Social media has become a key driving force behind marketing success for businesses. As reports from 2020 suggest that more than 3 billion people worldwide will be using some sort of social media platform in 2021; alienating social media in your marketing strategy can hinder your business success. Digital marketers have an important role to play, making the brand come to life online, and adjust their strategy accordingly.
Let’s get to know the best ways digital marketers can leverage social media to increase business success.
Using influencer marketing
We can’t stress this enough, but influencer marketing is one of the biggest and best practices you can add to your social media marketing strategy. Latest reports suggest that nearly 30% of consumers would likely make a purchase based on influencer opinion. Influencers can connect brands and followers, acting as the non-celebrity middleman.
Influencers create brand awareness, reaching millions of followers, and helping to boost sales. It’s an industry worth billions, and digital marketers can make use of Grin, a platform whereby you can search for the most suitable influencer.
Diversify your social channels
Social media comes in many forms, and diversifying social media channels can increase exposure. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube are among the most popular social media platforms for business; but recently smaller startups are tapping into things like TikTok, WhatsApp, Messenger, Pinterest, and Snapchat to reach more clients. Depending on your brand, and what’s being sold – having two or three rock-solid social media accounts, with consistent branding can take the business to all corners of the world.
Keep engagement between your customers high, responding to comments, queries, or requests. Consumer engagement can help you understand where there may be flaws in your marketing strategy, or perhaps which channels should receive more attention. It’s about selling a brand, a lifestyle if you will and people want to associate with it.
User-Generated Content (UGC)
Consumers want to associate themselves with a brand that resonates with their lifestyle. Even more, user-generated content is one of the best ways to show off how consumers are sharing your brand on their personal social media.
Recent statistics from 2020 revealed that 55% of all customers understand and rely on UGC over other forms of advertising. An additional 48% of new customers feel UGC is more reliable and has helped increase sales by more than 64%. Although these numbers look very promising, UGC can help mitigate regular posting, and sharing on business accounts. It’s an affordable, perhaps even free way to garner more customers and increase brand association.
Connect business websites and blogs with social media
Inbound marketing has seen more effectiveness for business accounts compared to traditional outbound marketing. Using social media to direct followers and potential clients to your website or blog can give more information on your business, and increase website traffic. Additionally, if you’re selling products on your website, using these inbound links can allow you to have followers browsing for longer. Best website builder platforms for small businesses are a great way to start out, especially if you have limited resources. Start a simple blog, or a monthly newsletter and engage with clients more effectively.
Customer support through social media
Statistics show that 59% of consumers are more comfortable with brands and companies that respond to their queries and issues immediately via social media. Effective communication between the brand and the customer/follower leverages social media in new ways than previously anticipated. Customer support and services are also now easier on social media, as some platforms have adjusted and added more reliable methods and customer support resources for business accounts. Finally, digital marketers can track customer queries on social media to ultimately understand consumer trends for long-term planning.
These days, social media gurus and digital marketers are coming up with creative ways to leverage social media to attract new business and generate more sales. These tactics have made it possible for small businesses to outgrow yearly expectations if done properly. Moreover, social media is now a research tool, allowing digital marketers to better understand what customers want, to create an open communication channel between followers and the business.
