Social media marketing is still daunting territory for many small businesses. However, it must be a vital part of your online presence. Social media has the power to connect you with your customers. It will help extend your reach to every corner of the internet. Social media marketing will strengthen your brand and double your web traffic. Most importantly, it will make you more accountable and approachable. Quite simply, social media marketing is your key to a better customer community, and more sales. Here are the five rules to live by.
Rule no. 1: Regular scheduling
Just like good content scheduling, your social media activity should be regular. How much you post or tweet is up to you, but stick to a schedule. Your community are looking for regular, engaging content from you, so make sure you give it to them. Each of the platforms have different structures. For example, you can tweet up to twenty times a day without seeming excessive. However, you should limit your Facebook posts to three or four a day. Do what feels right for you, but set a plan, and keep it regular.
Rule no 2: Listen
Social media is the perfect way to build a relationship with your audience. But remember, a relationships are a two-way street. Yes, you should be posting and writing regularly. But you must also listen to what your community is saying. Read their comments, tweets, and concerns. They’ll spark debate among your users and provide your business with feedback. Don’t ignore this. Use it as a chance to get to know more about your customers and their product.
Rule no. 3: Measure engagement, not numbers
We speak to many digital entrepreneurs that are still obsessed with sheer numbers. They want 10,000 Twitter followers or 50,000 Facebook likes. But they can’t tell you why. That number means absolutely nothing if you don’t know how to use it. If those 50,000 Facebook fans aren’t interacting, they’re useless. If you need help measuring your engagement, speak to a digital marketing agency like Airr. They’ll help you set targets and provide content that engages your community. You’re looking for shares, retweets, repins and comments here.
Rule no. 4: Have patience
The huge buzz around social media marketing has given it a somewhat mythical status. Many new marketers seem to expect instant, magical results. Social media is powerful, yes, but success doesn’t happen overnight. It takes time to build a loyal, engaged community. It takes time to earn their trust and build numbers one-by-one. Your social media strategy should stretch over months and be measured over the year. There are no instant wins here, just hard work and good sense.
Rule no. 5: Connect and reciprocate
Don’t be afraid to weigh into debates and conversations. Actively answer your customer’s comments and queries. Show that you have a human side and that a real person looks after the account. Many customers will take to social media for their customer service queries. Make sure you’re there to answer.
Follow these simple rules and you’ll slowly master the art of social media. Good luck!
