Social Media is here to stay, and its importance in marketing is indisputable. For small and medium-sized businesses, it can be overwhelming to know which networks to use and how much time and money to invest. Maintaining just Facebook and Twitter is a significant commitment, much less maintaining Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and Tumblr. And there are the up-and-coming outlets like Vine and Snapchat to consider. Unless you’re Coca Cola or a brand of equivalent size, it’s simply not realistic or necessary to be everywhere online.
1) Focus on where your customers are.
Put your social media efforts into the networks where the majority of your target customers are. There is a great deal of demographic information about users available to help determine where your target market spends its time online. There’s no point in advertising to the wrong audience.
2) Make sure your product or service matches the platform.
While there are those that argue otherwise, advertising welding supplies on Pinterest isn’t a good use of time or resources. Some types of businesses lend themselves well to multiple social media platforms like restaurants and retail, others like business services are more suited to LinkedIn.
3) Don’t overdo it.
One of the most common mistake businesses make is bombarding their audience with an identical sales-oriented message on all platforms. Over-posting will quickly alienate your audience, which is the opposite of the engagement you want. Besides being cautious of too much frequency, make sure your message isn’t always about selling. Talk about the history of your industry, local events, staff outings, and birthdays-in other words, be social!
If you have questions about which Social Media outlets are right for your business, or want help in crafting the right message, contact Primm Advertising at 757-623-6234.