customer service
- Learn more about your customers and prospects through questionnaires or surveys
- Promote your product
- Engage with your core demographic
- Employee Recruitment
- Direct Sales
Watch the Video
When most people think of social media marketing they think of hawking products on Facebook – NOT Nick Armstrong – he knows that social media marketing is about creating connections and he knows how to do this in a way that makes a difference for your business.
And don’t forget that if you need help with any of your marketing needs you can contact him and his team here.
Quick Tips
- Establish who your target audience is, this will help you better understand what digital channels you should use and how to reach them.
- Time is money – even if creating social media posts and network is “free” it still takes your time and that is an investment that needs to be considered carefully
- Remember that digital marketing is not only about finding new customers – it also presents your business to potential new employees, partners and other opportunities which can also be of value.
- Find tangential and synergistic communities to connect with.
- An example from the video of a synergistic community is Star Wars and Comic Con. They are not the same communities but a great way to promote Star Wars is through Comic Con and vice versa. Try to find similar opportunities with your products and services.
How Can Social Media Marketing Benefit Your Business?
Providing Customer Service
Social media can be a great way to communicate with your customers. From making sure they are satisfied and ensuring a quality experience to getting feedback and hearing great things about what people love about your product.
Learning More About Your Customers
Surveys and product questionnaires are a great way to learn more about your customers. They can help you better understand how to foster connections with them as well as create better products and services that are more curated to their needs and who they want to be.
Promote Your Product
Use social media to generate visibility and excitement about your product. You want to let them know why people love what your product or services does, how it can be meaningful in their lives, and whats happening in the future with your business.
Engaging with Your Core Demographic
If you have identified your target audience and core demographic – you want to try and engage with them and their community to make more meaningful connections. A great way to do this is to look for tangential and synergistic communities that might be excited about your offering.
Employee Recruitment
Social media marketing is also a great way to find people who are be passionate about your product and would be ideal employees.
Direct Sales
Direct appeals on social media to try and get people to buy your product or service. Although this is often how people characterize ‘social media marketing’ in general, remember that people do not use social media because they want to see blatant advertisements. People use social media to make connections, so the direct approach is not always the most effective in getting their attention and helping foster the connections that will make a real impact on your business.